Dell’s Information Technology Strategies in Business Environment

Introduction

Dell is one of the computer manufacturing companies in the world-renowned for its admirable services offered to the customers in the computer industry. Their excellent service provider in the industry is caused by many factors. One of them is the proper coordination of the various departments of the organization to ensure that each meets the company’s goals. The able leadership has made the company move a milestone in the innovation path, as well as the profitability level in the past. The current paper seeks to examine the contributions of the IT department manager in the Dell Company. This does not leave behind the strategies that have been laid down by the department to link it with the organization for successful work.

Critical Success Factors of Dell

The nature of the business and its growth in the market made Dell Company undertake market segmentation, which has even further accelerated the rate of growth, as each segment gets some focus. Due to the segmentation process of Dell markets, the information technology department has been able to develop infrastructure through which people are attuned to the need of each segment (Francis, 2010). This has seen the company grow tremendously in the recent past as personal computers are developed as per the needs of the customers.

Though the method of regional alignment of the branches is also experiencing the challenges due to cultural diversities, the optimization of products is done in such a way that desires of the customers are met. For instance, in assembling the process, the customers are also presented with an opportunity to contact the company freely through the website. The customer demands are thus considered in the creation of a computer and other equipment that the company deals in. In this process, the configuration and the specification of computers are made standard (Cushman & King, 2003). The company’s success is evident in the way in which its interest in the proven market product has steered neglect of other devices which are handhelds like television, sub-notebooks and other web information appliances at present.

The IT Department manager has also embraced the online selling of products through the global website, which had started way in the 1990s. This has seen the company miles ahead in terms of e-commerce. The system has helped improve sales over time besides improving the operations of the company and its technological expansion and advancement. For instance, by recording the configuration of each of the users, it has enhanced the company’s ability to improve the services offered (Francis, 2010). This enables universal access thus worldwide connectivity through the internet.

Moreover, the manager has also ensured that the department takes advantage of various technologies and systems in the predictive analysis (Cushman & King, 2003). This kind of analysis forecasts into the future, thereby keeping the company ready to handle unforeseen market changes. This has enabled Dell to remain ahead of its competitors like HP, Acer Inc., and Lenovo. Moreover, through predictive analysis, competitors’ paths of development, as well as their new market entrants’ plans are evaluated and then countermeasures are taken. This is what the IT department has been using to discover the plans of other companies before the implementation, thus reacting to them in the way of competition.

IT Departmental and Dell’s Goal Alignment Strategies

Dell advocates for the alignment of its goals and objectives both at the department and the entire organization. In order to achieve this aim, the management involves departmental managers in the communication of the business objectives. It is from the wider organizational goal that the IT department is ought to draft its goals (Khosrow-Pour, 2000). This will ensure that whatever is to be undertaken by a department, it is inclined to that of the organization. Additionally, line managers, including IT manager, can share their departmental goals with one another. This process of comparing notes will help to eliminate some objectives that might have been out of the core goal of the company.

Moreover, with the help of the departmental HR manager, the department can have all its employees participate freely in their individual roles and that of the department in the realization of the organizational goals. This step will ensure that the departmental employees internalize the objectives and willingly take part in their realization through the alignment of departmental goals with that of the organization. The department can also embrace a culture of constant sharing among its human resources to allow support for each other in the course of duty (Khosrow-Pour, 2000). At the same time, they can identify the areas that workers have not been doing well, hence improve on them.

Lastly, the departmental manager must ensure that goals given to the individual employees from the department are derived from the overall goal of the organization. He/she can achieve this by working closely with the HR to ensure that the roles and responsibilities assigned to each employee within the department are aligned to the larger organizational goals (Viardot, 2004). With the complete harmonization of intertwined goals which pass the test of SMART, the department and the larger organization will perform in unison to ensure growth and development of the whole organization.

How IT Department Will Support Dell’s Objectives and Goals

One way through which IT department can support Dell is by the execution of operations of the company through teamwork. This will improve flexibility, as well as the adaptability of the company towards a specified direction. Teamwork creates agility with the organization by strengthening its leadership. Secondly, the IT Department Manager can, , help in addressing the weaknesses of the workers and come up with the various ways of motivating them through communication of the progress document and identification of the expectation of employees within the department (Viardot, 2004). This can, in turn, help in rapid decision-making process by the departmental head.

At the same time, by ensuring that its employees are aware of what the organization wants them to achieve, the department can help to ensure that its performance can be geared towards the mission and vision of the organization. As it is already emphasized, the focus will be made on the important goals of the organization. With the created awareness within the department, the whole process of growth and development will be eased (Khosrow-Pour, 2000). Communication should be mostly concerned with how the roles of any given office support the long-term and short-term goals of the organization.

In addition, by engaging the employees of the department and ensuring that they identify with the company, they will be able to act as the company’s ambassadors, thereby enhancing the organizational goals’ realization. However, the departmental manager has to be a strong believer that the success depends on the goal setting process and the engagement of all stakeholders (Viardot, 2004). I believe that with full engagement of the workforce, improvements will be realized by the company.

In conclusion, the productivity and profitability of Dell Company are traceable from the employees’ performance departmentally. It is, therefore, needful that the IT department, which is just one among many, works closely with other departments for the overall goals to be realized. The top-down alignment should facilitate the communication process just to ensure that much is done and faster. From the contribution that the department has made to the company this far, it is important that the manager keeps watching on the employees for continuity in the growth of Dell in the industry.