The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) handles millions of pieces of mail daily and hears many complaints, which wastes time and money and tarnishes a brand image desperately in need of polishing.
Its leadership, therefore, turned to advanced information technology to support a business strategy addressing the loudest criticism about its service: slow delivery, missed delivery windows, and lost mail.
The hybrid public-private organization deployed artificial intelligence (AI) processes that aligned with its goal of improving the customer experience, reducing costs, and enhancing its brand. The technology enables, among other things, self-service “virtual agents” that reduce demand on call centers and solve the top consumer complaints.
“It used to take eight or 10 people several days to track down items, now it takes one or two people a couple hours,” according to a USPS systems manager.
Leading Trends in Technology Solutions to Maximize the Value of Data
According to CIO, AI will figure prominently into IT data strategies that align with businesses’ customer engagement objectives, market strategies, internal processes, regulation compliance, “and a virtually endless number of other priorities.”
Successful companies will organize their IT investment strategies to deploy AI and machine learning systems for the real-time management of massive, complex data sets that business leaders use to make decisions faster and with higher degrees of confidence.
CIO identified other top trends in IT/data management as:
- Deploying enterprise-wide, integrated IT processes to accelerate the distribution of analytics
- Expanding cloud warehousing capabilities to enable companies to extract more value from their data
- Integrating systems that collect, organize, and analyze from multiple sources
“Failing to meet these needs means getting left behind and missing out on the many opportunities made possible by advances in data analytics,” the magazine predicts.
What Are Key Elements of Aligning IT With Business Goals?
Gartner describes 10 attributes “businesses that lead with technology” use to realize strategic objectives. Among them are the following:
- Use technology to drive revenue growth and improve customer experiences
- Deploy IT to solve immediate, specific problems and anticipate future challenges
- Create and expand opportunities for marketplace differentiation
- Understand technology as a business-critical value-add, not an organizational silo
- Customize IT investment to specific business needs
Businesses that lead with technology “allow resources to flow to a challenge or opportunity regardless of its source. The alternative is to partition the problem and hope it all comes together in the end. That approach rarely works,” the global consulting firm says.
What Is the Best Way to Prepare for Leadership in a Tech-Mature Company?
As companies become increasingly dependent on data and the systems that use it for valuable business intelligence, demand for business professionals with advanced technology expertise will grow.
A dual degree program in Master of Science in Information Technology and Master of Business Administration equips graduates with the insights and skills needed to align IT with business strategies by integrating strengths and resources in high demand.
For instance, the program offered online by Emporia State University readies participants for executive and senior management careers that must understand how to leverage information systems for managerial decision-making and maximize complex technology for organizational support. The AACSB-accredited curriculum includes relevant courses such as:
- Quantitative Analysis of Business Decisions
- Information Technology Project Management
- Enterprise Architecture
- Business Analytics
- Strategic Management
“Many organizations are looking to develop a workforce who can address business challenges and opportunities through tech solutions,” the Women’s Business Collaborate notes, adding, “a highly competitive environment for tech talent … increasingly outpaces the number of qualified candidates.”
Graduates of Emporia State University’s program will have the skills, practice, and experience to be both a tech- and business-savvy expert.
Learn more about Emporia State University’s online MSIT and MBA dual degree program.
