And the more active participation there is in the network, the more valuable the network is for all participants. Creating and implementing an effective e-business information environment calls for a holistic approach. Considering information flows and decision support requirements across as well as within distinct business processes is critical. The next step is to identify the information types and categories supporting decisions common to each community within the overall business network. And lastly, the service requirements common to these communities must be identified.
Communities can span various stakeholder groups.
For example, the finance community may extend beyond the internal financial services organization to management within the enterprise. The finance community may also include investors and analysts who are external stakeholders with an interest in enterprise finance. In this scenario, stakeholders within the community may include certain employees, external third parties, and supply-chain partners who want to know the financial condition of the enterprise. Within each community there are also roles, and each community member may also have multiple roles. In fact, each will likely not only have multiple roles, but some of their roles will mean inclusion in other communities.