Information Integration Response to E-Business Challenges - A Romanian Case Study

Abstract

Romanian enterprises are considering information more and more as an important resource. The challenge consists in using all the integration techniques of the day - whether it's information, data, application, systems or even business-process integration - to build an IT platform that can meet the demands of real-time. In the last few years, new fundamental technologies have provided the basis for clearly improved functionality and quality of enterprise-wide information management. The fundamental nature of work is changing in the e-business era. The enterprises must use all the opportunities, capabilities and support technologies in order to survive and to obtain a real advantage on themarket. In a world of information and people mobility, Lotus suite provided by IBM is able to offer a plus for the users. The portal solution is a collection of technologies that work together to aggregate a selected sunset of information into a central location and reflects the vision about the way in which enterprises can evolve to the next Knowledge age Companies use Enterprise Resource Planning software to enable processes that confer competitive advantage. Supply Chain Management covers a gap in the ERP system: offering a flexible analysis and planning tool. Other contemporary business paradigms, such as Customer Relationship Management, require the cooperation with the organization's customers. Platform integration provides connectivity among heterogeneous hardware, operating systems and application platforms. These systems run a wide range of applications, including ERP, an integrated supply chain, order-to-collection system, CRM applications, call center support etc. Integrating various enterprise applications offers corporations tremendous benefits, such as streamlined business processes and increased efficiency. This paper is about the reality of enterprise information integration in Romania.