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