Towards a Framework for Balancing Enterprise Systems Flexibility
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2008-05-18
Author(s)
Abstract
Increasing global competition, combined with skyrocketing costs and scarcity of raw materials, have forced many manufacturing organizations to actively undertake inter- and intra-firm effort at improving the flexibility of their organization and supply chain. Such flexibility allows the facility and supply chain to effectively address uncertainty from a wide variety of sources, yet continue to produce efficiently different products or product volumes of acceptable quality, cost, and timeframe. The research literature and popular press have suggested a wide variety of options for improving flexibility, including hard technology solutions (e.g. robotics), people focused (e.g., cross-training), external (e.g., outsourcing), and uncertainty reduction (e.g., lean production) practices. Despite the large volume of literature and practical advice on improving flexibility in manufacturing organizations, one area of critical importance is missing, specifically the role that the flexibility of the organization's information systems (including the technology, people, processes, and procedures) plays in achieving the strategic goals of manufacturing flexibility, competitiveness and performance, and integration with key supply chain members.
Given the uncertainty and changing business conditions faced by North American manufacturers, the need to balance the flexibility of an organization's information system is more important now than ever before. Too much flexibility may result in workarounds and corrupt data leading to increased inefficiencies and levels of waste, contrary to production goals. Too rigid a system makes it difficult for the organization to adequately respond to uncertainty and change key business process to respond to changing environmental conditions. To better understand the role of IS flexibility in today's information technology dependent manufacturing organizations, this article outlines research aimed at developing a model of the relationship between IS, and more specifically, enterprise systems (ES), flexibility and risk, capability, and reliability. Future research focused on how this framework will be tested is also introduced and discussed.
Given the uncertainty and changing business conditions faced by North American manufacturers, the need to balance the flexibility of an organization's information system is more important now than ever before. Too much flexibility may result in workarounds and corrupt data leading to increased inefficiencies and levels of waste, contrary to production goals. Too rigid a system makes it difficult for the organization to adequately respond to uncertainty and change key business process to respond to changing environmental conditions. To better understand the role of IS flexibility in today's information technology dependent manufacturing organizations, this article outlines research aimed at developing a model of the relationship between IS, and more specifically, enterprise systems (ES), flexibility and risk, capability, and reliability. Future research focused on how this framework will be tested is also introduced and discussed.
Language
English
Keywords
Enterprise systems flexibility
framework
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Association for Information Systems
Publisher place
AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)
Start page
online
Event Title
International Conference on Information Resources Management (Conf-IRM)
Event Location
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Event Date
18.-20.05.2008
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
43791