IBM: Building the IT Function for a Global Business

17 Pages Posted: 7 Jan 2012

See all articles by Stephanie Woerner

Stephanie Woerner

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)

Jeanne W. Ross

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)

Date Written: December 1, 2010

Abstract

In 1993, CEO Louis Gerstner initiated a transformation at IBM that Sam Palmisano continued when he took the reins in 2003. The transformation involved a change from a hardware and software business to a solutions and services business and from a regionally aligned organization to a global organization. IBM’s IT organization, which became known as Business Transformation and Information Technology played a critical role in the firm’s transformation that continued through 2010. This case study describes the evolution of the IT organization and how it was designed and governed to support global business processes in 2010.

Keywords: IT Unit of the Future, IT transformation, enterprise processes, global business processes, IT function

Suggested Citation

Woerner, Stephanie and Ross, Jeanne W., IBM: Building the IT Function for a Global Business (December 1, 2010). MIT Sloan Research Paper No. 4936-11, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1980332 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1980332

Stephanie Woerner

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) ( email )

Sloan School of Management
245 First Street, E94-15th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States
617-452-3222 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://cisr.mit.edu

Jeanne W. Ross (Contact Author)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Center for Information Systems Research (CISR)

Sloan School of Management
245 First Street, E94-15th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States
(617) 253-2348 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://cisr.mit.edu

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