Strategic information systems: Business model for a small retailer firm

The internal dynamics of companies, as well as the industry’s dynamics in which those firms compete, have to be treated comprehensively when is carried out an analysis of strategies in order to be competitive at markets. Such strategies look to respond to clients’ expectations, investing resources in order to maximize profits. Results for the company highly depend on environment’s characteristics and the capacity to assimilate such environment and to manage it correctly. One approach is to visualize the company as a set of processes that have to be analyzed, measured, and improved. Once the processes have been identified, it is recommendable to define the way that ICTs can facilitate their improvement. Here, strategic information systems acquire relevance because they are intended to provide improved functionality to business in a company, supporting the system activities that were set to provide competiveness. We present the results of an applied research in a small family retail firm into a rural context of Costa Rica that sought to define a strategy that seeks improvements in its relationship with clients. The research have used a methodology of hybrid "Business Process Modeling" (BPM) merging Susan Page and Dan Madison approaches to redesign processes of purchases and sales, supported by strategic information systems. In addition, we have used Michael Porter’s models to determine the environment of the company (industry forces) and internal characteristics (value chain). The results of this research looks to contribute on defining business models supported by ICT for small rural firms in developing countries.