Understanding the benefits of IT shared services: Insights from Higher Education Sector

In search of efficiencies and effectiveness demanded by a changing marketplace, universities are rethinking their IT services and are considering shared services options. While studies suggest that a wide range of IT services could be shared across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering many potential benefits, there has been little empirical evidence of the specific benefits that apply to this sector and their relationships. A deeper understanding of shared services benefits will inform decision making in practice while progressing research in this field. Through a series of case studies of shared services in the Malaysian Higher Education sector, 5 key categories of benefits are empirically explored: (i) Economic, (ii) Technical, (iii) Process Improvement, (iv) Strategic and Organizational, and (v) Political benefits. The study identified specific sub-themes for each of these broad, generic benefit categories. In addition, potential relationships between these categories are also investigated to form an early theoretical framework on the complex associations between these different benefit categories that can potentially contribute to the wider shared services research

Treiber und Hürden der Einführung von Shared Service Centern in der Verwaltungs-IT

Der öffentliche Sektor steht dem Konzept eines partnerschaftlich von öffentlicher Hand und privaten Dienstleistern betriebenen Shared Service Centers (SSC) im IT-Bereich trotz steigenden Kosten- und Leistungsdrucks und dem Erfordernis einer verstärkten Service- und Kundenorientierung zurückhaltend gegenüber. Bisher fehlt ein zusammenhängendes Bild der Einflussfaktoren auf die Entscheidung zur Einführung eines SSC in der öffentlichen Verwaltung. Auf Basis der Adoptions- und Diffusionsforschung wird ein konzeptuelles Forschungsmodell entwickelt, welches Treiber und Hürden der Adoptionsentscheidung abbildet. Das Modell unterscheidet zwischen organisations-, innovations- und umgebungspezifischen Faktoren. Es legt die Grundlage für eine zukünftige empirisch-quantitative Untersuchung

Success factors for ICT shared services in higher education institutions

Shared service is a consolidation of support functions in an organization, to provide services as efficiently and effectively as possible. The implementation of shared services in an organization becomes crucial particularly with reference to ICT shared services. However, there is a deficiency in the means of measuring the extent of successful ICT shared services. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence the success of ICT shared services and determine the level of ICT shared services implementation. The study uses a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the factors characterizing the success of the ICT shared services model. The content of this study was acquired from various resources including papers and books, which were used to find the ICT shared services factors. The SLR revealed six factors which influence the success of ICT shared services in the organization. These factors are organized using multiple theories which are split into three different perspectives: technologies, organizational and the personnel responsible for producing the ICT shared services model. This study deploy a questionnaire survey method to evaluate the initial success factor and using Descriptive Statistics to validate the data

Understanding the benefits of IT shared services: Insights from the Higher Education sector

In search of efficiencies and effectiveness demanded by a changing marketplace, universities are rethinking their IT services and are considering shared services options. While studies suggest that a wide range of IT services could be shared across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offering many potential benefits, there has been little empirical evidence of the specific benefits that apply to this sector and their relationships. A deeper understanding of shared services benefits will inform decision making in practice while progressing research in this field. Through a series of case studies of shared services in the Malaysian Higher Education sector, 5 key categories of benefits are empirically explored: (i) Economic, (ii) Technical, (iii) Process Improvement, (iv) Strategic and Organizational, and (v) Political benefits. The study identified specific sub-themes for each of these broad, generic benefit categories. In addition, potential relationships between these categories are also investigated to form an early theoretical framework on the complex associations between these different benefit categories that can potentially contribute to the wider shared services research

ICT shared service framework for E-government among organizations

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) shared service is defined as sharing of ICT service by different units within an organization or multiple organizations, which can occur from different locations. Inter-organizational ICT shared service helps to improve decision making in delivering service to users besides improving working relationship between staffs through collaboration between government organizations. However, current research lacks a holistic view of how to implement an appropriate inter-organizational ICT shared service in e-government. This research developed an ICT shared service framework for e-government among organizations as a guideline to improve service and enlarge ICT shared service. Qualitative data were collected from a single case study comprising multiple organizations. Data were gathered from the practitioners of service provider who have experience in using and managing single service both on e-government intraorganizational and inter-organizational ICT shared service. The interviews also involved representatives from other organizations who have experience in using and managing single service of inter-organizational ICT shared service. Qualitative data analysis interactive model was used to analyze the interview results. Success factors and challenges were identified based on service stakeholders’ views. In addition, Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) and Dependency Network Diagram (DND) as well as success factors and challenges were analyzed to identify the dependencies between stakeholders. These dependencies were used to formulate the proposed framework. The stages of Watson and Mundy’s e-government framework were used as the basis in developing the framework due to its suitability for organization to test the feasibility of the service. It consists of three stages: initiation, infusion and customization focusing on stakeholders’ involvement and their dependencies in every stage. Next, the framework was verified by practitioners using walkthrough of a different case study. The aim of this framework is to help organizations to clearly identify their process chain and dependency with other organizations during implementing inter-organizational ICT shared service through the thorough step-bystep process. This Inter-Organizational ICT Shared Service Framework for EGovernment has been designed to allow an experienced and knowledgeable organization in intra-organizational ICT shared service to expand their service to be used by multiple organizations

