Strategic Alignment and Data Management Tools - Technologies and Threat

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Alignment and Data Management Tools, Technologies and Threats. Answer: Introduction The present era is an era of digitization and technology. There has been a complete change in the technology that was used by the organizations 30 years back and the one that is used presently. Digitization refers to the process of converting the data and information in a digital format for use and for communication as well (WhatIs.com, 2016). The revolution has made it easy to access and share the information. It is necessary for the organizations to develop strategy and tools to adapt to the ever changing technology. Tools Used by the Organizations There are a number of different tools that are used by the organization to understand and analyze the competitive environment and to take a competitive edge. SWOT Analysis It is a tool which is used to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with the organization. It considers all the internal and external factors and represents the results in the form of a matrix with a few points under each of the four categories. It helps in understanding the current structure and the one that is necessary for gaining competitive advantage. PEST Analysis It is the tool which is used to gain a deep knowledge and understanding of the external macro-environments. It presents the political, economical, social and technological factors which may be the opportunities or threats detected in SWOT analysis (cimaglobal, 2016). Portes Five Force Model Porters Five Force Analysis It is a model or a tool which is used to understand the changing factors along with the new competition in the market, user preference, supplier specifications and many more. Value Chain Analysis It presents a list of activities for an organization which aids in the value creation process. Value Chain Analysis Data Analytics It is one of the most expanding area and the Big Data tools such as Hadoop, Hyperscale and many of the NoSQL databases are used to analyze, store and manage the data form a number of different sources. Role of Strategic Alignment Strategic Alignment is a process which is used to provide the organizations with a strategy that maps the requirements with the goals and objectives and also integrates the technology advancements in the process (Smallbusiness.chron.com, 2016). The role that the process plays is massive in terms of customer satisfaction, organizational growth, cost-effectiveness and integration of all of the processes that are associated with the system along with keeping the goals and objectives in mind. The following factors can help in the improvement of the strategic alignment: Planning Prior to the pioneers of an association can start a vital arrangement of the association, they should first investigate the condition of the association. These pioneers must choose what the objective of the association ought to be, and after that set targets that will help the association understand the objective. Organizational Unity Associations have individuals who work in various limits, working in various offices or divisions. What one individual in the association does in one office or division influences the exercises of others in the same or diverse offices or divisions. Strategic alignment ought to facilitate everybody's exercises so the association in general moves in the direction of the same objectives utilizing recommended forms. Resource Utilization How an association makes utilization of assets will decide the achievement or disappointment of the association. Representative time is not boundless, so strategic alignment ought to give workers heading and a dream of what makes a difference most in the association so they invest their energy in exercises that advance targets as opposed to concentrating only all alone objectives. Individuals from the association likewise turn out to be more aware of utilizing different assets to perform strategic objectives. Scope for adjustments An association's strategic alignment ought not stay static, but rather ought to be liquid and advance after some time. The circumstances in which the association winds up, incorporating nature in which the association capacities, changes after some time and influences how the association can and ought to work. The association likewise ought to evaluate its systems and accomplishment of objectives occasionally, making modification as required. An association may likewise understand that better methods for working exist and the association starts to embrace and execute these more powerful practices (Forbes.com, 2016). Benefits of Data Management There are a lot many advantages of an efficient data management and the same have been discussed below: There is a huge decrease in some of the additional costs that may otherwise emerge such as the cost associated with direct mail and marketing along with operational costs (oracle, 2016). It also helps in establishment of controls over data in a much better way. Data mapping also tends to becomes easier with the help of accurate data management techniques. Segmentation is the process of sectioning the data to improve the accessibility and the same is made easy through data management. Data hygiene is another important concept which includes removal of unwanted and redundant data from all the sources and the same is managed easily with the processes of data management (ANNUITAS, 2011). It also helps in easy accessibility and sharing of data (hsrc.ac.za, 2016). Importance of Web2.0 and Web3.0 for the organizations Web2.0 and Web3.0 are the technologies which are used for web application development that are user and data driven in nature. These are used to present interactive and responsive web designs to the user which are user-friendly in nature and also adapts to the user preferences. Web2.0 is important for the organizations as it provides the ability to bring forward an interactive design along with the ability to control the data. Dynamic content, scalability and rich user interface are some of the prime advantages of this technology and framework which attracts a large number of users towards the applications that are developed through it (Tekriti, 2016). Accessibility and availability are the two prime demands of the users which are catered by the organizations through Web3.0. It enables the user to access the data from any location and at any time. It makes the design not only interactive but also fit to be used for any device at any location such as on the smart phones and tablets (1stwebdesigner, 2016). Threats Introduced with Technology There are a number of security and privacy threats that are introduced with the technological advancements such as: There are increased instances of cyber crimes such as cyber stalking, cyber racism and cyber bullying (Grimes, 2016). Data breach and data loss are also two of the major risks that are seen which result in damage to the confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of the data (Power More, 2015). Attack of malicious software such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, logic bombs and spyware also increases. It makes it easier for the intruders and attackers to flood the system with unwanted traffic and hamper the service with Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Malicious insider threats also increase with increase in technological advancements and the competitive edge as the motive of the organizations. There is also risk of decrease in productivity and efficiency of the employees as they tend to take time to adapt with the ingoing changes and that leads to slower processes and executions. Conclusion Technology has rapidly changes with time and the present world is the world of digital media and technological advancements. There are tools which are used to analyze and understand the required changes to being in the strategy considering the competitive environment. Some of these tools are SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, and value chain analysis and data analytics tools. Strategic alignment also plays a major role in this process as the same helps in streamlining all the processes. Data management is used by the organization to make it easy for the users to access the data and also for the organization to effectively store and manage the data. Web2.0 and Web3.0 are technologies that bring forward web development that is user and data driven and produces interactive designs. There are also a number of security and privacy threats that get introduced in the system due to changing technology. References 1stwebdesigner, (2016). [online] 1stwebdesigner.com. Available at: https://1stwebdesigner.com/what-is-web-3-0/ [Accessed 31 May 2016]. ANNUITAS. (2011). The Benefits of Data Management | ANNUITAS. [online] Available at: https://annuitas.com/2011/02/02/the-benefits-of-data-management/ [Accessed 31 May 2016]. Cimaglobal, (2016). 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