The Capstone Project places you in the shoes of a CIO of a hypothetical FMCG firm, Indus Consumer Products Limited, who is required to select a portfolio of IT investments for the decision year that is aligned with the business strategy and objectives of the firm. Different business units in the company have proposed different applications to implement. Your job as CIO will be to analyze the business case for each of the projects and identify those that best serve the long-term business strategy and objectives of the firm. Your choice of IT investments is constrained by the IT budget for the given financial year.
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The case consists of the following artifacts:
- Letter from the CEO
- Company Report
- IT Assessment Report
- Proposal for the SCM Initiative
- Proposal for Rural Connect
- Proposal for the new ERP System
The case is designed to provide a Capstone experience on many of the concepts and frameworks learned in the specialization. Learners need to:
(a) Identify a broad business focus of the company using the competitor data. Provide a couple of lines on the strategic pain points for the firm.
(b) Which one of the five applications must the company invest in? Why? Provide strategic and financial reasons in support.
(c) Thoroughly analyse past projects to remove redundant or unviable investments.
(d) Identify and propose strategies for managing risk associated with large scale IT investments.
(e) Create an organizational structure and communication plan that will engage various stakeholders of the organization.
Course 6 of 6 in the Business Technology Management Specialization
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Culminating Project - Indus Consumer Products Limited: Company Overview
The Culminating Project places you in the shoes of a CIO of a hypothetical FMCG firm, Indus Consumer Products Limited, who is required to select a portfolio of IT investments for the decision year that is aligned with the business strategy and objectives of the firm. Different business units in the company have proposed different applications to implement. Your job as CIO will be to analyze the business case for each of the projects and identify those that best serve the long-term business strategy and objectives of the firm. Your choice of IT investments is constrained by the IT budget for the given financial year. Please go through all case artifacts provided to you, including (a) Letter from the CEO, (b) the Company Report, (c) the IT Assessment Report, and (d) Proposals for the three new IT initiatives under consideration in the current financial year. These artifacts will inform your decision in each module.
WEEK 2
Operating Model Design
In this module, you will learn to evaluate a firm's current and ideal operating model as it aligns with its business goals.
WEEK 3
Financial Valuation of New IT Investments at ICPL
In this module, you will apply your learning on financial valuation of IT projects and understand the limitations of such valuation.
WEEK 4
Integrated IT Project Management Plan
In this module, you will learn to develop an integrated 2-year project plan for the roll out of the IT roadmap. In the process, you will develop an appreciation of the need for prioritization of applications based on their business criticality, dependencies across various applications, risks, challenges and thereby decisions on resource allocations for project implementation.
WEEK 5
Change Management & Communications Plan
In this module, you will be able to identify all the major components of the change management and communications plan required for the roll out of the IT road-map. In the process, you will also develop a detailed analysis of the impacts of change on various stakeholders (internal and external) of the firm.
