Passage 2
Curley says the most easily justified e-business investments are those that provide business value and improve IT efficiency. One example he cites: peer-to-peer enabled e-learning, or distance learning facilitated by technology. This provides just-in-time instruction that can be more effective and efficient than traditional education—and uses the existing corporate IT infrastructure. “This makes the investment attractive to both the business and the information technology organization,” Curley says.
What makes e-business investments the same as other IT investments? Curley says it’s the need to understand the goals and the investment’s expected impact. Is the impact improved business efficiency, effectiveness or perhaps business transformation?
But what makes e-business investments different? For starters, there is the pace at which investments may need to be made. The faster you move, the less likely you are to have operational excellence. The key is getting everyone to agree on the right tradeoff.
Experts note healthy trends as a result of the economic downturn. Rather than blindly pouring cash into Internet divisions, for example, executives are recognizing that business is business — whether online or in person. They also recognize that all the returns aren’t obvious at the start.
36.E-business investments are different from other IT investments in that ______.