Telstra Corporation: IS Strategy, Management, and Acquisition Analysis

This report provides a detailed analysis of Telstra Corporation Limited's information system (IS) strategy, management, and acquisition practices. It begins with an overview of Telstra's organizational background, followed by an exploration of the evolution of its IS/IT strategy, particularly its customer relationship management (CRM) approach. The report identifies key opportunities and challenges faced by Telstra, including technological advancements, customer dissatisfaction, and competitor pressures, while highlighting the benefits of CRM implementation, such as enhanced customer service and revenue generation. It further examines the current IS/IT scenario within Telstra, emphasizing the importance of a strategic management plan for achieving competitive advantages. The report discusses the best IS strategy solutions, including Salesforce, SugarCRM, NetSuite CRM, and Zoho, and analyzes the contribution of information system acquisitions to organizational success. It then delves into the management of IS to control organizational systems, the execution of IS/IT strategy, and concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations. The report underscores the significance of CRM in streamlining workflows, improving customer relations, and driving long-term growth within Telstra.

Running head: IS STRATEGY, MANAGEMENT AND ACQUISITION
IS Strategy, Management and Acquisition: Telstra Corporation Limited
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................2
2. Discussion..............................................................................................................................2
2.1 Brief Organizational Background....................................................................................2
2.2 Evolution of Organizational IS/ IT Strategy....................................................................2
2.3 Main Opportunities and Challenges faced by the Organization......................................3
2.4 Current Scenario of IS/ IT in the Organization................................................................5
2.5 Importance of IS/ IT Strategy Management Plan for helping Telstra in achieving
Competitive Advantages........................................................................................................5
2.6 Best IS Strategy Solutions to fulfil Organizational Needs or Problems..........................6
2.7 Acquisition of Information Systems contributing to Organizational Success.................6
2.8 Management of IS to Manage and Control Organizational System................................7
2.9 Execution of IS/ IT Strategy............................................................................................7
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................8
References................................................................................................................................10

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1. Introduction
Information system can be referred to as the ICT, which any company utilizes and
even the method, by which individuals interact with the technology for supporting business
processes (Khodakarami and Chan 2014). There are four components of an information
system, which are technology, structure, people and task. These activities are devoted for
capturing, transmitting, storing, displaying, manipulating and retrieving the information. The
following report will be outlining a brief discussion on the IT/ IS strategies of Telstra
Corporation Limited with various details like opportunities and challenges faced by the
company and solutions of IS strategies.
2. Discussion
2.1 Brief Organizational Background
Telstra Corporation Limited is a popular Australian telecommunications organization
that is responsible for building and even operating various telecommunications networks,
internet access, and mobile technology, Pay TV, market voice and several services and
products. More than 35000 employees are working in this organization and the revenue had
been extremely high for the company (Telstra.com.au. 2019). Telstra has its headquarters in
Melbourne, Australia and there are 150 subsidiaries for the organization. The total number of
customers is extremely high in comparison to other organizations. They have been using
customer relationship management or CRM IS/ IT strategy for their business to ensure that
the customers are satisfied with the respective organizational products and services.
2.2 Evolution of Organizational IS/ IT Strategy
Telstra has doing business for last 47 years and they have been providing several
products and services to their customers for ensuring that major competitive advantages are
being gained without much complexity (Soltani and Navimipour 2016). They have always

