Information Technology Portfolio Research Articles

How Hospitals Differentiate Health Information Technology Portfolios for Clinical Care Efficiency: Insights from the HITECH Act

Our research reveals the significant impact of evolving policy uncertainty on hospital strategies to mitigate cost-based performance deficits in clinical care processes through differentiation in search for health information technology (HIT). Key for hospital administrators and managers, our findings reveal the benefit of leveraging external benchmarks for performance feedback, enabling strategic, innovative approaches to HIT investments tailored to enhance clinical care efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, our findings have important implications for healthcare policymakers, highlighting the necessity to consider the varied responses of hospitals to policy fluctuations. Recognizing that hospitals proactively adapt their HIT portfolios in anticipation of new laws, and that these adaptations are most diverse under moderate policy uncertainty, is crucial. This nuanced understanding can guide policymakers in fostering an environment that encourages both the exploration of novel technologies and the widespread adoption of effective solutions across the healthcare spectrum. By bridging the gap between policy development and hospital administration, our work offers a road map for aligning strategic technological differentiation with policy objectives, ultimately enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes.

Investment Weightings of Technology and Traditional Stocks: Investor Choice and Risk Management

In the era of big data, the financial landscape is undergoing transformative changes through the integration of advanced technologies. This research delves into the dynamic realm of asset portfolios within the information technology industry, traditional sectors, and amalgamated portfolios containing popular giant stocks. Employing Python and machine learning, the study focuses on predicting expected returns, comparing and analyzing diverse portfolios to identify optimal investment strategies for risk management. Evaluation metrics include annual return, annual volatility, Sharpe ratio, and statistical charts. The findings highlight the lucrative potential of investing in the information technology sector, revealing an impressive annual return rate of 40.1%. In contrast, traditional industry portfolios not only underperform but also exhibit high-risk profiles and diminished returns. This research underscores the critical role of technological advancements and data-driven methodologies in shaping contemporary financial strategies for robust portfolio management. his research advocates for the strategic incorporation of technology-driven insights in financial decision-making, emphasizing the significant outperformance potential of information technology portfolios in navigating the complexities of modern investment.

Enterprise Architecture Landscape using Zachman Framework and Ward Peppard Analysis for Electrical Equipment Export Import Company

Companies have begun to use Information Technology (IT) to fulfill the demands of technology and business development as IT has progressed in terms of data processing and distribution. The largest electrical equipment export-import firm in Indonesia is one of the enterprises that uses information technology. The current business processes have not widely implemented strategic Information Technology/Information Systems (IT/IS) and integrated systems with each other. Enterprise Architecture Landscape is also needed for the application of information technology and information systems. The goal of this research is to develop an enterprise architectural landscape utilizing the Zachman framework in conjunction with the Ward and Peppard framework. The research method used involved literature studies, data collection, internal business analysis using Value Chain and Critical Success Factor (CSF), external business analysis using Political, Economic, Social, and Technological (PEST) and the Five Force Model, resulting in IT/IS. The strategy used in the mapping of enterprise architecture and IT portfolio proposals is McFarlan Strategic Grid. The research yielded an enterprise architectural landscape based on the Zachman framework, which has been translated into its appropriate lines and comprises of business-oriented (considerations, visions, outlines) and information technology (IT) focused components (standards, landscapes, designs). These results can help electric trading firms create and deploy information technology and information systems that will help them accomplish their vision and purpose.

Constructing information technology (IT) portfolios to achieve enterprise strategic goals in multi-business unit firms

This study aims to develop a new methodology in IT Portfolio Management (ITPM) to address the impact of portfolio priorities on IT strategies in a multi-business unit firm. The methodology includes a new ITPM model and uses simulated scenarios to overcome limitations due to insufficient real-world organizational IT portfolio data. The weight scores generated by the proposed ITPM model can enable the firm to create a rational viewpoint to improve its IT investment efficiency while establishing IT priorities to achieve enterprise strategic goals. Such an approach would enable firms to reduce their reliance on CIO intuition in guiding firms’ technology portfolios.

Effect of data privacy and security investment on the value of big data firms

The use of big data analytics (BDA) and related technologies by firms can raise concerns regarding data privacy and security (DPS). In this study, with stock return and risk as indicators of firm performance, we investigate how DPS investment affects the financial performance of BDA firms (firms with BDA investment) and non-BDA firms (firms without BDA investment). We use a difference-in-differences approach and apply the propensity score matching to 1400 DPS announcements made by 228 US firms whose stocks are publicly traded on US stock markets from 2004 to 2018. The main findings are as follows: (1) On average, DPS investment significantly reduces firms' systematic risk. (2) The risk reduction effects are greater for non-BDA firms than for BDA firms. Our results indicate that DPS investment reduces firm risk and that the business value of specific information technology (IT) investment (e.g., DPS) is influenced by firms' other IT assets (e.g., BDA). The present findings advance the literature on the business value of IT and firms' IT portfolio management in digitized business environments.

