Framework for managing business development in the networked organisation

Successful business practice is traditionally discussed in terms of the operational characteristics of business organisations. How successful organisations operate and behave is of interest to all analysts. Increasingly, however, business success is viewed through the process of managing development, where management decisions are informed by appropriate and timely information. Managing development information such as customer requirements, business strategies, development projects and idea generation is central to achieving business growth. This paper presents research aimed at developing an information architecture and associated toolset for understanding and managing the process of business development. The research has lead to the creation of a groupware application that marries a number of distinct areas of research including strategic planning, performance measurement, enterprise modelling, project portfolio management and team management. The groupware helps communicate all the core development information necessary for informed decision-making and brings all the people responsible for development in the organisation closer together.