@misc{KratzerStrahringerWestner, author = {Kratzer, Simon and Strahringer, Susanne and Westner, Markus}, title = {Fractional CIOs in SMEs}, series = {2024 2nd International Conference on Management Information Systems (ICMIS 2024), September 28-30, 2024, Tokyo, Japan}, volume = {2}, journal = {2024 2nd International Conference on Management Information Systems (ICMIS 2024), September 28-30, 2024, Tokyo, Japan}, abstract = {To remain competitive, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to man-age information technology (IT) effectively. Unlike larger organisations, SMEs often face limited resources and challenges in attracting talent, and typically lack the need for a full-time Chief Information Officer (CIO). In response, a growing number of professionals around the world are offering CIO services on a part-time, shared basis to multiple clients. This model provides SMEs with affordable and flexible access to experienced IT leadership. Known as 'fractional CIOs', these professionals deliver significant value, yet there has been little academic re-search into this phenomenon. Our study, conducted between 2020 and 2023 with 62 Fractional CIOs in 10 countries, aims to fill this gap. It provides a clear defini-tion of fractional CIOs, outlines their engagement models and identifies the key factors that contribute to their success. The findings are intended to enlighten both academics and industry professionals.}, language = {en} } @article{StrasserWestnerStrahringer, author = {Strasser, Artur and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Knowledge transfer in IS offshoring}, series = {Journal of Systems and Information Technology}, volume = {21}, journal = {Journal of Systems and Information Technology}, number = {1}, issn = {1328-7265}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-294}, pages = {36 -- 62}, abstract = {Purpose This paper aims to investigate the main tasks, necessary skills, and the implementation of the offshore coordinator's role to facilitate knowledge transfer in information systems (IS) offshoring. Design/methodology/approach This empirical exploratory study uses the classical Delphi method that includes one qualitative and two quantitative rounds to collect data on IS experts' perceptions to seek a consensus among them. Findings The participants agreed, with strong consensus, for a set of 16 tasks and 15 skills. The tasks focused primarily on relationship management and facilitating knowledge transfer on different levels. The set of skills consists of approximately 25 per cent "hard" skills, e.g. professional language skills and project management skills, and approximately 75 per cent "soft" skills, e.g. interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to deal with conflict. Two factors mainly influence implementing the offshore coordinator role: project size and the number of projects to be supported simultaneously. Practical implications The findings provide indications of how to define and fulfill this crucial role in practice to facilitate the knowledge transfer process in a positive way. Originality/value Similarities in previous research findings are aggregated to examine the intermediate role in detail from a consolidated perspective. This results in the first comprehensive set of critical tasks and skills assigned to the competency dimensions of the universal competency framework, demonstrating which and how many competency dimensions are critical.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {en} } @article{KoenningWestnerStrahringer, author = {K{\"o}nning, Michael and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {A Systematic Review of Recent Developments in IT Outsourcing Research}, series = {Information Systems Management}, volume = {36}, journal = {Information Systems Management}, number = {1}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, pages = {78 -- 96}, abstract = {Incomplete conceptualization of the information technology outsourcing (ITO) literature represents a challenge for navigating extant research and engaging into purposeful academic discourse. We extend the analysis of empirical findings on determinants of ITO decisions, outcomes, and governance. We identify increasing levels of research maturity, analyze effects of 38 new independent variables, highlight contradictory findings, and observe increasing interest in emerging topics such as innovation through ITO and multisourcing.