Managing for Better Business-IT Alignment

Business-IT alignment is a complex and multidimensional problem that remains among the top-10 issues for many organizations. IT investment decisions usually fall to CIOs, and often the temptation is to base the decision to buy solely on superior technology. Clearly, organizations can gain a competitive advantage by such investments, but basing them only on the bells and whistles of a particular platform is foolhardy. Any competitive advantage would vanish as soon as the next platform enters the market, and the technological edge that the organization had briefly gained would evaporate. There are four themes in securing B-IT alignment: the role of IT, the business case, IT management intensity, and IT metrics, IT's role is important because not all organizations use IT in the same manner. The next three themes are natural intersections for business and IT investment. The business case is important because it determines how business and IT collaborate to justify the IT investment. The degree of IT management intensity both during and after the actual IT investment determines the organization's commitment to continuous process improvement. Finally, IT metrics are critical to demonstrate to business executives IT investment's value-generating potential     

Extending an ICT4D Computer Re-use Model with E-waste Handling Activities: A Case Study

This paper illustrates how a computer re-use model can be extended to deal with e-waste challenges. First, we describe the re-use of computers as a factor that can help bridge the global digital divide. In an ICT4D context, refurbished computers can be used in developing countries. We describe and illustrate the operating model of such a computer re-use organization, highlighting the different components and interactions of the operating model. Next, we discuss how e-waste puts this computer re-use model under pressure. We argue that the sustainability of computer re-use in an ICT4D context is seriously impacted by this increasing e-waste problem. Finally, we describe how a computer re-use model can be extended and complemented with e-waste handling activities to retain positive effects in an ICT4D context. The paper is based on a single case study.     

Inferring comprehensible business/ICT alignment rules

We inferred business rules for business/ICT alignment by applying a novel rule induction algorithm on a data set containing rich alignment information polled from 641 organisations in 7 European countries. The alignment rule set was created using AntMiner+, a rule induction technique with a reputation of inducing accurate, comprehensible, and intuitive predictive models from data. Our data set consisted of 18 alignment practices distilled from an analysis of relevant publications and validated by a Delphi panel of experts. The goal of our study was to describe practical guidelines for managers in obtaining better alignment of ICT investments with business requirements. Our obtained rule set showed the multi-disciplinary nature of B/ICT alignment. We discuss implication of the alignment rules for practitioners.     

A prospective cohort study on minor accidents involving commuter cyclists in Belgium

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into bicycle accidents. Bicycle accident data and weekly exposure data were prospectively collected for one year to calculate the incidence rate (IR) of bicycle accidents. An accident was included if it occurred during utilitarian cycling, resulting in an acute injury with corporal damage. If an accident occurred, a detailed questionnaire was filled out to collect detailed information about its circumstances and consequences.