BSA 310
01/14/13
Anthony Isom
Business Integration Levels
There are five levels of IT-business integration which are the following:
• the first and more basic is the efficient use of IT within an organization
• level two explains the use of of IT systems
• level three is the use of IT systems
• the fourth level is concerned with the alteration of a company's business network
• the fifth – and highest – level results in a change of business direction
At level one, IT is used only in one area within a business. And the focus primarily on ensuring the IT service is delivered in a cost-effective and reliable way.
At level two an IT Department tries to integrate IT on the whole company. This usually involves the interconnection of different IT systems. This often leads to a reduction in operating costs.
At level three of IT-business integration, organizations change their processes and methodologies to take advantage of the new systems in order to cut costs and become more competitive.
Before changing to the new IT systems managers should understand the benefits of the new systems
At the fourth level, IT modifies the way business interchange data on the entire business network including suppliers and other intermediaries
The highest level of IT-business integration is level five – and is when a business is influenced by IT to change its direction and the goals of the company. For example when a company alters the products or services that it offers because they have more options available because of IT systems.
Reference
Skillsoft. (n/a). IT Strategy Essentials. Retrieved from https://uopx.skillport.com/skillportfe/assetSummaryPage.action?assetid=stgy_06_a01_bs_enus#