Digital Transformations (Coursera)

Information Technology (IT) is fast changing the world around us. This course will provide you an understanding of IT-enabled changes in the business environment, and how insightful executives leverage IT to create value and win competitive battles.

The course is divided into three parts – the first part of the course focuses on the industry impacts of technological innovation. Here, we will explore competition and business models in the high-tech industry, using examples of companies like Google, Apple and Facebook. We will also explore competitive dynamics of industries that consume significant technology with emphasis on how technology has disrupted industries such as music, media and education. The second part of the course focuses on how IT transforms cost structures of firms by helping them build information capabilities that significantly increase value chain efficiency. The final part of the course will focus on the impact of IT on innovation and decision-making within firms that, ultimately impacts revenue growth.

Who is this class for:

The program targets participants across diverse educational backgrounds that share the enthusiasm for exploiting technology to create business value. Government sector employees active in the implementation of large-scale technology initiatives will also benefit from this program. Some basic knowledge of business concepts and terms would be useful.

Course 1 of 6 in the Business Technology Management Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Technology-Enabled Disruptions

In this module, you will learn about some of the technological forces that are leading disruption in today’s business environment, and why incumbents in an industry fail to recognise or respond to change that is potentially disruptive. Why did Barnes & Noble give way to Amazon? Why did the minicomputer industry not survive the advent of the personal computer? At the end of this module, you will be able to recognise technology led disruptions in your own industry as well as the shifts that are required in your organisation to respond to these potential disruptions.

Graded: Analysis of disruption of the education sector

Graded: Identification of a Disruptive Innovation

WEEK 2

Online Business Models

This module will talk to you about platform mediated business networks, a class of business models that characterise a variety of digital goods companies like Facebook, Apple, Amazon etc. knowledge of this class of business models will help you design business models for digital goods as well as compete with them effectively.

Graded: Identifying Platform Models

Graded: Merchant versus Platform Models

WEEK 3

Designing Information Capabilities for Competitive Advantage

This module highlights the role of IT in designing information capabilities that provide end-to-end visibility in your value chain. A capability that drives the competitive advantage of companies like Walmart and Amazon. We’ll outline the ingredients of this secret sauce so you can design supply chains that transform your cost of operations.

Graded: Critical Success Factors for ERP Implementations

Graded: Operating Model Design

Graded: IT Portfolio Management

WEEK 4

Social Networks and Enterprise 2.0

This module of the course will talk about a class of technologies called Network IT that facilitate unstructured interactions in the firm and in the process, aggregate information and knowledge that is dispersed across the firm. You will learn about leveraging network IT to radically improve information flows and decision making in your firm.

Graded: Samsung “Free the TV”

Graded: Prediction Markets vs. Polls

Graded: Open vs. Closed Innovation

Graded: Digital Transformations: Final summative assessment