Mission Critical: Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems [Hardcover]

Thomas H. Davenport (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

This is a no-nonsense guide to the benefits and pitfalls of enterprise - wide information systems. How many organizations would doubt the promise of an integrated enterprise system (ES)? Not many, judging by a $15 billion industry. The combination of an ES as a platform for organizational information and Internet technology for gaining access to it adds up to the ideal solution for company-wide data sharing in real time. Not surprisingly, small and large companies worldwide are either considering an ES, in the process of implementing one, or living with the results. Yet, says Tom Davenport, unless managers view ES adoption and implementation as a business decision rather than a technology decision, they may be risking disappointment "Mission Critical" presents an authoritative and no-nonsense view of the ES opportunities and challenges.Suggesting ESs are not the right choice for every company, the author provides a set of guidelines to help managers evaluate the benefits and risks for their organizations. To be successful, argues Davenport, an organization must make simultaneous changes in its information systems, its business processes, and its business strategy. Such changes are described in detail with extensive examples from real organizations. Bolstering his contention that ESs should be viewed as business vs. technology projects, Davenport spells out the specific business change objectives that should be formulated in advance of ES adoption and monitored throughout its implementation. The first strategic guide to the ES decision, "Mission Critical" will be indispensable to general managers and information technology specialists at all stages of the implementation process.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As information-dependent companies of all types continually expand, acquire, merge, and globalize, the need to share critical data--between far-flung sites, independent divisions, and even neighboring departments--increases exponentially. Thomas Davenport, director of the Institute for Strategic Change at Andersen Consulting and a professor of information management at Boston University, advocates integrated enterprise systems (or ESs) to expedite the process. In Mission Critical, he explains how these inherently complicated, unfailingly expensive, and yet potentially vital programs can best be coordinated with existing operations. He explores specific benefits as well as possible drawbacks. And he shows why some of the biggest players in the business world have succeeded in their ES efforts, while others with equal resources and similar goals have not.

While a properly designed ES will facilitate rapid dissemination of electronic data to pertinent employees, partners, and customers through Internet or intranet access, Davenport repeatedly claims, the key is handling this "as a business project, not a technical one." This means clearly defining objectives from the outset, utilizing executives with power to execute the required organizational changes, and incorporating explicit across-the-board incentives and penalties that are tied to the project's ultimate conclusion. Top managers and information specialists will find helpful guidance here on all relevant aspects of the process, including pre-implementation procedures, software selection, organization-wide strategies, and tips on using an ES to its full advantage. --Howard Rothman

From the Back Cover

"Mission Critical is a clear and comprehensive account of the enduring value of enterprise systems. Davenport's experience consulting for the world's leading companies gives his research an undeniable veracity. Anyone interested in how the real world of business works will gain a great deal of insight from this book."
--Henning Kagermann, Co-Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of SAP AG

"Finally, here is a book that provides a comprehensive and practical understanding of enterprise systems-their promise, their peril, and their future. Any manager not familiar with Davenport's book and its emphasis on information management will be lacking in the business literacy so necessary for success."
--Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, and Co-author of Organizing Genius and Co-Leaders

"Transformation in any corporation requires excellence in strategy, organization, and systems. Davenport illustrates the success that results when all three components are effectively addressed and the risks in implementing systems when they are not."
--William Stavropoulos, President and CEO, The Dow Chemical Company

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875849067
• ISBN-13: 978-0875849065
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Culture > Technical Support

More About the Author

Tom Davenport is the President's Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College. He has led research centers at Accenture, McKinsey and Company, Ernst & Young, and CSC Index, and has taught at Harvard Business School, Dartmouth's Tuck School, the University of Texas, and the University of Chicago. He is a widely published author and speaker on the topics of analytics, information and knowledge management, reengineering, enterprise systems, and electronic business. Tom's latest book--coauthored with Jeanne Harris--is Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, a best-seller that has been translated into 13 languages. Prior to this, Tom wrote, co-authored or edited twelve other books, including the first books on business process reengineering, knowledge management, attention management, and enterprise systems. He has written over 100 articles for such publications as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, the Financial Times, and many other publications, and has been a columnist for Information Week, CIO, and Darwin magazines. In 2003 he was named one of the world's top 25 consultants by Consulting magazine, and in 2007 and 8 was named one of the 100 most influential people in the IT industry by Ziff-Davis magazines. His blog for Harvard Business Online is http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/davenport/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Knowledgable, Hot Topics -but poor organization, May 7, 2001

