An integrated information system for universities: the University of Malaya case study

Summary form only given, as follows. With competition increasing worldwide, more and more organisations realise that they need to reshape their business in order to survive and prosper into the next century. In other words they need to completely reshape their organisations. Systems integration (SI) is a stepping stone for organisations to reengineer themselves. Through SI implementation, they can take advantage of technological advances, improve speed, service and quality. Despite the worthwhile goal, organisations are still hesitant on this venture. Based on a case study carried out in the University of Malaya, the paper discusses the factors that push an organisation to seriously consider SI as an enabling tool for continued success in the future. We then highlight some direct advantages that can be derived from SI and how they can overcome some of the IT concerns of an organisation. Next we discuss briefly the drawbacks of SI and how they can be overcome or minimised. Finally, we mention some supportive points that further encourage the implementation of SI.