Contractors and computers, why systems succeed or fail: a grounded theory study of the development of microcomputer-based information systems in ten small companies in the construction industry

A longitudinal study in ten small companies operating in the U.K. construction industry was undertaken using a grounded theory approach over the period 1980-85. The research project involved detailed discussions with management and staff throughout the period of selection, implementation and live operation of a microcomputer-based information system (MIS). The objective was to identify the nature of problems experienced by small companies when introducing microcomputer-based MIS and thereby determine the variables relating to the degree of success achieved. Whilst four companies successfully reached the stage of live operation and use of the information system, five were judged unsuccessful having abandoned the project during the research period. The remaining company continued to experience organisational difficulties relating to the system development. The characteristics of the successful and unsuccessful companies are used to build a grounded model of MIS development in small companies. Research findings raised many contextual, processual and methodological issues concerning the selection, implementation and live operation of microcomputer-based management information systems in this type of environment. A strategy for the successful implementation of microcomputer-based MIS, embracing the factors determining success/failure in the small organisation environment, is presented. The thesis concludes by offering some advice to the systems developers and the information systems design community concerning MIS development in small organisations

End User Computing and Information Security: a Retrospective Look at the De-centralisation of Data Processing and Emerging Organisational Information Risk

Information security assured on centralised systems through application of principles previously established for paper-based systems. The advent of personal computing and distributed computing potentially turned that model upside down. It seems that the eagerness of organisations for encouraging technology (Availability part of the CIA acronym) seemed to take precedence over the finer meaning of Confidentiality and Integrity, in spite of (in the UK, at least) changes to legislation. The huge increase in portable data storage capacities ensured that what may have been perceived as a minor irritant in the 1980s became a potential nightmare scenario by 2007, which caused two government reports to report “systemic failure”. This paper looks at the development of end-user computing, and suggests that the problem occurred because of a lack of information risk assessment over many year

Preliminary Candidate Advanced Avionics System (PCAAS)

Specifications which define the system functional requirements, the subsystem and interface needs, and other requirements such as maintainability, modularity, and reliability are summarized. A design definition of all required avionics functions and a system risk analysis are presented

The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network: A Fisheries Information System

The Western Pacific Fishery Information Network (WPACFlN) is an intergovernmental agency cooperative program sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to help participating island fisheries agencies carry out data collection, analysis, reporting programs, and data management activities to better support fisheries management under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act; and to help meet local fisheries information and management needs. The WPACFlN is the central source of information for Federal fisheries management of most fisheries in American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and it plays an important role in acquiring fisheries data in Hawaii. This paper describes the development and status of this fishery information system

MICROCOMPUTER SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Introduction to Library Trends 37 (3) Winter 1989: Contemporary Technology in Libraries

published or submitted for publicatio

Electronic Information in School Libraries

Microcomputers have progressed from toys to tools in managing school libraries. Equipment inventory, circulation, online catalogs, acquisitions, and serials management/check-in have all been affected. In addition, high technology has presented new possibilities for educating young people, and school librarians are faced with a role change as they rise to meet this challenge.published or submitted for publicatio

A study of the selection of microcomputer architectures to automate planetary spacecraft power systems

Performance and reliability models of alternate microcomputer architectures as a methodology for optimizing system design were examined. A methodology for selecting an optimum microcomputer architecture for autonomous operation of planetary spacecraft power systems was developed. Various microcomputer system architectures are analyzed to determine their application to spacecraft power systems. It is suggested that no standardization formula or common set of guidelines exists which provides an optimum configuration for a given set of specifications