This study investigates business systems and the challenges that arise when they are used. Enterprise systems are large software packages that try to sustain procedures, information flows, reporting, and data analytics in complicated enterprises. Though business systems can be utilized in a variety of fields, this study concentrates on information systems and the related issues of information assurance and security.
First, the study evaluates the literature on enterprise systemstheir characteristics, reasons for and against adoption, and the associated benefits of each decision. Then the paper proceeds to analyse literature concerning information system and the issue of information assurance and security by showing the strengths and weaknesses of the analysed articles. Finally the paper concludes by highlighting important points that have been identified in the whole review and offer recommendations for future research in the topic of enterprise systems, especially in relation to information systems.
Literature Review: Search
Google scholar was search to identify the relevant articles concerning the topic of Enterprise E-Systems. Only articles written in English were considered for review. In addition, articles that were used had to have been published on older than in the year of 2000. Key words that guided the search included enterprise E-Systems, information system, computer technology, accounting information systems, business intelligence, big data, analytics, business performance management, information assurance, information security, and information system project management. Though considerable materials were obtained for review using this criteria, the process was not easy because there were many materials to choose from and it required at least reading the abstract to ensure that the material was appropriate for review in the current study.
Evaluation of Literature
Enterprise systems are defined as extensive application software packages that sustain processes, reporting, data analytics and information flows in businesses in complex organizations. There are different areas in an organization where enterprise E-Systems can be applied including information systems or computer technology, accounting information systems, financial reporting systems, business intelligence or analytics or big data, business performance management, information assurance and security, and information system project management. Businesses use combinations of these systems to run their operations and organize them. Integrated enterprise systems are intended to handle several operations for a business to enable its business and management reporting requirements. The enterprise systems have cross-organizational ability as opposed to programs specific to groups or departments. The enterprise systems allow for communication and collaborative across the company through collection accessible and usable data by various departments. With database technology innovations, enterprise system software solutions have evolved. Databases make it easy for efficient gathering, storing and recovery of unlimited amounts of data on different many contacts, thereby allowing for management of information and process flow in several areas.
According to Markus and Tanis 2000 (p.273), there is a booming market for software packages that offer total integrated solutions to the information processing needs of companies. Organizations that have chosen not to adopt these packages are tracking forceful strategies of system integration by improving custom software and embracing certain technologies like data warehousing. The enterprise systems have great potential for technical, managerial, financial, human, cost, risks and strategic benefits. Enterprise systems consist of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and related packages that aid in advance planning, automaton of sales force, scheduling, and management of customer relations and configuration of products. Businesses that adopt enterprise systems possess a wide range of choices for implementation and enduring operations.
Characteristics of Enterprise Systems
Liang, Saraf, Hu and Xue 2007 (59) mention that integration is among the characteristics of enterprise systems. These systems assure seamless integration of information flowing through a company that include human resource information, financial and accounting information, customer and supply chain information. It is worth noting that integration achievement depends on setting up or configuring the system in a specific manner. In this context, configuration means selecting the package module that is appropriate for installation as well as setting parameters of software to represent a given aspect such as the products of the company or customers and specific arrangement of business operations. In addition, configuration decisions and their justification are captured in the configuration task. Packages are also integral characteristics of enterprise systems. The packages are bought or eased from vendors of software instead of them being established from scratch in- house. The cycle of information system is different. The adopters of an enterprise system adjust the ways of working of an organization to fit the package instead of designing their own system with an aim of meeting the distinctive ways of working in the organization. It is also worth noting that procedure of configuring an enterprise system for an organization is different from programming of software. Businesses or organizations that buy an enterprise system involve in long term associations with the vendors of software. Although certain companies buy an enterprise system hoping to modify the package to suit individual requirements, doing so minimizes their ability to profit from the continued package development by vendors, which may create dependency on external contractors that specialize in customizations of enterprise software.
Best practice is another characteristic of enterprise systems. Enterprise systems are designed to fit to the requirements of many companies. Therefore, they are made to sustain the generic processes of businesses that differ notably from the manner any given organization conducts its business. According to Jeffery and Leliveld 2004 (p.41), best practices represent a strong reason to adopt an enterprise system and not modifying them because limited organizations assert to have redesigned every business process for cross-functional effectiveness and efficiency. Jeffery and Leliveld 2004 (p.41) emphasize that information technology budgets for example comprise of thousands of projects that run simultaneously across business units, functions and geographies, which poses a challenge of selecting investment projects that are synchronized with the business strategy.
