The authors offer an argument that, at least in this case, information technology (IT) plays an important role in realizing the strategic goals of a company. This case study is not likely to end the debate regarding IT’s role in enterprise, but it does show how it can be leveraged in this instance to reach well-defined strategic targets.

The authors cover the full life cycle of a company-wide information system designed to support the needs of a small construction company (175 employees) with little IT infrastructure. The authors describe the process using what appear to be best practices at each step in the process, and support these with references to research in the field. Ultimately, this effort leads to a successful deployment, a happy user community, and a new business system that “greatly improved operational efficiency and profitability.”

What is lacking is a framework for measuring the success and truly understanding the elements that led to success. The authors offer several observations, including the importance of involving the users early in the process and having support from top management, but testability of the process remains elusive based on these observations.

As a case study, the paper presents a historical walk as the project progresses from idea to deployed system, providing insight into each step, describing the keys to success at each step, and supporting research in the field. This could be useful for further clarifying the process in the future.