New paradigms in the strategic planning of corporate information systems

Abstract

All industries have certain main functions in common: marketing, sales, new product development, production, quality control, and so forth: However, the way in which these functions are linked to each other differs from one industry to another. In this paper, the author concentrates on the links between sales, design, production and quality in three industries in which he has personally worked for twenty years: the automobile, media-communication and semiconductor industries. Differences in the way in which these main functions are linked dictate that distinct information systems strategies be customized for each industry. Two considerations constrain the planning and design of the information system that will be most profitable for a particular industry. These are: (1) the special position of that industry in its market; and consequently (2) the speed of linkage required between the different functions of the company, as well as the characteristics of the information that passes between the functions. These factors are fundamental for decision-making for planning. He is convinced that these differences must be focused upon when planning and designing information systems and investing in technology in order to obtain a competitive advantage.