BPR and Information Systems - Essay Example

Overview of Strategic Information Systems: Strategic Information systems (SIS) are the ones that are developed to give a competitive advantage in response to corporate business initiative. They intended to develop at low costs to operate at high productivity. Though they became an integral part of the business. Most of the information systems are failing to achieve what is called their strategy. To them the strategic Information system is just a support activity to their existing business. They mechanize operations for better efficiency, control and effectiveness, but they do not, in themselves, increase corporate profitability.

When there arises financial de stability, the SIS looses its sight, due to the poorly developed standards and metrics. Some strategic systems attempt to mismatch Information Services resources to strategic business opportunities where the IT systems will have negative impact on the business operations. In some systems timeline and routine reporting do not include the inputs of strategic systems. However for a SIS to function effectively, the Information Services personnel has to leverage the advertised successes to fund the system by keeping the capabilities in place.

The IT based services should not lie in their technological sophistication or in the format of the reports they produce; rather, it is to be found in the role played by these information systems in the firm’s planning and implementation in gaining and maintaining competitive advantage.An effective SIS approach can only work with top management support. Innovations, however, frequently, come from simply a new look at existing circumstances, from a new viewpoint. The idea is to look at the complexity, and see where competitive advantage might possibly be gained.

Both business management and information management must be involved in the preparation of SIS framework. Wiseman takes Porter’s three generic categories: low cost producer, differentiation, and focus, and extends them to five categories: differentiation, cost, innovations, growth, and alliance. Cost may be move that not only reduces the costs, but also reduces the costs of selected strategic targets so that one will benefit form preferential treatment. Innovation requires rapid response to opportunities to be successful, which carries a considerable risk.

Business network redesign beyond EDI: Business network redesign is the nature of exchange among participants in a business network for the enhanced provision of products and services, coordination, control and to learn from the extended network. For this to happen – Elimination of unnecessary activities without competence, – Exploration and exploitation of sources of competence in the larger business network and – Redesign of nature of exchange among participants in a business network through effective deployment of IT capabilities and ERP & CRM process to offer extended enhance coordination and control is not a direct shift to be opted for in place of EDI implementation.

The gap between reality and conception with reference to Information, Technology, Processes, Objectives and values, Staffing and skills, Management Perceptions and other resources should not be neglected in the shift.For this Education on Strategic plan, Enterprise Architecture Interface, different forms of EDI like Email services, Directories, Ordering and Logistics Support Systems, Management Information and statistical supporting systems.References:1.Leopoldo.Characterization of strategic information systems.

Available from:http://www.monographias.com/trabajos7/chaof.shtml#over.[Accessed 22 May 2005].2. Roger clarke. (1997). EDI Is But One Element of Electronic Commerce.Available from:http://www.cis.njit.edu. [Accessed 22 May 2005].