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focused on their unique strategies and diversifications to bring out high efficiency as well as
effectiveness in business, only after satisfying the customers with products. As a result, they
have implemented that strategy of IS/ IT of customer relationship management in their
business, so that they are able to ensure satisfaction to the customers under every
circumstance. A sales CRM can be referred to as a foundational tool for any type of
modernized sales companies.
Most of the B2B organizations have to keep track of their customers for
understanding the difference between the lost opportunity and a closed sale. Neglecting the
customers as well as ignoring the journey can eventually make the business brand sink (Abu
Amuna et al. 2017). A decent CRM platform is required for supporting the entire sales team
and even entering into the new market. The contemporary CRMS are extremely powerful
than the usual software and it could be eventually integrated with any other omni channel
tool. Strategic advantages are being driven and long term growth is being achieved in an
effective manner within the organization of Telstra. They have been able to streamline the
workflows with all types of sales automation and even assist the lead generation and
qualifications of their employees.
2.3 Main Opportunities and Challenges faced by the Organization
Telstra Corporation Limited has been facing some of the major and the most
significant challenges in their business that were responsible for bringing few issues in the
business (Ogunnaike, Tairat and Emmanuel 2014). The major challenges faced by this
particular organization that has emphasized them in undertaking the IT/ IS strategy of
customer relationship management in the business are as follows:
i) Technology Issues: This is the first and the foremost challenge that the organization
of Telstra has faced in their business is technology issue. The technological advancements are

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incrementing majorly and for an organization like Telstra, it becomes extremely important to
ensure that the products and services, provided by them are absolutely relevant, compatible
and cost effective (Bhat and Darzi 2016). It is needed to fulfil the requirements of society and
customers effectively. However, the products and services of Telstra were extremely
expensive and they did not fulfil all types of demands of the customers. As a result, they had
to reinvest on the current technology for sustaining relevance.
ii) Customer Dissatisfaction: This is the second important and significant challenge
faced by Telstra in their organization that compelled them in selecting CRM software for the
business. The customers were extremely dissatisfied with their services and hence a gap was
being created. They were unable to understand the consumer behaviours and customer
demands completely.
iii) Competitors in terms of Technology: Telstra, has several competitors in their
business and they even face some of the major issues in management of technological issues
(Jocovic et al. 2014). The advancement in technology is not accepted by every individual and
it hence brings out re engineering process in the business.
iv) Lack of Availability of Resources: Although, Telstra is one of the most significant
and important organizations in Australia, they had faced difficulty in resource availability.
The resources were not available in sufficient amounts, which led to issues like customer
dissatisfaction to a high level. It even affected their business strategies and hence problems
were being faced.
The opportunities obtained by Telstra with the successful incorporation of CRM
software in their business are as follows:

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i) Enhancement of Better Customer Service: This is the first and the most important
opportunity of Telstra (Anshari et al. 2015). They were able to enhance better customer
services with the CRM software.
ii) Facilitation in Discovering New Customers: Telstra even gained new customers
with CRM software.
iii) Incrementing Customer Revenues: The respective customer revenues are highly
increased with involvement of CRM software in business.
iv) Enhancement of Cross and Up Product Selling: Telstra was able to enhance the
cross and up product selling eventually.
2.4 Current Scenario of IS/ IT in the Organization
In present situation of the organization of Telstra, the IT/ IS strategy of CRM software
is able to provide some of the most distinctive and important advantages to the business
(Santouridis and Veraki 2017). Several technologies, strategies and practices are being
managed as well as analysed by them without any type of complexity of issue. Moreover,
they are able to ensure data management in the entire customer lifecycle and they had the
objective to improve customer services for assuring customer retention or even driving of
sales growth. The systems of CRM can easily compile the data in several channels so that
organizational website, direct mail and social media are being included by Telstra. The
customer facing staff easily and promptly get idea about customer demands.
2.5 Importance of IS/ IT Strategy Management Plan for helping Telstra in achieving
Competitive Advantages
The IS/IT strategy of CRM software in Telstra have been helping the organization in
gaining numerous competitive advantages (Tzokas et al. 2015). The business hence gets a
chance of better management of relationships, it comprises with the customers in a successful

