Unique information systems allow companies to differentiate themselves from competitors and gain a competitive advantage by storing their own core competencies and procedures. Rather than following standardized "good practices", leaders are finding new ways to achieve competitive advantages by adapting themselves and gaining strategic speed through innovative information systems designed to meet their specific goals, as opposed to standardized enterprise software. Choosing customer-centric solutions that provide requested products allows companies to control their strategic movements rather than having them confined by current information systems.

1. Test Yourself

2. Keeping “good practices” or creating competitive advantages? Choose between A or B Unique information systems, storing my own procedures and competencies Widely used information systems Many markets are quite saturated with numerous firms following the same “good practices”, dragging useless weights. In modern business, companies must make an effort to create mechanisms which differentiate them from their competitors. Unique information systems are the key to grasping and retaining competitive advantage as a safe box for a company’s own core competencies.

3. One-size-fits-all approach or different shoes for different occasions? Choose between A or B Enterprise software that fits my own goals One-size-fits-all enterprise software No matter what strategy you try, competitive advantage is tougher to create and sustain with each passing year. Because creating an edge has become hard, leaders are finding new ways to achieve it. They are learning to adapt themselves gaining strategic speed. They keep creating new competitive advantages again and again, never forgetting to use the right tools to meet their goals.

4. Always follow the menu? Choose between A or B Innovative information systems Information systems as usual Meet the corporate chameleons. They have learned to adjust to rapid changes with relative ease. The ones who succeed the most don't settle for standard rules and regular procedures. They otherwise look beyond common knowledge (menus) with the intent to keep coming up with new ideas.

5. Which shirt suits you better? Choose between A or B Think for yourself Keeping up with the Joneses What level of efficiency do you expect to get when you buy something that doesn't fit your needs? It is true that packaged software has become more sophisticated. However, few companies require those features and functionalities that come with off-the-shelf software and often end up adapting their needs to the software package. A simpler application designed to meet the company's procedures is far more efficient.

6. Long wait for strategic needs? Choose between A or B Enterprise software is a tool I can easily control Enterprise software is a heavy block I cannot move Are you investing in unsuccessful ongoing IT projects, even if they cannot move? Are you postponing projects that could help you or bring you a competitive edge, due to supposedly non-compliance risks? Are your strategic movements confined by your current information system?

7. Good or bad surprises? Choose between A or B If I know what to request, my software grants my wishes I don’t care. My software supplier decides it for me Are you playing for fun or playing to win? To do things differently you have to use different solutions. Now is the time to choose: A) With customer-centric ones, you get the product you need. B) With supplier centric solutions, the software producer "pushes" things forward and you do not request the product to be developed. What will it be?

8. The ones who impose the rules The current leaders in a given sector of activity. They are “the rule makers”. They preserve the rules that allow them to maintain their leadership. The ones who follow the rules They copy and try to catch up with leaders. They are “ the rule takers”. They try to adopt the good practices carried on by the leader. The ones who create new rules And who break the former rules. They are “the rule breakers”. They create new concepts and reinvent their sectors of activity.