Information Systems Effectiveness

Supporting Strategy With Information and Technology Tools

Information systems are the lifeblood of most companies, linking them with suppliers, partners, and customers on a daily basis. And, as the vehicle for the internal management of critical data about markets, operations, and finances, information systems are a key enabler of both strategy creation and implementation.

Yet, while most businesses invest heavily in information processes and technology tools, few organizations fully leverage the power of their information systems to support their future growth.

With broad management experience and specialized information systems expertise, GMT is uniquely positioned to help clients analyze their data processes and infrastructure—and ensure that their development supports top-level strategy.

Assessing Systems Performance
The Importance of Collaboration
Improving Information Access—and Impact
Building an Architecture Based on Strategy

Assessing Systems Performance

GMT has helped many clients to assess and improve their information systems—posing such questions as:

	Can managers access the data they need to measure our progress toward strategic goals?
	Do our systems facilitate internal collaboration—as well as partnerships with suppliers and customers?
	Are financial systems providing a realistic view of sales, costs, margins, and profits?
	Do sales and order management systems reflect market needs and internal capabilities?
	Do our systems contribute to customer satisfaction?
	What new tools and technologies can increase control—and cut costs—in our operations?

GMT's analysis compares the demands of the strategic plan with current information capabilities—and identifies limitations which will impede progress, as well as opportunities to overcome them.

The Importance of Collaboration

GMT helps its clients to develop new approaches to managing information that encourage ongoing collaboration and data sharing.

GMT helps clients to share data and streamline communications with important partners, suppliers, and customers. By ensuring that the entire supply chain is linked through efficient technology tools, GMT can help to reduce costs and time lags, improve accuracy and forecasting, and increase satisfaction.

In addition, GMT can improve internal data access to help meet strategic goals. For example, customer information is of obvious value in daily sales and customer service activities—but it is also critical to those functions that develop and deliver products to customers.

Improving Information Access—and Impact

Based on the organization's needs to access and share information internally, GMT's consultants can help to ensure that technology systems are aligned with both organizational goals and daily work process needs.

GMT typically helps its clients to realize dramatic improvements in critical functions such as:

	Sales and marketing, where market data increases insight, allowing fact-based, high-impact dialogues with customers and prospects
	Order management and customer service, to meet customer expectations on time, within specification, at the quoted price
	Forecasting, with the goal of ensuring accurate, cost-effective resource allocation
	Product development, which can create a competitive edge by identifying and responding to customer and end-user trends
	Manufacturing, where systems can slash inventory, increase responsiveness, and improve margins
	Distribution, allowing for highly efficient warehousing and delivery processes
	Finance and accounting, to measure and manage the profitability of products, facilities, and divisions, as well as project the financial impact of strategies

Building an Architecture Based on Strategy

In addition to being aligned across many functions and facilities, information systems also must be linked directly to strategic priorities. For example, if one of the foundations of the strategic plan is to achieve growth through increased market insight, then information systems must allow people across the company to see continually updated customer data.

GMT's expertise in enterprise-wide information systems and specific functions such as manufacturing—combined with its broad strategic planning expertise—makes the firm well suited to support a client's top-level vision with the information tools that help to achieve that strategy.