Achieving Increased Value for Customers Through Mutual Understanding Between Business and Information System Communities

Business strategy and information systems (IS) alignment is a longstanding issue in IS management. Information technology IT innovation, regulated by a deep understanding of value creation for customers, allows for profound changes in how companies operate and how economic exchanges are structured. To be able to achieve superior performance, companies must build business models that incorporate the competitive features found in their IT. Realizing such innovation requires a common language between people from business and IT departments. This article discusses essential elements of the continuous IT innovation process, including generating ideas, developing concepts, and realizing concepts for IT innovation. System projects jointly implemented by business departments and it departments proved to be more successful, because only this approach ensured full consideration of what is important from a company-wide perspective.