Understanding the Inflexibility of Process Integration

Abstract

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The objective of this study is to establish a base for understanding inflexibility, with different kinds of integration problems being examined and explained. Studies of process integration have focused mostly on the design and management of efficient operation with information technology but very little on the difficulty in making changes with tightly linked processes. In order to eliminate risks of integration failure, there is a need for deep understanding of the types and causes of inflexibility with process integration.\r\n\r\nBased on the literature and industry experience of process integration and enterprise flexibility/inflexibility, this study proposes that inflexibility can be classified as either operational, organizational, or systems inflexibility. Sources of inflexibility have been investigated from views of business design, users’ willingness and capability, and systems designers’ designs. Cases studied shown that these three sources of inflexibility are interrelated and can reciprocally affect business performance.\r\n\r\nCompanies applying process integration may eliminate the risk of integration downsides by carefully managing business design, user willingness and system design capability. Only with a broad and thorough view of the system, people and process interactions can a firm capitalize its investment in process integration.