This document discusses how firms can gain competitive advantage through effective use of information systems. It introduces concepts like the general systems model of the firm, Porter's value chain model, and supply chain management. Firms can coordinate physical and virtual resource flows both within and across organizational boundaries through interorganizational systems and value networks. Developing global information systems presents challenges from differing political, cultural, and regulatory environments across countries. Coordination enabled by information processing is crucial for multinational corporations to minimize uncertainty and gain advantage in global markets.
This document discusses how firms can gain competitive advantage through effective use of information systems. It introduces concepts like the general systems model of the firm, Porter's value chain model, and supply chain management. Firms can coordinate physical and virtual resource flows both within and across organizational boundaries through interorganizational systems and value networks. Developing global information systems presents challenges from differing political, cultural, and regulatory environments across countries. Coordination enabled by information processing is crucial for multinational corporations to minimize uncertainty and gain advantage in global markets.
This document discusses how firms can gain competitive advantage through effective use of information systems. It introduces concepts like the general systems model of the firm, Porter's value chain model, and supply chain management. Firms can coordinate physical and virtual resource flows both within and across organizational boundaries through interorganizational systems and value networks. Developing global information systems presents challenges from differing political, cultural, and regulatory environments across countries. Coordination enabled by information processing is crucial for multinational corporations to minimize uncertainty and gain advantage in global markets.
This document discusses how firms can gain competitive advantage through effective use of information systems. It introduces concepts like the general systems model of the firm, Porter's value chain model, and supply chain management. Firms can coordinate physical and virtual resource flows both within and across organizational boundaries through interorganizational systems and value networks. Developing global information systems presents challenges from differing political, cultural, and regulatory environments across countries. Coordination enabled by information processing is crucial for multinational corporations to minimize uncertainty and gain advantage in global markets.
nd McLeod and George Schell Learning Objectives ► Know the general systems model of the firm. ► Understand the eight-element environmental model as a framework for understanding the environment of a business organization. ► Understand that supply chain management involves the planning and coordination of physical resources that flow from the firm’s suppliers, through the firm, and to the firm’s customers. ► Recognize that competitive advantage can be achieved with virtual as well as physical resources.
nd McLeod and George Schell Learning Objectives (Cont’d) ► Understand Michael E. Porter’s concepts of value chains and value systems. ► Know the dimensions of competitive advantage. ► Recognize the increasing challenges from global competitors and the importance of information and coordination in meeting those challenges. ► Understand the challenges of developing global information systems.
nd McLeod and George Schell Learning Objectives (Cont’d) ► Know the basic types of information resources available to the firm. ► Know the dimensions of information that should be provided by an information system. ► Know how to manage knowledge in the form of legacy systems, images, and knowledge. ► Understand how a firm goes about strategic planning – for the firm, its business areas, and its information resources.
nd McLeod and George Schell The General Systems Model of the Firm ► Physical resource flow includes personnel, material, machines, and money. ► Virtual resource flow includes data, information, and information in the form of decisions.
nd McLeod and George Schell The General Systems Model of the Firm ► Firm’s control mechanism include Performance standards to meet if the firm wants to achieve overall objectives. Firm’s management. Information processor that transform data into information. ► Feedback loop is composed of the virtual resources.
nd McLeod and George Schell The Firm in Its Environment ► Environmental elements are organizations and individuals that exist outside the firm and have a direct or indirect influence on it. Such as suppliers, customers, labor unions, financial community, stockholders and owners, competitors, and governments. ► Global community is the geographic area where the firm performs its operations.
nd McLeod and George Schell Environmental Resource Flows ► Information flows from customers. Often. ► Material flow to customers. Often. ► Money flow to stockholders. Often. ► Raw materials flow from suppliers. Often. ► Money flow from government. Less often. ► Material flow to suppliers. Less often. ► Personnel flow to competitors. Less often.
nd McLeod and George Schell Managing the Physical Resource Flows–Supply Chain Management ► Supply chain is the pathway that facilitates the flow of physical resources from suppliers to the firm and then to customers. ► Supply chain management manages the resources through the supply chain to ensure timely and efficient flow.
nd McLeod and George Schell Supply Chain Management Activities (Cont’d) ► Managing inventory–raw materials, work-in- process, and finished goods ► Executing production ► Transporting resources to customers ► Tracking the flow of resources from suppliers, through the firm, and to customers
nd McLeod and George Schell Supply Chain Management ► Firm’s information systems can be used to perform the supply chain activities. ► Electronic systems provide the ability to track the flow of the resources as it occurs. ► Is a crucial aspect of a firm’s ERP system.
nd McLeod and George Schell Competitive Advantage ► Competitive advantage refers to the use of information to gain leverage in the marketplace. Uses virtual as well as physical resources. Is used to meet the strategic objectives of the firm.
nd McLeod and George Schell Porter’s Value Chains ► Value chain is created to achieve competitive advantage. Consists of the primary and support activities that contribute to margin. ► Margin is the value of the firm’s products and services minus their costs, as perceived by the firm’s customers. Increased margin is the objective of the value chain.
nd McLeod and George Schell Porter’s Value Activities ► Primary value activities manage the flow of physical resources through the firm. ► Support value activities include the firm’s infrastructure. Each value activity includes purchased inputs, human resources, and technology.
nd McLeod and George Schell Expanding the Scope of the Value Chain ► Interorganizational system (IOS) is the linking of the firm’s value chain to those of other organizations. ► Business partners are the participating firms in the IOS. ► Value system is the linking of the firm’s value chain with those of its distribution channel members.
nd McLeod and George Schell The Dimensions of Competitive Advantage ► Strategic advantage has a fundamental effect in shaping the firm’s operations. ► Tactical advantage is when the firm implements a strategy better than its competitors. ► Operational advantage deals with everyday transactions and processes.
nd McLeod and George Schell Challenges from Global Competitors ► Multinational corporation (MNC) is a firm that operates across products, markets, nations, and cultures. It consists of a parent company and its subsidiaries. Information processing is crucial to minimize uncertainty.
nd McLeod and George Schell The Special Need for Coordination in a MNC ► Coordinationis key to achieving competitive advantage globally. ► Advantages of coordination include: Flexibility in responding. Ability to respond market by market. Ability to keep abreast of market needs globally. Reduce overall costs of operation.
nd McLeod and George Schell Challenges in Developing Global Information Systems ► Global information system (GIS) describes an information system that consists of networks that cross national boundaries. Challenges ►Politically imposed constraints. ►Cultural and communications barriers.
nd McLeod and George Schell GIS Challenges (Cont’d) ► Restrictions on hardware purchases and imports Data processing Data communications ► Transborder data flow (TDF) is the movement of machine-readable data across national boundaries.
nd McLeod and George Schell GIS Subsidiary Challenges ► Technological problems due to level of technology in subsidiary countries Telecommunications speed and quality Software copyrights and licenses ► Lack of support from subsidiary managers
nd McLeod and George Schell Knowledge Management ► Information resources consist of hardware, software, information specialists, users, facilities, databases, and information. ► Knowledge management (KM) is acquiring data, processing data into information, using and communicating information in the most effective way, and discarding information at the proper time.
nd McLeod and George Schell The SPIR Approach ► Concurrent development of strategic plans for information services and the firm so that the firm’s plan reflects the support to be provided by information services. ► The IS plan reflects future demands for systems support.
nd McLeod and George Schell Core Content of a Strategic Planning for Information Resources ► The objectives to be achieved by each category of systems during the time period. ► The information resources necessary to meet the objectives. ► Self-contained report (See example Figure 2.8 in textbook).