Information Systems in BusinessChap002docresWord下载.docx

Information Systems in BusinessChap002docresWord下载.docx

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4.IdentifythebusinessvalueofusingInternettechnologiestobecomeanagilecompetitororformavirtualcompany.

5.Explainhowknowledgemanagementsystemscanhelpabusinessgainstrategicadvantages.

SUMMARY

•StrategicUsesofInformationTechnology.Informationtechnologiescansupportmanycompetitivestrategies.Theycanhelpabusinesscutcosts,differentiateandinnovateinitsproductsandservices,promotegrowth,developalliances,lockincustomersandsuppliers,createswitchingcosts,raisebarrierstoentry,andleverageitsinvestmentinITresources.Thus,informationtechnologycanhelpabusinessgainacompetitiveadvantageinitsrelationshipswithcustomers,suppliers,competitors,newentrants,andproducersofsubstituteproducts.RefertoFigures2.3and2.5forsummariesoftheusesofinformationtechnologyforstrategicadvantage.

•BuildingaCustomer-FocusedBusiness.AkeystrategicuseofInternettechnologiesistobuildacompanythatdevelopsitsbusinessvaluebymakingcustomervalueitsstrategicfocus.Customer-focusedcompaniesuseInternet,intranet,andextranete-commerceWebsitesandservicestokeeptrackoftheircustomers’preferences;

tosupplyproducts,services,andinformationanytime,anywhere;

andtoprovideservicestailoredtotheindividualneedsofthecustomers.

•ReengineeringBusinessProcesses.Informationtechnologyisakeyingredientinreengineeringbusinessoperationsbecauseitenablesradicalchangestobusinessprocessesthatdramaticallyimprovetheirefficiencyandeffectiveness.Internettechnologiescanplayamajorroleinsupportinginnovativechangesinthedesignofworkflows,jobrequirements,andorganizationalstructuresinacompany.

•BecominganAgileCompany.Abusinesscanuseinformationtechnologytohelpitbecomeanagilecompany.Thenitcanprosperinrapidlychangingmarketswithbroadproductrangesandshortmodellifetimesinwhichitmustprocessordersinarbitrarylotsizes;

itcanalsoofferitscustomerscustomizedproductswhileitmaintainshighvolumesofproduction.AnagilecompanydependsheavilyonInternettechnologiestohelpitrespondtoitscustomerswithcustomizedsolutions,andtocooperatewithitscustomers,suppliers,andotherbusinessestobringproductstomarketasrapidlyandcosteffectivelyaspossible.

•CreatingaVirtualCompany.Formingvirtualcompanieshasbecomeanimportantcompetitivestrategyintoday’sdynamicglobalmarkets.Internetandotherinformationtechnologiesplayakeyroleinprovidingcomputingandtelecommunicationsresourcestosupportthecommunications,coordination,andinformationflowsneeded.ManagersofavirtualcompanydependonITtohelpthemmanageanetworkofpeople,knowledge,financial,andphysicalresourcesprovidedbymanybusinesspartnerstotakeadvantageofrapidlychangingmarketopportunities.

•BuildingaKnowledge-CreatingCompany.Lastingcompetitiveadvantagetodaycanonlycomefromtheinnovativeuseandmanagementoforganizationalknowledgebyknowledge-creatingcompaniesandlearningorganizations.Internettechnologiesarewidelyusedinknowledgemanagementsystemstosupportthecreationanddisseminationofbusinessknowledgeanditsintegrationintonewproducts,services,andbusinessprocesses.

KEYTERMSANDCONCEPTS

1.AgileCompany（60）:

Anorganizationwiththeabilitytoprofitablyoperateinacompetitiveenvironmentofcontinualandunpredictablechangesbyproducinghigh-quality,high-performance,customer-configuredproductsandservices.

2.BusinessProcessReengineering（56）:

Thefundamentalrethinkingandradicalredesignofbusinessprocessestoachievedramaticimprovementsincost,quality,speed,andservice.

3.CompetitiveForces（44）:

Abusinessmustconfront

1）rivalryofcompetitorswithinitsindustry

2）threatofnewentrants

3）threatofsubstitutes

4）thebargainingpowerofcustomers

5）thebargainingpowerofsuppliers.

4.CompetitiveStrategies（47）:

Abusinesscandevelop:

1）costleadership

2）productdifferentiation

3）innovation

4）growth

5）alliance

orotherstrategiestoconfrontitscompetitiveforces.

5.SwitchingCosts（50）:

Thecostintime,money,effort,andinconveniencethatitwouldtakeacustomerorsuppliertoswitchitsbusinesstoafirm’scompetitors.

