IT-ENABLED BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION - FROM AUTOMATION TO BUSINESS SCOPE REDEFINITION

THE ROLE OF IT IN SHAPING TOMORROW'S BUSINESS OPERATIONS IS A DISTINCT IVE ONE. IT HAS BECOME A FUNDAMENTAL ENABLER IN creating and maintaini ng a flexible business network. Using a framework that breaks IT-enabl ed business transformation into five levels, the author describes each levers characteristics and offers guidelines for deriving maximal ben efits. He suggests that each organization first determine the level at which the benefits are in fine with the costs or efforts of the neede d changes and then proceed to higher levels as the demands of competit ion and the need to deliver greater value to the customer increases.