Case Study: Wobbly Wheels (WW) Distribution Company
You will develop a memorandum addressed to the CFO that explains how you want to change your IT Department into a CIO organization and why. Your memo will address each of the topics listed below, and should be written so that it flows well from one section to the next. Each of the topics to be included is covered in the textbook readings assigned thus far; use the Index to locate specific relevant portions of the text, and to locate additional ideas that may be included in chapters not yet assigned. In addition to the course materials, at least one external resource (resource other than those provided in the class) must be used. A separate References page should be included. Remember to use the APA formatting rules and correctly cite and reference your sources with APA format.
Please include the following in your memorandum, ensuring that each section flows well to the next, and that the overall memo creates a compelling justification for your new organizational structure.
Introduction and Purpose - Open your memo with a brief (2 or 3 sentences) explanation of why you are writing it.
Leadership Philosophy - Since you are the CIO and a member of the senior leadership team of WW, it is important for the other members of the team to understand your leadership philosophy and the management style you will use to meet the company's needs. This should be a short paragraph that ties to the priorities and/or issues outlined in the Case Study, and lays the foundation for the organizational structure you will propose below. This is a good area in which to do some external research.
Internal IT Strategies - To show how your IT organization will support WW, you will present and explain five internal IT strategies. For Part 2 of your IT Strategic Plan, you provided at least one example of an internal IT strategy. Here you will add four more internal IT strategies, so that you have a total of five. The strategies you develop must address: people, process and technology - at least one strategy for each. Describe each of the five strategies and explain how they will help improve the organization's effectiveness.
Current IT Department Structure - Use the information provided in the Case Study to draw an organization chart depicting the current roles and responsibilities. You may take some liberties in how you align the staff that is described in the Case Study, but all IT staff positions or groups must be included in the structure. Be sure to introduce or explain your org chart in the memo. Figure 9.2 in Chapter 9 shows one version of an IT organization chart. You may use the Shapes tool or the SmartArt tool to develop your organizational hierarchy chart, or you may paste in your chart from another drawing tool.
New CIO Organization - Explain in a paragraph or two how a CIO organization is different from an IT Department. Be sure to create a transition from the previous section. This may be an area for you to do some external research.
Key Services - List and explain at least five key services that need to be included in your new CIO organizational structure. You may eliminate functions or positions from your current organizational structure if you believe it will improve your effectiveness and/or efficiency; these should be explained. You should also add (and explain) any functions that you will need in your new organization. Be sure these services are appropriate to your IT strategies.
New CIO Organization Structure - Briefly explain what changes you will make and why. Draw an organization chart depicting your new CIO organizational structure. Be sure that the key services you listed are covered by the new organizational structure. (Follow the guidelines for drawing the organization chart given above for the current organization.)
Key Milestones - Your memo should include at least five key milestones (tasks or events) associated with accomplishing the changes that you see are needed to change the IT Department into a CIO organization. Each milestone should be briefly described (in a sentence or two) and a target completion date should be shown. In addition, for each milestone you should identify at least one issue or concern you have with accomplishing it. An example using a milestone not related to the organization might be: The milestone is to consolidate all servers into a new data center by Oct 2014. Some issues might be: (1) a secure data center must be located, (2) it will require significant downtime for the corporate servers, and (3) the initial cost will be high.