6.Customervalue（52）:

Theperceptionofvalueorbenefit,onthepartofacustomer,associatedwithagiventransactionorbusinessrelationship.Organizationscanprovidethisbyrecognizingthatqualityratherthanpricehasbecometheprimarydeterminant.Organizationsmustfocusonanticipatingfutureneeds,respondingtocustomerconcerns,andprovidetop-qualityservice.

7.Interenterpriseinformationsystems（62）:

Consistsofmultipleextranetslinkingsuppliers,customers,subcontractors,andcompetitorstogetherinsupportofavirtualcompany.

8.Knowledge-CreatingCompany（63）:

Alsoknownas"

learningorganizations"

arecompaniesthatconsistentlycreatenewbusinessknowledge,disseminateitwidelythroughoutthecompany,andquicklybuildthenewknowledgeintotheirproductsandservices.

9.KnowledgeManagementSystem（64）:

Aninformationsystemthathelpsmanageorganizationallearningandbusinessknow-how.Thesesystemshelpknowledgeworkerscreate,organize,andmakeavailableimportantbusinessknowledge,whereverandwheneverit’sneededinanorganization.

10.LeveragingInvestmentinIT（50）:

Developingnewproductsandservicesmadepossiblebyinvestmentsininformationtechnology.

11.LockinCustomersandSuppliers（50）:

Buildingvaluablerelationshipswithcustomersandsuppliers,whichdeterthemfromabandoningafirmforitscompetitorsorintimidatingitintoacceptinglessprofitablerelationships.

12.RaiseBarrierstoEntry（50）:

Creatingtechnological,financial,orlegalrequirementswhichdeterfirmsfromenteringanindustry.

13.StrategicInformationSystem（44）:

Informationsystemsthatsupportsorshapesthecompetitivepositionandstrategiesofanorganization.

14.ValueChain（54）:

Aviewofanorganizationasaseriesofactivitieswitheachactivityaddingvaluetoitsproductsandservices.

15.VirtualCompany（62）:

Alsocalledavirtualcorporationorvirtualorganization,isanorganizationthatusesinformationtechnologytolinkpeople,assets,andideas.

ANSWERSTOREVIEWQUIZ

Q.

A.

KeyTerm

1

3

Competitiveforces

9

10

LeverageinvestmentinIT

2

4

Competitivestrategies

Businessprocessreengineering

12

Raisebarrierstoentry

11

Agilecompany

Lockincustomersandsuppliers

15

Virtualcompany

5

Switchingcosts

13

8

Knowledge-creatingcompany

6

Strategicinformationsystems

14

Knowledgemanagementsystem

7

Customervalue

Interenterpriseinformationsystems

ValueChain

ANSWERSTODISCUSSIONQUESTIONS

1.Supposeyouareamanagerbeingaskedtodevelope-businessande-commerceapplicationstogainacompetitiveadvantageinanimportantmarketforyourcompany.Whatreservationsmightyouhaveaboutdoingso?

Why?

Unlesstheindividualisfamiliarwiththetoolsinvolvedindevelopinginformationtechnologyapplications,theywillhaveahighlevelofapprehension.Reservationswouldincludethefearofbeingoutofone'

sdepthandfeelingsofhelplessness,insecurity,anddependenceonothers.Imightalsowonderwhetherornotanappropriateapplicationmightbeobtainedofftheshelf.Offtheshelfsoftware,thoughnoteasilycustomizable,generallycostslessthancustomsoftwaredevelopment.Lastly,Imightalsobeconcernedabouthowthesoftwaremayaffectmyownorganization.Changeisn'

teasy,andifitisn'

tsupportedattheverytopmanagementlevels,itmayfailduetolackoforganizationalwill.

2.Howcouldabusinessuseinformationtechnologytoincreaseswitchingcostsandlockinitscustomersandsuppliers?

Usebusinessexamplestosupportyouranswers.

Abusinessmightundertakeprojectstointegratesomeofitsinformationsystemswithitscustomers'

systemsinordertoprovidethemwithmoretimely,accurate,andusefulinformation.Itmightevendirectlyprovideapplicationsforitscustomer'

suseatlowornocosttothecustomer.Customerslaterconsideringchangingsupplierswouldlosethesebenefits.Indeed,theveryprocessofdevelopingthesetoolswillhelpmanagersincreasetheirfamiliaritywiththeircustomersandallowthemtotunetheirinformationresourcestotheirneeds.Thisrelationshipwillfurtherservetolockincustomers.Forexample,FedExprovidesitscustomerswithpackagetrackinginformation.Andmedicalsupplycompaniesprovidehospitalswithinventorymanagementandre-orderingsystems.

3.HowcouldabusinessleverageitsinvestmentininformationtechnologytobuildstrategicITcapabilitiesthatserveasabarriertoentrybynewentrantsintoitsmarkets?

Thisisbutone