Success Factors for Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence Systems

Data warehouse (DW) and business intelligence (BI) systems are among the most important IT-based systems in organizations. The decisions made using these systems can fundamentally affect an organization’s nature and performance. This paper reports the results of a case study that investigated the nature of DW/BI development. The theory lens used to frame and analyse the research was critical success factors (CSF). Ten CSF were identified from previous research on executive information systems, DW, and BI. This CSF set was used to analyse the failure of a corporate DW/BI project and the subsequent success of a smaller, functional BI system. To overcome previous criticism of the CSF approach, the CSF were analysed within the project’s organizational context and in terms of the dynamics of CSF over the life of the project. The case provides a number of lessons for organizations embarking on enterprise-scale DW/BI projects. The study shows that the augmented CSF approach is useful in understanding DW/BI development

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John Bowden and Ference Marton, The University of Learning: Beyond Quality and Competence in Higher Education, London: Kogan Page, 1998. ISBN: 0–7494–2292–0. Hardback, x310 pages, £35.00

Occurrence of Trirhabda pilosa Blake (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on sagebrush in British Columbia, with notes on life-history

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The Use of Focus Groups in Design Science Research

The majority of research within information systems (IS) may be categorized into two key perspectives, natural science and design science. While natural science seeks to develop and verify theories that explain phenomena, design science attempts to solve human and organizational problems through the creation of innovative artefacts. An important aspect of design science investigations is the evaluation of the design artefact. Focus groups are a well-established research approach in the social sciences. However, focus groups are rarely mentioned in the IS literature addressing design science evaluation methods. Given the increased interest in design science research, this paper reports on the successful application of focus groups in the evaluation of an IS design artefact. The paper discusses the objectives and design of the focus group sessions, participant selection, the role of the facilitator, the facility used for the sessions, and the data analysis procedures. The paper then provides a set of guidelines that should assist other IS design science researchers with focus group-based evaluation

A critical analysis of decision support systems research

This paper critically analyses the nature and state of decision support systems (DSS) research. To provide contest for the analysis, a history of DSS is presented which focuses on the evolution of a number of sub-groupings of research and practice: personal DSS, group support systems, negotiation support systems, intelligent DSS, knowledge management-based DSS, executive information systems/business intelligence and data warehousing. To understand the state of DSS research an empirical investigation of published DSS research is presented. This investigation is based on the detailed analysis of 1,020 DSS articles published in 14 major journals from 1990 to 2003. The analysis fund that DSS publication has been falling steadily since its peak in 1994 and the current publication rate is at early 1990s levels. Other findings include that personal DSS and group support systems dominate research activity and data warehousing is the least published type of DSS. The journal DSS is the Major publishing outlet, US 'Other" journals dominate DSS publishing and there is very low exposure of DSS in European journals. Around two-thirds of DSS research is empirical, a much higher proportion than general IS research. DSS empirical research is overwhelming positivism, and is more dominated by positivism than IS research in general. Design science is a major DSS research category. The decision support focus of the sample shows a well-balanced mix of development, technology, process, and outcome studies. almost half of DSS papers did not use judgement and decision-making reference research in the design and analysis of their projects and most cited reference works are relatively old. A major omission in DSS scholarship is the poor identification of the clients and users of the various DSS applications that are the focus of investigation. The analysis of the professional or practical contribution of DSS research shows a field that is facing a crisis of relevance. Using the history and empirical study as a foundation, a number of strategies for improving DSS research are suggested

The Evaluation of Business Intelligence: A Case Study in a Major Financial Institution

Business intelligence (BI) is the current industry movement that addresses the use of IT to support management decision making. Unlike previous approaches to decision support, BI systems are large-scale information systems. Whereas the development of small-scale personal decision support systems (PDSS) and executive information systems (EIS) may be authorised and funded at an individual executive’s discretion, BI systems require evaluation and approval processes more like those used in large-scale operational IT projects. This paper presents a framework for BI and proposes that Symon’s Context-Content-Process model is useful for understanding BI projects. A pilot case study of BI evaluation in a major bank is described and analysed in terms of the Context-Content-Process model. The findings include the recognition of the importance of non- financial intangible factors in BI evaluation, the use of operational justification for strategic BI systems, and the varying perspectives of different stakeholders in BI systems. The framework and case findings provide part of the foundation for a larger project concerning the development of a BI evaluation method