IT programme, but not meant for IT managers

Nivedita Mookerji

This is a programme on `Information Technology for Competitive Advantage', but not meant for systems managers. Rather, it's specifically designed for senior to top general managers. The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, will offer the programme from September 21 to 25 at its campus.Programme coordinator Ashok Korwar says that it is non-technical in nature, with only one session which can remotely be called `technology-oriented'.Korwar lists out the issues to be covered at the programme:

Why companies should consider using IT;

How to create a `fit' between corporate strategy and IT strategy;

How IT can give companies new ways of competing;

The role of IT in building organisational capabilities;

How to develop systems which people actually use, ie, how implementation should be viewed;

Out sourcing as an option for IT;

IT to create learning organisations;

ERPs and their place in IT strategy;

The Internet and how its potential can beused;

The future of the technology itself.

The focus being on strategic and management issues and not on hardware platform or software packages, the programme will deal with several case studies drawn from Indian and foreign companies. Among the company case studies will figure Bajaj Auto, Banco Santander, Frito Lay, Ford Motor Company, Benetton and Corporation Bank.

Basically the objective is to understand how information technology can lead to new ways to compete and in what way it can build organisational capabilities, explains Korwar. Also, the programme will try to find out how information technology impacts any organisation as a whole, he adds.

Besides the IIMA faculty, guest lectures will be delivered by industry experts. And participants will be encouraged to share their experiences of IT implementations, as an important feature of this programme.

At a fee of Rs 19,000 per participant ($600 for participants from other countries), which covers tuition fee, charges for teaching materials,room and board, companies will only be too willing to send their representatives.

Top

Printer-friendly page