An effective use of information technology is to think of
it as a digital nervous system (DNS) which can respond as
quickly as the human brain to any situation by providing a
constant flow of information. Success or failure in business
will depend on how well you manage the system. A good
DNS will allow companies to see coming problems and
explore new possibilities. This will also involve broader
thinking. In today’s world, everything is linked. The
success of a company like Amazon.com which realized its
possibilities by growing into far more than just a bookstore
is a good example of this.
DNS provides the facts essential for dealing with the
hard questions businesses face today. Most of these facts
will come from customers, and communication with
customers is vital for business success. But the information
must be shared, not isolated in different departments.
With this approach, a DNS can be used to develop a
company-wide intelligence, linking all employees. It will
also change the role of managers. Today’s managers are
more than sales team leaders; they are business “thinkers”.
Easy access to facts gives them the opportunity to identify
strong and weak areas and take necessary action quickly.
To create a good DNS, one needs to develop a picture of
what information they need to be successful and come up
with questions their DNS can provide answers to.
The first basic effect of DNS is to create a “paperless
office”. Routine tasks such as form filling can now be done
electronically and tasks simplified and speeded up in the
process. The result is a more efficient environment and
employees who are released from boring routine tasks.
This will free them to spend more time dealing with
customers’ needs.