The essence of enterprise informatization

Author: Qiu Zhaoliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: If you read and reflect on the viewpoints and summaries of experience in the book carefully, it will help business managers establish a correct concept of informatization, master the necessary methods of informatization construction, thereby improving the success rate of enterprise informatization and reducing risks. It is hoped that more Chinese enterprises can enjoy the benefits of informatization and enhance their market competitiveness. The Framework of the Book This book is divided into seven parts: "Basic Principles," "Value," "Risks," "Strategy," "Practice," "Consulting," and "Case Studies." It can serve as an important reference for business managers in formulating informatization strategies and can also be used as a practical guide for informatization construction.
(1) Basic Principles For many corporate leaders, informatization is still a "black box." Due to a lack of understanding, they can only stay away from it, which is also a significant reason why informatization has not been fully leveraged. So, what is informatization? What does an informatized enterprise look like? These are fundamental questions for informatization. Of course, we will not delve too deeply into technical aspects but will start from the perspective of business and management to reveal the essence of informatization, as well as some related dynamics and progress.
(2) Value What are the benefits of informatization? Should enterprises pursue informatization? How can the effectiveness of informatization be evaluated? These are major questions that haunt every leader. This section interprets the value of informatization from different angles, such as enterprise growth and IT investment value measurement, and introduces the "IT Lever" model. Additionally, I provide a detailed explanation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, which are currently a key focus of enterprise informatization.
(3) Risks There is a well-known saying in the industry: "Implementing ERP is like courting death, while not implementing ERP is like waiting for death." IT applications are crucial to the value of enterprises, but an undeniable issue is that informatization carries significant risks with a low success rate. So, what are the risks of informatization? How can they be mitigated? This section thoroughly analyzes the top ten risks of informatization construction and the causes of the "IT Black Hole." It also examines the challenges faced by two emerging trends in informatization: knowledge management and Application Service Providers (ASPs).
(4) Strategy "The cherries are delicious, but the tree is hard to plant; happiness doesn’t just come." "Knowing the tiger is fierce, yet treading its mountain." "True heroes dare to face the gory reality." Enterprises cannot wait, hesitate, or wait idly for informatization; they must take action immediately. So, when should enterprises start informatization? How should they proceed? This section analyzes the overall process and basic strategies of enterprise informatization from a strategic perspective. Here, I provide the elements for leveraging the "IT Lever" effect, examine the stages of informatization construction, propose new approaches to informatization construction, and outline ten strategies to mitigate informatization risks. I also give a detailed explanation of the informatization strategies for distribution management and ERP implementation.
(5) Practice IT application is a fundamental function of enterprises, and its importance has become increasingly prominent in the modern information economy. Moreover, IT application is a highly specialized, comprehensive task that integrates multiple functions, including management and information technology. Therefore, enterprises must prioritize the operation and management of informatization. In this section, we will discuss six practical issues based on the overall process of enterprise IT application: how to formulate the overall strategic plan for informatization (the outline of informatization), how to optimize business processes (the foundation of informatization), how to select appropriate enterprise application systems (especially for integrated Enterprise Resource Planning systems), how to manage IT application projects, how to learn from IT application projects to enhance IT application capabilities, and how to organize, manage, and operate IT departments.
(6) Consulting "If there is a bridge that only requires paying a toll to cross, I would never risk '.'" As one corporate leader said. With the fervent development of enterprise informatization, IT application consulting has emerged. For many enterprises lacking experience in IT application, it is better to find an expert who has gone through informatization rather than struggle and suffer losses bying on their own. This section analyzes the IT consulting market, the services provided by IT consultants, and their value to enterprises. It also introduces the general working methods of informatization supervision.
(7) Case Studies "A fall in the front car serves as a warning for the rear." Let us dissect the case of Lenovo’s informatization journey to see the ups and downs of IT application. This section provides a detailed account of Lenovo’s informatization process, ERP project status, and key success factors, as well as summarizes the lessons and insights from Lenovo’s informatization experience. After determining the framework, the next step was a year of intertwined pain and joy in the writing process. Unwilling to adopt a simple copy-and-paste approach like some others, this process proved particularly challenging. However, it is gratifying to say that the book presented to the readers is not only a personal accumulation of insights and genuine thoughts but also includes many real cases or prototypes, making it highly valuable for reference and practical use. Moreover, it embodies the wisdom of many people.