Organizational Changes

Information Technology is significant driving force behind organizational change. As the business landscape changes in response to new innovation, changing consumer preferences and new competitive pressures, companies adopt information technology to improve business processes, streamline operations, cut costs and increase profitability. The impact of information technology on organizational change permeates the entire organization. Organizational structure, employee skill base, process change, product delivery and marketing methodology all change in response to information technology.

Examples of Information Technology and Organizational Change

Organizational structural change is a natural consequence of advancements in information technology. Consider the plight of print media since the advent of the internet. As internet access levels increase on a worldwide scale, consumers are demanding the delivery of conventional print publications in digital format. Companies affected by this are forced to establish new infrastructure and delivery methods to accommodate the change in consumer preferences. New business frameworks require suitably qualified personnel who have skill levels to operate new company processes.

As information technology and organizational change grips the print industry, the online platform gives birth to demand for new a new set of skills to run the necessary infrastructure. Web delivery methods require a shift in the employee skill base from print skills to online digital savvy. Mechanical engineers now find they have internet counterparts. Content Management platforms replace the traditional printing press to deliver the medium online. Marketing efforts shift from offline media to online media or a combination of the two. This requires new skills to accommodate the demand for the new services that bring the changes into effect.

How does a company facilitate this change? A company is required to hire personnel who have the skills to work with the new technology processes. This might involve retrenchment of existing staff or an introduction of training programs to retrain a companies existing skill base. When dimensional shifts occur in the way business is conducted, the transition often presents a shortfall in skilled labor as demand outstrips supply. New industries emerge to fill this shortfall and information technology and organizational change has a rippling effect on the industry as a whole.

Change management is a growing area of business services. As technology changes the business landscape, qualified and experienced professionals are required to guide and assist companies in unfamiliar territory. The change in processes, corporate culture, systems management and operational objectives that result from information technology and organizational change requires careful and dedicated planning. Organizations that do not take the time to plan appropriately risk compromising their operational goals and objectives.

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