Aligning the IT portfolio with business strategy: Evidence for complementarity of corporate and business unit alignment

Research on alignment between business strategy and information technology (IT) strategy has generated extensive insights over the last three decades. That research has focused primarily on the fit between business and IT strategies, while cross-domain alignment, i.e., alignment between business strategy and IT infrastructure components, has received far less attention. Further, previous studies have focused on the implications of alignment for firm performance while the effects of cross-domain alignment on business unit performance in multi-business organizations (MBOs) are yet to be examined. This issue is important as IT infrastructures are evolving rapidly. Specifically, MBOs are increasingly turning to corporate IT platforms to support a common set of shared IT needs, while still allowing individual business units to manage unique aspects of their own IT needs through local IT applications. Extending prior research, this study proposes that performance of business units in MBOs is influenced by two complementary forms of cross-domain alignment, viz., alignment between the corporate IT platform and the corporate business strategy, and alignment between the business unit’s portfolio of IT applications and its business strategy. Using data from a global survey of 120 organizations, we find evidence that complementarity between these two forms of cross-domain alignment creates a joint positive effect on business unit performance. We also find that this effect varies with the extent of process digitization within business units. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Proposta de modelo para seleção de ferramentas de tecnologia da informação baseado nas dimensões da gestão do portfólio

Estudos sobre investimentos em tecnologia da informação (TI) tornaram-se importantes atualmente no mundo dos negócios devido aos altos gastos com TI. Entretanto, as dificuldades em justificar e selecionar os investimentos de TI estão associadas à natureza intangível dos benefícios alcançados com a utilização dessas tecnologias. Este artigo propõe um modelo para o auxílio à tomada de decisão na escolha de ferramentas de TI. O modelo visa analisar as dimensões da gestão do portfólio de TI (GPTI) através de seus benefícios esperados pelos gestores com a aquisição de softwares (soluções/ferramentas) e hardwares. Consiste em um modelo no qual é utilizada uma abordagem multicritério, a fim de criar um ranking das tecnologias, combinada com a aplicação da Programação Inteira zero - um para selecionar as tecnologias que proporcionarão os maiores benefícios esperados, respeitando as restrições financeiras e tecnológicas. Para testar o modelo proposto foi realizado um teste em uma empresa de serviços de médio porte. Testou-se na organização a simplicidade do modelo e obteve-se como resultado quatro ferramentas selecionadas de acordo com as dimensões da GPTI.

Information technology governance model for a low resource institution with fragmented IT portfolio

The emergence of information technology governance in higher education has emerged as important for aligning information technology goals with that of institutions in order to achieve the mission and vision of institutions. Even though higher education institutions in South Africa have some form of information technology governance or information technology strategic committee in place, they are still struggling to operationalize their mandate effectively in order to achieve their objectives. The struggle is even more in settings that are low on resources and where the information technology portfolio is highly fragmented. In this article, an information technology governance model suitable for low resource settings and fragmented information technology portfolios is proposed to assist institutions having this type of setting achieve successful strategic information technology alignment. Case study research was used to: 1) understand information technology challenges that an institution with this type of setting faces and; 2) understand how other similar institutions have implemented their information technolgy governance. The findings from the case studies contributed to the development of an effective information technology governance model suited to these institutions with low resource settings and having fragmented information technology portifolios. Initial evaluation of the model using existing literature review, existing information technology governance frameworks and case studies used in the study indicate the validity of the model.

