Developments in Practice XXV: Strategic Experimentation with IT

A focus on top line growth necessarily brings IT into the mainstream of product/service innovation, which in turn means that IT must assume a customer focus, assimilate new skills, and build collaborations with the business development arm of the organization. It also leads IT into the realm of organizational innovation and the world of strategic experimentation with IT. This paper introduces the concept of strategic experimentation with IT by embedding it within the innovation life cycle typical of most organizations. It then outlines some of the unique issues and challenges IT managers face as they tackle innovation. The paper concludes by presenting a collection of strategies for motivating, supporting, and directing strategic experimentation with IT.