By 

Sarawoot Chittratanawat - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mission Critical: Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems (Hardcover)

Davenport presented his experience and opinion in one medium-size book (300 pages), covered almost every aspects of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which he called it Enterprise System (ES). This book is intended for both practitioners and students, and I found it serves its objectives. Starting with the definition, advantages/disadvantages, implementation, strategic integration, Information Technology (IT), business process, managing Supply Chain with ERP, and future of ERP in organization. The topics are the most popular questions in ERP decision, implementation, and continuous improvement. I would rate this book at five stars; however, there are something that I put four stars for this book -as follows: 1) Although the topics are hot and referred to many business cases, the organization of each chapter is terrible. I got lost several times in chapter or between chapters. 2) Each chapter referes back-and-forth to other chapters, which is quite useful for further reference. I, however, found they are too many referals. Again, this makes almost every chapters are not much different than others. Except for the book organization, this book is quite good for its content. I wish Davenport may consider to re-organize the second edition of this book or his new book. His knowledge in this area is exceptional, only it's required lots of organized. This book offers many excellent points of "after-ERP", which is rarely found in most ERP books. Good but not great book. Therefore, this is not the single book if you plan to get only one. You may consider O'Leary's book (ISBN 0521791529) or Brady et al. (ISBN 0619015934), if you are new to ERP and get Davenport's book for supplement.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ES Manifesto with Instructions, August 17, 2000

By 

Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mission Critical: Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems (Hardcover)

Davenport does a brilliant job of explaining what enterprise systems are and what they can accomplish in any organization. He suggests, however, that they are worthless "unless they lead to better information or better ways of doing business. I think that enterprise systems are without doubt an impressive technical feat, but I am primarily concerned that organizations get business value from them." Throughout his book, he addresses key issues such as these:

1. What enterprise systems are and why they are important

2. The promise and the perils involved

3. How to decide whether or not to implement enterprise systems

4. How to integrate enterprise systems with strategy and organizational structure

5. How to integrate enterprise systems with business processes and information

6. How to achieve value while implementing enterprise systems

7. How to transform the practice of management with enterprise systems

8. How to use enterprise systems to manage the supply chain

9. The future of ES-enabled organizations

As Davenport explains in Chapter 1, "Enterprise systems offer the first great opportunity to achieve true connectivity, a state in which everyone knows what everyone else is doing in the business all over the world at the same time. And because they represent the first great opportunity for connectivity, they pose one of the greatest threats to the status quo that companies have ever faced." Hence the importance of one of the the book's most valuable sections, the Appendix, in which Davenport provides "A Technical Overview of Enterprise Systems." Those who feel threatened by an enterprise system will seize any and all opportunities to point out its technical flaws. At best, enterprise systems are complex, difficult to install, and inflexible. However, Davenport points out, they "will remain the most capable, integrated systems in the history of the world. They may have their flaws, but they are also the answer to our information systems prayers." I agree.

38 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title, February 20, 2000

By 

Kiyoshi Kurihara (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mission Critical: Realizing the Promise of Enterprise Systems (Hardcover)

With this title, I expected something related to complex issues on design, implementation, integration and operation of rea-life information systems. For me, this book was a dissapointment. At least, the title is misleading. By "enterprise system", the author means Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages such as SAP and Baan, and most of the contents are about very basic overview on ERP. This book should be titled as "Managers' Guide to ERP", and could be useful for uninitiated managers who want to know what major ERP products there are.