ICT leads the way in business

iN this increasingly competitive and digital era, an entrepreneur needs more than good business strategies and experience to position his company at the top of the industry.

“Future corporate leaders need to have knowledge information and communication technology (ICT) and use it not only as a tool to support the business, but also to utilise it in a strategic manner to be in line with the company’s business strategies,” says Asia E University (AeU) School of Information & Communication Technology (SICT) dean Prof Dr Syed Malek Fakar Duani.

At the core of any business is its chief executive officer (CEO), whose business decisions are greatly affected by developing trends in information technology.

Early adopters who make the right move stand to gain while those who adopt a wait-and-see attitude are unlikely to go far – if the decision made was the right one.

“There are private and public organisations in Malaysia that have put forward ICT as the strategic weapon in positioning the business at the competitive edge. Online dynamic pricing based on real-time demand and supply, online agent for business negotiation that can serve potential customers without office hour restriction, personalised customer relationship services, online discount voucher that now can be offered by small and big business are among new trends in businesses using modern ICT,” adds Prof Syed.

Thanks to the development of ICT, companies can now carry out automated marketing and sales of the product and have a better delivery of products. For example, AirAsia has managed to get, lock and maintain customers using the power of technology and working around the supply and demand economic model.

He believes heads of organisations must not only be IT savvy, they need to have the ability to think strategically. Many use IT independently, using it only to support business strategies but not including IT at strategic levels.

“Another example is Groupon. Traditionally, there would be someone employed to give out vouchers to people on the streets. With IT, these vouchers are sent to customers who may or may not be interested in the voucher, but always clicking on the website for potential deals,” says Prof Syed.

The Master In ICT Management (MICTM) at SICT is a fully online programme designed with corporate leaders in mind. The course aligns the student’s thinking between business and IT, so corporate leaders are able to think about their business strategy together with IT.

A valuable programme for CEOs and heads of organisations, this unique Masters course connects technical, business and management knowledge in order to make the best use of IT together with business strategies.

It is ideal for forward-thinking IT-shaped professionals and individuals with deep knowledge in a specific area as well as a breadth of skills in different areas, like business, management and communication.

“It is important for CEOs to fully understand all aspects of IT pertaining to the business. One cannot solely depend on consultants when coming up with a system network for a product or service. Only when a CEO knows the full extent IT has for the business will he be able to develop business strategies successfully. “Being CEO of an organisation where ICT is the main platform for business, he should also understand the project management aspect and knowledge management in order to ensure the success of every ICT project and to translate the ROI of its investment either in monetary or nonmonetary form,” adds Prof Syed. Currently, students pursuing the part-time programme come from various technical and nontechnical backgrounds, including engineering, information technology, information system, business and management.

With assignments and examinations, students will get a chance to work on real-life case studies and business practices and choose from six specialisations in relevant areas such as Information Security, Project Management, Knowledge Management, ICT Entrepreneurship, Open Source Computing as well as Business Plan and Continuity.

“Unlike a traditional Masters programme, the students can be located in any part of the world and yet be connected to one another and have discussions on forums and chats. If necessary, face-to-face tutorials are facilitated, if both student and academic facilitator are in the same location,” explains Prof Syed.

For entrepreneurs seeking that extra edge, AeU’s flexible yet practical programme offers lifelong learning tools towards creating a successful business.

It is important for CEOs to fully understand all aspects of IT pertaining to the business.

For more information, visit www.aeu.edu.my