Outsourcing Best Practices

Outsourcing of a software project can have many benefits to an organization, but how to implement a successful outsourcing initiative can be very difficult. The decision to outsource a software project can provide many benefits to an organization, yet they may also incur several challenges. These can include items such as the interaction between current employees and the outsourcing service provider, the technological environment needed to successfully create the proper work environment, and total cost considerations. If executed properly, the outsourcing of a specific project can have a substantial gain in company growth and efficiency. Improper implementation can lead to total project failure and the loss of project resources. In spite of the challenges inherent with outsourcing, this strategy is fast becoming a popular solution to implementing corporate projects without endangering the jobs of current employees. This paper will investigate and suggest best practices that may be used to maximize the anticipated outcome of this endeavor while minimizing potential challenges

The Cost of Risk in Offshore Systems Development

Organizations frequently consider offshore systems development in the belief that projects can be completed for lower cost. While prices quoted by offshore vendors are often very appealing when compared with domestic vendors, there are additional risks that must be considered when looking to offshore systems development. These risks typically take the form of intangible and indirect project costs. This paper describes and classifies these risks, which fall into three primary categories of security risks, legal risks, and general risks. Suggestions for incorporating these intangible and indirect costs into the decision making process for offshore v. domestic vendor selection are offered

Motivation for Writing the Paper Risk Effect on Offshore Systems Development Project Cost

This paper discusses the motivation behind the original version of the paper Risk Effect on Onshore Systems Development Cost, and why the paper was revised for publication in this Special Issue. This revised paper more effectively supports our belief that considering all the risk-driven project costs in offshoring may result in total project costs exceeding domestic solutions.</p

Risk Effect on Offshore Systems Development Project Cost

Organizations frequently consider offshore systems development in the belief that projects can be completed for lower cost.  While prices quoted by offshore vendors are often very appealing when compared with domestic vendors, additional risks must be considered when looking into offshore systems development.  These risks typically take the form of intangible and indirect project costs which add to the total cost of the delivered system.  This paper describes and classifies these risks, which fall into three primary categories of security risks, legal risks, and general risks.  Suggestions for incorporating these intangible and indirect costs into the decision making process, and their effects on total project costs, are offered for the offshore v. domestic vendor selection process.</p

More Technology, Less Learning?

Modern information technologies (presentation software, wireless laptop computers, cell phones, etc.) are purported to enhance student learning. Research to date provides an ambivalent and often conflicting set of outcomes about the effectiveness of such technologies in the context of the college classroom. Anecdotal evidence further complicates this matter by presenting viewpoints which often conflict with existing studies and prevailing best practices. Do modern technologies belong in the classroom and to what extent? The answers to these questions are neither direct nor simple. This paper integrates the results of published studies, anecdotal evidence, and theory, and considers the potential drawbacks of an over reliance on modern technologies to the learning process in higher education

A Comparison of Open Source Tools for Data Science Exploratory Study of Effects of eLearning System Acceptance on Learning Outcomes Special thanks to members of AITP-EDSIG who perform the editorial and review processes for JISAR. 2016 AITP Education Speci

The journal acceptance review process involves a minimum of three double-blind peer reviews, where both the reviewer is not aware of the identities of the authors and the authors are not aware of the identities of the reviewers. The initial reviews happen before the conference. At that point papers are divided into award papers (top 15%), other journal papers (top 30%), unsettled papers, and non-journal papers. The unsettled papers are subjected to a second round of blind peer review to establish whether they will be accepted to the journal or not. Those papers that are deemed of sufficient quality are accepted for publication in the JISAR journal. Currently the target acceptance rate for the journal is about 40%. Questions should be addressed to the editor at [email protected] or the publisher at [email protected]. Special thanks to members of AITP-EDSIG who perform the editorial and review processes for JISAR. AITP Education Special Interest Group (EDSIG) Board of Directors Abstract End-user learning is an important element of Information Systems (IS) projects. End-user learning of software applications can constitute roughly 5% to 50% of project budgets. To lower costs and make learning more convenient for the end-users, organizations are largely utilizing online systems for the electronic delivery of such learning programs, referred to as Technology Mediated Learning (TML). In this learning format, before the end-users are able to immerse themselves in the actual learning program, they are first required to adopt and use an online learning system. Currently published IS research has two mature streams of publications: one stream focused on models of technology acceptance and usage that is based on the TAM (Technology Acceptance Model) model and a second stream based on the TML framework consisting of learning content, structures and outcomes. This research study aims to build and validate an empirical model extended from the TML framework with constructs from TAM. This extended model is validated and relationships are tested using survey data collected from an e-learning system used for teaching spreadsheet and database management software applications. The results indicate that the acceptance and usage of the e-learning system and the learning outcomes of mastering office productivity applications is related to individual characteristics and facilitating conditions that boost perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The results of this study have implications for both the TAM and TML research streams and also the design and use of elearning for software applications by IS practitioners