BISM7808-Information Technology for Business Value

Task Description

You are to write an Executive Briefing that assesses the impact and implications of a new technology for an industry of interest to the student. You are to prepare a briefing paper appropriate for presentation to a Board of Directors of an enterprise that is affected by these implications, and make recommendations appropriate to the organisation’s context. For example, the Board may be considering entering an industry, or the Board may already operate in the industry and need to consider strategic responses to the challenges presented by the technology.

This Executive Briefing provides a short background of the entity, and describes the technology and analyses its prospective impact upon an industry and its implications for industry participants. The Executive Briefing should conclude with specific and focussed recommendations (no more than 4 recommendations) that are actionable by the Board. For example, these recommendations may be for further research by the Board, or development of a Business Case, or other recommendations related to the analysis presented.

The paper should describe the technology sufficiently so that Board members who are not IT literate will understand the basic elements and implications of the technology for the industry. The work should also consider the strategic challenges that face the proposed technology recommendations and the opportunities that are or could be available in the context of the digital maturity of the entity. The analysis should also make specific recommendations for actions to be taken if you want to take advantage of the technology, and identify the potential for the technology in the near and mid-term future. The challenges, analysis, and recommendations are to be supported by current research.

Key to success in this assessment is the description of the technological elements, analysis of the value proposition and impacts/risks (or potential impacts/risks) upon the entity, and the development of recommendations from the analysis. In your analysis, consider a specific example of how the technology is or might be used (going into some detail into a specific example). You should aim to describe and analyse actual events that have either happened or are unfolding now. As an Executive Briefing, the focus is upon clear and concise communication to the Board. Key points may be bolded, and/or the briefing may be presented in dot point format (but it must be structured and coherent if this approach is adopted).

Requirements 

1.You are to prepare a briefing paper appropriate for provision to a Board of Directors of an enterprise that operates in an industry that has the potential of disruption or significant changes arising from the adoption of a novel technology in that industry. For example, the Board may be considering entering an industry, or the Board may already operate in the industry and need to consider strategic responses to the challenges presented by the technology. 

2.An introduction is required that succinctly states the purpose, scope and structure of the briefing report. 

3.A short background of the technology, the industry, and the organization is required. The focus of analysis is on the technology’s impact upon the industry, but as the Executive Briefing provides actionable recommendations to the Board of the organization, the context of the organization and its goals requires consideration. 

4.In discussing the technologies, this briefing should be written for a non-technical audience – that is, it should be technically accurate but avoid jargon. The paper should describe the technology sufficiently so that Board members who are not IT literate will understand the basic elements and implications of the technology for the industry

5.Either the technology selected or its application in the industry should be novel and this novelty should be explained in the Executive Briefing. Detailed technical explanations are best presented in the appendices, as is any detailed explanations of the industry or organizational context. 

6.An analysis should be undertaken that identifies the technology’s impact on the industry and thus its implications for the future state of the organization. The work should also consider the strategic challenges that face the proposed technology recommendations and the opportunities that are or could be available in the context of the digital maturity of the organisation. 

7.Necessarily this analysis will likely include an assessment of the organisation’s state of readiness for the digital transformation implied by the technology (i.e. its readiness for the future). The nature of the degree of digitization and its impact should also be considered.

8.The analysis should also make specific recommendations for actions to be taken by the organisation, and identify the potential for the technology in the near and mid-term future.

9.The challenges, analysis, and recommendations are to be supported by current research from quality academic peer reviewed sources (at least 3 sources) and from quality industry sources (at least 3 sources). This is independent research material.

10.The Executive Briefing should conclude with specific and focused recommendations (no more than 4 recommendations, but at least 2 recommendations) that are actionable by the Board. For example, these recommendations may be for further research by the Board, or development of a Business Case, or other recommendations related to the analysis presented.