Almost everyone is well aware of the fact that the IT is capable of making maintainable and sustainable competitive benefits. In the business arena, the IT is used through value chain of activities that facilitates the business organization to control and optimize the operational functions for effortless decision making process.

The IT is strategic in it’s skill by building the concept of “Value Chain” in a business o0rganization through generic value activities that are interdependent of each other. This chain comprises elements like customers, suppliers, finance, production, etc. There is a connection between these activities which makes it a value chain. These value chain activities as well as the product’s physical parts and processing is altered either by product differentiation or cutting the costs of the value activities. The IT on the whole even transforms the speed of competition.

The value of the company can be added by the IT either by increasing revenue or reduction in costs. The potential of the IT of adding value to the business firm is very different from being the source of the sustainable competitiveness.

Though, the IT’s ability to be a source of the sustainable competitive advantages is disputed and based on assumptions. The assumptions result in two theories. The correlation between IT and the sustainable competitive benefit is studied by one theory called as the Create capture and Keep paradigm. This basically relies on swapping the costs of the customers.

This theory got replaced by a resource based theory that explicates the company’s potential to use the IT to influence the basic resources as a plus and also source of the sustainable competitive edge. In this theory, when the company possesses similar resources or capability, which the other competitor company doesn’t posses, then the same constitutes as the source of the competitive edge.

But the problem is that, if the resources are constant, then it will be a great disadvantage at the cost of the company. So the same will not make a sustainable competitive edge. Simply by imitation of the IT resources of the successful company without social complexity or ambiguity might also make a sustainable competitive edge.

In any kind of organization, the IT is a potential source of competitive edge in these five methods given below:

• When the supplier is in a good position and the IT is essential and unique for the end users, then the costs borne by the consumers will be switched
• When a technology becomes a proprietary technology
• When the capital Investment in the IT enabled resource increases
• For building the IT application, some technical skills are needed
• When the managerial skills are developed for exploiting and understanding the IT application for increasing the business operations

Each and every kind of information in the firm can get positive results and has the potential to get sustainable competitive edge if you observe the following steps:

1. Assessing the potential and the existing information intensity of the process and product
2. Evaluating the probable impact of the IT on the firm
3. Identifying the rank of the activities that affects the IT first
4. Measuring how the IT can bring new business
5. Generating the action plan by taking advantages of IT

It is not just one supporting system, but also a perfect thought process contributing substantial edge, effects and the implications in the business goals.

However this view is rather old fashioned thinking. Agricultural enterprises can range from the small scale subsistence farms to large commercial firms that require huge investment and complex operations. Even for those that are presently small scale, it is advisable to consider up-scaling on the basis that the more technological advanced a farm is, the more likely it is to have large scale customers who pay well.

What then are the practical applications of technology in agriculture ?  The increased mechanization of agriculture means that computers and other technology can be used to either replace human activity in whole or to replace certain aspects of human activity or even to merely complement the other traditional methods of farming. At a time when farmers are encouraged to mechanize, thereby reaping the benefits of improved efficiency and adding value to their products, the role of InfoTech will increase in this sector. The equipment that is being used will become more efficient and will tie-in with the more modern farms.

Modern farms are not just about producing crops or rearing animals. They can have quite complex human resource systems, finance and operations. They would then resemble any other business and would likewise need similar Information Technology programs. Take for example a ranch owner who regularly supplies to major supermarkets; the ability to control stock and delivery times as well as the importance of ensuring consistent quality will mean that modern technology will be invaluable. The issues of finance, human resource management and even communication mean that the farm will have to have some form of business IT model. The level of sophistication will depend on the type of farm and the needs of the farmer.

The only downside is that the majority of farmers in the world come from the developing countries where they have very limited scope to grow. They tend to be subsistence farmers with extremely limited income. There is also the problem of lack of awareness and the fear of new technology. It is even doubtful whether such attempts to create technology within a basic industry are viable. The costs of creating a whole business information technology model may by far outweigh any returns that such a farm can realistically obtain.

En conclusion I would argue that agriculture has to behave like other industries if it is to experience the rapid development that those industries have experienced over the last three decades. The traditional methods of farming still have a role to play but in terms of getting really big returns, the only way is to modernize. This transformation will require InfoTech conceptualization and applications, and farmers ought to prepare themselves for this resource.

There is a debate to be had about whether the government should be involved anyway. However the limits of this article do not allow for such extensive debate. Needless to say there is a general consensus that the Information Technology systems existing in many healthcare systems across the world are quite expensive and often do not meet the needs of the end users.

There have been various examples of government departments or private companies commissioning large business IT systems to administer healthcare only to later discover that these are either inappropriate or way over budget. The government sectors are particularly notorious for this. They get sold on by smooth sales people who juggle management speak for the benefit of bored managers.

Just to get an easy life, the IT system is commissioned anyway. This is despite some opposition from a lower ranked employee who, knowing how the business works on a day to day basis, will already have worked out that the new IT systems will not be able to deliver the kind of service that is required. When that employee begins to experience problems with the IT system, they are reprimanded for being resistant to change.

Once the complaints grow then the IT system is temporarily withdrawn until further investigation. Either the whole thing will be shelved or the company will join the vicious cycle of organizations that have to update or replace inappropriate technology systems.

This is the type of scenario that is played out like some tragedy over and over again. For some this is costly and unacceptable in such a sensitive industry that affects the personal lives of millions of people. Where it is government funded, this sort of business IT mismanagement takes resources away from other critical activities and reduces the scope of coverage when attempting to deliver healthcare services. What then is the solution for preventing such problems or dealing with them once they have overcome?

One of the more persuasive suggestions is that all stakeholders should be involved in selecting new information technology. There will be a divergence of need between a clinician, an administrator, a senior manager and a patient. Even the IT technician will have their own perspective as to what needs to work. Rather than selectively consult with just one among the many groups, it is far better to consult with them all. It might take a bit longer than would normally be required but the end result is that healthcare IT systems will be durable and appropriate to the people who use them.