Enhancing organizational efficiency through cross-functional workflow integration

Information systems have undergone significant transformations over the past thirty years, affecting the ways organizations develop their information technology capabilities. For organizations, enhancing the value of IT from a simple dependency to a competitive advantage requires the integration of cross-application workflows that involve multiple functional areas. Such interdependencies demand a seamless alignment of the organization structure and information communication technology to achieve chosen strategic objectives. Organizational flexibility is particularly important in the current era, where competition and environmental changes are accelerating. However, this requires interdependent functions to go beyond bureaucratic organizational structures able to adapt to hastily set strategies, because such organizations may not be able to seize timely the competitive advantage that a strategic capability may provide through the design and implementation of the appropriate policies and decision-making models.