Value-Driven IT Project Portfolio Management: Tool-Based Scoring, Selection, and Scheduling

Managing IT project portfolios is a challenge because of IT projects\u27 complexity, dynamics, and uncertainty. Many IT projects exceed resources or time frames and do not reach their value-driven goals. A continuous scoring, selection, and scheduling of IT project proposals is thus essential to build an optimal portfolio. It has a significant impact on value contribution, strategic direction, goal achievement, and competitive advantages. We quantify an IT project\u27s urgency, strategy, efficiency, risk, and complexity as important evaluation and scoring criteria. To support top management decision makers in the IT project portfolio management process, we outline a combination of an evaluation approach with an optimization model. We develop a prototype decision support system to automate and simplify this process and demonstrate its applicability. Our recommendations address both theory and practice, improve IT project portfolio management, support value creation, and goal achievement

Value-driven IT Project Portfolio Management: Process Model, Evaluation Framework, and Decision Support

Companies must optimize their information technology (IT) project portfolio to achieve goals. However, IT projects often exceed resources and do not create their promised value, for example, because of missing structured processes and evaluation methods. Continuous IT portfolio management is thus of importance and a critical business activity to reach value-driven goals. Guided by Design Science Research with literature reviews and expert interviews, we develop, evaluate, and adjust an IT project portfolio management process model, a holistic IT project evaluation framework, and implement a decision support system prototype. Our results and findings synthesize and extend previous research and expert opinions and guide decision-makers to make more informed and objective IT project portfolio management decisions aligned with optimal value creation. Furthermore, we deduce new research opportunities for IT project portfolio management process models, decision tools, and evaluation frameworks

A Decision Support Tool for the Risk Management of Offshore Wind Energy Projects

This paper provides a decision support tool (DST) to analyze and evaluate the project value of offshore wind energy projects within the framework of project finance. The DST is based on a discounted cash-flow model in combination with a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) to measure project risks and manage these risks. To consider the special requirements of debt capital providers in this context, key figures like the debt service cover ratio (DSCR) are calculated. The DST is realized in Excel/VBA with the Excel Add-In Oracle Crystal Ball. An offshore wind park example in the German North Sea is simulated to validate the underlying simulation model and the DST

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR ADOPTION OF INTEGRATED INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS – A META-ANALYSIS

Integrated information systems continuously develop into a strategic instrument for higher education institutions. In contrast to private companies, specific characteristics of higher education institutions in regards to their organizational structure as well as their management and operations require a tailored project management approach. There is need for thorough research and practical recommendations for implementation of integrated information systems in higher education institutions. This paper provides a systematic meta-analysis and a state of the art overview of critical success factors for selection and implementation of integrated information systems based on the characteristic of the higher education sector. A qualitative content analysis is applied to receive a comprehensive list of critical success factors for higher education institutions. The mostly named critical success factors are stakeholder participation, business process reengineering and communication which align well with the peculiarities of the higher education sector

INDUSTRIALIZATION OF DERIVATIVE DESIGN: INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT WITH THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM WARRANT-PRO-2

Risk management is essential in a modern financial services industry. Derivative instruments like options have a particular status. Appropriate derivatives allow financial service providers to redistribute risks towards others. The process of creating customer tailored derivatives is not wellinvestigated today. With the financial information system (FIS) WARRANT-PRO-2 derivative prices are computed for given payments. The deviation, for example, from a predefinable Delta of an option can be minimized. Automatic creation of optimally synthesized options is very promising for buyer and seller. An example is presented to show the easy process of creating a customer tailored option

Self-service business intelligence and analytics application scenarios: A taxonomy for differentiation

Self-service business intelligence and analytics (SSBIA) empowers non-IT users to create reports and analyses independently. SSBIA methods and processes are discussed in the context of an increasing number of application scenarios. However, previous research on SSBIA has made distinctions among these scenarios only to a limited extent. These scenarios include a wide variety of activities ranging from simple data retrieval to the application of complex algorithms and methods of analysis. The question of which dimensions are suitable for differentiating SSBIA application scenarios remains unanswered. In this article, we develop a taxonomy to distinguish among SSBIA applications more effectively by analyzing the relevant scientific literature and current SSBIA tools as well as by conducting a case study in a company. Both researchers and practitioners can use this taxonomy to describe and analyze SSBIA scenarios in further detail. In this way, the opportunities and challenges associated with SSBIA application can be identified more clearly. In addition, we conduct a cluster analysis based on the SSBIA tools thus analyzed. We identify three archetypes that describe typical SSBIA tools. These archetypes identify the application scenarios that are addressed most frequently by SSBIA tool providers. We conclude by highlighting the limitations of this research and suggesting an agenda for future research

Personality Traits and Cognitive Determinants – An Empirical Investigation of the Use of Smartphone Security Measures

In the last years, increasing smartphones’ capabilities have caused a paradigm shift in the way of users’ view and using mobile devices. Although researchers have started to focus on behavioral models to explain and predict human behavior, there is limited empirical research about the influence of smartphone users’ individual differences on the usage of security measures. The aim of this study is to examine the influence of individual differences on cognitive determinants of behavioral intention to use security measures. Individual differences are measured by the Five-Factor Model; cognitive determinants of behavioral intention are adapted from the validated behavioral models theory of planned behavior and technology acceptance model. An explorative, quantitative survey of 435 smartphone users is served as data basis. The results suggest that multiple facets of smartphone user’s personalities significantly affect the cognitive determinants, which indicate the behavioral intention to use security measures. From these findings, practical and theoretical implications for companies, organizations, and researchers are derived and discussed

Discussion and Validation of a CRM System Selection Approach with Experts

Due to the high failure rate, costs, and long duration of CRM implementation projects, it is crucial to evaluate softwaresolutions before making an investment decision. A methodological approach is required to make these decisions moreeffectively and efficiently. In this paper, an approach to evaluating CRM software packages is proposed that is the result of aliterature review. In a second step, an initial applicability check of the approach is conducted. The intention is to verify thefeasibility of the proposed approach with CRM experts who have practical experience with the selection of different systems.An empirical study that is subdivided into qualitative expert interviews and a quantitative online survey is used for thisverification. The core results demonstrate that the approach is a valid method for evaluating CRM software applications

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION RULES! GUIDELINES FOR PRIVACY-FRIENDLY SMART ENERGY SERVICES

Privacy-friendly processing of personal data is proving to be increasingly challenging in today’s energy systems as the amount of data grows. Smart energy services provide value creation and co-creation by processing sensible user data collected from smart meters, smart home devices, storage systems, and renewable energy plants. To address this challenge, we analyze key topics and develop design requirements and design principles for privacy-friendly personal data processing in smart energy services. We identify these key topics through expert interviews, text-mining, and topic modelling techniques based on 149 publications. Following this, we derive our design requirements and principles and evaluate these with experts and an applicability check with three real-world smart energy services. Based on our results and findings, we establish a further research agenda consisting of five specific research directions