Why Information Systems Development Projects are Always Late

Information systems development projects (ISD) are characterized by high rates of failure and escalation. To address this concern, in this paper a novel explanation for the poor performance is developed, which explores the influence two variables: task variance and task dependence. The findings suggest that the improvement in performance has been slow because of the interactive effect of the two variables driving both the level of, and variance in, performance. To address this problem, the paper concludes with a number of practical suggestions

Development of Information Systems Project Portfolio Management Capabilities: A Case Study on an Australian Bank

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) has emerged as an effective technique to manoeuvre and align projects and programs with business strategy. Strategic alignment empowers the Information Systems (IS) function and Information Technology (IT) enabled initiatives to support business development. To this end, organisations are using more IS projects and programs to enable them to compete. The literature identifies Information Systems Project Portfolio Management (IS PPM) capabilities but lacks empirical research on how these develop. This research seeks to address this gap by investigating how capabilities develop over time. This case study research adopts the Dynamic Capabilities theoretical lens to validate capabilities against existing research. It retrospectively analyses how these developed over time and examines how other portfolios may be able to embrace and ‘learn’ such capabilities. This study focuses on a portfolio of IS projects within a major Australian banking and financial institution. This study explores the top-down and bottom-up approach in building capabilities over time.

Comprehensive genomic profiles of small cell lung cancer

We have sequenced the genomes of 110 small cell lung cancers (SCLC), one of the deadliest human cancers. In nearly all the tumours analysed we found bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and RB1, sometimes by complex genomic rearrangements. Two tumours with wild-type RB1 had evidence of chromothripsis leading to overexpression of cyclin D1 (encoded by the CCND1 gene), revealing an alternative mechanism of Rb1 deregulation. Thus, loss of the tumour suppressors TP53 and RB1 is obligatory in SCLC. We discovered somatic genomic rearrangements of TP73 that create an oncogenic version of this gene, TP73Δex2/3. In rare cases, SCLC tumours exhibited kinase gene mutations, providing a possible therapeutic opportunity for individual patients. Finally, we observed inactivating mutations in NOTCH family genes in 25% of human SCLC. Accordingly, activation of Notch signalling in a pre-clinical SCLC mouse model strikingly reduced the number of tumours and extended the survival of the mutant mice. Furthermore, neuroendocrine gene expression was abrogated by Notch activity in SCLC cells. This first comprehensive study of somatic genome alterations in SCLC uncovers several key biological processes and identifies candidate therapeutic targets in this highly lethal form of cancer

Comprehensive genomic profiles of small cell lung cancer

We have sequenced the genomes of 110 small cell lung cancers (SCLC), one of the deadliest human cancers. In nearly all the tumours analysed we found bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and RB1, sometimes by complex genomic rearrangements. Two tumours with wild-type RB1 had evidence of chromothripsis leading to overexpression of cyclin D1 (encoded by the CCND1 gene), revealing an alternative mechanism of Rb1 deregulation. Thus, loss of the tumour suppressors TP53 and RB1 is obligatory in SCLC. We discovered somatic genomic rearrangements of TP73 that create an oncogenic version of this gene, TP73Dex2/3. In rare cases, SCLC tumours exhibited kinase gene mutations, providing a possible therapeutic opportunity for individual patients. Finally, we observed inactivating mutations in NOTCH family genes in 25% of human SCLC. Accordingly, activation of Notch signalling in a pre-clinical SCLC mouse model strikingly reduced the number of tumours and extended the survival of the mutant mice. Furthermore, neuroendocrine gene expression was abrogated by Notch activity in SCLC cells. This first comprehensive study of somatic genome alterations in SCLC uncovers several key biological processes and identifies candidate therapeutic targets in this highly lethal form of cancer

Exploring the Theoretical Foundations of the Process of Information Systems Development

Methodologies are a key tool for managing information systems development projects. Underlying these methodologies is a process, which is usually defined as the systems development lifecycle. The concern for this study is to investigate the relevance of the lifecycle as the underlying process. Adopting a case study approach, and drawing on research from organizational change, the paper highlights some of the limitations of the lifecycle view, and introduces three other perspectives to address these shortfalls (teleology, evolution and dialectic). In doing so, the paper broadens the theoretical understanding of the development process