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[8] 2002 e-business-strategies-for-virtual-organizations

[8] 2002 e-business-strategies-for-virtual-organizations

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Evaluating <strong>strategies</strong> <strong>for</strong> e-<strong>business</strong> change<br />

In practice, a company looking to build a scorecard would first<br />

secure the understanding and support of <strong>business</strong> and IT<br />

management who must be committed to the integration of<br />

<strong>business</strong> and IT <strong>strategies</strong> to lead to success. Following this, data<br />

would be gathered on measures and metrics in place which can<br />

be used – much per<strong>for</strong>mance measurement and assessment of<br />

drivers will probably already be in place. Third, the companyspecific<br />

scorecard is to be developed.<br />

The emphasis of the BSC is to capture real meaning by including<br />

both quantitative and qualitative in<strong>for</strong>mation on a mix of<br />

outcomes (lag indicators) and per<strong>for</strong>mance drivers (lead indicators).<br />

The portfolio of measures thus created offers an alternative<br />

approach to the use of incentive compensation payments tied to<br />

traditional simplistic <strong>for</strong>mulae of past per<strong>for</strong>mance. A wellconstructed<br />

scorecard will contain a good mix of measurable<br />

outcomes and per<strong>for</strong>mance drivers. Outcomes such as productivity<br />

measures alone, without linked per<strong>for</strong>mance drivers,<br />

will not show how these outcomes are to be achieved. Similarly<br />

per<strong>for</strong>mance drivers put in place with no links to outcomes may<br />

indeed result in short-term improvements, but will not show<br />

any correlation between resources put into these and financial<br />

outcomes. This latter is imperative <strong>for</strong> the success of this<br />

method: ‘A failure to convert improved operational per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />

into improved financial per<strong>for</strong>mance should send executives<br />

back to the drawing board to rethink the company’s<br />

strategy or its implementation plans’ (Kaplan and Norton<br />

1996).<br />

8.5.2 Implementing the BSC<br />

Ten steps are suggested <strong>for</strong> successful implementation of a<br />

Balanced Scorecard approach:<br />

� Focus on the strategic direction: all <strong>business</strong> units should be<br />

aware of the overall strategy and organizational mission.<br />

� Use a grassroots approach: the smallest viable strategic<br />

<strong>business</strong> unit (SBU) should be the locus of implementation.<br />

� Use a less-is-more philosophy: choose between six and eight<br />

key per<strong>for</strong>mance indicators (KPI) <strong>for</strong> each SBU rather than<br />

30.<br />

� Link per<strong>for</strong>mance measures to key success factors: ensure that<br />

you have identified reasonable and achievable measures <strong>for</strong><br />

success.<br />

� Treat the Balanced Scorecard implementation as a strategic<br />

initiative: this is not a control system.<br />

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