UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM – INNOVATION IN THE WELFARE SECTOR THROUGH ACTION DESIGN RESEARCH

Action design research (ADR) is a method to produce knowledge and solve real-world problems through the design of innovative IT/IS artifacts. The starting point for all design science research projects is the identification of a significant problem. However, ADR does not provide detailed guidance in the early stages of the problem formulation. This makes the initial problem formulation process challenging, especially when innovating new artifacts in complex settings. The paper contributes to this discussion by exploring how the Work Systems (WS) snapshot can be used as a tool for identifying and understanding a problem domain. The study leans on a project that focuses on the welfare sector and the transition from school to employment for persons with intellectual disability. We show that the WS snapshot can provide guidance and structure in conceptualizing the problem and that user journeys can assist in communicating the findings to practitioners. However, we encountered challenges relating to the scope and the granularity of the work system. In addition, the complexity of the welfare sector demands that significant time is spend on understanding not only the problem domain itself, but also the surrounding settings

Data Quality Management in Corporate Practice

The 21st century is characterized by a rising quantity and importance of Data and Infor-mation. Companies utilize these in order to gain and maintain competitive advantages. Therefore, the Data and Information is required both in high quantity as well as quality. But while the amount of Data collected is steadily increasing, this does not necessarily mean the same is true for Data Quality. In order to assure high Data Quality, the concept of Data Quality Management (DQM) has been established, incorporating such elements as the assessment of Data Quality as well as its improvement. In order to discuss the issue of Data Quality Management, this paper pursues the following goals: (1) Systematic literature search for publications regarding Data Quality Management (Scientific contributions, Practice reports etc.) (2) Provision of a structured overview of the identified references and the research mate-rial (3) Analysis and evaluation of the scientific contributions with regards to methodology and theoretical foundation (4) Current expression of DQM in practice, differentiated by organization type and in-dustry (based upon the entire research material) as well as assessment of the situation (how well are the design recommendations based upon research results) (5) Summary of unresolved issues and challenges, based upon the research materia

Evaluation of Action Design Research

Design science research (DSR) is a legitimate research paradigm in the discipline of information systems (IS). One prominent DSR method is Action Design Research (ADR). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the ADR method based on empirical experiences from a research project. We have found that the ADR method is highly relevant to an applied discipline such as IS. It creates a bridge between the organisational perspective and the technical perspective of the IT artefact. Moreover, the ADR method supports the dual mission of developing theory and producing knowledge that supports IS practitioners. The findings also include empirical evidence pointing towards a lack of prescriptive guidance with respect to the challenges such as: how to identify appropriate evaluation strategies, how to identify the abstraction mechanisms required to move from the specific-and-unique to the generic-and-abstract, and how to formulate design principles. Although we found adequate support at the macro level, the ADR method needs more detailed support for operationalisation in practice. To address this issue, we propose a number of guidelines that either seek to improve the ADR method or support those who apply ADR

The Design and Emergence of a Data/Information Quality System

Poor data and information quality (DQ/IQ) has remained a consistent problem plaguing both the practitioner and academic communities in Information Systems (IS). The consequences of poor DQ/IQ is particularly severe in Construction Engineering, and the field lacks sufficient DQ/IQ assessment frameworks and tools. To address this shortcoming, we applied an action design research (ADR) approach to develop and implement a DQ/IQ assessment tool called Information Quality System (IQS). The multi-year research project took place in a European construction engineering company, and lasted from 2007 to 2012. We drew upon insights from the literature on DQ/IQ assessment and related challenges in construction engineering, as well as practical lessons learned from managing DQ/IQ in the target organization. Through our research, we develop a set of design principles for meeting DQ/IQ challenges.Validerad; 2015; Nivå 2; 20150828 (mausei