The computer integration of the enterprise

Although the idea of computer integration of the enterprise has existed for a long time, still the domain is not at all well mastered. In the first part of this article, a number of definitions and specifications are proposed which are aimed at remedying this situation. A distinction is first made between enterprise integration, computer integration of the enterprise and the implementation of computer systems which contribute to the integration of the enterprise, and then between systems integration and the implementation of integrating systems. A detailed definition of integrating systems follows and the process of integration to which integrating systems give rise is explained. It is finally shown that computer integration of the enterprise is fundamentally different from organizational integration of the enterprise. The second part of the article is devoted to demonstrating the theoretical as well as the practical utility of these proposals. In particular, a case study illustrates the new way in which the computer systems in an enterprise can be viewed.