From Information Technology to the Boardroom

    When thinking of how I can apply what I have learned in my quest of an information technology degree to the business world, I would consider strategy, structure and efficiency the main concepts that would translate effectively.  Coming from a world of coding, planning and creation are fundamental to any assignment one is to work on.  My view of business is to provide a good or service for others to earn revenue while minimizing cost.  I am sure that it is somewhat more complicated than that but bear with me for a second.  We have already seen companies celebrated for providing products developed from technology becoming mammoth conglomerates and making their executives billionaires along the way.  We have also seen how these resources are introduced to the world and turn into staples in our culture for a lengthy period of time.  That success may be able to be duplicated using the aforementioned principles in my opinion.  Now let me try to expound on how they can be used to reach those outcomes.

    Designing the proper strategy is the key to any attempt at triumph in business.  In determining the correct course of action and approach, one must first analyze the situation and decide what the goal you are trying to achieve is.  Corporations define themselves with mission statements and illustrating the focus and direction of their integrated drive.  In programming we refer to this process as pseudo coding.  Before I begin to program, I may think about and write what I want to do in plain English.  Without worrying about the precision and syntax necessary, the motivation behind the effort is primarily predetermined.  So when we begin to work on other aspects of the business, we can refer to the foundation that was established since each step has been encoded.  One could then describe the product and how they want to present it to the people by way of marketing in accordance with previous planning.  Another example would be constructing a plan for pricing and expected rates of return from purchasing based on the cost of production.  Create a sequential pattern where one phase would always lead to the next making it easier to prepare for impending maneuvers.  

    Structure would be slightly different depending on the point of view.  This would help towards shaping the organization and how it would interact with outer bodies.  Negotiating how many people are needed for the winning tactics as labor payroll and the amount of inventory that can be produced and displayed for customers are additional aspects.  This would be derived from the creation of functions during coding.  One can write a segment of coding within the main body or simply make a call to it and define what that would mean at a later point.  To me, this is similar to assembling a variety of departments to do more than coexist but flourish simultaneously so that there is no distinguishable weak link in the chain.  The point would be to fashion an outfit that has the ability to grow at a pace that is contingent on the other parts.  All divisions of the business can shine as bright as possible and no luster is lost for one with the glory of another.  See when a section of code has an error the entire program may not run or at least part of it will not proceed as it was supposed to.  The programmer would have to acknowledge the mistake and make the modification for everything to run smoothly again.  The lesson taught is that if a weakness can be identified, it maybe the revealing juncture at which your empire starts to crumble.  Paying attention during the process and speedy rectification when something occurs are essential talents to possess.  

    Efficiency is the last component that I will include to optimize the transition from working with technology to sustaining a profitable business.  To be efficient in this circumstance would be to receive the full potential of your capabilities while reducing the stages traversed as much as possible.  When programming, there are many ways to do the same thing.  You can find this behavior in many arenas including business.  One must choose to operate using the best procedures for the desired conclusion.  You can have long drawn out processes but that may not be conducive to time constraints and quarterly revenue numbers.  To experience quick gains without cheapen the product or dissatisfying your consumers is a noteworthy accomplishment.  And this would not just concern the product and presentation.  Making your strategy and organization structure very efficient is a very strong indicator of effective leadership.  And a better sign that you are on the right path as a corporation.

    As we have seen, this has not been a difficult transition for everyone.  To make a positive impact, I feel one should be able to stay within themselves and be natural in any course of life.  There are things that are taught in information technology that can translate to business quite well.  Meeting deadlines, planning your design, creating your concepts and personalizing the program are all sophisticated and important qualities to being a good coder.  The best of us can decipher those ideas and transform them into business conquests like few have ever seen.  The rest of us can take the time to learn from and enjoy the rewards of those that cross the imagined line.  There is a place for some of technology’s brightest stars to earn recognition in the world of commerce.  And to accept that fact should not hurt one bit.