Volkoff, Strong and Elmes (2005, p.110) say that some assembly are required in enterprise systems. What are usually integrated in enterprise systems are the software and not the computing platform on which the system runs. The authors report that one of the major benefits of enterprise systems in the integration of data and business processes with an expectation of reducing processing time and enhancing control over operations. Enterprise enabled integration differs depending on the association between the integrated business units or based on whether data or processes are integrated. Some businesses adopt the most appropriate strategy in which they try to integrate many enterprise packages from varying vendors, each constructed to fit the needs of the adopting company. Finally, enterprise systems are evolving as they change architecturally. Currently, the enterprise systems are designed for specific clients. In addition, the functionality and service arrangement of the enterprise system are changing.
Why Adopt or Fail to Adopt Enterprise Systems?
Many organizations adopt enterprise systems for varying reasons. Some companies wish to reduce the operating cost of mainframe system, increase systems ability to support growth or address the maintenance challenges related to aging legacy system, which are all viewed as technical reasons for enterprise systems investment. Fui-Hoon Nah, Lee-Shang Lau and Kuang (2001, p.286) assert that other than technical reasons, there are business reasons that lead to the adoption of enterprise systems. Business reasons include delay and error elimination in filling orders for customers in merged businesses, accommodation of business growth, enhance inefficient processes of business, standardization to clean up data and records and minimize administrative and business operating expenses.
However, not every company adopts enterprise systems.
In addition, a few numbers that adopt enterprise systems decide to use a small number of modules and rely on legacy system or new custom development for all the remaining requirements. Other companies discontinue implementation of Enterprise systems for many reasons. The main reason for not adopting enterprise systems in a company is the absence of fit between the available packages and the requirements of a company. Taking into consideration the scale of operation and size of an organization, there may be no available package available commercially suitable for a given organization. Ngai, Law and Wat (2008, p.548) show that a given organization may choose not to adopt some parts of an enterprise system due to lack of feature-function. Moreover, organizations that keep changing their organizational structure and models of business may not find enterprise systems suitable as a business solution.
There are several reasons why enterprise systems are significant topics for information systems. Shang and Seddon (2002, p.271) has provided a detailed list of benefits that companies have acquired through the implementation of enterprise systems. The authors have consolidated the Enterprise benefits into five dimensions including organizational, managerial, information technology infrastructure, operational and strategic. However, this paper has not showed the shortcomings that are associated with the implementation of enterprise systems in organizations, which is a major weakness as it generalizes that enterprise systems are beneficial at all times.
Information Systems and Information Assurance/Security
An information system is defined as any system that is organized for the assembly, organization, storing and communication of information. In organizations, people use information systems to gather, filter, process, create and distribute data. In businesses, specific information systems aim to support operations and aid in decision making, which means that organizations use information systems to control the performance of business processes. Information systems are used to run inter-organizational electronic market and supply chains. For example, companies use information systems for human resource management, reach potential customers through online promotions and process financial accounts. Digital goods like videos, software, and electronic books, and online services like social networking and gaming are conveyed with information system. Mostly, internet based information system is relied on by individuals for conduction of much of their individual lives like studying, shopping, socializing, entertainment and banking.
One of the application issues of enterprise systems in the information system area concerns information assurance and security (Bélanger and Crossler 2011, p.1018). The authors note that information privacy denotes the desire of people to control or possess some influence over their data. So many concerns have been raised die to advancements in information technology concerning information security and privacy and the associated impacts. Belanger and Crossler (2011, p.1018), has noted that information system researchers have and are continuing to explore issues in information privacy as well as possible technical solutions to address the concerns. The research conducted by these authors is strong because it extensively reviews literature to illustrate the current situation research in information privacy in information systems by critically analyzing the information system literature that cogitate information privacy as a major construct. Savola (2007, p.28-30) says that there is a need for systematic approaches towards measuring security that aims at obtaining evidence of the performance of security of aspects of organization. Savola's research was aimed at surveying the security metrics approaches that are emerging from the perspectives of academic, industrial and governmental with an objective of bridging the gap between management of information security as well as the security practices of information and communication technology (ICT) products. Though this was a powerful research, it did not find common metrics approaches in varying security disciplines, which could advance the holistic understanding in the practices of engineering and management.
