Evaluating cost taxonomies for information systems management

The consideration of costs, benefits and risks underpin many Information System (IS) evaluation decisions. Yet, vendors and project-champions alike tend to identify and focus much of their effort on the benefits achievable from the adoption of new technology, as it is often not in the interest of key stakeholders to spend too much time considering the wider cost and risk implications of enterprise-wide technology adoptions. In identifying a void in the literature, the authors of the paper present a critical analysis of IS-cost taxonomies. In doing so, the authors establish that such cost taxonomies tend to be esoteric and difficult to operationalize, as they lack specifics in detail. Therefore, in developing a deeper understanding of IS-related costs, the authors position the need to identify, control and reduce IS-related costs within the information systems evaluation domain, through culminating and then synthesizing the literature into a frame of reference that supports the evaluation of information systems through a deeper understanding of IS-cost taxonomies. The paper then concludes by emphasizing that the total costs associated with IS-adoption can only be determined after having considered the multi-faceted dimensions of information system investments

Champagne training on a beer budget

[Abstract]: When confronted by rapidly escalating costs for End User Computing (EUC) training and support, the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) - the local government authority for Australia’s premier tourist destination - took a proactive stance by adopting a low-cost strategy. This strategy has now been in place for about six years and, as shown in this case study, is reaping rewards in terms of productivity increases and technology diffusion. After identifying an appropriate theoretical perspective for the study, this paper describes the EUC training approach taken at GCCC, and investigates its impact on the productivity of the 1500 person workforce. Both the trainees and the trainers were surveyed to evaluate fully this low-cost strategy. Related social issues of empowering the stakeholders are examined and recommendations are made to ensure that this approach will continue to provide champagne training on a beer budget

Sociotechnical systems as applied to knowledge work

This study examines the logic behind choosing variances and the design of forums during the planning of deliberations in non-routine work environments using a Sociotechnical System design approach. This study was accomplished through review and comparison of literature on sociotechnical applications of non-routine, knowledge work environments. The traditional sociotechnical application applied to factory settings with linear and routine work tasks analyzes unit operations within an open system, identifying technical variances that contribute to problems and social roles that control the variances. A new sociotechnical approach has been developed for systems involved in non-routine, knowledge work environments. This approach focuses on deliberations formed around topics, establishes variances that lead to poor deliberations, designs forums that minimize variances and gives control of variances to discretionary coalitions. These results generally support that variances contributing to poor deliberations are well established and that organizations need only identify the key variances that contribute to problems in their system. Organizations need to understand how the key variances affect the development of knowledge and how forums can be designed to enhance deliberations. This study places specific focus on the design of information technology forums that enhance knowledge developmenthttp://www.archive.org/details/sociotechnicalsy00oswaLieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Enterprise applications: taking the open source option seriously

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is becoming more popular. Nevertheless most CIOs wouldn’t even consider this option for their enterprise information technology needs. We found that the three main concerns about FOSS have to do with legal issues, costs and support. We propose an initial framework to look at FOSS in a balanced, unbiased and systematic manner that can be used for evaluation of specific scenarios from very small companies to large ones.The past and the future of information systems: 1976-2006 and beyondRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Spartan Daily, April 3, 1970

Volume 57, Issue 92https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/5314/thumbnail.jp

CARE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF HACKER IDENTITIES, COMMUNITIES, AND SOCIETY

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, Informatics and Computing, 2016Recent scholarship in Human-Computer Interaction, science and technology studies, and design research has focused on hacker communities as sites of innovation and entrepreneurship, novel forms of education, and the democratization of technological production. However, hacking practices are more than new technical practices; they are also political, value-laden, and ideological practices. The significances of these underlying commitments is less understood not only in academic research, but also within the communities themselves, which tend to profess a libertarian ethos often articulated as apolitical. In this dissertation, I investigate how the process of developing a hacker identity within a hacker community is influenced not only by technical skill, but also by care and community maintenance practices. By studying their projects, community interactions, and social policies, I explore how the broader hackerspace movement unintentionally but systematically excludes broader participation. I leverage several qualitative methods to create a well-rounded account of the hacker identity development process, including: an interview study of hackers’ projects; a 19-month ethnography in a hackerspace; and an analysis of the most-discussed issues on the international hackerspaces.org Discuss listserv. I analyzed these data through a lens informed by care ethics, foregrounding the interdependent, nurturing relationships hackers develop, and explicating the duties to care that are felt and acted on—but rarely discussed—in these spaces. I present results suggesting that developing a hacker identity can be a vulnerable process, and is both supported and made difficult by the social environment in these communities. While critical to a hackerspace’s success, care and maintenance practices are often overshadowed by rhetoric of self-empowerment and independence. As a result, it becomes difficult for women and minorities to join and fit in, despite members’ best intentions. These results have implications for research on hackerspaces, for hackerspaces themselves, and for analyses of care in such communities

