Topic.3. Information Systems & Competitive Advantage Topic.3. Information Systems & Competitive Advantage
Jan 17, 2016
Topic.3. Information Systems & Competitive AdvantageTopic.3. Information Systems
& Competitive Advantage
Value Chain
Information Systems in Value Chain - 1
Information Systems in Value Chain - 2
Information Systems create Value Web
• A firm’s value chain is linked to the value chains of its
suppliers, distributors, and customers
• A value web is a collection of independent firms that use
information technology to coordinate their value chains to
produce a product collectively
• Value webs are flexible and adapt to changes in supply and
demand
Role of IS in Value Web
Types of Competitive Advantages
Competitive Forces
Competitive Strategies
Cost Leadership
• eProcurement: Use of IS to reduce Procurement Costs
• Direct Marketing: Reduce marketing costs through
disintermediation
• Customer Relationship Management: Reduce selling
costs through retention and extension.
• Supply Chain Management: Reduce inventory costs.
Differentiation
• Levi Strauss, Nike, Dell etc. allow the Customers to
customize their products when they shop online. This
enables them to offer a differentiated product.
• Hilton hotels facilitate their hotel staff to access their
Customer Profiles in real time, that enables them to
develop / offer a differentiated service or a product to the
customer.
http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jsp
Growth
–Expand production capacity
–Expand into global markets
–Diversify
– Integrate into related products and services.
Colloborate
• CISCO has built a virtual Value Chain by collaborating online with key
stakeholders such as Jabil Circuit and Hamilton Standard. This enables
CISCO to bring in newer products to the market faster while
significantly lowering its fixed costs.
• Wal-Mart collaborates with key suppliers such as Procter & Gamble to
manage their Inventories. Walmart’s enterprise information systems link
the business processes of the company electronically with its suppliers,
resulting in close business alliances.
Strategic uses of IS - 1
Innovative applications: Create innovative applications that
provide direct strategic advantage to organizations.
Competitive weapons: Information systems themselves are
recognized as a competitive weapon
Changes in processes: IT supports changes in business
processes that translate to strategic advantage
Links with business partners: IT links a company with its
business partners effectively and efficiently.
Strategic uses of IS - 2
Cost reductions: IT enables companies to reduce costs.
Relationships with suppliers and customers: IT can be used
to lock in suppliers and customers, or to build in switching costs.
New products: A firm can leverage its investment in IT to
create new products that are in demand in the marketplace.
Competitive intelligence: IT provides competitive (business)
intelligence by collecting and analyzing information about
products, markets, competitors, and environmental changes .
Strategic Use of IT in FedEx
Strategic Use of IT in GE
Strategic Use of IT in Zara