According to Belanger and Crossler (2011, p.1026), information security and privacy is a concept that is multilevel that is infrequently studied. He article is thus strong in providing a rationale for future research in the area of information security and privacy. In addition, the article found out that research in information privacy have heavily relied on USA-centric and student-based samples that provide conclusions of inadequate generalizability. This finding is very essential in guiding future researchers on the importance of diversity of samples to reduce biases and provide outcomes that can be sufficiently universal.
People value their privacy as well as the protection of their personal life. They want to have control concerning what is known to others about them. Although humans hate disclosing their personal information to other people, the advancements in in information technology have threatened security and privacy. According to Greer (2010, p.194), the federal government is facing a growing threat landscape that range from burgeoning malware production and cybercrime economy to cyber war rumors. It is clear that technology impacts privacy by altering information accessibility as well as changing the norms of privacy. Cooper et al. (2010, p.109) is in conformity to Greer's assertion by noting that information assurance and security are grave international concerns of the academia, industry and government. The article is strong in its exploration of the current educational standards in information assurance as well as the manner in which these standards may help in defining information assurance field.
Conclusion and Recommendation
This review has shown that there are several reasons why enterprise systems are a significant topic for information systems research. This review of literature on the topic of enterprise systems has identified associated key issues. Firstly, there are financial costs and risks associated with enterprise systems implementation. For example, companies spend millions of dollars to make business and technical changes related to enterprise systems. Secondly, enterprise systems are challenging technically. It is for this reason that the development life cycle for enterprise system packages is the most essential technical area for research. Thirdly, there are managerial issues associated with enterprise systems since they entail parties from different companies and cut across the organization's political structure. The review has also identified good practice or efficient application of enterprise systems. Currently, enterprise systems have been widely adopted across organisations, which mean that there might be spread of the adoption of these technologies.
Some recommendations include;
Conducting research in management of IT projects as well as sponsorship of IT project and involvement of the user.
Further research should be made with the objective of knowing hoe widely the enterprise systems have been assimilated in companies, their extensive use and how faithfully they are applied.
As far as integration is concerned, future research should explore the pros and cons of the approach of enterprise systems against other strategies for realizing integration around information technology.
References
Bélanger, F. and Crossler, R.E., 2011. Privacy in the digital age: a review of information privacy research in information systems. MIS quarterly, 35(4), pp.1017-1042.
Cooper, S., Nickell, C., Piotrowski, V., Oldfield, B., Abdallah, A., Bishop, M., Caelli, B., Dark, M., Hawthorne, E.K., Hoffman, L. and Pérez, L.C., 2010. An exploration of the current state of information assurance education. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 41(4), pp.109-125.
Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Lee-Shang Lau, J. and Kuang, J., 2001. Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems. Business process management journal, 7(3), pp.285-296.
Fui-Hoon Nah, F., Lee-Shang Lau, J. and Kuang, J., 2001. Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems. Business process management journal, 7(3), pp.285-296.
Greer, M., 2010, June. Survivability and information assurance in the cloud. In Dependable Systems and Networks Workshops (DSN-W), 2010 International Conference on (pp. 194-195). IEEE.
Jeffery, M. and Leliveld, I., 2004. Best practices in IT portfolio management. MIT Sloan Management Review, 45(3), p.41.
Liang, H., Saraf, N., Hu, Q. and Xue, Y., 2007. Assimilation of enterprise systems: the effect of institutional pressures and the mediating role of top management. MIS quarterly, pp.59-87.
Markus, M.L. and Tanis, C., 2000. The enterprise systems experience-from adoption to success. Framing the domains of IT research: Glimpsing the future through the past, 173, pp.207-173.
Ngai, E.W., Law, C.C. and Wat, F.K., 2008. Examining the critical success factors in the adoption of enterprise resource planning. Computers in industry, 59(6), pp.548-564.
Savola, R.M., 2007, October. Towards a taxonomy for information security metrics. In Proceedings of the 2007 ACM workshop on Quality of protection (pp. 28-30). ACM.
Shang, S. and Seddon, P.B., 2002. Assessing and managing the benefits of enterprise systems: the business manager's perspective. Information systems journal, 12(4), pp.271-299.
Volkoff, O., Strong, D.M. and Elmes, M.B., 2005. Understanding enterprise systems-enabled integration. European Journal of Information Systems, 14(2), pp.110-120.
