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Business process simulation: An alternative modelling technique for the information system development process
This paper discusses the idea that even though information systems development
(ISD) approaches have long advocated the use of integrated organisational views, the
modelling techniques used have not been adapted accordingly and remain focused on
the automated information system (IS) solution. Existing research provides evidence
that business process simulation (BPS) can be used at different points in the ISD
process to provide better integrated organisational views that aid the design of
appropriate IS solutions. Despite this fact, research in this area is not extensive;
suggesting that the potential of using BPS for the ISD process is not yet well
understood. The paper uses the findings from three different case studies to illustrate
the ways BPS has been used at different points in the ISD process. It compares the
results against IS modelling techniques, highlighting the advantages and
disadvantages that BPS has over the latter. The research necessary to develop
appropriate BPS tools and give guidance on their use in the ISD process is discussed
On Modeling and Analyzing Cost Factors in Information Systems Engineering
Introducing enterprise information systems (EIS) is usually associated with high costs. It is therefore crucial to understand those factors that determine or influence these costs. Though software cost estimation has received considerable attention during the last decades, it is difficult to apply existing approaches to EIS. This difficulty particularly stems from the inability of these methods to deal with the dynamic interactions of the many technological, organizational and projectdriven cost factors which specifically arise in the context of EIS. Picking up this problem, we introduce the EcoPOST framework to investigate the complex cost structures of EIS engineering projects through qualitative cost evaluation models. This paper extends previously described concepts and introduces design rules and guidelines for cost evaluation models in order to enhance the development of meaningful and useful EcoPOST cost evaluation models. A case study illustrates the benefits of our approach. Most important, our EcoPOST framework is an important tool supporting EIS engineers in gaining a better understanding of the critical factors determining the costs of EIS engineering projects
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