A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams
P
 PSR (Process/System/Responsibility)
 Process identifies the organization’s core global business processes.
S
 System identifies the systems needed to support the handful of global business processes
R
 Responsibilities, determines what type of team will be responsible for each of the global application systems development and maintenance.

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams
 PSR
 Is a methodology for rethinking and often redesigning those processes deemed global and redesigning the teams that will develop, rollout, and support the systems for global processes.
 The outcome PSR’s final stage is a redesign of IS teams’ responsibility at multiple corporate sites
 Many organizations have decentralized systems, therefore implementing PSR requires strong support at the executive levels inside and outside the organization

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams
 THE PSR methodology
 The objective of the IS function is to bring about an integrated network that is better aligned with the corporation’s global competitiveness.
 Common global architecture and telecommunication backbone,
 Uniform global systems with flexible modules tailored to address local requirements
 CGA development with responsibility for worldwide systems,
 And a culture of shared management
 Shared application building and
 Shared innovation

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Step 1: Identify and define core global business processes
 Find a global process and ask how is the IS/IT supporting the identified global process
 Is the process Core?
 Is the process global
 The final result of the first stage is a short list of a handful of core global business processes along with their respective description


 Think cross-functionally and stay away from traditional, vertical functional areas.
 Identify the local processes that can’t be global
 Most companies only have a handful of global core processes (2-3)

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Step 2: Identify and define systems needed to support the core global business processes
 1 defining a set of functional requirements for each of the core global business processes uncovered in stage 1
 This should be done without regard to the current system since the existing were often built as narrow, functional systems.
 Compile a comprehensive inventory of current IS/IT

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Stage 2 results
 Those that fall completely within one of the global business processes
 Those that span processes and may require reallocation
 Those that are not global and require local or regional support
 The gap areas – global business processes and the sub-processes that are not currently supported by any existing IS

 PSR
 Stage 2 results
 1. Uncover some redundant worldwide systems
 2. Best-in-breed or best-in-firm systems
 That are possible good enough in certain region to roll out worldwide
 Keep the list of global applications short and doable.
 Not too small and not too big.
 Costly in many ways

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Stage 3
 The essence of this stage is to define and design the global IS application team.
 The global IS team will be responsible for building and maintaining the global systems.
 Decision on development locations

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Global teams are more effective at cutting across the bureaucratic lines
 Inventory of IS HR globally
 Assessment of individual and
 Hard skills
 Softer skills
 Assessment of teams

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams
 Teams types
 Classic project type
 Individuals are assigned from and work in the site. The team is disband upon project completion
 Parallel teams
 Each team is chosen from one of the company sites to develop a subsystem. One subsystem is developed in each country and then integrated with other subsystems
 SWAT teams (Special weapons And Tactics)
 A commando team of specialists, who are recruited from development sites worldwide for their expertise and put into a location to complete a critical project

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams
 Teams types
 Virtual SWAT team
 A dispersed team of specialists, who are recruited from development sites worldwide for their expertise. The individuals remains in their respective locations and collaborate electronically, but may travel at various milestones or phases. The team is disbanded upon project completion
 CGA
 The CGA team is chosen from one of the company sites to develop and be responsible for a global business system. CGA has ownership of the global application and has responsibility for the application at worldwide level
 Transnational CGA
 Chosen from two or more company sites to develop and be responsible for a global business system. The center is made up of subteams at each of the sites

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

 Virtual CGA
 A dispersed team of specialists, recruited from development sites worldwide for their expertise.
The individuals remains in their respective locations and collaborate electronically, but may travel at various milestones or phases. VCGA has ownership of the global application and has responsibility for that application worldwide

A Methodology For Defining Global
Information Systems & Designing Global
IS Teams

Temporary Team Permanent Team
Classic project team Center for global application (CGA)
Parallel teams
Co-located
Transnational center for global applications (TCGA)
Dispersed sites
Virtual SWAT
SWAT
Virtual center for global application development
(VCGA)
Dispersed individuals

Global IT Team

 CGA + local units forms a temporary project team to tailor, test, install, and lunch the application.

 Roll-out global standards and platforms – from email to Lotus Notes, to IP WANs.

Selecting Global IS Team
 Selecting GIS Team requires analyzing many trade-offs and consideration of special issues peculiar to the organization.
 Acceptance of long-term system ownership
 Selecting individuals versus teams
 Potential to create a cohesive team
 Preserving an organizational balance
 Managerial experience and interest in new team forms
 Time-to-completion
 Legacy architecture

 GIS teams that supports global systems can operate in a CGA structure
 CGA
 Means long-term ownership of global systems across multiple releases, rather than one of more transient ream types.
 It has responsibility for continuous improvements to the system at worldwide locations.
 It also means that budget is allocated for global rather than for one-site projects.

 CGA success Factors
 Center of excellence and be seen as such by the organization
 Must have and report to a senior executive sponsor
 It’s composition needs to be organizationally diverse.
 Multinational, multi-operational, multiple types of experiences
 Ownership of global application and components must shift from local IS shop to the CGA .

CGA Best practice

 Build center for global applications around core global business systems that does not go away when a project is complete.
 This gives the team stability, responsibility, resources, coherence and pride
 Approach the design of CGA methodically
 Invest in the human side of the CGA
 Training, travel for face to face work, in team celebrations, and in team symbols, etc.


 IL trade office
 Example of Project Reports
 http://www.american.edu/academic.depts/ksb/mogit/country.html