Coordination across functions in organizations
For any enterprise, the quality of the information generated based on operations internally and interactions with customers, clients, suppliers, distribution partners and service providers can quickly determine if profitability will be achieved and maintained. Information is the catalyst of economic growth and the stabilizing force in any business. To the extent a given enterprise can quickly aggregate, analyze and create intelligence from their information systems and knowledge bases is the extent they can ward of competitors, stay more agile in turbulent markets, and deliver products on time, earning a profit in the process. The skills required to implement a highly coordinated information technologies strategy is indispensable for attaining and continually fueling competitive advantage. Considering the most critical business processes any company is based on makes this point very clear. Consider the coordinated information strategies involved with managing a global supply chain network, specifically the functions of product and supplier quality management and supplier performance data (Forslund, 2010). Both of these functions are critical for any enterprise that is involved in distribution or manufacturing to deliverable high quality products that last. There is also the need for managing suppliers to forecasts, including the requirement of supply chain accuracy and forecasting performance (Forslund, 2010). Within industries where there is significant product lifecycle churn and changes to overall marketing conditions rapidly, the use of information technologies as a strategic competitive advantage becomes clear. The intent of this analysis is to illustrate why implementing coordinated technologies do in fact deliver significant competitive advantages over time.