Davenport does a brilliant job of explaining what enterprise systems are and what they can accomplish in any organization. He suggests, however,that they are worthless "unless they lead to better information or betterways of doing business. I think that enterprise systems are without doubtan impressive technical feat, but I am primarily concerned thatorganizations get business value from them." Throughout his book, headdresses key issues such as these:1. What enterprise systems are andwhy they are important
2. The promise and the perils involved
3. How todecide whether or not to implement enterprise systems
4. How to integrateenterprise systems with strategy and organizational structure
5. How tointegrate enterprise systems with business processes and information
6.How to achieve value while implementing enterprise systems
7. How totransform the practice of management with enterprise systems
8. How touse enterprise systems to manage the supply chain
9. The future ofES-enabled organizations
As Davenport explains in Chapter 1, "Enterprisesystems offer the first great opportunity to achieve true connectivity, astate in which everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the businessall over the world at the same time. And because they represent the firstgreat opportunity for connectivity, they pose one of the greatest threatsto the status quo that companies have ever faced." Hence the importance ofone of the the book's most valuable sections, the Appendix, in whichDavenport provides "A Technical Overview of Enterprise Systems." Those whofeel threatened by an enterprise system will seize any and allopportunities to point out its technical flaws. At best, enterprise systemsare complex, difficult to install, and inflexible. However, Davenportpoints out, they "will remain the most capable, integrated systems in thehistory of the world. They may have their flaws, but they are also theanswer to our information systems prayers." I agree.
Product Description
A No-Nonsense Guide to the Benefits and Pitfalls of Enterprise-Wide Information Systems
How many organizations would doubt the promise of an integrated enterprise system (ES)? Not many, judging by a $15 billion industry. The combination of an ES as a platform for organizational information and Internet technology for gaining access to it adds up to the ideal solution for company-wide data sharing in real time. Not surprisingly, small and large companies worldwide are either considering an ES, in the process of implementing one, or living with the results. Yet, says Tom Davenport, unless managers view ES adoption and implementation as a business decision rather than a technology decision, they may be risking disappointment
Mission Critical presents an authoritative and no-nonsense view of the ES opportunities and challenges. Suggesting ESs are not the right choice for every company, the author provides a set of guidelines to help managers evaluate the benefits and risks for their organizations. To be successful, argues Davenport, an organization must make simultaneous changes in its information systems, its business processes, and its business strategy. Such changes are described in detail with extensive examples from real organizations. Bolstering his contention that ESs should be viewed as business vs. technology projects, Davenport spells out the specific business change objectives that should be formulated in advance of ES adoption and monitored throughout its implementation.
The first strategic guide to the ES decision, Mission Critical will be indispensable to general managers and information technology specialists at all stages of the implementation process.
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