Different configurations of flexibility for I/S strategic alignment

An information system (I/S) is generally considered flexible when it can be modified easily to align with changing requirements of the business. Flexibility is crucial to survive in a hypercompetitive environment. Considering a comprehensive conceptual framework of I/S flexibility enablers, a research question was addressed: Are all the enablers in the framework always essential for achieving I/S flexibility? Research results on enterprise flexibility and manufacturing flexibility indicate that different types of flexibility should be considered according to the category of strategic uncertainty to be faced. Based on previous work, four forms of I/S flexibility have been identified: operation, adaptation, extension and transformation. An exploratory analysis was conducted on two case studies of flexible I/S that are closely linked to strategic decisions in a fast-changing environment. The adaptation and extension flexibility forms have emerged as different configurations of necessary enablers.