Does IT Matter?
This chapter centers around the idea of the strategic value that information systems can bring to an organization. Pay attention to the arguments around the idea of competitive advantage. After you read, reflect upon the arguments presented about the impact that information technology has on competitive advantage.
Competitive Advantage
What does it mean when a company has a competitive advantage? What are the factors that play into it? While there are entire courses and many different opinions on this topic, let's go with one of the most accepted definitions, developed by Michael Porter in his book Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. A company is said to have a competitive advantage over its rivals when it is able to sustain profits that exceed average for the industry. According to Porter, there are two primary methods for obtaining competitive advantage: cost advantage and differentiation advantage. So the question becomes: how can information technology be a factor in one or both of these methods? In the sections below we will explore this question using two of Porter's analysis tools: the value chain and the five forces model. We will also use Porter's analysis in his 2001 article "Strategy and the Internet," which examines the impact of the Internet on business strategy and competitive advantage, to shed further light on the role of information technology in competitive advantage.