Introduction
The company’s previous successes and Vermont Teddy Bear’s (VTB) long history create a solid foundation for continued growth, but changing times present new threats and opportunities. The information technology (IT) department at VTB faces several issues that limit its ability to advance the company. Based on previous analyses of the resources currently used by IT professionals and the mission created, several strategic IT initiatives can be outlined to help VTB excel.
Discussion
The highest-priority strategic outcome for the VTB IT department is a streamlined planning experience enabled by new software. As noted in the SWOT analysis, IT professionals at the firm currently struggle with a large volume of middleware, which complicates data collection, use, and storage (Gogan & Lewis, 2011). This weakness exposes the department to potential cyberattacks, data loss, and slow customer service.
Thus, a primary goal for the company is to take this opportunity to upgrade its tools and introduce an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. ERPs can help companies consolidate all data and simplify information retrieval (Abdulraheem et al., 2020). This strategic goal aligns with VTB’s existing strengths, as its IT department has passionate, experienced experts who want to see positive change. Furthermore, new software enhances data security and improves the customer experience – both of which are part of the department’s mission.
The following strategic outcomes complement the first one and build upon its changes within the company. Thus, the second initiative is to improve documentation and internal training for the IT department’s employees. While VTB employs professionals with many years of experience, the business does not maintain records of its programs, processes, and issues.
As a result, all knowledge necessary to run the company’s digital operations is shared verbally and informally among workers (Gogan & Lewis, 2011). The lack of documentation affects the firm’s future, as it implies that data and expertise may be lost easily if one of the professionals leaves VTB. During and after the implementation of the new ERP system, the IT department should create a database of standard practices and issues for employees to use.
The following strategic IT outcome is improved customer data safety, also supported by new software. The IT department at VTB is responsible for handling customer information, such as names, accounts, and addresses (Gogan & Lewis, 2011). The company’s privacy policy emphasizes the importance of protecting this information and its role in building strong customer relationships. This initiative aligns with a significant strength of VTB and IT governance requirements, as its IT professionals already employ robust password management and data protection practices.
Finally, the last potential outcome is improved company competitiveness and the potential for further automation. The vision of VTB’s IT department is to aid the firm by stimulating innovation. By implementing new software, training employees, and addressing current threats and weaknesses, IT specialists can improve VTB’s current position (Fischer et al., 2020). Moreover, the department can create a framework for future growth and investigate ways of enhancing the new system when new resources become available.
Conclusion
To conclude, the IT department at VTB has many opportunities and positive characteristics that allow it to follow its vision for company improvement. The primary strategic outcome is a streamlined data management process, and additional initiatives include improved training, better data safety, and a blueprint for further innovation. VTB can follow these guidelines to support its vision and mission because it already has a robust foundation, experienced professionals, and a unique market position.
References
Abdulraheem, A. S., Abdulla, A. I., & Mohammed, S. M. (2020). Enterprise resource planning systems and challenges. Technology Reports of Kansai University, 62(4), 1885-1894.
Fischer, M., Imgrund, F., Janiesch, C., & Winkelmann, A. (2020). Strategy archetypes for digital transformation: Defining meta objectives using business process management. Information & Management, 57(5).
Gogan, J. L., & Lewis, M. O. (2011). Peak experiences and strategic IT alignment at Vermont Teddy Bear. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, 1(2), 61-70.