Problem:
Two unrelated companies are starting to plan for their respective implementations of an e-business solution.
Company A has decided to keep the scope of its e-business very small and to keep the work and time necessary to implement its e-business solution to a minimum. They are planning to implement only an ERP system without implementing other possible solutions such as customer relation management, selling chain management, and e-procurement capabilities. They have decided to keep all older (legacy) information technology solutions in place, and they will have some of their internal programmers develop interfaces to those legacy systems and databases. They have also decided to keep all business processes as they have historically been, and they merely want to automate those processes. Finally, they have decided the e-business solution will be applied only internally and will not involve any of their suppliers or selling partners.
Company B has decided to have a very broad scope for its e-business solution. They are planning to implement an integrated set of solutions for enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, selling chain management, and e-procurement. They have decided to look very hard at all existing legacy systems and databases, to see if any can be integrated directly into the new e-business environment. They have also decided to look at every high-level business process to see if any can be re-engineered to streamline their flow of information, products, and services. Finally, they plan on including their key suppliers and selling partners as integral parts of their e-business planning and solution.
Describe your views of the two planned e-business solutions--Company A and Company B. Among other things, you might consider discussing and contrasting the potential benefits, risks, and challenges of each, as well as how each company's e-business solution planning and implementation might have to be managed. You might also discuss how well each company will be positioned to meet competitive challenges after its e-business solutions are completed and operational.