Information Strategy as Enabler of Competitive Advantage

Abstract

Technology has been continuously improving, causing high business pressures that affect organizations' current and future competitiveness. Gaining competitive advantage is critical for organizations. Among the various resources which organizations deploy to succeed, information is identified as a crucial resource. The success of organizations depends on the decisions made and the excellence of decisions depends upon the quality and reliability of information. If this be so, then information strategies need to be designed and implemented in a comprehensive manner so that the organizations derive competitive advantage. Based on an in-depth literature review and contextual analysis, this paper will review competitive forces and competitive information systems strategies for gaining competitive advantages, explain concepts of value chain, business ecosystems and discuss innovation strategy.