1,549 research outputs found
The propagation of technology management taxonomies for evaluating investments in information systems
To provide managers with a critical insight into the management of new technology, this paper uses a case study research strategy to examine the technology management experiences of a leading UK manufacturing organization during its adoption of a vendor-supplied Manufacturing Resource Planning information system.<br /
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A comprehensive analysis of it/is indirect costs: Enhancing the evaluation of information systems investments
The level of Information Technology (IT) expenditure within organizations continues to
increase over the years in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage in their respective
industries. Nonetheless, IT projects still experience budget overruns taking into account the
continual fall of hardware costs. This phenomenon presents a dilemma to managers who
struggle to evaluate their investments in IT. Adding to the difficulty is the peculiar nature of
such investments having Human and Organizational dimensions. Such dimensions are later
translated into indirect costs that are both difficult to identify and quantify hence are ignored
by managers which hinders the evaluation process. The lack of knowledge of managers about
IT/IS indirect costs affect their ability to determine the true costs of deploying IT. It is closing
the gap that this paper strives to explore a new method for identifying, managing and
controlling IT indirect costs through a case study enquiry of a leading gold producing
company. The research establishes a rational that goes beyond the traditional quantification
appraisal of costs which is inadequate in the case of indirect costs. It proposes a solution that
helps to thoroughly identify the indirect costs, mitigate their effect and achieve the desired
control while enhancing the evaluation process through their inclusion
Information systems evaluation: Navigating through the problem domain
Information systems (IS) make it possible to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, which can provide
competitive advantage. There is, however, a great deal of difficulty reported in the normative literature when it comes to the
evaluation of investments in IS, with companies often finding themselves unable to assess the full implications of their IS
infrastructure. Although many of the savings resulting from IS are considered suitable for inclusion within traditional
accountancy frameworks, it is the intangible and non-financial benefits, together with indirect project costs that complicate the
justification process. In exploring this phenomenon, the paper reviews the normative literature in the area of IS evaluation, and
then proposes a set of conjectures. These were tested within a case study to analyze the investment justification process of a
manufacturing IS investment. The idiosyncrasies of the case study and problems experienced during its attempts to evaluate,
implement, and realize the holistic implications of the IS investment are presented and critically analyzed. The paper
concludes by identifying lessons learnt and thus, proposes a number of empirical findings for consideration by decisionmakers
during the investment evaluation process
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Developing a frame of reference for ex-ante IT/IS investment evaluation
Investment appraisal techniques are an integral part of many traditional capital budgeting processes. However, the adoption of Information Systems (IS) and the development of resulting infrastructures are being increasingly viewed on the basis of consumption. Consequently, decision-makers are now moving away from the confines of rigid capital budgeting processes, which have traditionally compared IS with non-IS-related investments. With this in mind, the authors seek to dissect investment appraisal from the broader capital budgeting process to allow a deeper understanding of the mechanics involved with IS justification. This analysis presents conflicting perspectives surrounding the scope and sensitivity of traditional appraisal methods. In contributing to this debate, the authors present taxonomies of IS benefit types and associated natures, and discuss the resulting implications of using traditional appraisal techniques during the IS planning and decision-making process. A frame of reference that can be used to navigate through the variety of appraisal methods available to decision-makers is presented and discussed. Taxonomies of appraisal techniques that are classified by their respective characteristics are also presented. Perspectives surrounding the degree of involvement that financial appraisal should play during decision making and the limitations surrounding investment appraisal techniques are identifie
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
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Information systems evaluation: Mini-track introduction
abreast of technological innovations. Yet, companies are becoming more aware that a competitive advantage can not be achieved,
or even maintained by utilizing the latest technology. Indeed, it is becoming more apparent that a strategic competitive advantage
will not be achieved through embraced technology alone but, in the way companies approach the evaluation, management and
exploitation of their human, organizational and technology based assets and infrastructure.
In support of this, Sohal et al. (2001) reported the results of a large-scale survey that demonstrated the limited Information
Technology (IT) enabled business benefits resulting in service and manufacturing sectors.
The survey highlighted that many of the benefits achieved through adopting IT/IS were limited to improvements in productivity
and cost alone. Clearly, such results are surprising given the emphasis the normative literature has placed on the strategic benefits
achievable from IT/IS. As a result of the far reaching conclusions reported by Sohal et al. (2001), many organisational have begun
to question the scope and depth of those IT-enabled business benefits that are not achieved by those companies proactively
adopting IT/IS
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Transforming failure into success through organisational learning: An analysis of a manufacturing information system
This paper describes the idiosyncracies of a case study company, through highlighting issues and problems
experienced during their attempts to evaluate, implement and realise the holistic implications of a manufacturing
information system. Although the Information System (IS) was operational for a period of time, it
was eventually deemed a failure. The reason for this was that a range of human and organisational factors
prevented the organisation from embracing the full impact of the system. The eventual success of their
information system was realised through a bespoke implementation, based upon a traditional systems development
lifecycle that indirectly addressed learning issues following the earlier failed deployment. The
paper highlights key issues relating to business success and failure, and then contrasts them alongside the
presented case study. In doing so, the authors conclude by proposing methods through which manufacturing
information systems can be transformed for business success. This is described achievable through both a
realisation in the positioning of the organisation relative to technology management, and the related mapping
of human and technological constructs that support information systems related succes
Learning lessons from evaluating eGovernment: Reflective case experiences that support transformational government
Central Government strategy of e-inclusion is being manifested in the form of eGovernment. Given that it is the public
purse that funds such investments, there is increasingly attention being paid to the evaluation of these investments, such
that value for money and organisation learning can be realised. In this paper the authors report the findings from three
interpretive in-depth organisational case studies that explore eGovernment evaluation within a UK public sector setting.
The paper elicits insights to organisational and managerial aspects with the purpose of improving knowledge and understanding
of eGovernment evaluation. The findings that are extrapolated from the case study analysis are presented in terms
of lessons that gravitate around social factors, evaluation, adoption, ownership, prioritisation sponsorship and, responsibility.
These lessons are extrapolated from the empirical enquiry to improve eGovernment evaluation practice. The paper concludes
that eGovernment evaluation is an under developed area, with most work being developmental in nature and as a
result calls for decision makers to engage with the eGovernment agenda and commission eGovernment evaluation exercises
to improve evaluation practice such that transformational Government can realise its full potential. The paper ends
by highlighting political, economic, technical and social issues as the drivers of the evaluation cycle
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A theoretical model for the application of Web 2.0 in e-Government
Government organisations in many countries have started embracing modern technologies such as second generation web (Web 2.0) in an attempt to maximize on the benefits of these technologies as well as keeping up with the current trend. Nevertheless, the advancement and the adoption of these of technologies is in its initial stages in the public sector. Therefore, the research problem is that the literature surrounding the application of Web 2.0 is still highly tentative and exploratory. In particular, there is a lack of research exploring the application of Web 2.0 technologies in the context of local e-Government. This study aims to address this research problem by presenting a comprehensive decision-making tool to aid the effective application of Web 2.0 technologies amongst local government authorities (LGAs). In doing so, resulting in the development of a theoretical model that is underpinned by information systems evaluation criteria and impact factors of Web 2.0 from an internal organizational perspective. By addressing the research problem, this study will make a significant contribution to the normative literature by providing new insights of Web 2.0 technologies within the public sector. This will be of specific relevance to scholars, policy makers, LGAs and practitioners who are interested in the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in an e-Government context. This paper presents the proposed theoretical model and is largely devoted to an explanation on the development of the model
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