SkillSoft Business Integration Levels
What are the advantages of aligning business and IT strategies?
Information Technology, IT, is an integral property in a business’ success. In order for an organization to reach its maximum potential this organization will need to be coordinated and integrated. For as the organization moves on to higher levels of integration it will find many potential benefits to be gained. These can be broken down into five different levels of business and IT integration. The first level, which is also the most basic, is to efficiently use IT within the organization. The second level maximizes the potential benefits by effectively integrating different IT systems throughout the whole company. When a organization reaches the third level, its own business methodologies have changed based upon the integration of IT systems as a companywide benefit. At level four, a company begins to use the IT system to transform an organization’s way of doing business across their business network which includes the supplies, intermediaries, and buyers. A level five integration is the highest and can be noticed when an organization begins to change its business direction based upon the advances in communication and IT. These businesses tend to be the most flexible and effective based upon their ability to become more flexible.
How does IT deliver business benefits that are related to the business strategy?
IT can deliver business benefits by creating a shared organizational vision. Different departments within the organization are able to communicate more effectively with the integration of IT. With better communication each department is able to act and make decisions independently from each other to become more functional in their roles. By enabling the business strategy with IT an organization has the ability to go over and improve the overall
Cited: SkillSoft. (2013, June 5). Business Integration Levels.