Charting the digital frontier

Part 1 of this book introduces the contemporary business landscape that requires the attention of all companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Our global economy is undergoing rapid and disruptive change driven by digital technologies and digitally enhanced products. This section briefly introduces the concepts behind Lean, Agile, and VSM practices in a digital context.

Understanding the digital economy’s landscape

The concept of the digital economy is more than just a trend. It’s a new business paradigm. The term digital economy came into use in the 1990s and was the subject of Don Tapscott’s 1995 book, The Digital Economy: Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence.1 As digital computing technologies and the internet have evolved, they’ve significantly transformed how businesses operate, particularly in eBusiness and eCommerce. Today, the lines between digital and traditional economies...