Thoughts on Business Value: Understanding the Digital Transformation drivers in Manufacturing Enterprises

My name is Andrea Montefreddo, I am a student at Dublin Business School and I am conducting a research study entitled Understanding the Digital Transformation drivers in Manufacturing Enterprises.

 

This research is aimed at the following objectives:

1. to map the ways Business Value is defined in different digital initiatives;
2. to understand if and how the IT departments are participating in the Business Value discovery and co-creation;
3. to understand if there is a correlation between a clear definition of Business Value in a given digital transformation initiative and its success.

Your participation will involve taking part in an interview based on the following survey. You will be asked to fill succinctly some information on the form below to collect high-level information. You will also be asked to sign the form to share your consent about sharing your data. The overall process will take approximately 20 minutes.

Your answers will remain confidential. We will minimize any risks by encrypting the spreadsheet.

The results of the research study may be published, but your name will not be used. Your identity will not be associated with your responses in any published format.

If you have any questions about this research project, please feel free to send an e-mail to 10535656@mydbs.ie.

A full copy of the Information Form including further notes on the research and on the researcher can be viewed HERE.

Thanks for your consideration!

 

This section is aimed at investigating the way Business Value was defined in the past (or present) Digital Initiative you have been taking part in within the Manufacturing Industry.

To better understand the following questions, read the clarification about the following concepts.

Michael Porter says that there are only three competitive strategies a business can adopt:

1. cost leadership: the strategy of choice for those companies aiming at becoming the least expensive in a given market segment.
2. Differentiation. It is the choice for those businesses who wish to offer a unique product or service across the industry.
3. Focus is the strategy adopted by those who decide to target a specific and narrow segment of the market in order to serve it better than any other company.

To better understand the following questions, read the clarification about the following concepts:

1. Business Value as Customer Value. Example: If a company is running a new Digital Initiative aimed to improve customer experience, it is clear that it is possible to identify Business Value with Customer value.
2. Business Value as User Value. Example: If the IT department is asked to improve data accessibility, so to empower Business Analysts to effectively retrieve datasets, Business Value could be identified as the Internal User value.
3. Mission Accomplishment. Example: a digital transformation initiative is aimed to fulfil a mission statement, despite the fact that it will not be immediately profitable. This is not uncommon in privately held companies.
4. Business Value as alignment to eco-friendly practices.
5. Business Value as Return on Investment (ROI). Example: If a Digital Initiative is launched to openly yield a return on the initial investment either cutting costs, optimizing assets or increasing revenue, it falls under this third category.
6. Business Value as Net Present Value (NPV). Net present value (NPV) is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time.

In this section, we aim to understand what sort of relationship is occurring between IT and Business Value from your own point of view.

A full copy of the Information Form including further notes on the research and on the researcher can be viewed HERE. 

voluntarily agree to take part in this research study. 

I understand that I am not obliged to take part in this study and that my participation in the study is entirely voluntary. 

I understand that I am free to withdraw from the study at any time or refuse to answer any question without the need to provide a reason and without fear of negative consequences.

I understand that my responses will be anonymous. 

I understand that in the case of completing an anonymous questionnaire, it will not be possible to subsequently withdraw my data due to the fact that there will be no personally identifying information attached to my responses. 

I understand that I will not benefit directly from participating in this research. 

I understand that I am free to contact any of the people involved in the research to seek further clarification and information. 

I understand that signed consent forms will be retained for some time until the exam board confirms the results of their dissertation. 

I confirm that I have had the purpose and nature of the study explained to me in writing and I have had the opportunity to ask questions about the study with satisfactory answers provided. 

I confirm that I have read and fully understood the information provided in the statements above.