Essay Assignment
Introduction
In considering outsourcing, for example, think through its impact on relationships. For this assignment, you would consider the impact of outsourcing on trust and relationship building.
The Organization
The WhiteBoard Corporation delivers software (educational platforms), which allow an institution to be able to deliver educational content to their students. The manufacturing costs are high in this model and the WhiteBoard Corporation recognizes it needs to reduce their manufacturing costs and at the same time globalize and increase margins for creating their software platform. All of the employees of the WhiteBoard organization are in the United States.
You are the CIO for WhiteBoard and have been working with executive management on a new strategic direction for the organization. Strategically, the executive team has determined to move the delivery educational software platforms to Software as a Service model. You are participating in business decisions at the highest levels of the company.
You have been asked to outline a plan around moving the business from a traditional manufacturing model where the organization delivers software as CD, DVD, download, for colleges, universities and other institutes and is installed on-premise, managed by that organization's IT department.
You have been asked to move the WhiteBoard software development platform to an off-premise Software as a Service model. You need or provide a roll out and transition plan, balance and globalize their organization to accommodate this new SaaS model and produce a plan around contingency and disaster recovery.
Deliverables
For each of the following topics below, in your own words, create a strategy describing the organizations plans around:
1) System roll out and transition
• Think about the different aspects of planning. How would you plan for this roll out? What would this roll out look like? How would it impact the management, culture and other operational aspects of the organization? What about the existing product you have in place? What would you do with those people and that product?
2) Globalization and resource balance
• Specifically describe where you would globalize. Would you have this new SaaS project be a totally separate organization? What aspects would you globalize? Would you outsource, offshore or both?
3) Disaster recovery
• Describe a disaster recovery plan specifically for the organization
4) Business continuity
• Describe a business continuity plan specifically for the organization.
For each section provide information which would describe a strategic plan and direction for the organization. Each section does not need to include a fully tactical outline, however, being descriptive as part of the strategy is a good idea.
Remember, to do research on how other organizations might have planned around the topics above and make sure to leverage the lecture notes and readings!
If you wish, you may add assumptions concerning the company, please make them clear in the beginning of the paper.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.