A study on the firm level framework for e-business information system planning

Abstract

A firm needs a set of information systems to support its E-Business operations. We call such a set E-Business Information Systems(EBIS). In the context of E-Business, it is no longer adequate to provide IS/IT applications that work as specified. A firm``s EBIS will have to support restructuring and integration of people``s work and business processes. Also, EBIS planning, as a part of a firm``s strategic planning, will help the firm to seize new opportunities and to cope with the rapid changes in the E-Business environment. The objectives of this thesis are to : - Develop a firm level framework for EBIS planning (named as the ``EBIS framework``) (Chapter IV) - Demonstrate the utility of the EBIS framework in supporting the development of firm-specific methods for EBIS planning(Chapter V) The two objectives of this thesis are accomplished in chapter 4 and 5. The significant contributions are to : - Identification of the need for a firm level framework for EBIS planning - Analysis of major frameworks supporting IS/IT planning and strategies - Development of the EBIS framework - Significance of the interrelationships among the components of the EBIS framework - Development of a generic planning method with the support of the EBIS framework - Analysis of the role of a framework to support the development of firm-specific methods for EBIS planning - Demonstration of the utility of the EBIS framework to support the development of a firm-specific method: A case study of Charles Schwab The components of the framework are organizational E-Business strategy development, business processes transformation, information technology management, information management, customer management, and organizational knowledge management. The six components of the framework constitute a relatively comprehensive set. However, these components are not mutually exclusive. Given the complexity of a business, particularly in the context of global E-Business, arrivi...