1. Analysis & evaluation        

Initially, the Science Application International Corporation’s strategic intent was to handle the United States’ projects that dealt with nuclear power and weapons and their effects on research programs. SAIC provided information and communication products solutions to arising problems and related services to both the intelligence agencies as well as the inland security departments. It grew its business model canvas through the same. Currently, SAIC indulges in handling both governmental and commercial projects focusing on information technology across various domains such inland security departments, health care facilities, integration of E-Systems and solutions, space communication as well as logistics. This implies that the old strategic intent and Business Model Canvas at SAIC supports with the new strategic intent and BMC. Its purpose was to offer solutions to projects related to information, communication and related products in the government. However, due to modern technological advancements, SAIC has shifted from B2C to C2B, that is why it has integrated the commercial sector alongside the US government security requirements (Systematics, 1994).

SAIC employs the matrix operation model whereby different services work collaboratively to achieve the set objectives and complete a given contract. The key management and leadership at SAIC were exercised when the US government’s need to reconstruct Iraq. Since it was a quick requirement that needed a quick response, SAIC management team needed to establish immediate process necessary in deploying people and resources vital in supporting the US government. Therefore, this came as a unique and new opportunity to offer its services to the government that was more likely to occur again. Therefore, SAIC management team developed a knowledge management project crucial in capturing, sharing and reusing the knowledge required for deployment of the SAIC personnel in Iraq as well as managing and transitioning the projects in question (Systematics, 1994). Bill Kaplan is a key leader who was working as the KM practice manager during that time. He made plans, developments and implementations in the existing framework to form a KM framework aimed at supporting the reconstruction and transform support programs after the Iraq reconstruction.

The KM framework developed by Bill Kaplan was essential and successful because it helped the Iraq reconstruction personnel in sharing the insights, developments and experiences during the reconstruction process. Through this, the SAIC fraternity prevented further inventions, reduced corporate and personal risks as well as embedding KM framework practices in SAIC’s daily operations. Furthermore, the KM framework helps employees at SAIC because they can learn before embarking on any project or exercise.

In managing change and implementing the strategies of change, managers should focus on the most suitable models and plans of actions instead of implementing random or irrelevant changes since change management is a process that takes time, expertise and dedication for its completion. Furthermore, it requires the staff and the employees in the company because they are likely to be affected by the change. However, before the SAIC adapts to any model of change it thinks is useful for its company, the management team should understand the needs of the company, the potential consumers as well as the benefits associated to the changes thereof.

The essential aspect in selecting the models for use in organizational change is first to carry out a diagnosis and a selection of the vital models (Iles & Sutherland, 2001). There are two crucial models to be used in SAIC change management. These are component models and holistic models. Component models focus on the particular functionality of SAIC corporation, such as the organization’s culture and structure (Systematics, 1994). Therefore, managers can make a diagnosis of the component models by examining various aspects of the organization regarding their functionality. Some of these aspects include but not limited to the organization’s structure, culture, mission and strategy and management practices, among other elements. After examining how the aspects work individually, the SAIC manager can then combine the general assessments, to get a clear picture of the entire organizational functionality.

Holistic models look at the big picture of the organization before narrowing down to single components or aspects. Thus, holistic models give the general picture of the functionality of the SAIC organization and the relationship between the interactions of these components. Holistic models or frameworks encompass the external environment among its aspects. Therefore, the following are some of the change models or approaches that I think are essential for SAIC corporation (Systematics, 1994).

The McKinsey 7 S Model

This framework/model is more persistent. It is used in the diagnosis of internal alignment. This is because as other models are invented, they become extinct with time but McKinsey 7S Model remains. It was a model developed way back in the 1980s, by consultants that worked for McKinsey and its company. It explores the seven stages required for change management. The first stage is the strategy stage. A strategy refers to a plan critically created to outdo competition available to reach and attain the set goals. Since it is the first step towards change according to the McKinsey 7 s framework, the strategy stage is procedural under the future plan of the SAIC company. The Systems stage is related to the daily activities at the corporation. It focuses on the methods of performance. Shared values are the third stage on the McKinsey 7S Model which focuses on the organizational values, for instance, SAIC’s benefits are provided IT solutions to the defence system of the US government and the commercial sector through integrity and professionalism. Style, staff and skills are the last three stages on the McKinsey 7S Model that focuses on the form of leadership, the workforce and the competency levels of SAIC employees.

