02023nas a2200229   4500008004100000022001400041245004800055210004800103260004200151300001000193490000600203520139300209653001701602653001601619653001601635653002501651653002601676653001701702100002001719700001801739856003601757       2012                        eng d  a1927-032100aProcess Adaptability in the IT Supply Chain0 aProcess Adaptability in the IT Supply Chain  aOttawabTalent First Networkc11/2012  a33-400 v23 aThe continuous pressure to minimize IT costs challenges the IT function to achieve a balance between its own effectiveness and the productivity of the users in the business functions that it serves (i.e., user effectiveness). In many cases, user effectiveness is sacrificed to ensure IT function effectiveness. Process adaptability improves the IT organization’s entrepreneurial ability by balancing these conflicting productivity and performance objectives.

This article applies a process-ambidexterity framework to examine how process adaptability in IT is affected by the choice of different strategies for IT Demand Management as well as different fulfillment strategies for IT Supply Chain Management. Alternative fulfillment strategies are presented, along with criteria and indicators that impact IT and user effectiveness that have been applied within major firms. 

IT and senior business executives will find this article valuable for helping understand how they can influence the balance between IT and user productivity through their choice of different Demand Management and IT fulfillment strategies. Academic readers will discover that, while process adaptability in IT is an important enabler for implementing dynamic alignment between business and IT function objectives, there may be circumstances where IT process adaptability is not a priority for the business.10aexploitation10aexploration10aIT function10aprocess adaptability10aprocess ambidexterity10asupply chain1 aRenaud, Paul, E1 aBot, Sonia, D  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/62702021nas a2200217   4500008004100000022001400041245005200055210005200107260001200159300001000171490000600181520141900187653002401606653001701630653001601647653002801663653002601691653003201717100001801749856003601767       2012                        eng d  a1927-032100aProcess Ambidexterity for Entrepreneurial Firms0 aProcess Ambidexterity for Entrepreneurial Firms  c04/2012  a21-270 v23 aTechnology-based entrepreneurial firms must effectively support both mainstream exploitation and new-stream exploration in order to remain competitive for the long term. The processes that support exploitation and exploration initiatives are different in terms of logistics, payoff horizons, and capabilities. Few firms are able to strike a balance between the two, where mainstream exploitation usually trumps new-stream exploration. The ultimate goal is for the firm to operate effectively in a repeatable, scalable, and systematic manner, rather than relying on good luck and hoping either to come up with the next innovation or for the product to function according to its requirements. 

This article builds on the author’s years of experience in building businesses and transforming medium and large-sized, entrepreneurial technology firms, leading large-scale breakthrough and sustained performance improvements by using and evolving Lean Six Sigma methodologies, and reviews of technology innovation management and entrepreneurship literature. This article provides a process-based perspective to understanding and addressing the issues on balancing mainstream exploitation and new-stream exploration in medium and large-sized entrepreneurial firms and extending it to startups. The resulting capability is known as process ambidexterity and requires disciplined, agile, and lean business management.
10abusiness management10aexploitation10aexploration10aperformance improvement10aprocess ambidexterity10atechnology entrepreneurship1 aBot, Sonia, D  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/54702223nas a2200241   4500008003900000022001400039245005000053210005000103260004200153300001000195490000600205520157000211653002001781653002601801653001701827653001601844653000701860653001401867653002601881100001801907700002001925856003601945       2012                          d  a1927-032100aProcess Ambidexterity for IT Entrepreneurship0 aProcess Ambidexterity for IT Entrepreneurship  aOttawabTalent First Networkc08/2012  a16-220 v23 aAll firms use information technology (IT). Larger firms have information technology organizations whose business function is to supply and manage IT infrastructure and applications to support business needs for IT. While some firms have chosen to outsource the IT function, the majority rely on an internal IT organization that is focused on running the IT infrastructure and optimizing IT operations and applications by exploiting technology improvements over time. Most IT organizations have little capacity to carry out transformational initiatives because they are focused on incremental improvements needed to run the business. As the global economy contracts, growing cost pressure on firms escalates the need for the IT function to behave in a more entrepreneurial manner that accelerates the availability of new technological solutions to enhance productivity and lower cost of doing business. 

This article provides a process-based perspective for understanding and addressing an IT function’s ability to implement entrepreneurial practices that better align the IT function to business functions. This is done by developing the capability of process ambidexterity. Improving an IT organization’s entrepreneurial ability results in improved productivity, shorter time to market, and lower operational costs – as validated by recent practice with major firms in the USA. Developing process ambidexterity in the IT function benefits those who govern IT, the executives who lead IT, as well as their peers in the business functions that depend on IT.10abusiness demand10abusiness value chains10aexploitation10aexploration10aIT10aIT supply10aprocess ambidexterity1 aBot, Sonia, D1 aRenaud, Paul, E  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/596