Emerging Information Systems

Chapter 8

Chapter Objectives

• Explain why companies are continually looking for new ways to use technology for competitive advantage

• Describe specific examples of emerging information systems for supporting collaboration and virtual teams

• Describe how companies are using computer technology to support improved customer contact

Competitive Advantage in Being at the Cutting Edge

• To achieve competitive advantage– Differentiate your products and services– Operate at a lower cost than competitors

• Use state-of the-art or emerging technologies

Being at the Cutting Edge Versus the Bleeding Edge

• Using emerging information systems entails a risk– Competitive advantage short-lived because

rivals can copy these systems– Adopting too quickly is expensive if the

technology does not catch on

The Nature of Emerging Systems

• Many emerging systems focus on two goals– Supporting virtual teams – Creating more and better customer contact

• Trend of emerging systems is technology convergence

Requirements for Being at the Cutting Edge

• An industry with strong competitive pressures

• An organization – Whose people, structure, and processes adapt

well to change– Able to eliminate internal bureaucracy and

political squabbles– With the necessary human capital– With a tolerance for taking risks

Implementing Emerging Systems

• Technologies for virtual teamwork

• Technologies for improved customer contact

Collaboration Technologies for Virtual Teamwork

• Videoconferencing

• Groupware

• Group support systems

Video Conferencing

• Stand-alone videoconferencing– Expensive systems that require special

conference rooms

• Desktop videoconferencing– Uses existing PC with video equipment– Three key features

• On user’s desk for ad hoc meetings• Supports software application sharing• Supports whiteboarding software

Videoconferencing Screen

Desktop Videoconferencing Unit

Groupware

• Software that enables people to work together more effectively– To communicate

• Uses “Pull” technology on discussion databases

– To collaborate• Allows shared programming code, contracts, proposals,

and other company documents• Supports threaded discussion forums

– To coordinate activities• Supports workflow

Lotus Notes

So What is Groupware?

• Rich documents • Links• Replication• Full text searching• Security

• Messaging• Calendaring• Workflow• Connectivity

Groupware Products

• Lotus Notes– First in the field

• Netscape

• Microsoft Exchange

Hurdles to Successful Groupware Implementation

• Convincing users to share information– Old work rules and incentives do not

reward sharing– Information may reflect poorly on an

individual or business unit

Group Support Systems

• Help groups solve problems/make decisions• Networked PCs and specialized software• Typical uses

– Strategic planning– Focus groups– Brainstorming

• System requirements definition

• Business process reengineering

• Quality improvement

The Need for GSS

• Group process gains– Group has more

information than one person

– Groups catch individual errors

– Groups stimulate each others’ creativity

• Group process losses– Dominant people

dominate meeting– Shy people do not speak– Higher rank intimidates– Emotions get in way– People free ride– Overload of information

Losses often outweigh gains

The Benefits of GSS

• Process structuring

• Parallelism

• Group size

• Group memory

• Access to external information

• Spanning time and space

• Anonymity

Integrative Systems to Improve Customer Contact

• Goal is disintermediation– Remove non-value-added customer interactions

• Computer Kiosks

• Telephone Interfacing

• Audiotex

• Automated Attendant

• Fax-On-Demand

• Telephone /Database Integration

Process of Disintermediation

Limits of CustomerContact Systems

• Customers want to speak with a human

• Some questions complex and need human assistance

Web Sites for Collaboration

• Interactive Web sites enable users to engage in real-time collaboration with others– Links from Web pages to e-mail– Internet Usenet Newsgroups– Online chat functions