Do It Smart - Seven Rules for Superior Information Technology Performance (Electronic book text)

Information Technology (IT) is already a vital strategic tool in such service industries as banking and airlines. But in the manufacturing sector, visions of paperless offices, automated plants, and virtual enterprises have failed to materialize. To determine how manufacturers can harness information to gain a competitive advantage, IT experts Rolf-Dieter Kempis and Jurgen Ringbeck headed up a team from McKinsey & Company and researched seventy companies in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In Do IT Smart, Kempis and Ringbeck identify four cultures of information technology users and -- based on the practices of the most profitable -- provide seven rules for developing an effective IT organization. To perform well, the authors show, managers must make IT a top management issue and a priority in product development. In addition to reducing administrative applications, businesses should create customer-oriented IT service networks and integrate IT into marketing, sales, and customer service. Do IT Smart demonstrates step by step how to transform organizations from industry laggards to industry leaders. This book is sure to be required reading for senior managers and information officers who want their business to gain a competitive edge.