Cisco’s It Implementation of an Organizational Change

Introduction Today’s world calls for a pressing need to utilize the I. T services and resources whilst reducing the cost in order to improve organizational wide productivity. There are many CEO’s of the business world today that suggest the top priority of an any organization is to possess the ability to develop a sense of new ideas and innovations. (Porter, Stern & Council on Competitiveness, 1999). The term â€Å"innovation† used by organization’s simply illustrates the invention of a new product, processes and systems that which are simply created to adapt to the constant change in markets, technologies as well as modes of competition. D’Aveni, 1994; Dougherty & Hardy, 1996; Utterback, 1994). Porras & Silvers (1991) also analyses the organizational change and its importance in the emerging contrast between Cisco IT Network and Data Centre Services (NDCS) which was switched from using a conventional organizational model to Cisco’s own lifec ycle model, along with substantial operations improvements across five various metrics. This contrast is sufficiently pervasive in recent work and sufficiently central in the conceptualization of change that has been used and it as the framework that organizes has review.This report will illustrate a framework aimed at managers that shows the process of innovation can be a managing change, service support and service performance within an organization. However, it is evident that managing the complex and the risky process of innovation has been proven to be problematic and laden with difficulty. (Kanter, 1989; Quinn, 1985). An extensive review based on relevant literature, supported by a development of logical and well justified arguments of the capability of innovation.We will also examine the methodology of CISCO Lifecycle in terms of behavior shift, transition process along with the successful innovations that contains the core elements and processes regardless of the industry or firm. High performing innovators are also able to harness this innovation meta-capability in order to achieve outstanding performance. An interview conducted by Dr Joseph Fiksel for the Journal of Sustainable Product Design claims that it is vital to not only understand how the process functions as well as gaining an understanding of the entire culture of the product development community.Dr Joseph debates that â€Å"product design developers tend to be arrogant but are however generally skillful and creative individuals possess strong engineering skills†. These individuals tend to be very suspicious of anyone who renders their services as well anyone who seems to come in their way to complicate their hectic lives. (Charter, 1998) Analysis of CISCO IT Lifecycle Methodology As for enterprise’s such Cisco whom are moving from the traditional technology (Silo-based organizational structure) to a lifecycle-based model will be a substantial improvement operation across fiv e various metrics. Lowe, 2009). This change will solve the issue of duplication and lack of focus across the organization. Stereotypically, most government classification schemes along with management and economics literatures considers services as anything that is not tangible, manufactured goods that are consumed as it is produced and sold. Take for instances, the industry that we use in this paper; software product business is classified as service business by the United States government’s standard under the classification scheme.Traditionally the development of ASIC’s within a company such as Cisco has been tightly coupled with the development of a single end product. However, the rising cost associated with development of high end ASIC’s has forced a behavior shift in the ASIC’s development process. Research findings â€Å"process view† and â€Å"integration† conducted by Seethamraju (2012). Though business processes have been subjecte d to a formal study via multiple perspectives for a period of time dating to the start of the industrial age. There processes were still not quite well understood and were left unmanaged and poorly executed. CISCO I.T could have implemented other methodologies such as Phased Methodology or Business Process Modeling (BPM). We have concluded that these methodologies have evolved through various stages from the early 1700’s as â€Å"division of labor†. This was when manufacturing first moved into factories from the cottage industry. These methodologies is not only executed by conventional business but is tailored for all sorts of organizations such as government agencies, departments, charities, mutual and cooperatives as well as many others. An example that can be used is the â€Å"Six Sigma† was first developed by Motorola Inc, in the mid 1980’s.This methodology provides extensive â€Å"Six Sigma† training and consultancy services. Accordng to Motor ola I. T â€Å"Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process that helps us focus on developing and delivering close to perfect products and services. This system drives clarity around business strategies and the metrics that reflect success with strategy. Through experience, Motorola has learned that discipline use of metrics and applications of this methodology is still not sufficient to drive a desired breakthrough for improvements and results that are sustainable over a period of time.Discuss the insight and learning’s from the case that you consider could be applied to your own situation. Before proceeding further to a methodology that I may apply to my own case scenario, I will first examine my strength and limitations. After carefully considering the challenges I might incur, different techniques have been used in order to generate more accurate customer information and the insight to their problems. A major approach to gain a better understanding of customer needs has be lead-user innovation. (Von Hippel, Thomke & Sonnack, 1999).However, I find that the lack of metrics and ineffective measurements will be the perfect method to be applied in these circumstances. As the global increase of competitive advantages on how business are conducted, Information technology has become an increasingly important tool especially with I. T service industries such as CISCO, where productivity could be enhanced by using the efficient resources made available by reducing cost. During the initial stages, CISCO was using a traditional silo-ed organizational structure in which staffs are involved in doing both the implementation and operational work.The difference between the traditional, heavily statist system and the unequal liberal system is that both are equally inefficient when providing the public goods or services. Various authors (Jenson 2004, Levesque et al. 2005) point to the silent reconfiguration of the welfare state which started two decades ago under the in fluence of NGOs, associations, the community sector and the third sector. The limitations under this structure are duplications of work by staffs and the lack of a clear focus. These factors have further influenced the company to search for an alternative structure that would be compatible with its standards.Cisco advanced service’ Network