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Running Head: STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Strategic Assessment: One, Two, and Three-Year Plan
Latoya Luc
University of Arizona Global Campus
ISM 645 Information Technology Strategic Planning
Instructor: Shaun Gray
June 7, 2021
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STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
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Outsourcing
The company Acne is in the process of commencing its business starting with its internal
operational framework. Nevertheless, while the business has their IT department personnel on
salary, the company is not yet equipped financially to support a full staff for the IT department
that is mainly required to support the foundation for a completed project. This paper will
illustrate the option of contracting out the plan for major projects to be set in motion over the
first three years, implement the skills sets that the IT department needs so that arrangements,
construction and exertion including time for financing.
Major Projects
As part of the Acme Company’s strategic plan, the company has identified specific
initiatives that are meant to achieve strategic goals of the company, and there must be projects
undertaken in order to complete the initiatives. These projects will be started across the fiscal
years one, two and three. The projects are the development of Acme Company’s internal
infrastructure, the development of 20 software programs meant to monitor licenses, and finally
the launch of integration with two additional applications. Developing Internal Company
Infrastructure This will be the first project undertaken and will be, in part, outsourced as the
build and implementation time for this project is 90 days with a preparation time of 30 days
beginning day one of year one. Funding for the development and deployment of the enterprise
infrastructure was allocated in the startup budget, and this is key in the determination of
outsourcing a large portion of the tasks in this project.
Developing 20 Software Programs to Monitor Licenses
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In the fiscal year of the third quarter, time horizon commences and will need to be completed by
the end of the year. The process will need to be completed internal.
Launch and Integration with Two Other Applications
Maintained transformation of the company’s commodity and establishing that they are
unified with the current series of production. In year two, quarter two of the time horizon is the
start of the accomplishment in year three quarter three.
Outsourcing
According to authors Keri E. Peterson, Carol S. Sunders, and Dennis F. Galletta (2015),
outsourcing is “purchasing a good or service that was previously provided internally or that
could be provided internally but is now provided by outside vendors”. At its most basic,
outsourcing is allowing an outside company (vendor) to do all or part of the work the company
either cannot or is willing to perform. There are several reasons companies outsource work and
there are factors that assist leadership in deciding whether outsourcing is the way to go.
Factors of Outsourcing – Cost
Many companies outsource to reduce costs. The company may not have the financial
resources to acquire the necessary human and technological resources required to complete a
function, or the company may decide to not invest their funds and finance the employee or
resources needed for the timeframe. The Acme Company initial enterprise and tasks combined
with the companies within the framework will be, in part, outsourced. The outside vendor will
work closely with the internal IT personnel in the development and deployment of the enterprise
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
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infrastructure. “If a service/product involves a core competency, the organization should strongly
consider insourcing to protect the benefits the organization enjoys from its own competency”
(Peterson, Saunders, & Galetta, 2015). The company staff will collaborate with external vendors
to supplement the framework and with a small section of the development of the applications.
The is between the FY1 and FY2 timeframe as the company department will need to a acquire
the accountability of cultivating the internal and external operations making it possible attain
from another company like the outside vendor. Additionally, with steep company growth
initiatives, the faster the development of product and services are produced in-house the faster
Acme can move toward attaining those initiatives. Moving forward outsourcing will be kept to a
minimum.
Risk
As with all endeavors there are some risk involved with outsourcing, most notably and
the risk that is of the most concern to Acme is the loss of control over parts (and some could be
critical) of the project. Additionally, if Acme does not have the proper intellectual property
protections in place the outside vendor could utilize the software that is developed for its other
clients or share Acme’s competitive secrets thus eliminating Acme’s competitive advantages.
Decision to Outsource
The decision to outsource the initial portion of the IT backbone and enterprise
infrastructure setup was made based on expediency (it’s faster) and financially to reduce cost of
providing it internally. The tasks that are contracted out will be associated with eternal vendors,
This will permit the company to work jointly as possible in the improvement of the applications.
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“Remember that using external IT resources isn’t about outsourcing to some big, faceless
organization overseas. There are lots of small and medium-size businesses in your community
that specialize in technology support” (Morgan, 2007).
