Technology in Management

Rapid advances in technology have dramatically been transforming the business management processes over the years. Small and large enterprises today are rightfully pursuing alignment of their business management strategies with technological resources to ensure that the objectives are continuously monitored (Hammer and James). However the utilization of technology to aid management and business processes is not something that just popped out of nowhere. Like any other event in human experience, its emergence has its own roots and developments.
This paper aims to provide a brief discussion on the happenings that may have prompted the emergence of technology as well as the utilization of its resources as far as management and business processes are considered contextualized for the past decade. It will also highlight Business Technology Management (BTM) as one of the advancements of the said period.
The prompts of technology in management
The most distinct and supreme advantage of technology is its ability not to purely add, but multiply effort. Think of the life during 3500 BC prior to the creation of the cartwheel. At this era, if a person wishes to move a number of objects from one place to another, he or she has to perform it one excruciating piece at time. Thus, if he or she has 50 different objects, this is automatically equivalent to 50 painful trips. And, if there was a large distance among places, the work becomes even tougher. Evidently, technology could be utilized in this condition and the panorama was laid down for the design of the cartwheel. All of a sudden, one person can heave numerous objects at one shot. This did not only pave the way for a productive trip, but also made it easier for the people.
This same basic thought started it all. Over the past ten years, motivated, goal-oriented businessmen have been facing business expansion and continuous development. They struggle the odds to institute and manage their firms. Up-and-coming, medium-sized firms come forward and deal with increasing pains that inexorably go together with effective management and success. Globally, well-established corporations go all-out to keep their position and continue their vigilance to keep their competitive advantage. Resembling the creation of the cartwheel, all businesses can make use of technology to work – faster, in less time, safer, in a more predictable manner and of better quality (“The Importance of Technology in Business”). Simply put, technology aids businesses achieve maximum results with minimum efforts.
The Business Technology Management (BTM)
The past decade has also witnessed the birth of an innovation known as information technology (IT) or the learning, devising, creating, execution and monitoring of computer-based information systems, specifically software programs (Allen and Morton). IT involves the use of electronic computers and software to keep and protect data files, convert them or transmit and/or retrieve information, safely and effectively. Nowadays, the term IT has been extended to cover many facets of technology. The term has also been more popular than ever before.
The IT industry gave birth to a rise of other technological advancements related to business and management such as the Business Technology Management (BTM).
Business Technology Management (BTM) is a facet of technology that aims to fuse business and technology decision-making at all levels of a certain organization. (Boar) BTM calls for a set of principles, referred to as BTM capabilities. These capabilities are pooled to develop BTM solutions, where company’s procedural tasks can be managed and enhanced further. BTM also characterizes the company’s projected characteristics according to certain maturity level.
BTM creates connections between formerly remote ways and practices for business technology management by deliberately integrating the operational and communication levels of technology management to guarantee that a business plan or strategy can be carried out by the technology it utilizes. This planned approach is employed by managers to support, coordinate and even pull together technology and business management with the idea of ensuring improved implementation, risk management and productivity (Boar).
BTM deals with four essential management components acting as the building blocks which sustain the continued success of an organization: the process, organization, information and technology. The first dimension, process, necessitates that processes be defined and constantly evaluated to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of the business. The management process is more likely to thrive when strongly held by the right organizational hierarchies from a clear conception of roles, obligations, and decision- making. Authentic, applicable and timely information is a must for effective decision making. This information must be conveyed in a way that is graspable to ordinary people and action-oriented in terms of giving them choices and alternatives. Effective technology, which means efficiently aiding management, can help in linking all the other components. The suitable technology helps make the management process easier to accomplish, though assisting information sharing and enabling consistent coordination within an organization or business.
Works Cited

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Allen, T., and Morton, M.S. eds. Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990s. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Boar, Bernard. Practical Steps for Aligning Information Technology with Business Strategies Wiley, 1994, pp. 35-40
Hammer, Michael and James, Champy. “Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution”. Harper Business Book, 1993. 156-158
The Importance of Technology in Business. brianshoff.com. 26 November 2007