Value Creation in Acquisitions Through the Looking Glass of IT: Examining the Effects of IT Distance on Acquisition Performance

Although researchers have examined the role of dyadic dynamics (i.e., interactions between the acquirer and the target firm) in the success of acquisitions, little research attention has been paid to the role of information technology (IT). In this study, we extend this stream of literature by examining the effects of pre-acquisition IT distance (i.e., the difference between enterprise IT systems of the two firms that reflects system incompatibility and affects the cost of system integration) on the acquirer’s post-acquisition performance. To measure IT distance, we adopt a word embedding technique to map each firm’s IT portfolio to a low-dimensional embedding space and calculate the distance between IT vendors in that space. Using data on U.S. firms’ acquisition activities during 2007-2013, we find that IT distance is negatively associated with the acquirer’s post-acquisition performance. Also, the adverse effect of IT distance is stronger for acquisitions motivated by operational synergies, compared to those seeking non-operational synergies. This supports our theory that IT distance disrupts post-acquisition synergy creation, and more so when the combined firm has a greater need for tight integration to create acquisition synergies. This research contributes to the M&A literature in management and IS by introducing a novel concept of IT distance and by theorizing and empirically validating its performance implications in acquisitions. The findings of this study can inform practitioners about how to devise IT strategies in corporate acquisitions in order to mitigate IT risks and achieve greater post-acquisition performance.

Information technology portfolio management implementation: a case study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of IT portfolio management (IT PoM) and develop a framework guided by adaptive structuration theory to describe the key structures, features, and appropriation steps needed to effectively manage IT investments and assets.Design/methodology/approachUsing a longitudinal case study approach, data were collected over an eight-month period from a US Fortune 500 company during its IT PoM implementation effort.FindingsThe case analysis highlights three major IT PoM features appropriated by the organization: creating the portfolio; assessing and analyzing the portfolio characteristics based on risk, benefits, alignment, criticality, and cost; and balancing decisions to start projects or terminate under-performing IT assets such as servers and applications. The spirit of IT PoM was interpreted differently by different stakeholders (data providers, business units, and IT PoM team) leading to resistance to implementation. The case data underscores the importance of establishing a governance steering committee and new internal structures to help push the balancing decisions across the organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are useful in developing guidelines and strategies to achieve successful implementation of IT PoM and to highlight critical factors that practitioners need to pay close attention to during an IT PoM implementation.Originality/valueThis study represents one of the first attempts to describe a detailed IT PoM implementation process and how IT PoM appropriation process can lead to improved decision making within the organization.

Analyzing Companies Use of Information Technology Portfolio Management as an Aid to it Investments Management (Case Study)

The ITPM technique has been considered as a new technique that has received little attention in IT research. This research carried out five case studies in different companies from several economic sectors which were using information technology portfolio management (ITPM). In the studied companies, seven persons interviewed and were high-level executives working in the IT department. Result show that ITPM, as one of the information assessment categories for identifying the useful innovations in IT, helps IT and business leaders to identify their priorities and companies to better manage their IT investments. So this technique is significant and useful for companies. So different levels of ITPM use was found to IT investment management. It was observed, that ITPM is used most frequently in IT investment planning, which is the process most discussed and used in analyzed companies. The ITPM technique is used more frequently in Company 2 than in the other cases because the organization of the IT area in the company is structured according to ITPM dimensions.

Paradoxes and the Nature of Ambidexterity in IT Transformation Programs

Though information technology (IT) transformation programs are gaining in importance, we know little about the nature of the challenges involved in such programs and how to manage them. Using grounded theory methodology, we conducted a multiyear case study of a large IT transformation program in a major commercial bank, during which we encountered the interrelated themes of paradoxes and ambidexterity. Grounded in our case, we construct a substantive theory of ambidexterity in IT transformation programs that identifies and explains the paradoxes that managers need to resolve in IT transformation programs. The ambidexterity areas we identified are (1) IT portfolio decisions (i.e., IT efficiency versus IT innovation), (2) IT platform design (i.e., IT standardization versus IT differentiation), (3) IT architecture change (i.e., IT integration versus IT replacement), (4) IT program planning (i.e., IT program agility versus IT project stability), (5) IT program governance (i.e., IT program control versus IT project autonomy), and (6) IT program delivery (i.e., IT program coordination versus IT project isolation). What weaves these six areas together is the combined need for IT managers to employ ambidextrous resolution strategies to ensure short-term IT contributions and continuous progress of IT projects while simultaneously working toward IT transformation program success as a foundation for IT-enabled business transformation. However, in addition to this commonality, we find that the nature of paradoxical tensions differs across the six areas and requires slightly different management strategies for paradox resolution. Ambidexterity areas (1), (2), and (3) are associated with IT transformation strategizing and, in addition to balancing short- and long-term goals, require the mutual accommodation and blending of business and IT interests in the spirit of IT-business partnering to achieve IT-enabled business change and IT-based competitiveness. Ambidexterity areas (4), (5), and (6) are associated with IT program and project execution and, in addition to balancing short- and long-term requirements, require a recurrent and dynamic act of balancing “local” needs at the IT project level and “global” needs at the IT program level.

