ABSTRACT
There is a defect in the art of technology assessment: the lack of a sense of depth in time. It is understandable not only because most systems analysts are trained either in engineering or in the social sciences that normally take a flat contemporary view of phenomena, but also because the concrete problems set before systems analysts for solution look toward future action and discourage probing the genesis of things. (White 1974)
The current mainstream and academic debates on globalisation and enterprise reengineering have largely focused on the recent transition of enterprises to highly networked and outsourced entities. Certainly, the meteoric and highly visible rise of China and India as first low-cost, then advanced manufacturing and service workshops has accelerated this enterprise transition. Information technology (IT)-enabled extended enterprise supply chains and an associated third-party logistics industry capable of executing elaborate global business choreographies have also attracted the attention of analysts. These realities have framed the debate about the future of the corporation.
