Increasing Functional Specificity over Increasingly Commoditized Hardware - Guide to Cloud Computing for Business and Technology Managers - page 24

needs of clients and the capabilities of IT, perhaps most notably those related
to the Web. Traditional ES (i.e., ERP) has not lost its significance because
back-office efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility will continue to be impor-
tant. However, current focus seems more external as organizations look for
ways to support and improve relationships and interactions with customers,
suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. While the integration of internal
functions is still important and in many enterprises still has not been achieved
to a great extent, external integration is now receiving much attention.

1.5.2.1 Extended Enterprise Systems (EES) Framework

The conceptual framework of EES consists of four distinct layers:

1. Foundation layer

2. Process layer

3. Analytical layer

4. E-business layer

Each layer consists of collaborative components described in Table 1.2.

1.5.2.1.1 Foundation Layer
The foundation layer consists of the core components of EES, which shape
the underlying architecture and also provide a platform for EES systems. EES
does not need to be centralized or monolithic. One of the core components is
the integrated database, which may be a distributed database. Another core

TABLE 1.2
Four Layers of EES

Layer Components

Foundation Core Integrated Database (DB)

Application Framework (AF)

Process Central Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Business Process Management (BPM)

Analytical Corporate Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
Employee Lifecycle Management (ELM)
Corporate Performance Management (CPM)

Portal Collaborative Business-to-consumer (B2C)

Business-to-business (B2B)
Business-to-employee (B2E)
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)