business and IS partners. IS plays a more active role here since the Analyzer strategy requires TS to be more adaptive and flexible. As such, IS's orientaiion is toward comprehensiveness, using a selective sourcing strategy—which permits flexibility and third-party assistance to help build
alliances—and an IS function with a "shared" structure. We term this "alignment through partnering" as the IS function's primary role is to assist the organization in forming alliances with oiher businesses.