Transformational Potential of Blended Learning to Personalize Foreign Language Teaching in a Non-Linguistic Higher School

The article investigates the importance of personalization of teaching a foreign language in a non-linguistic higher school through blended learning. The important role of dynamic syllabus, information and communication technology and electronic language portfolio is examined and analysed. The authors come to the conclusion that blended learning is a new educational model with great potential to increase students' outcomes and create exciting new roles for teachers. Key words blended learning, foreign language teaching, electronic language portfolio, information and communication technology, dynamic syllabus Introduction The model of a university graduate is understood as a conceptual description of learning goals, learning content and the principles of organizing the educational process in undergraduate programs. One of the major objectives of modern educational system is developing personal intellectual abilities, critical thinking skills essential for university studies across disciplines and independent learning strategies. Skills of self-study, willingness and ability to adapt to ever-changing social and economic situations are very important for modern graduates (http://www.consultant. ru/law/). Federal target program on education for 2011-2015 is aimed at ensuring accessibility of high-quality education to satisfy the requirements of innovative social- oriented development of the Russian Federation. Solving these problems involves extending the teaching environment and creating virtual classrooms through online and blended learning related to students' cognitive needs, interests and abilities. Centred on purposeful, real-life objectives universities are working to get closer to the golden ideal of every student getting exactly what they need, when they need it. It is also very important to ensure learner- centered approach in the context of generality of educational environment (Sazonov, 2011). A student-centred approach in the Russian educational system

Managing an IT portfolio on a synchronised level, or: The costs of partly synchronised investment valuation

Information technology (IT) investments are usually risky by nature and account for a considerable part of annual investment budgets. Though value-based information technology portfolio management (ITPM) aims at sustained economic growth and long-term value creation regarding IT investments, companies often fail to implement a synchronised ITPM approach that considers all relevant risk-/return components within IT investment valuation. In this paper, we compare a synchronised and an only partly synchronised valuation of IT investments within a company’s ITPM by means of an optimisation model. We show that an only partly synchronised IT investment management leads to sub-optimal investment decisions as especially stochastic interdependency structures are neglected. Furthermore, we analyse how different risk-/return structures of IT investment opportunities affect the valuation error resulting from an only partly synchronised IT investment valuation, and conduct a comprehensive simulation study to further validate our findings.

An Appraisal of IT Portfolio as a Risk Management Tool in the Finance Department NWPG: Factor Analytic Approach

Information technologies have long been considered as either business drivers or enablers. In some cases however, it can be an inhibitor or risk factor. It is therefore prudent for organizations to have proper alignment of their Information Technology (IT) strategies with business strategies in order to reap the benefits of IT. More importantly, organizations must be able to assess the role played by IT as a risk factor and couple that with positive role as a risk management tool. This study investigated both the positive and negative roles of IT in the Department of Finance, North West Provincial Government (NWPG) of South Africa. This was motivated by the fact that there have been several reported cases of money laundering and misappropriation of funds in this department. This has attributed to the failure of NWPG to assess the duality of context in their IT portfolio. Quantitative measures such as the descriptive and exploratory factor analysis were used in this study. Questionnaires were distributed to employees of the department and a return rate of 72% was achieved. Factor analysis results revealed 15 items that can be grouped and explained by two factors namely, operational aspects (technical issues) and business aspects (business issues) of IT. The results also noted that the department has feasible resources to manage its risk using IT as a tool. The challenge however is the lack of neither measures nor awareness programmes to manage the risk that can be associated with IT portfolio. These measures include making employees aware of the risk control measures, reporting procedures and IT risk factors in their department. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n14p113