This model is essential to SAIC corporation because it features an in-depth understanding of how the corporation works, integrates the emotional and practical components of change, making the transition an easy task. Since it provides a directional factor towards change, it is essential for SAIC corporation because the parts and stages provided are ideal to the entire corporation.

Kotter’s change management theory

This model is mostly adopted by many organizations aspiring for change. It was devised by John Kotter to educate people about change management. It has eight stages that entail a vital principle directed by the response from people involved in change. Increasing urgency is the first stage in Kotter’s framework. In this stage, the managers create an urgency sense in people, which is a motivating factor towards the set objectives for change. The second stage is the team build-up stage. This is a stage that requires the right people through knowledge, skills and commitment towards the said change. Get the vision correction is another stage in Kotter’s framework. This stage requires the right people or the selected team to create the correct vision not only through organizational strategies but also creativity, emotional connection and set goals. Communication stage is vital in Kotter’s model of change management. It entails managerial communication of the set objectives and the requirements. Get things moving is the fifth stage on Kotter’s model that empowers action through support, elimination of roadblocks and constructively implementing the feedback. Focusing on short term goals, not giving up and incorporation of change are the last stages on the Kotter’s framework that entails division of the goals into smaller objectives, being persistent and reinforcement of the organizational culture during the transition.

Kotter’s model is easy to follow because it arranged through steps. Principally, it calls for acceptance of change and prepares those involved in the change thereof even though it is time-consuming.

The Burke-Letwin model

The Burke-Letwin model is essential in diagnosing both the internal and the external alignment due to its comprehensiveness. It is used to establish the relationship between the cause and the effects of change. From its external-internal alignment, one can tell that this model shows that interconnected elements influence each other. It was developed in 1992 and illustrates that if a change fails, it is an indication that some areas in the organization affected by the change thereof were not accounted for. Thus, when SAIC utilizes this type of framework, it will know the organizational regions affected by the change and their interrelation in general. Since it involves hierarchical organizational arrangement, it shows the flow and effects of the factors to each other. It is an open system theory model that asserts that external influences cause change (Systematics, 1994).

According to the authors of this model, it primarily portrays the variables vital in predicting and explaining the organizational output behaviour, their interactions and effects of change. Therefore, this brings us to the main groups of elements in any given organization. That is the external environment, factors for transformation, transactional factors and the general performance of the organization. Thus, according to Burke-Letwin’s model, the external environment refers to inputs while the individual/organizational performance refers to the outputs.

Transformational practices entail the processes and characteristics of SIAC organization. The organization deals with projects that focus on information technology, serving the government and the commercial entities. Therefore, changes to these practices can influence the entire organization. More so, any form of change in the organization will have an influence on the transformational factors; that is why they have arrows in all the directions. The external environment strongly affects transformational factors, which, in return, causes influences on the transactional changes (Lewrick & Raeside, 2010).

Leadership is a major transformational practice that is essential in directing the organization. This is because; leaders are responsible for the development of organizational vision and motivating organizational employees to work towards achieving it. Organizational mission and strategy is another practice which entails a description of the organizational purpose and processes and the ways of achieving them. The culture of an organization is also essential in an organization and during organizational change. Therefore, management practices in SAIC organization the system or policies and individual skills forms significant transformational practices (Iles & Sutherland, 2001).

The leadership management of SAIC corporation needs to be improved. That is, the legal working requirements will need to be altered and hence, cause an effect to the entire management practices. For instance, during the transition of the CEO management in 2019, the COO position was eliminated. Therefore, various changes were incurred to the general corporation functionality because the matters that were initially being reported to the COO were reported to the CEO. Furthermore, the corporate functions of the entire corporate were to be forwarded to Keene, an initiative that was aimed at achieving a basic flatter operation. Thus, elimination of the COO position served as an opportunity to realign the functional roles of the corporate hence improving both collaborative and operational effectiveness. More so, Michael LaRouche also took up the role of National security group that deals with cybersecurity, intelligence and customer defence.

