Value propositions: a new conceptualisation for integration

This paper argues that enterprise scale information systems integration should be driven by business value propositions rather than system level requirements. It reviews the existing literature of value and presents a summary of the issues and insights. A study of attitudes and perceptions from an enterprise system vendor organisation is presented. The study uses cognitive mapping to analyse the data and grounded theory to derive the concept of value proposition as a suitable concept for comprehending integration. The concept is further developed from a synthesis of the issues from literature with the results. The determination of a value proposition is argued to be a process of defining the consumer and providing perspectives. The provider perspective of value proposition is shown to be competency based whilst the consumer is results oriented. Discussion of the implications of value proposition driven integration projects leads onto recommendations for industry and implications for further academic research.