Digitalization challenges the traditional role and places new demands on the corporate IT/IS functions. Traditionally, the IT/IS function is expected to provide a reliable and secure infrastructure in support of business operations. The approach of choice for achieving this is IT Service Management (ITSM). This approach promises to focus on the support needs of the business organization while releasing it from technical issues. This is to be achieved by introducing so-called IT services that address specific information processing and communication needs of the organisation. Unfortunately, researchers have paid little attention to IT operations management in general and ITSM in particular. Therefore, the concept of an IT service has remained vague to the present day with little substantial guidance on how to identify and specify IT services available.

Smooth infrastructure operations and seamless service provision are also, and even more important in a digital business environment. At the same time, digitization calls for high flexibility and agility in responding to new business situations and opportunities. Thus, the IT/IS function is not only expected to be a reliable service provider, but also to be pro-active and take an innovative role in exploring new digital business solutions. These contradictory demands have led to promoting the model of a “two-speed IT”. However, little is known on how such an IT/IS function could look like.

Things become even more complicated with cost pressures and an increased propensity to outsource parts of the IT/IS function. There are good reasons to consider IT outsourcing, since the market for IT services has grown substantially over the last decade with more and more specialized providers offering their services. However, increased outsourcing also results in new demands on the (retained) IT/IS function that must manage providers and orchestrate external services towards the fulfilment of organizational needs. 

Selected publications

• Teubner, R. A.; Ehnes, D.: The Corporate IT/IS Function: Competences and Organization for a (Digital) Future. In: Tagungsband Multikonferenz Wirtschaftsinformatik (MKWI) 2018. Data-driven X – Turning Data into Value. Bd. 5. Lüneburg (Leuphana Universität) 2018, pp. 1825-1836.
• Stockhinger, J.; Remfert, C.: Evaluating the Two-Speed IT Concept for Digitalization. In Fiona, F.-H. N., Bo, S. X. (eds.): Proceedings of the 5th International Conference HCIBGO - HCI in Business, Government, and Organizations 2018, pp. 162–174.
• Teubner A.; Remfert C.: Giving IT Services a Theoretical Backing. In: Yamamoto S. (eds) Human Interface and the Management of Information: Information, Knowledge and Interaction Design. HIMI 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science Vol 10273, Cham (Springer) 2017, pp. 448-468.
• Remfert C.: Developing a Common Understanding of IT Services – The Case of a German University. In: Yamamoto S. (ed.): Human Interface and the Management of Information: Information, Knowledge and Interaction Design. HIMI 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10273. Cham (Springer) 2017.
• Teubner, R.; Remfert, C.: Eine Fallstudie zur Einführung des IT-Servicemanagement in einer Lehr- und Forschungseinrichtung. In: Becker, J. et al. (eds.): Arbeitsberichte des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik, Nr. 139. Münster 2016. (60 pp.)
• Gaebert, C.: Reliable Customers and Credible Fixed-Price Contracts for Software Development Projects: A Study of One Supplier’s Contracts, In: Matulevičius, R.; Dumas, M. (Eds.): Perspectives in Business Informatics Research. Berlin, Heidelberg (Springer) 2015, pp. 18-32.
• Remfert, C.; Teubner, R. A.: Bringing IT services to life — Insights into the challenges of IT service identification. In Proceedings of the CENTERIS- Conference on ENTERprise Information Systems, Vilamoura/Algarve, Portugal.
• Teubner, A.; Remfert, C.: IT Service Management: Specification of IT Services. Die Fallstudie aus der Wirtschaftsinformatik. WISU — Das Wirtschaftsstudium, 44(2015)6, pp. 698–699.
• Gaebert, C.: Protection of Customers’ and Suppliers’ Knowledge in Software Development Projects under Fixed-Price Contract: Using Property Rights Theory. In: Proceedings of the 10th International Joint Conference on Software Technologies (ICSOFT) 2015, Colmar, France, 2015.
• Teubner, A.; Remfert, C.: Shared Service Centre and IT Service Management. Die Fallstudie aus der Wirtschaftsinformatik. In: WISU - Das Wirtschaftsstudium 43(2014)5, pp. 653-654.
• Gaebert, C.: Contract Design and Uncertainty in Software Development Projects. In: Johansson, B.; Anderson, B.; Homberg, N. (Eds.): Perspectives in Business Informatics Research. Berlin, Heidelberg (Springer) 2014, pp. 217-230.
• Teubner, A.; Steffen, M.: IT Organization and Sourcing at TechnoTronics. Die Fallstudie aus der Wirtschaftsinformatik. In: WISU – Das Wirtschaftsstudium, 42(2013)6, pp. 684-686.
• Remfert, C., & Teubner, A.: Das Projektbüro als Träger des Multiprojektmanagements. In Lang, M., Kammerer, S., & Amberg, M. (Eds.), Projektportfoliomanagement in der IT. Düsseldorf (Symposion Verlag) 2012, pp. 329–362.
• Teubner, R. A.: IT-Service Management in Wissenschaft und Praxis. Best Practice in der akademischen Diskussion und industriellen Umsetzung. Saarbrücken (VDM Verlag) 2008.
• Teubner, A.; Mocker, M.: Governance und Leistungstiefe der IV bei einem Finanzdienstleister. Die Fallstudie aus der Wirtschaftsinformatik. In: WISU - Das Wirtschaftsstudium, 36 (2007) 2, S. 238, 239.
• Teubner, A.: Organisation der betrieblichen Informationsfunktion. Examensklausur aus der Wirtschaftsinformatik. In: WISU — Das Wirtschaftsstudium, 33(2004)2, pp. 228–232.