Strategies for Achieving Competitive Advantage
As I had mentioned at the beginning, thus paper is a continue paper, this week the writer will add 3 pages
to the previous parts written in the past weeks. the writer will respond to the questions below base on the
instructions and then add to the revised paper from 112227 and 112256. In 112256, I have uploaded a
paper with comments from the prof, first the writer has to make those revision accordingly and then add
this 3 pages to that same paper using the template previously uploaded at the beginning of this paper 2
weeks ago. It is critical that the writer pay attention to details especially APA as the Prof is very serious
about it and will take out points just for that.
The are 3 main points to discuss in this next 3 pages and the writer must clearly articulate those points in
the paper using APA 6th edition through out the entire paper.
The journal article “Is Business Process Integration Feasible?” provides a detailed analysis of one
organization’s experiences in using IT structures to integrate business processes. Evaluate the strategy
STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVEING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 2
adopted by the organization and analyze the problems involved in implementation and how they were
overcome. Consider the relevance of the conclusions that can be drawn from this case study to other
organizations, including your own, in the context of developing a strategy for business process
integration.
Consider the following questions as you continue to work on your Praxis Paper, due next week:
�How critical is technology to any strategy for business process integration in a global organization?
�What are the problems facing a traditional asset-driven supply chain planning to convert to becoming a
customer-driven value chain?
�Is business process integration feasible and, if so, what lessons can be learned from the case study
that would be applicable to any organization planning a strategy of business process integration?
How critical is technology to any strategy for business process integration in a global
organization?
In the management of a global organization, technology plays a major role in
several aspects of the day to day operations. In the paragraphs below the different ways in which
technology is critical will be illustrated. By virtue of being global, such an organization will
STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVEING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 3
definitely operate on a much wider scale and scope with respect to its internal and external
business environment. Internally technology plays a role in human resource management,
internal communication, production and also financial management. In the external business
environment technology plays an important role in distribution, marketing, communication and
also transaction support among others (McAdam and McCormack, 2001).
An organization operating globally has a much larger quantity of employees and
this means that the different staffing processes have to be done across two or more countries.
With technology it is possible to maintain uniform communications through different web-based
applications. Hiring of staff internationally is also eased with technology and this facilitates the
vetting of and interviewing of prospective candidates on internet communication platforms such
as Skype. With different types of proprietary technology it is also possible to monitor in real-
time the progress of workers in different branches that the organization may have (Zhu et al,
2004).
Production is another process that heavily relies on and benefits from technology
for global organizations. Whether it is the manufacture of a commodity or the delivery of a
service, information can trickle down from the headquarters to the regional branches of an
organization and this helps in ensuring a high standard of quality being delivered to the market.
Manufacturing technology for instance makes it possible for the Coca-Cola company to produce
the exact same quality of soft-drinks regardless of the country the bottling plant is located in.
In the service industry there is the example of international Hotel Chains like
Mariott; customer specifications made in a previous property can be honored in a different
branch across the borders due to the use of a centralized database. The airline industry is another
STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVEING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 4
appropriate example of how technology facilitates the processes of international organizations.
Customers can make bookings remotely, have their payments done online and they are always
assured that the flight will go as planned. The synchrony allows for the smooth operations of
international airports which would be otherwise chaotic in the absence of centralized reservation
systems.
What are the problems facing a traditional asset-driven supply chain planning to convert
to becoming a customer-driven value chain?
The main problems facing a traditional asset-driven supply chains is the wide
scope of changes that need to be made both in-house as well as externally. Internally, this implies
the purchase of and installation of a proprietary system that will be used to manage the
inventory. The current model is likely to be relevant to the current form of management. This is
also simpler for the employees who rely on it to guide them in their day to day operations. The
increased costs will therefore be further inflated by the potential cost of training the employees
and time lost during training sessions.
Another challenge is the fact that the customer driven value chain is more time
conscious and is likely to involve the services of a third party in the investigation of a customer’s
value system. Furthermore, the fact that it applies subjectively means that more resources will be
used in adjusting to the needs of individual customers. Production will no-longer be a uniform
process.
Given that asset driven supply chains are straightforward and based solely on
transactions, there is also the challenge of potential instability for the organization since
operations will be pegged on a potentially wide range of customer value systems. The new
STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVEING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 5
approach to processes is therefore seen as hit and miss unlike the current system which has been
proven to deliver results (Caligano et al, 2006).
Is business process integration feasible and, if so, what lessons can be learned from the case
study that would be applicable to any organization planning a strategy of business process
integration
Based on the experiences of this organization it is evident that business process
integration is indeed feasible. However it is important to note that this can only apply to a similar
organization operating in the same industry, economy and also competitive environment
(Themistocleous and Corbitt, 2006). This is to say that it is not necessarily feasible for all
organizations. Organizations that deal in the provision of necessities such as food items on a
large scale may for instance not find this to be feasible.
In the case of Romano’s Car Rentals, business process integration could be really
beneficial especially in light of the fact that the product here is essentially a service. Individuals
who rent the vehicles have different parameters that they use to gauge the quality of the service
they receive. Catering to these needs diligently as opposed to offering what is available is a sure
way of increasing the firm’s turnover and profits due to more sales and also less wastage of
resources. Any organization that plans to do business process integration should therefore
consider the industry it is operating in, the type of customer and also their quantity.
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References
Cagliano, R., Caniato, F., & Spina, S. (2006). The linkage between supply chain integration and
manufacturing improvement programmes. International Journal of Operations &
Production Management, 26 (3/4).
