A Study of User Involvement in Packaged Software Selection

This paper is concerned with the decision-making processes surrounding the adoption of packaged software in organizations. We begin by looking at its increasing utilization and consider some of the strengths and limi- tations of employing a standardized approach, particularly in relation to its consideration of end-user requirements. We note the highly problematic nature of installing a global standardized product in the local environment. Using a field study concerning the adoption of a customer relationship management package in a small organization, we go on to illustrate the limited amount of end-user involvement in the selection and procurement of the product. We argue that the art of salesmanship by the third party vendor and project team, which focuses on the interests of senior management, ultimately secures the selection and procurement of the software package

Reasons behind ERP package adoption: a diffusion of innovations perspective

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages have been widely adopted and it is becoming clear that this is driven by multiple rationales that may be simultaneously at odds and complimentary. In this paper, we aim to develop a greater understanding of these rationales by taking ERP packages to be innovations and analysing their adoption with reference to the theory of diffusion of innovations. In particular, we consider the attributes of ERP packages that may affect their adoption such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexiblity, trialability and observability. We argue that users’ perceptions of these attributes are not always accurate and these ’misconceptions’ can further explain reasons for ERP adoption or rejection. Although our analysis aims to provide rich insights into the adoption of ERP packages, the results of the study are arguably of further interest to the more general study of packaged software and the more established literature on custom development

Selling packaged software: an ethical analysis

Within the IS literature there is little discussion on selling software products in general and especially from the ethical point of view. Similarly, within computer ethics, although there is much interest in professionalism and professional codes, in terms of accountability and responsibility, the spotlight tends to play on safety-critical or life-critical systems, rather than on software oriented towards the more mundane aspects of work organisation and society. With this research gap in mind, we offer a preliminary ethical investigation of packaged software selling. Through an analysis of the features of competition in the market, the global nature of the packaged software market and the nature of product development we conclude that professionalism, as usually conceived in computer ethics, does not apply particularly well to software vendors. Thus, we call for a broader definition of professionalism to include software vendors, not just software developers. Moreover, we acknowledge that with intermediaries, such as implementation consultants, involved in software selling, and the packaged software industry more generally, there are even more “hands” involved. Therefore, we contend that this is an area worthy of further study, which is likely to yield more on the question of accountability

The Evaluation of CRM Systems: A Behavior Based Conceptual Framework

Research-in-progress on the evaluation of mandatory Customer Relationship Management Information Systems (CRM IS) is presented. The business problem is presented, followed by converging theoretical considerations, which assist in making the case for a wider conceptualisation of CRM evaluation which values a social perspective of CRM IS use at boundary-spanning professional (BSP) and customer levels. An emotions based conceptual framework for use in evaluating CRM IS from this social perspective is then presented, building on a theory of emotional expression. The framework is explained and then discussed in terms of how the framework can be applied and data outputs analysed in a field analysis context. The broader research programme aims to test and validate the model according to the details given and through doing so, further understanding of the impact of CRM IS from this behaviours based, social perspective

ENTERPRISE-LEVEL PACKAGED SOFTWARE ACQUISITION: A STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW THROUGH THE LENS OF IT GOVERNANCE

Enterprise-level packaged software is gaining in importance across organizations. Increasingly, organizations decide to purchase packaged software solutions. However, the acquisition of these software packages is carried out in risky and complex acquisition projects. Implementing the right governance structures and procedures can help to avoid errors and problems in this phase, which could severely impact implementation and usage of the procured systems in the future. The current body of knowledge on software acquisition governance is scarce, scattered, and in need of integration. Therefore, this study endeavors to perform a structured literature review which assesses the current state-of-the-art in software acquisition, focusing on IT governance-related aspects. Three main topics are identified and elaborated: the selection of software, the software acquisition process, and influncing factors. Based on these extant findings, this study integrates and synthesizes the separate research streams through the conceptual lens of IT governance. This literature review can help decision makers in organizations with optimizing their software procurement processes, governance, and behaviors and builds a foundation for further research on this increasingly relevant topic

We Need Numbers! - Heuristic Evaluation during Demonstrations (HED) for Measuring Usability in IT System Procurement

We introduce a new usability inspection method called HED (heuristic evaluation during demonstrations) for measuring and comparing usability of competing complex IT systems in public procurement. The method presented enhances traditional heuristic evaluation to include the use context, comprehensive view of the system, and reveals missing functionality by using user scenarios and demonstrations. HED also quantifies the results in a comparable way. We present findings from a real-life validation of the method in a large-scale procurement project of a healthcare and social welfare information system. We analyze and compare the performance of HED to other usability evaluation methods used in procurement. Based on the analysis HED can be used to evaluate the level of usability of an IT system during procurement correctly, comprehensively and efficiently.Peer reviewe

Research on Public Procurement of Information Systems: The Need for a Process Approach

n this paper, I take stock of the current state of research on public procurement of information systems (IS). Based on a review of the extant literature, I identify several research gaps. A key finding is that little attention has been paid to the process of public procurement, and most of the papers focusing on the process are limited to one specific task, such as tendering and vendor selection. A substantial proportion of these studies are variance or snapshot types. I emphasize the need for more longitudinal research that covers the whole process, and suggest a research approach that focuses on issues such as stakeholder involvement and management, and the application of dialectics