}, subject = {Outsourcing}, language = {en} } @article{KobusWestnerStrahringer, author = {Kobus, J{\"o}rn and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Enabling digitization by implementing Lean IT}, series = {The TQM Journal}, volume = {30}, journal = {The TQM Journal}, number = {6}, publisher = {Emerald insight}, pages = {764 -- 778}, abstract = {Purpose With the rise of digitization, IT organizations are challenged to provide efficient service delivery and offer innovative digital solutions while maintaining a constant resource capacity. To address this challenge, some IT organizations have adopted Lean Management (LM). Although LM is a standard production mode in manufacturing, it is less familiar to IT organizations. The purpose of this paper is to identify 12 lessons learned from companies who implemented LM in their IT organization (Lean IT) to free up their IT resource capacity from existing day-to-day operations so they could use it to enable their digitization strategy. Design/methodology/approach A case study of two major international companies from different industries. Data were collected from 25 structured interviews. Findings The lessons learned provide insights into how these companies implemented Lean IT, the potential outcomes they aimed for, what they did to achieve those outcomes, how they facilitated the implementation of Lean IT, and restrictions they encountered during the implementation. Research limitations/implications The findings are based on a limited range of IT organizations. Practical implications The lessons learned inform those implementing Lean IT because they explain how companies have implemented Lean IT to facilitate digitization and the benefits and pitfalls they encountered. A comparison of Lean IT and Lean Production shows that LM is transferable to IT organizations if domain specific requirements are respected. Originality/value This paper reports the unique experience of companies implementing Lean IT, which can inform other companies in a similar situation.}, subject = {Unternehmen}, language = {en} } @article{KopperWestnerStrahringer, author = {Kopper, Andreas and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Kontrollierte Nutzung von Schatten-IT}, series = {HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik}, volume = {54}, journal = {HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik}, publisher = {Springer}, doi = {10.1365/s40702-016-0286-x}, pages = {97 -- 110}, abstract = {Basierend auf einer systematischen und umfangreichen Analyse von Praxisbeitr{\"a}gen zum Thema Schatten-IT, die zwischen September 2015 und August 2016 erschienen sind, beschreibt der vorliegende Artikel Governance-Aspekte zu diesem Ph{\"a}nomen. Er erg{\"a}nzt damit vorhergehende akademische Studien. Es zeigt sich, dass unter Praktikern der Eindruck vorherrscht, dass IT-Abteilungen unter zunehmendem Druck stehen, schneller auf sich {\"a}ndernde Anforderungen aus den Fachbereichen reagieren zu m{\"u}ssen. K{\"o}nnen IT-Abteilungen diesen Erwartungen nicht entsprechen, beschaffen sich Fachbereiche und Nutzer selbst L{\"o}sungen in Form von Schatten-IT. Als m{\"o}gliche Antwort darauf kann sich die IT-Abteilung agiler organisieren und die IT-Architektur im Unternehmen modernisieren. Eine weitere M{\"o}glichkeit besteht darin, sich das innovative Potenzial von Schatten-IT zunutze zu machen und deren Umsetzung aktiv durch organisatorische und technische Maßnahmen zu unterst{\"u}tzen. IT-Sicherheitsmanagement und technische Schutzmechanismen k{\"o}nnen helfen, die so entstandenen L{\"o}sungen abzusichern und die Risiken zu minimieren. Nach vorherrschender Ansicht entwickelt sich die IT-Abteilung als Konsequenz aus all diesen Maßnahmen zu einem nutzerorientierten, internen Service-Provider und strategischen Partner f{\"u}r die Fachbereiche.}, subject = {IT-Abteilung}, language = {de} } @article{KobusWestnerStrahringer, author = {Kobus, J{\"o}rn and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Einf{\"u}hrung von Lean Management in IT-Organisationen}, series = {HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik}, volume = {53}, journal = {HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik}, number = {6}, pages = {879 -- 893}, abstract = {In der Produktion gilt „Lean Management" als einer der de-facto Standardmanagementans{\"a}tze. Lean Management in IT-Organisationen (Lean IT) ist dahingegen in der Praxis weniger verbreitet und in der Wissenschaft kaum erforscht. Dieser Beitrag aggregiert und erweitert die Ergebnisse mehrerer Forschungsarbeiten. Dabei werden vorrangig zwei Aspekte diskutiert: (1) Ein m{\"o}gliches Einf{\"u}hrungsmodell f{\"u}r Lean IT. Dieses verkn{\"u}pft f{\"u}nf Rollen (Sponsor, Programmleiter, Navigator, Linienf{\"u}hrungskraft und Linienexperte) mit vier Phasen (Vorbereitung, Analyse, Gestaltung und Implementierung). (2) Besondere Herausforderungen f{\"u}r Linienf{\"u}hrungskr{\"a}fte, die aufgrund der „bottom up"-Ausrichtung bei Lean-IT-Einf{\"u}hrungen stark gefordert werden. Neben einer klaren Vision f{\"u}r die Organisationseinheit und dem Verst{\"a}ndnis, an welcher Stelle Lean IT die Organisationseinheit konkret unterst{\"u}tzen kann, ben{\"o}tigen sie Offenheit, Ver{\"a}nderungswillen und die Bereitschaft Verantwortung an Mitarbeiter zu delegieren. Außerdem sollten sie {\"u}ber ein ausreichendes Zeitbudget f{\"u}r die Einf{\"u}hrung verf{\"u}gen, um ihrer gestaltenden und qualit{\"a}tssichernden Funktion nachkommen zu k{\"o}nnen.