Exploring shared services from an IS perspective: a literature review and research agenda

Shared services have gained significance as an organizational arrangement, in particular for support functions, to reduce costs, increase quality and create new capabilities. The Information Systems (IS) function is amenable to sharing arrangements and information systems can enable sharing in other functional areas. However, despite being a promising area for IS research, literature on shared services in the IS discipline is scarce and scattered. There is still little consensus on what shared services is. Moreover, a thorough understanding of why shared services are adopted, who are involved, and how things are shared is lacking. In this article, we set out to progress IS research on shared services by establishing a common ground for future research and proposing a research agenda to shape the field based on an analysis of the IS literature. We present a holistic and inclusive definition, discuss the primacy of economic-strategic objectives so far, and introduce conceptual frameworks for stakeholders and the notion of sharing. We also provide an overview of the theories and research methods applied. We propose a research agenda that addresses fundamental issues related to objectives, stakeholders, and the notion of sharing to lay the foundation for taking IS research on shared services forward

Exploring Shared Services from an IS Perspective: A Literature Review and Research Agenda

Shared services have gained significance as an organizational arrangement, in particular for support functions, to reduce costs, increase quality, and create new capabilities. The information systems (IS) function is amenable to sharing arrangements and information systems can enable sharing in other functional areas. However, despite being a promising area for IS research, literature on shared services in the IS discipline is scarce and scattered. There is still little consensus on what shared services is. Moreover, a thorough understanding of why shared services are adopted, who are involved, and how things are shared is lacking. In this article, we set out to progress IS research on shared services by establishing a common ground for future research and proposing a research agenda to shape the field based on an analysis of the IS literature. We present a holistic and inclusive definition, discuss the primacy of economic-strategic objectives so far, and introduce conceptual frameworks for stakeholders and the notion of sharing. We also provide an overview of the theories and research methods applied. We propose a research agenda that addresses fundamental issues related to objectives, stakeholders, and the notion of sharing to lay the foundation for taking IS research on shared services forward

Realizing Shared Services - A Punctuated Process Analysis of a Public IT Department

IT services are increasingly being offered via a shared service model. This model promises the benefits of centralization and consolidation, as well as an increased customer satisfaction. Adopting shared services is not easy as it necessitates a major organizational change, with few documented exemplars to guide managers. This research explores a public IT unit’s realization of shared services with the intent to improve the transparency of its value proposition to their stakeholders. An ethnographic field study enabled in-situ data collection over a 24-month period. We analyzed the resulting, rich process data using the Punctuated Socio-Technical IS Change (PSIC) model. This resulted in several contributions: an explanatory account of shared services realization, an empirically grounded punctuated process model with seventeen critical incidents, and twelve key lessons for practitioners. Several extensions to extant process research methods are developed. These contributions combine to form a detailed and nuanced understanding of the process of realizing IT shared services at a large public university over a multi-year period

Generic management challenges of adopting IT-shared services

This study empirically explores generic management challenges in the early phase of adopting IT-shared services, which are organizational independent units for delivering organization-wide IT services. Data has been collected by the means of twenty case studies, conducted between 2002 and 2010. Seven themes are general, reoccurring management challenges for the whole organization that includes business units as well as IT units. The challenges are as follows: (i) ability to deliver IT services, (ii) communication, (iii) IT service portfolios, (iv) nature of IT services, (v) power and control, (vi) pricing, and (vii) service level agreements. Better understanding these challenges is essential for further research on how to manage the transition towards shared-services arrangements. This study, therefore, is an elementary step in this complex endeavor, providing valuable insights into which management challenges need consideration