Anitesh Barua: Firms differ widely in how they view IT, with some regarding it as wasteful spending and others as highly strategic. Firms who are capable of harnessing new technologies are also likely to engage in business process innovation that will separate them from the competition. Wal-Mart, Cemex, Progressive Insurance are examples of firms that have set performance benchmarks through superior informational capabilities in the mature, commoditized and highly competitive industries of retail, cement and insurance. Informational capabilities involve the capture, processing and exchange of strategic and tactical information across the value chain including customers, suppliers and channel partners.”]