Studies show that many organizations mistakenly fail to leverage information technology to support overall business objectives, but a new, one-of-a-kind executive education program from META Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: METG), Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology, and Penn State Executive Programs prepares executives and senior managers to successfully drive growth by aligning IT with organizational goals.
“The Emerging Enterprise Technology Strategist: Leveraging IT for Organizational Success” will be held from Sept. 27 through Oct. 1 at Penn State’s University Park campus. The program combines a broad strategic view drawn from academic research and theory with a focused real-world organizational perspective. Following a week of interactive sessions and applied workshops, attendees emerge with a template that helps them understand what they need to do in their own organizations and how it must be done to align and leverage business and IT. Attendees also gain an understanding of the role of enterprise program management as well as the constructs needed to create an “adaptive enterprise architecture.”
According to a META Group study, fewer than 10 percent of chief information officers have aligned performance metrics with business objectives. This failure results in lost business opportunities as well as inefficient use of resources and can lead to an inability to respond quickly to changing market conditions — a necessity in today’s volatile business environment.
“IT is a strategic enabler, so an organization can maintain or realize great competitive advantage when IT is aligned with an organization’s key processes, technologies, and people,” said James B. Thomas, IST dean. “This program provides a unique opportunity for participants to learn what emerging technologies will be critical to their organizations’ strategies, to learn how supporting IT architectures can make business strategies work, and to see how IT can be used to create and support their organizations’ core competencies.”
The program provides information, guidance, and insight for senior IT managers as they plan and implement future IT investments. Participants will discuss trends, best practices, implementation issues, and strategies in order to better use those investments for their organizations’ business imperatives.
“CEOs and boards of directors are demanding more effective strategy development and implementation processes,” said Richard Buchanan, vice president and director of META Group’s Enterprise Planning & Architecture Strategies. “Organization and governance are being re-engineered to synthesize business strategy, enterprise architecture, and program management processes. Business and IT personnel must learn to collaborate and positively critique each function’s activities.”
First offered in December 2003, the program was developed by META Group, a leading provider of information technology research, advisory services, and strategic consulting; Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology; and Penn State Executive Programs. Past participants have come from a broad range of industries as well as government agencies including the U.S. Navy, NASA, and Fidelity Investments.
The program’s faculty leaders include James B. Thomas (IST), Richard Buchanan (META Group), and Albert A. Vicere, executive education professor of strategic leadership at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.
