Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
After having a tool that promotes the alignment
between business and IT in the organisation it was
noted that business demand to the IT increased,
new development requested occurred and changes
to the existing applications. This is due to the IT
exposition. In fact, the requests always existed but
only now are justified and supported by a strategy
and an alignment control model: the need for new
applications development is based upon the trust
the models give to those requesting them: the busi-
ness or the infra-structure of the organisation. All
this implies an increase of pressure on the IT and
consequently on the computing professionals that
will be liable if the business doesn't go as expected.
The way a business specification, which must be
supported by applications, is communicated as
well as their framing on the company processes
have now an important role in the IT development.
Two important questions arise: How is it possible
to realize an organization and how is possible to
implement an enterprise?
By realization it is understood the integration
of the following demands: the demand of the cos-
tumer that is what he expects from the organization;
the interaction of the client with the organisation
collaborators and finally the mapping of behaviour
and information in the application components.
By implementation of Organization it is un-
derstood the making of the operation by means
of technology.
strategy with the business strategy became a goal
so that investments made by the organisations to
improve and optimise procedures, control costs,
increase efficiency of the collaborators, develop
the relationship with suppliers and partners and
to improve and personify the services rendered
may be justified. This concern is a challenge but
it is also an area of investigation that studies the
alignment between business and information
systems (Henderson, 1993), (Mendelow, A.,
1986), (Reich, 2000). Maes (Maes, 2000) pay
special attention to the dynamism required to
the process of alignment that is determined by a
constant need of adjustment.
The known Henderson and Venkatrama model
of alignment (Henderson, 1993) proposes several
approaches to explain the relationships between
the Information Technologies (IT) and the busi-
ness strategy.
The model mentioned below distinguishes
four main perspectives to assure the alignment
between the IT and the business (see Figure 2).
Strategy development (arrow 1 ): This per-
spective sees business strategies a determinant
factor to the choice of the organisation structure
and the relevant infrastructure. This vision intends
to valorise the position of the enterprise in the
market (clients, long terms projects, competitive
advantage and business range).
Technological potential (arrow 2): This per-
spective also sees the business strategy as a starting
point. However it resorts to the potential afford
by the information systems strategy to define
the business processes. Here the main incidence
is the position in the market through long-term
technological projects and the technological range.
Competitive potential (arrow 3): In opposi-
tion to the previous perspectives that consider
the business strategy as a starting point this one
subjects the business strategy to the potentialities
of the technology. It is the classic example of the
companies that built all their business models on
the exploitation of the capabilities of a certain
technology. In this perspective the focus will on
bAckground
In face of the present business environment,
strongly competitive and in constant changes
it is necessary to assure a good organisational
performance. De Boer (De Boer, 2005) concludes
that the enterprise business cycle passed from 7
years, in the 80s, to not more than 18 months in
the 90s. The dynamic of the organisations implies
giving a larger emphasis to the changing factor in
planning Business and IT. Both must be flexible
and adaptable. To assure the consistency of the IT
Search WWH ::




Custom Search