IT Strategy for Non-IT Managers argues that “the number one reason that most firms are unprepared for disruption is their lack of technology-savvy non-IT managers” (p. 30). This exercise is designed to push you to think about IT trends (such as those from the McAfee and Brynjolfsson book) from a highly strategic perspective so that you will be better prepared for disruption when it occurs in your industry (see pp. 36-37 for more about why non-IT managers are essential to IT strategy).

For this project, you will be using the tools from the book— primarily from the first two chapters—to analyze an industry from the perspective of a “focal firm” with which you are very familiar (ideally this would be a firm at which you are employed or a firm within your industry, but you may choose whatever firm you like).

Because IT architectures, payoffs, and governance issues are significantly more tangible and may require actual experience inside your firms, we’ll be focusing on chapters one and two for the entirety of this project. The remainder of the text will help you move through IT strategy when you are moving through your career.

This project is designed to push you to think about organizational competition from three different levels of analysis (industry level, firm level, and IT asset level). Thus, I would like you to use the same firm for all four segments of the industry analysis project if possible. If you don’t think this will work for you, please send me a message so we can discuss in person. Please also note that unlike the Reverse Case Analysis, each of the four components of this project are not the same.

Instructions
https://academized.com/downloads/paper/20209/Industry_Analysis_Guidelines.docx 9/15/18, 6D10 PM Page 1 of 2

See pp. 31-33 in IT Strategy for relevant reading material. I’d like a four-paragraph response-about a page along–that sets up your industry analysis project for the semester. You’ll identify the firm and work through the “strategic aspiration” thought exercise from the book. See below for what I’d specifically like to see in four paragraphs. You are free to add additional contextual information, but the four paragraphs below should be present in your response. • Paragraph 1: Identify your focal firm and its mission (directly cite the mission statement or any available “About” information). Conclude this paragraph with a direct statement of the firm’s strategic aspiration • Paragraph 2: Identify who your firm will target (cite your evidence) Paragraph 3: Identify how your firm engages in that targeting (cite your evidence) • Paragraph 4: Introduce your firm’s archrivals (if any) and show them in a 2×2 matrix