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {de} } @article{BaryWestnerStrahringer, author = {Bary, Benedikt von and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Adding experts' perceptions to complement existing research on information systems backsourcing}, series = {International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management}, volume = {6}, journal = {International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management}, number = {4}, publisher = {SciKA}, issn = {2182-7788}, doi = {10.12821/ijispm060402}, pages = {17 -- 35}, abstract = {This paper extends the existing literature on information systems (IS) backsourcing by the perception of practitioners. For this purpose, we conducted a series of qualitative, semistructured interviews with IS sourcing experts. The interview questions focused on the participants' perceptions and experiences with the topic, on identifying reasons for and against IS backsourcing, and on revealing relevant trends pertinent to IS backsourcing. We then compared those findings with two previously conducted comprehensive literature reviews on academic and practitioner literature on IS backsourcing. By following this approach, we contribute to the existing research by verifying previous findings, for example, the most important reasons why companies decide in favor of IS backsourcing. Additionally, we were able to enhance previous contributions as we highlight the significance of differentiating between the scope of IS backsourcing by looking at the underlying services which are potentially backsourced. Further, we identified the importance of managers' personal preferences as an additional reason for IS backsourcing, for example, based on personal experiences or a perceived need for change. Based on our findings, we created a comprehensive overview of all aspects connected to the IS backsourcing process and derived opportunities for further research to contribute to the IS backsourcing research agenda.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {en} } @article{KobusWestnerStrahringeretal., author = {Kobus, J{\"o}rn and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne and Strode, Diane}, title = {Lean Management in IT Organizations}, series = {Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA)}, volume = {19}, journal = {Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application (JITTA)}, number = {1}, publisher = {Association for Information Systems (AIS)}, issn = {1532-3416}, pages = {55 -- 85}, abstract = {Lean management (LM) is well established in manufacturing organizations, and LM adoption in service organizations has recently increased. However, we lack research that focuses on the success of lean management implementations in IT organizations (lean IT). This paper contributes to knowledge of the success factors of lean IT implementation and the relative importance of each factor based on the insights of field experts. The experts identified, agreed on, and ranked 12 implementation success factors for lean IT in a Delphi study using the best/worst scaling technique. The most important factors were leadership involvement, change culture and work ethic, employee involvement, and performance management. Factors of intermediate importance were implementation facilitation, training and education, clear vision and direction, long-term focus, communication, and a holistic approach. Least important factors were existing skills, organizational changes/standardization, and financial resources. This paper contributes a more nuanced understanding of the relative importance of lean IT success factors, proposes relationships between them, and comprehensively explains how to use the rigorous best/worst scaling method in a traditional ranking-type Delphi study.}, subject = {Lean Management}, language = {en} } @article{KobusWestnerStrahringer, author = {Kobus, J{\"o}rn and Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Change management lessons learned for Lean IT implementations}, series = {International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management}, volume = {5}, journal = {International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management}, number = {1}, pages = {47 -- 60}, abstract = {Lean Management is a standard production mode that has been familiar to production organizations for several decades. To date, however, academic literature has presented surprisingly little information about the application of Lean Management in Information Technology (IT) organizations, or what is called Lean IT. Drawing upon an empirical qualitative case study of the IT departments of two multinational companies, in this paper we identify change management lessons learned for Lean IT implementations, as well as seven characteristics of a corresponding change management approach. As an extension of our work, researchers should validate and expand our initial findings, preferably in a quantitative setting.