Internal Roles
Within these project major areas, there are two dominant central venture services that are
technical services and end-user services.
Technical Services
Acme Company IT technical services internal roles are the systems administrator,
database administrator, network engineer, lead programmers.
Project Manager
The project manager, who is the company’s systems engineer, will work with the lead
from the outside vendor and is, according to authors Tumelo Sakuneka, Annlize Marnecwick,
and Jan-Harm Pretorius (2019) “is responsible for designing, analyzing and implementing
automated systems and processes” in the design and implementation of the enterprise
infrastructure. The systems engineer will manage both internal and external staff.
Systems Administrator
Systems administrators would be responsible for the organization, installation, and
support of the Acme Company’s computer systems. Additionally, they would be responsible for
adjustments and customization to the structural elements in addition to maintaining the reliability
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
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of the grid and mainframe systems. Regarding the projects, the structure executive will aid in the
blueprint of the framework and help decide the amount of required licenses.
Database Administrator
Database administrators (DBA) primary responsibility is the outlining, establishing, and
organizing of the data-collection operation system and execute any needed upgrade when
required. In addition, the database administrators are also in charge of selecting the hardware
machine, managing controlling data integrity, and choosing the data backup and recovery
method. Regarding the projects, the DBA will actually perform their normal role as this software
is part of the enterprise for the IT department.
Network Engineer
Network engineers will work with the outside vendor to choose, configure and deploy the
necessary hardware for the network, enterprise infrastructure and the client services
infrastructure.
Lead Programmer
Lead programmers will work closely with the outside vendor to ensure that the enterprise
applications execute the way Acme Company needs them to.
End-User Services
End-user services is responsible for desktop services, desktop architecture customization
and end-user training.
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Systems Analyst
The systems analyst role is to research current systems, compose and execute the new
systems or make necessary improvements if needed (Explain the role of the systems analyst,
2018).
Required Skill Sets for Projects
Engineers are required to have skill sets for the operation’s framework project who can
insert the actual components of the connecting framework as well as designing these elements.
Additionally, a systems analyst’s skill set is required as there will be a need to determine when
and where the system can and needs to be improved. The skill sets of programmers/coders,
database administrators, as well as IT security personnel. Furthermore, the skill sets of a phone
and computer-based support group is necessary, and these will be utilized moving forward with
the latter two projects.
Estimation of Build and Implementation Time
Acme Company’s IT department utilizes the Agile development method and for task
assignment and scheduling the department uses Microsoft Azure DevOps. The build and
implementation of the Acme Company enterprise infrastructure is contracted for 90 calendar
days from day one of operation. This schedule includes continuous product and systems testing
and incremental deliverables that are due at three-week intervals with testing having been
completed at the end of the ninth week. Full dress rehearsals will begin at the beginning of week
ten and continue through the end of the twelfth week.
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Funding and Resource Availability
The is delayed timeframe in the department in obtaining financing because the company
has designated funds assigned within the budget as the proposals fulfill the business-critical
plans. Furthermore, the needed resources are accessible as the projects were formerly allocated.
Organizational Changes
The crucial commanding changes are incorporated in the IT department and within the
services for the client. As the company becomes larger and starts to initiate the projects that is
needed for development, more employees on different levels are needed each year.
Conclusion
At times IT companies face the need to outsource projects or task, either fully or
partially. Additionally, to undertake any projects, especially those that fulfill company initiatives
that lead to company growth, the funds need to be allocated each year so that things can run as
smoothly as possible.
Reference
Morgan, R. (2007). When to Outsource IT. PC Magazine, 26(11), 85. Retrieved from
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Pearlson, K. E., Saunders, C. S., & Galletta, D. F. (2015). Managing and using information
systems: a strategic approach (6th ed.).
Sakuneka, T., Marnewick, A., & Pretorius, J. (2019). Industry 4.0 competencies for a control
systems engineer. 2019 IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference
(TEMSCON), Technology & Engineering Management Conference (TEMSCON), 2019
IEEE, 1. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1109/TEMSCON.2019.8813717
Explain the role of the systems analyst. (2018). The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with
Atlas and Weather Guide. Retrieved from
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&AN=edscra.25628708&site=edslive&scope=site
