Stakeholders in ITC’s eChoupla project
The eChoupal project stakeholders include the International Business Division (IBD), which is a division in ITC limited, farmers, processors, government and commission agents. IBD is a major shareholder in the project since the eChoupal was initialized by the division’s chief executive (Upton and Fuller 227).
IBD is mandated with developing business for ITC limited and streamlining its operations in a profitable manner. In this regard, IBD executives act as the eChoupal project managers. IBD is responsible for streamlining the ITC supply chain by ensuring that it changes the conventional Choupal system to a digital eChoupla system. The soybean processors within the ITC are major shareholders of the new system.
The processors access the system to know the current tonnage of produce required for processing (228). In this regard, the processors can make adequate plans on how to handle processing operations, storage and transportation of farm produce into the processing facilities.
Farmers are a formidable group of stakeholders who use the eChoupla system. Famers provide input to the eChoupla system (229). Farmers’ knowledge on prices and information that affects the growth of the produce is influenced by the use of eChoupal.
Moreover, the eChoupal system is designed to serve the farmers. In fact, the farmer is perceived to be the system’s end user. Farmers access important information regarding the market price of the produce, as well as access soybeans global prices. The eChoupal is a linkage between the farmer and the ITC limited.
Commission agents are an important aspect of the ITC supply chain. The agents help ITC in gathering information from the field, as well as buy farm produce on behalf of the company. Commission agents conveniently buy soybeans on behalf of the company at the local markets.
This is critical in reducing ITC transportation cost. However, the conversion of commission agents into Samyojak is convenient for eChoupal set up in local villages. The Samjoyak is also mandated to facilitate transactions between ITC and farmers using the eChoupal (236). The Sanchalak is a major stakeholder in operating the eChoupal. The Sanchalak is the leading operator of the eChoupla system in the village and also the linkage between ITC and farmers (234).
Classical mistakes by ITC during the eChoupal implementation
Prior the implementation of the eChoupal system, ineffective stakeholder management is evidenced in ITC case. The conventional Choupal system allows exploitation of farmers by commission agents. This mistake did not allow communication between ITC and farmers.
The negligence of farmers by ITC is risky and cause reduced confidence among farmers. Moreover, the flow of information among stakeholders is inhibited by lack of information channels and controls. The farmer is left without any knowledge concerning prices and improved farming practices.
Lack of user involvement is evidenced in the conventional Choupal system. IBD involvement with commission agents is ill-advised considering that commission agents do not advise farmers on prices. By not involving farmers in decision making, IBD fails to motivate farmers in their productivity. This is a dangerous precedence since ITC is a major exporter of soybeans in the global market.
It is a mistake for ITC to develop a system without conducting relevant research. The conventional Choupal system was not based on a research-oriented development. This resulted to misrepresentation of ITC by IBD and consequently commission agents. The conventional Choupal did not consider the location of local markets and access of information by farmers. Lack of proper research in developing eChoupal resulted to unrealistic expectations by IBD.
Initially, IBD undermined the efforts of farmers and the commission agents. Undermined motivation is risky since farmers may lack the morale to produce soybeans. On the other hand, unmotivated commission agents are vulnerable to manipulating the system for unscrupulous profits.
The conventional market transactions were noisy and often led to dissatisfaction of farmers. Noisy offices are susceptible to corruption and manipulation of transaction standards and procedure. In fact, this led to farmers selling their produce at different prices within a period of two days.
Lesson for Information Technology (IT) project implementation in future
Implementation of IT projects requires input from all stakeholders (Olander and Anne 324). This is done to ensure that the system users are able to understand the significance of using IT as a tool of change. Developer-based estimates are critical in making IT projects a success. In this regard, scheduling of an IT project in relation to its function is done in precision (Nelson 73). Avoiding poor estimation of an IT project is essential since the project timeline influences the success of the project.
Using appropriate risk management practices is significant in IT project development, implementation and success. In this regard, identification of possible risks, analysis of risks, planning, resolution and monitoring of risk management is necessary (75).
Finally, quality assurances in IT projects require maintenance under all cost. Therefore, project managers are required to maintain standards in project test planning (Nelson 76). Moreover, project design and code reviews are to be developed and measured against during project evaluation. In addition, the quality of a project depends on a continuous testing and assessment (Markus and Benjamin 62).
Works Cited
Markus, M. Lynne, and Robert I. Benjamin. “The magic bullet theory in IT-enabled transformation.” Sloan Management Review 38.2 (1997): 55-68. Print.
Nelson, R. Ryan. “IT project management: infamous failures, classic mistakes, and best practices.” MIS Quarterly Executive 6.2 (2007): 67-78. Print.
Olander, Stefan and Anne Landin. “Evaluation of stakeholder influence in the implementation of construction projects.” International journal of project management 23.4 (2005): 321-328. Print.
Upton, M. David and Fuller, A. Virginia. “The ITC eChoupal initiative”. Harvard Business School Review (2004): 227-246. Print.