Availability Improvement Service organization (NAIS) was asked to identify areas that require changes along with making recommendations on how this can be achieved. NAIS uses Operational Risk Management Analysis to assess people, process and tools that limit operational risk. Thus, a clear roadmap for operational excellence is designed to improve best practices (Chan, & Mauborgne, 1997). This can also be used in any organization at any level of process work. While it's particularly useful for handling large-scale process redesigning, it is also useful when working on a single process.Through this process the traditional organizational struc ture was changed to Cisco’s Lifecycle structure which later proved to be more efficient and effective. (Behrendt, 1997) According to the Life Cycle Design principles, interdisciplinary teamwork of multi stakeholders is essential in life cycle design. Interdisciplinary cooperation in a complex problem or task like Life Cycle Design, that includes different aspects, demands active participation and involvement of different specialists in order to succeed in the effective implementation of product life cycle design.How will you apply these insights and learning’s in your current or future endeavors as a manager? Through the implementation Cisco’s lifecycle methodology which helps solves the business problems comprises of six lifecycle processes in which each stage articulates concepts in broader views. (Clegg, 1999). Through this new structure in place the organization first determines its financial strengths before new projects are accepted and the implications in the near future regardless whether the organization has the resources to handle the technology.My opinion calls for the needs of managers to coordinate daily operations in which will cultivate innovation and change within their companies. However, the need to manage competencies is often viewed as a hindrance in the development of successful innovations. Activities such as manufacturing and marketing are seen as the key to current success with organizational processes built around stability, efficiency and profitability in generating a cash flow.Processes that are developed such as â€Å"programming† mainstream business units to perform routines, formalize structures and also not to think outside the box (Starbuck, 1983). An eloquent business design which entails business goals and technical requisites would foster a high performance service delivery. Staff skill improvements are important as it enhances the productivity and reduces excessive wastage. This new model also hel ps the organization in reducing its operating expenses and at the same time helps maintain the enhanced performance of service delivery and proactively responding to corresponding events happening.Teece & Pisano (1994) suggest that further development of the area proposing dynamic capabilities theories such as â€Å"subset of the competences and capabilities will allow the firm to create new products, processes and respond to the changing market. A continuous improvement in every aspect of the organization is very critical to its survival as there is a highly competitive market. There should be optimal utilization of resources and advantages. Give your strengths and limitations, what might be the challenges for you in applying these insights and how could you try to meet these challenges?It is highly noted that a behavioral shift of Cisco’s traditional structure to the new lifecycle model has increased the competitive advantage of the company amongst its competitors in the m arket. This shift would have a very significant effect both within employees (internally) and customers (externally). Tidd, et al. (2001). An approach of creative techniques for problem solving can further be utilized to exploit all avenues of defect, where all issues would be firmly accessed and analyzed with the required manner and tools.Addressing the observed limitations of life cycle approaches and how I might face the challenges of today, I will consider both the analytical and the practical approaches in which I think has room improvement. Firstly I will improve the coverage of impacts, and the reliability, accessibility and practical applicability; by doing so it will make the results easier in practice. A life cycle analysis program was designed to which specific structural and material information is used for the comparison of a set of alternatives design material modification schemes (Bahia et al. 2012) this can also lead to a release of fumes during mixing and laying dow n processes (Miller & Bahia, 2009). Allowing results to be seen in the future with a balanced view by weighing your organization's desires against competitive realities. The best possible decision that can be achieved here to obtain maximum results can be achieved using limited resources that are made available. The new Cisco lifecycle methodology is an appropriate tool where other businesses can transform their operational structure from the conventional structure to a more result orientated structure.These methodologies are said to be tailored to suit all businesses due to its comprehensive and broad analysis of events carried out within the organizational structure. This methodology can also provide clear focus and distention of work in which every employee or department is to carry out. The efficiency of service has well improved as there is a timely intervention of any problem by the staffs with the required skills and expertise thus the standard tools are at their disposal. Th erefore, it can be recommended to other businesses that are having problems with their traditional structure to adapt to the Cisco lifecycle methodology.Conclusion What we have discussed here are the most common used in business today, even as organization look forward in the ability to develop new ideas and innovation and still new products, processes and system required for adapting to changing markets, technologies and modes of competition, as managers show that innovation can be managing change in service support and service performance within organizations. But this process of innovation can be risky. This paper report illustrates a logical view in terms of behavioral shift in the methodology of CISCO IT Lifecycle and its transition process regardless of the industry or firm.This methodology does not only illustrates how the process functions but it also helps us to gain a better understanding of the whole culture of product development community reaffirming the argument that p roduct design developers are arrogant however are generally talented and are creative individuals References Andriopoulos, C. & Lowe, A. (2000). ‘Enhancing organizational creativity: the process of perpetual challenging’. Management Decision. Behrendt S. , Jasch Chr. , Peneda M. C. , H. van Weenen (1997), Life Cycle Design: A Manual for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Institute fur Zukunftsstudien und Technologiebewertung, SpringerCharter, M. (1998), The Journal of Sustainable Product Design, interview with Dr Joseph Fiksel, April 1998, p. 49-52 Chan, K. W. & Mauborgne, R. 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