Enterprise Systems Strategic Alignment and Business Value

This chapter is dealing with the alignment of enterprise systems with business strategy and its impact on the business value that enterprise systems generate. Initially the research on the strategic potential of ICT, which constitutes the basic theoretical foundation of the need for strategic alignment of enterprise systems, is analyzed. Then the previous research that has been conducted concerning enterprise systems strategic alignment is critically reviewed. It is grouped into three basic streams. The first of them is dealing with the conceptualization and basic understanding of enterprise systems strategic alignment. The second research stream aims at the development of models and frameworks for directing and assessing enterprise systems strategic alignment. The third research stream examines the impact of enterprise systems strategic alignment on business performance. Finally, an empirical investigation that has been conducted by the authors concerning the impact of enterprise systems strategic alignment on business performance as a guidance for future research on this topic is described. We expect that this chapter will sufficiently inform on strategic alignment, both researchers and practitioners in the area of enterprise systems, so that they can incorporate this highly important concept in their research and practice respectively.