The leadership transformational practices are sustainable because employees and customers depend on the quality of leadership available at SAIC Corporation. Therefore, the kind of leadership in place is crucial in delivering innovative approaches as well as leveraging the expanded abilities of SAIC for long term achievement of the strategies in place. Transforming the customer groups to report directly to the CEO ensures a strong alignment and agility to partner with the clients who face both challenges and opportunities. Elimination of the COO was also vital in realigning the corporate roles, improving collaboration and effectiveness of operations. The relevant sustainability measures can be realized through the use of the porter’s five forces analysis criteria (Lewrick & Raeside, 2010).

SAIC is regarded as a premier integrator of technology specially positioned to offer solutions to the US government’s modernization complexes as well as offer solutions to the challenges entailed in the defence, federal, and space as well as intelligence markets. The corporation’s portfolio of offering entails solutions to information technology issues such as enterprise IT, cyber software and analytical training and simulations, among other things. Transformational practices help the corporation’s management to develop a deeper understanding of its customer base. They hence will be in a position to understand the challenges they face on the ground. Thus, with the expertise in place, knowledge of existing and emerging technologies will enable the management team or leadership to transform the SAIC corporation to the required level. The leadership transformation will allow the corporation management to integrate crucial components from the corporation’s portfolio with the partner ecosystem, which will lead to the development of efficient, innovative and effective information technology solutions.

An effective leadership strategy can indeed differentiate a failing organization from a succeeding one. However, most managers or leaders fail to understand the kind of leadership style they ought to employ in their organizations, to make it successful. Therefore, at SAIC corporation, there is potential for improvement in terms of leadership since the current management team is doing all it can to motivate and mould its employees to focus on customer satisfaction and reliability. Furthermore, through the transformations levelled on the leadership fraternity, SAIC corporation is likely to improve its services and revenues in the coming future.

Sustainability measures at SAIC corporation can be realized through the use of Porter’s Five Forces, whereby, the five forces that have an impact on the firm are analyzed to find a solution. The threat, bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, threat from substitute products and rivalry marks the forces against sustainability at SIAC.

Transformational practices such as training and hiring expertise personnel will be vital at SAIC Corporation. Also, it will be ideal for the employees to undergo seminal workshops at a regular interval to keep updated about the current technological advancements, especially in the field of informational technology. This will enhance the workforce as well as improving consumer relations with the corporation. Under the leadership transformation practice, it will be essential if Keene will have an assistant because, many departments’ reports to him, making it somehow daunting to executed, respond and attend to the issues promptly (Lewrick & Raeside, 2010).

For sustainability measures, SAIC should innovate more new products and services since the contemporary technology is rapidly growing and advancing. This will attract more customers to the corporation, hence increasing its revenue as well as sustainability. Furthermore, more so, SAIC should build capacities and spend money on research and development to curb threats from new entrants to its market. It should also resolve in building a broad base of consumers to reduce the buyers’ bargaining power as well as providing the corporation with an opportunity to have a sales and production process streamlined. Since SAIC is an information technology product and service producer, it faces a variety of rivalry and substitute products from famous companies such as Google and Dropbox who offers products such as hard-drives. Therefore, to remain sustainable, SAIC should consider being service-oriented instead of product-oriented. Thus, it will be better placed in understanding consumers’ needs instead of what the consumer is buying.  SAIC should also consider maximizing consumers’ switching cost to remain sustainable.

Conclusively, SAIC’s transformation from B2C to C2B entails various considerations such as diagnosis of the models, understanding of the component and holistic models as well as their effects on both the external and internal parameters of SAIC organization. The change models essential for this kind of change include the Kotter’s model, Burke-Letwin model and the McKinsey 7S Model. Transformational and transactional factors have an influence on environmental and individual factors since they are equated to the inputs and outputs of the organization.