Establishing a systems integration process intrastructure

Abstract

With the steady fall of prices and margins of computer hardware, back in the 1980s, many hardware manufacturers have tried to diversify their range of offerings. Bull Information Systems has chosen to change its major business direction to become a systems integrator and solution supplier. It has been a real challenge and a big success for Bull to succeed in changing its business direction from being a hardware/software mannfacturer to becoming a leading systems integration (SI) company. For a business to be successful in making such a change it needs to work more efficiently and to react faster, while preserving its stability. Although there are many ways for achieving such change, the experience highlighted in this paper describes how a process focus played a critical part in realizing such change. Creating a systems integration business process and a process-focused organization have been critical factors in achieving the change of business direction. A process focus has an impact on the organizational structure; management practices; employees' skills and training; and on measurements of business performance. This paper describes the experiences at Bull Information systems in creating a systems integration business process-focused organization and it outlines the mechanms which are in place to ensure ownership and improvement of the process. It summarizes the main lessons earnt as a result of creating systems integration business processes.