Can IT help facilitate improved information flows across an enterprise?

I guess the real question is how can you avoid information silos inside an organization? That seems to be an enormous problem for many companies.

Michael, To be provocative - if IT doesn't facilitate and then implement the technology and business processes to provide, govern, measure and manage improved information flows across the organization ( and outside to customers and vendors etc) then failure will result!
Integration as a basic tenet and principle of ERP's systems is all about information flow and understanding that boundaries have to exist, but that processes cross boundaries and can only succeed if information flows..

I think if I.T. doesn't enable better information flow, analysis and understanding then I think it failed.

I.T. should not be viewed as a seperate department in its own right with techhies doing mysterious things. If an organization is going to use I.T. then it should be an integral part of the way the organization operates, whether it is simply by providing enhanced communications or is part of greater reform of the way an organization operates.

The question that needs to be asked at the start however is: is I.T. part of the solution, or does the problem highlight more fundamental deficiencies in an organization that I.T. alone will not address?

Ultimately I.T. is not something you just buy and hope it works. Its role should be planned and understood. If an I.T. based solution is required, but a suitable existing I.T.-based solution doesn't exist, create it.

IMHO it appears that too many companies roll out off-the-shelf solutions because they think it is the best thing, when in fact it isn't and more careful consideration needs to be applied to the situation before doing anything.

Robin,

I completely agree! IT has an important role to play across the organization in understanding how information flow insertion business processes. The best companies use IT strategically in this role.