Strategic Integration of IT and Business Service Management

INTRODUCTION IT Industry Background The computer software development industry is comprised of businesses that design, develop, and market support systems and application software used in personal computers, servers, embedded systems, and mobile devices. The software industry started during the personal computer revolution in the mid 1970s and includes software services such as training and consulting. Proprietary or commercial software and open source software are the predominant types of businesses in the software industry. The software industry segment includes IT giants such as Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Oracle, and SAP. The domestic software market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.7% from 2007 to 2012 with combined revenue of about $180 billion involving approximately 50,000 companies (Hoovers.com, 2009). The IT management industry consists of information technology and management which focuses on the management of a collection of systems, infrastructure and information that originated from the practice of IT Portfolio Management. IT management focuses on the management of information technologies as a business function that originated from the formation of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) (http://www.itil.co.uk/). ITIL is a customizable framework of best practices for managing IT infrastructure, development, and operations. ITIL is an industry best practice for Business Service Management (Lindquist, Madduri, Paul, & Rajaraman, 2007). Business Service Management (BSM) (http://www.best-management-practice.com/) is a method created to automate and simplify the management of the various business processes, based on a service-oriented architecture. The IT management technology vendors who dominate the market are BMC Software, CA, IBM, and HP whose combined market share grew from 34 % in 2005 to 40% in 2006 and will reach approximately 45% in 2007 (Garbani & Mendal, 2007). There is little academic research in BSM (and ITIL) in the information systems, as well as the management and marketing literature (Cater-Steel & Toleman, 2007). Only a handful of journal articles (e.g. Davern & Wilkin, 2008; Fisher, 2006; Lindquist, Madduri, Paul, & Rajaraman, 2007) have researched the implications of BSM (and ITIL). Moreover, the literature does little to investigate the strategic and marketing-related impacts, reflecting the unique contribution of this current research case study. This paper is also written from an applied research viewpoint to emphasize the pragmatic aspects of the technologies. Therefore, the study adds the practitioner's perspective, since one of the co-authors is a Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer at BMC Software. Not to mention, there is an increasing interest in the adoption of these technologies and solutions (e.g. ITIL) in corporate America today to enhance service delivery, support, and overall business efficiency (Cannon & Raisinghani, 2007; Fisher, 2006). Consequently, college business programs should train students in these emerging new technologies to stay competitive in the job market and apply classroom concepts in a hands-on approach (Beachboard & Beard, 2005; Cater-Steel & Toleman, 2007). Description of the Company's Business Pioneering the concept of Business Service Management, BMC Software, Inc. is a leading global provider of enterprise management solutions (systems, applications, databases, and service management) that empower companies to automate Information Technology (IT) and align it to the needs of the business. BMC Software is the 8th largest independent software vendor with 26 years of leadership and holds 94 software technology patents. BMC Software has international headquarters located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Singapore, Singapore. It also operates international offices in countries such as the Australia, England, Germany, China, France, India, Israel, Japan, and the Philippines. …

IT investment management and information technology portfolio management (ITPM)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze some Brazilian companies’ use of the information technology portfolio management (ITPM) technique as an aid to their information technology (IT) investments management. Design/methodology/approach – It was carried out in five case studies in different Brazilian companies from several economic sectors which were using ITPM or were in the initial implementation phase. Eight interviews were conducted. The persons interviewed were high-level executives working in the IT department in the studied companies. Findings – Different levels of ITPM use was found with respect to IT investment management (planning, control and evaluation). It was observed, in the analyzed cases, that ITPM is used most frequently in IT investment planning, which is the process most discussed and used in analyzed companies. The ITPM technique is used more frequently in Company 2 than in the other cases because the organization of the IT area in the company is structured according to ITPM dimensions. Research limitations/implications – The ITPM technique has received little attention in IT research and research in this area identifying the use and applicability of ITPM in companies is still very limited in the information systems literature. Originality/value – The paper presents IT investment management in different Brazilian companies and how ITPM was used to help companies in this process compose by planning, control and evaluation.

Information technology portfolio in supply chain management using factor analysis

Information technology portfolio in supply chain management using factor analysis

The effect of synergy enhancement on information technology portfolio selection

This paper investigates how firms can use synergy to optimize their information technology portfolios. We begin by developing a framework for the portfolio selection by identifying three types of information technology synergy. Next, we use this framework to examine the impact of different types of synergy on the portfolio selection. Analytical models are developed to illustrate the roles of different types of the synergy, and analytical and computational methods are used to investigate the impact of the synergy. The analysis in this paper provides conditions in which synergy enhancement results in a more efficient or a less efficient portfolio. Our study establishes that firms with higher risk thresholds are more likely to obtain more efficient information technology portfolios by enhancing synergy, whereas firms with lower risk thresholds are less likely to benefit from enhancing synergy.

Structural Models that Manage IT Portfolio Affecting Business Value of Enterprise Architecture

This paper examines the structural relationships between Information Technology (IT) governance and Enterprise Architecture (EA), with the objective of enhancing business value in the enterprise society. Structural models consisting of four related hypotheses reveal the relationship between IT governance and EA in the improvement of business values. We statistically examined the hypotheses by analyzing validated questionnaire items from respondents within firms listed on the Japanese stock exchange who were qualified to answer them. We concluded that firms which have organizational ability controlled by IT governance are more likely to deliver business value based on IT portfolio management.