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{WulfWestnerSchoenetal., author = {Wulf, Frederik and Westner, Markus and Sch{\"o}n, Maximilian and Strahringer, Susanne and Loebbecke, Claudia}, title = {Preparing for a Digital Future: Cloud Strategy at Continental AG}, series = {Proceedings of the 40th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2019): Munich, Germany, December 15-18}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 40th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2019): Munich, Germany, December 15-18}, pages = {1 -- 16}, abstract = {This paper is directed towards IT executives aiming to promote the adoption of cloud computing (CC) with in their company. We conducted a longitudinal case study on the evolving CC strategy and its implementation at the multinational company Continental, based on a previous case study by Loebbecke et al. (2012). We narrate Continental's pathway towards CC adoption, which comprised the experimentation, professionalization, and utilization of CC, and discuss current and previous barriers encountered during the implementation. We derive five lessons learned that can serve as practical guidance for executives aiming to accelerate CC adoption within their own organization: (1) differentiate the CC strategy by delivery model; (2)drive proof of concepts to generate reusable blueprints; (3) preinvest in the integration of IaaS and PaaS providers; (4) implement CC gradually, transforming applications during the transition to the cloud; and (5) disseminate knowledge within the organization to enable change.}, subject = {Cloud Computing}, language = {en} } @article{WestnerStrahringer, author = {Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {Determinants of success in IS offshoring projects}, series = {Information \& Management}, volume = {47}, journal = {Information \& Management}, number = {5-6}, pages = {291 -- 299}, abstract = {High labor cost in western countries allows cost savings by companies engaging in IS offshoring. However, studies worldwide indicate that a large number of companies that engaged in IS offshoring are not satisfied with the outcome. Our study examined the determinants of IS offshore project success: We developed a model and empirically tested it with data collected from 304 experts who reported on projects offshored from Germany to a wide range of near and distant countries. The model posited a direct effect of offshoring expertise and trust in offshore service provider (OSP) on success, as well as an indirect effect mediated by project suitability, knowledge transfer, and liaison quality. An analysis using partial least squares (PLSs) provided significant support for almost all these relationships. However, it showed that offshoring expertise played a minor role in explaining success and the mediating constructs. Trust in OSP had a small direct effect on success and a medium to large effect on the mediating constructs. Project suitability, knowledge transfer, and liaison quality all had small direct effects on success.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {en} } @article{WestnerStrahringer, author = {Westner, Markus and Strahringer, Susanne}, title = {The current state of IS offshoring in Germany}, series = {Journal of Information Technology Management}, volume = {21}, journal = {Journal of Information Technology Management}, number = {1}, pages = {49 -- 70}, abstract = {This paper empirically examines the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany regarding project characteristics and success patterns. Relying on a sample of 304 projects conducted at various industry sectors and companies, results show that IS offshoring primarily occurs in sectors Telecommunications and IT at large corporations. Cost reduction is the main reason for going offshore and offshore projects are executed as part of a larger program at companies. Noticeably, most projects are delivered from India. Additionally, neither captive offshoring nor offshore outsourcing dominates as a de-livery option. Comparing different project subgroups regarding project success, the results reveal that projects delivered by an internal or partially owned service provider are more successful. Other project characteristics such as a project's embedded-ness in a larger offshoring program, a project's size, or a project's offshoring degree in terms of relatively offshored labor hours show few significant differences. The paper addresses the paucity of empirical research on the current state of the IS offshoring phenomenon in Germany.}, subject = {Betriebliches Informationssystem}, language = {en} }