With the advent of technology, e-business has become a
crucial part of an organization’s ability to successfully gain and maintain its
competitive advantage in a fast-changing world of information systems. By
virtue of the Internet and various other networks, companies are able to use information
technologies to support e-commerce, enterprise communications, and
collaboration. One of the most implemented systems within an organization are
cross-functional enterprise systems, which allow companies to utilize IT to
share information and improve on efficiency and effectiveness, which are of
utmost importance to their customers and help bring forth a major competitive
advantage. This process typically involved installing more cross-functional
client/server applications, such as PeopleSoft and Oracle, in an effort to
support integrated units of business processes involved in the general
operations of a business. One example of the implementation of this system is
PeopleSoft’s Human Capital Management (HCM) 9.2 model, which delivers a set of
human resources functionality, enabling companies to proactively manage HR
operations, increase productivity, accelerate business performance, and lower
ownership costs (Snider, 2013). These types of systems are beneficial for
organizations, and the implementation of which provides them a competitive
edge, since they help companies improve the vital business processes all across
the enterprise, thus leading to improved work effectiveness, time saving,
greater efficiency of organizational costs, and significant cost-saving.
Online transaction processing systems play a pivotal role in
areas of web-enabled businesses, where many firms use the Internet to tie them
electronically to their customers or suppliers for online transaction
processing. Through these real-time systems, companies may gain a competitive
advantage by providing superior customer service to customers, as well as other
trading partners. This is a major tool for businesses in general, as customers
essentially render a business a success or a failure in the long run. One major
example of this type of a system is the implementation of Computerized Provider
Order Entry (CPOE) to support decision-making processes. The safe use of
medications is an important area of concern for health care providers. In order
to reduce the occurrence of medication-related errors, the Institute of
Medicine recommends implementing health information technologies in conjunction
with other process improvements (AHRQ, 2014). In essence, CPOE is an
application that allows providers to enter medical records into a computer
system that is located within inpatient or ambulatory setting. This method
replaces more traditional methods of placing medication orders, such as written
paper prescriptions, verbal (in person or via telephone), and fax. In turn,
this process has an impact on safety, by ensuring that orders are legible and
accurate.
In addition, enterprise collaboration systems (ECS) are
cross-functional information systems that enhance communication, coordination,
as well as collaboration among members of business teams and group works. In
essence, information technologies provide us tools to better communicate in a
business setting, in turn allowing an organization to effectively and
successfully compete in its niche market. For instance, electronic
communication tools, such as e-mail, voice mail, and faxing, allow various
members of a group to effectively communicate to reach a common goal,
regardless of their physical location. This speaks volumes about organizations
in the modern age, and their ability to carry out common tasks from various
locations. These collaborative tools, in essence, bring together people working
together, sharing information, to achieve a common objective. By understanding
how various processes in an organization may change, companies will understand
how collaboration initiates might impact or even reduce operating costs (McDonald,
2011). For example, Microsoft’s SharePoint tool promotes new ways of working
together and enables employees to easily collaborate with their team members on
specific projects, find organization resources, and manage content and share
ideas. According to a Forrester Research Report, companies may benefit from a
return on investment of 301% and a payback period of 7.4 months when investing
in this particular software (Exigy, 2015). Additionally, these types of systems
allow for better branding of a company’s web presence: What used to be an
arduous process, now enables any web designer with proficiency in HTML, CSS,
and JavaScript to brand a SharePoint site and create a public-facing or
internal site that is presentable (Hassell, 2013).
In conclusion, e-businesses have brought forth numerous
benefits to the daily operations of organizations. With the emergence of the
Internet, companies are able to gain a competitive edge by implementing various
e-business systems to help them market themselves easily and more effectively,
gain a larger customer base, study their competitors, and find avenues to
capitalize on their gains and minimize their costs.
Snider, E. (2013, May 1). PeopleSoft HCM 9.2 strengthens healthcare
user's confidence. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from
http://searchfinancialapplications.techtarget.com/feature/PeopleSoft-HCM-92-strengthens-healthcare-users-confidence
Inpatient Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE). (2014, March 1).
Retrieved February 18, 2015, from
http://healthit.ahrq.gov/ahrq-funded-projects/emerging-lessons/computerized-provider-order-entry-inpatient/inpatient-computerized-provider-order-entry-cpoe
McDonald, D. (2011, January 7). Defining and Measuring
Enterprise Collaboration - Managing Technology - Dennis D. McDonald's
Web Site. Retrieved February 18, 2015, from
http://www.ddmcd.com/managing-technology/defining-and-measuring-enterprise-collaboration.html
Enterprise Collaboration. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.exigy.com/Solutions/Enterprise-Collaboration
Hassell, J. (2013, February 11). 7 Things About SharePoint 2013 All IT
Pros Should Know. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from
http://www.cio.com/article/2388447/collaboration/7-things-about-sharepoint-2013-all-it-pros-should-know.html