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manner. The IT systems, which majorly addresses the issues to deal with the clients on a
regular basis are eventually growing majorly. They are able to obtain an insight into the
respective behaviour of the customers and even modify the business operations for ensuring
the clients are being served with the best possible method. Telstra has gained several
competitive advantages after recognizing customer value and even for capitalizing over the
improved relations of customers. CRM has allowed them in finding out regarding the
purchasing habits of customers, changing the method, the individuals are operating for
improving the customer services (Krishna and Ravi 2016). Hence, there had been an
enhanced customer satisfaction as well as retention for maintenance of the good reputation in
market place.
2.6 Best IS Strategy Solutions to fulfil Organizational Needs or Problems
The best information strategy solutions to fulfil each and every organizational need
and problem are as follows:
i) Salesforce: It is one of the popular and significant CRM solutions that would be
effective for Telstra. This particular CRM solution sells a complementary suite of the
enterprise applications that are completely focused on customer services and automation
(Triznova et al. 2015). The major categories include Data Cloud, Service Cloud and few
others.
ii) SugarCRM: The second type is the SugarCRM, which provides sales force
automation, customer support, major collaboration and marketing campaigns.
iii) NetSuite CRM: Another type of CRM solution suitable for Telstra would be
NetSuite CRM. It provides a CRM platform, which could incorporate advanced abilities for
helping the businesses to drive growth and revenue.

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iv) Zoho: This type of CRM is based on SaaS and is being designed for managing
sales, marketing and customer support for Telstra.
2.7 Acquisition of Information Systems contributing to Organizational Success
The successful acquisition of the CRM software eventually denotes each and every
organizational activity, which is being utilized for winning the new customers and even
expanding the entire circle of customers within Telstra Corporation Limited (Rahimi et al.
2015). Time and good planning are required to be included for yielding results and a major
aspect of successful customer acquisition is being understood as the core procedure, which
could ensure customer loyalty and then establish long term business relationship. CRM could
make customer acquisition sustainably much easier. This particular software enriches the
contact data as well as customer information of major importance and significance for every
organizational department. An easy management of the contact data is possible and hence
Telstra is able to gain success rate of customer acquisition for increasing when the time
resources are being spared in Telstra.
2.8 Management of IS to Manage and Control Organizational System
CRM can be easily managed with the successful incorporation of various business
processes and strategies within any organization. It is needed to manage the information
system for successfully managing the organizational systems of Telstra (Srisamran and
Ractham 2014). This information system is the integrated collection of few components that
are needed for collection, storage as well as processing of the data and even for providing
digital products, knowledge and confidential information. The various firms mainly are
dependent on the information systems for carrying out and controlling the operations,
interactions with the suppliers and customers or even competing in the market place. The
inter-organizational supply chain and electronic markets are being run efficiently and
effectively. Several organizations are utilizing IS in their business to make their actions and

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strategies even better. It is possible for streamlining of the processes, building of customer
relationships, incrementing sales as well as improving customer services (Akgün et al. 2014).
Telstra has been able to increase the profitability and productivity after involving better
contact management in the business.
2.9 Execution of IS/ IT Strategy
The computerized information system is a type of system that is comprised of
computers and people, which could process or interpret confidential information. The
organizations could easily create, distribute, process, filter and collect data and an emphasis is
being given on the information system that has inputs, outputs as well as communication
networks. Such systems help in supporting decision making process, management and
operations. These types of information systems eventually help in controlling the total
performance of the business procedures and the benefits for viewing the IS are considered as
the work system (Wali, Wright and Uduma 2015). The work system is the type of system,
where machines and human beings could easily perform numerous activities and processes
with the help of resources for producing certain services and products to the customers.
The entire process of CRM IS/IT strategy can be executed by following a distinctive
and important procedure. This particular process ensures major effectiveness in the business
and the process of executing this strategy is given below:
i) Identifying Target Market and Customers.
ii) Defining CRM Strategy and Considering Costs.
iii) Defining Process of Each Customer to be Handled.
iv) Selection of Proper CRM Software for measuring Performances.
v) Continuing to Re-Engaging the Customers.

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3. Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that information systems
can inter related with the data systems as well as activity systems. It is a distinctive form of a
communication system, where the data eventually represent and are even processed as the
social memory. It is even considered as a semi-formal language that could support the human
decision making process and actions. The information systems are considered as the primary
focus of study for all types of organizational informatics. The above report has provided a
detailed analysis of IS strategy, acquisition and management in the popular Australian
telecommunications organization, Telstra Corporation Limited.

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