Information system design and integrated enterprise modelling through a key-problem framework

In today's highly competitive global economy enterprise integration (EI) can take a major role in performance improvement. The more the scope of EI is enlarged, the more users, which are not integration experts, are involved. This fact generates communication problems. For the information system (IS), which remains the main integration vehicle, the situation is obviously similar. In this paper, it is proposed to analyse how an IS design approach, based on a key-problem framework, enables both to involve efficiently users and improve the design of a model of an integrated enterprise. These two points are developed through a cross-analysis of the works related to EI in both the enterprise modelling and information system design fields. They are then discussed and illustrated on a real case of integration of customer support, maintenance and design processes in a SME company that manufactures salt spreader components for snow clearing vehicles.