Strategic importance of the quality of information technology for improved competitiveness of agricultural companies and its evaluation

Abstract

The article discusses the issue of the use of information technology in the search for potential competitive advantages in agricultural companies. Information technology in agriculture should provide a clearly defined benefit for the management's decision-making. If information technology is not being used to its full potential and if the results are interpreted incorrectly, the overall impact may be damaging to the position of companies in the competitive environment. Investment in information technology requires considerable sums that should return in the form of faster and better decision-making in which digitalized corporate processes play a complex role. Strategic decision-making concerning investments in information technology in various types of agricultural businesses varies depending on their size, focus, economic situation etc. In the context of the current state of agriculture in the Czech Republic and after a detailed analysis of available literature, the authors conclude that the issues of quality of information technology have not yet been systematically examined and resolved in Czech agricultural companies. For this reason, they consider it fruitful to focus their attention on this subject. The main objective of the paper is to develop and apply a methodological model for evaluating the quality of information technology in an agricultural business. In addition, we want to examine the broader impact of the criterion of IT quality from the perspective of its strategic importance for competitiveness and the extent to which it supports strategic management in practice.