Network Computer Technology. Phase I: Viability and Promise within NASA's Desktop Computing Environment

Over the past several months, major industry vendors have made a business case for the network computer as a win-win solution toward lowering total cost of ownership. This report provides results from Phase I of the Ames Research Center network computer evaluation project. It identifies factors to be considered for determining cost of ownership; further, it examines where, when, and how network computer technology might fit in NASA's desktop computing architecture

Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics in Business Decision Making: Needs and Concerns

Business users make data-informed decisions by understanding the relationships between their data and business outcomes, typically tracked by key performance indicators (KPIs). To this end, they evaluate different decision scenarios, often using what-if analyses, which can benefit from predictive and prescriptive analytics (PPA). However, incorporating PPA into data analysis systems in a way that is easy to use and understand by business users can be challenging. Numerous studies have examined how data analysts use simple predictive analytics. However, there is little systematic understanding and empirical data on business users' analysis practices for decision-making and the effectiveness of various PPA affordances in facilitating their analysis. To address this gap, we conduct a study with 22 business users to better understand their workflows and elicit feedback on the effectiveness of four example PPA functionalities in business data analysis. We find that business users can't depend on data analysts for their data analysis due to four reasons: the limited availability of data analysts in enterprises, the inefficiency of communicating with data analysts, the business pressure to make quick decisions, and the importance of incorporating domain knowledge, which data analysts often lack. We also find that business users rely on interactive manual analysis using spreadsheet-like applications, which makes coping with large, live, and complex datasets difficult. While business users don't use PPA directly, their data analysis needs suggest that they can benefit from it. We also find that PPA functionalities can increase business users' decision-making speed and confidence. Additionally, our results suggest that they need help in PPA-driven analysis for preparing datasets, understanding the risk factors of recommendations, and incorporating their domain knowledge.Comment: Submitted to EuroVis'2

Enterprise applications: taking the open source option seriously

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is becoming more popular. Nevertheless most CIOs wouldn’t even consider this option for their enterprise information technology needs. We found that the three main concerns about FOSS have to do with legal issues, costs and support. We propose an initial framework to look at FOSS in a balanced, unbiased and systematic manner that can be used for evaluation of specific scenarios from very small companies to large ones.The past and the future of information systems: 1976-2006 and beyondRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

SCALED APPROACH TO OPEN SOURCING DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY PRODUCED SOFTWARE

The Department of Defense (DoD) must continue to develop, sustain, and update its software-based capabilities. For the Department of the Navy (DoN), the life cycle costs of software continue to grow; over time, developing code will not be cost effective. An alternative to developing code is to further integrate open source software (OSS) into DoN programs. OSS is software that grants users the ability to view, use, and change the software source code. The use of OSS has been extensively researched, as addressed in the MITRE Corporation’s study on free and open source software (FOSS) in the DoD, completed in 2003. Despite favorable reports and published DoD policy, and the widespread successful use of OSS in current software, program managers are reluctant to fully integrate OSS into the DoN due to concerns with legal requirements, cybersecurity, total expenses, and the ability to implement and control OSS on classified systems while adhering to security regulations. This study utilized a quantitative, scaled approach to determine the risks and benefits to open sourcing for all DoN software. Several OSS case studies were examined. This research concluded that while OSS has been tested and proven cost-effective in certain areas of the DoN, it may not be the most efficient solution for all DoN projects. Therefore, the DoN should consider further implementation of OSS in security, software development, infrastructure support, and for program lifecycle cost reductions.DoN Secretariat Historianhttp://archive.org/details/scaledapproachto1094560404Captain, United States Marine CorpsCaptain, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited