COMPLEXITY MEASURES IN SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Complexity measurement algorithms for information systems schemas are considered. Graph representations, based on an objectrelation pardigm and linguistic models, are discussed. Software science metrics are evaluated as complexity measures, as is the cyclomatic complexity measure. The deficiencies of current measures are highlighted. An alternative structural complexity metric is proposed that reflects propagation effects. The system development life cycle is used to determine realms of complexity that provide a framework for evaluation of complexity of designs and for projecting complexity between system development life cycle phases

CHEP: The Net of Things

PART A: Forced by operational inefficiencies in its own business model, CHEP, the market leader in the rental pallet business, became an early adopter of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Having proven the effectiveness of the technology for internal operations with a pilot test, CHEP now had to find clients who want to adopt the technology-enabled services in order to pay for a large scale roll out. The case traces CHEP’s challenges associated with the development and deployment RFID in its own operation and raises questions of how to proceed with potential IT-enabled change at the enterprise and supply chain level, without spoiling relationships with current clients and maintaining its core business. PART B: In fall 2007, Brian Beattie and Puneet Sawhney looked back at CHEP’s RFID initiative and the progress that has been made since the 2003 decision to further incorporate the technology into its assets. While the original intent of tagging all pallets did not materialize, considerable progress had been made into quantifying the benefits of RFID adoption. Industry-wide developments had changed the scope of the RFID initiative from simply tagging the asset pool to creating value added service for CHEP’s clients. Overall, RFID had yet to revolutionize the supply chain, but the evolution of technology and the innovation of RFID related products and services had aided CHEP in maintaining its market leadership in the pallet business and enabled CHEP to created new lines of business

Time Changes Everything: An Examination and Application of Time-Varying Coefficients in Information Systems Research

The Information Systems research field is inherently dynamic. New technologies, new standards, new legislation, and changing user expectations are some of the reasons why topics of interest to the IS field remain in flux. As researchers, we seek to uncover and explain relationships among variables, but due to the dynamism of IS phenomena, these relationships are apt to change over time. For example, the effect of informational features such as product diagnosticity or seller reputation on the price of an electronic commerce transaction is likely to change over time as users become more comfortable with online trading. This paper describes several statistical methods to model these changes in relationships. Specifically, we discuss methods to investigate time-varying coefficients in regression models, including rolling regression, “parameterizing” the coefficients using process functions, and testing for structural change. Importantly, we describe how the structure of many of the data sets used in IS research differs from that of data sets often used in other fields such as finance, economics, or marketing. This has implications for the investigation of time-based effects. We illustrate each method using a data set gathered from the wholesale automotive market, which not only helps us explain the methods, but also allows us to investigate the evolution of market practice in one empirical context. Thus, we address both methodological and substantive issues. Given that our field is inherently dynamic, an understanding of how effects change over time should be central to the overall IS research agenda. This paper is designed to familiarize IS researchers with methods available for this purpose

EBAY’s Acquisition of Skype SA: Valuing the Voice of the Buyer

This set of teaching cases deals with the surprising acquisition of VOIP provider Skype SA by e-commerce giant eBay in the fall of 2005. The initial case examines two distinct topics: First, it introduces VOIP technology and traces the development of commercial applications from 1995 to 2003. Second, it considers issues of strategic alignment by raising the question of whether eBay should have allied with or acquired Skype SA. The second case provides an epilogue set two years after the acquisition that examines the intermediate outcomes of the Skype integration

Developments in Practice X: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) - An Internet for Physical Objects

This paper explores the applications and future commercial impacts of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Its objective is to summarize the ways in which organizations and academics are thinking about these technologies and to stimulate strategic thinking about their possible uses and implications. It first provides an overview of this technology and how it works. Then it explores the surprisingly wide variety of current applications of RFID. Next it looks at several classes of potential RFID applications and how these might affect how organizations work. Finally, it examines the cost and implementation considerations of this technology. The paper concludes that RFID is a viable technology with many possible applications. However, only some of the impacts on organizations and society can be anticipated at present

Real Commerce in Virtual Worlds

This teaching case considers the challenges and opportunities faced by an entrepreneur in Second Life, one of the more popular virtual world environments. Second Life provides the economic and technological platform required for immersion, social interaction and the potential of private enterprise. Many entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the various business opportunities offered in Second Life and a number have earned significant real dollars through their in-world creations and services. Stuart O\u27Brian, the CEO and founder of VirtualCircle, was one of the early pioneers of virtual commerce. Over the last three years, his organization faced multiple business and technology challenges while negotiating the hypercompetitive and turbulent environment within Second Life. However, he now questions the sustainability of the ever-changing and agile business model that enabled the success of VirtualCircle. Stuart also faces questions regarding avenues of future growth and is grappling with issues concerning interoperability and the replication of his prior success in other virtual environments - and the real world

Computer-Aided Process Organization In Software Deslgn

As the complexity of systems increase, the need for computer-aided techniques in software system definition, design, ·and construction becomes apparent. It is the ultimate task of software engineering to develop tools and procedures which reduce the effort invol ved in production of effective software. Effective software must possess characteristics of correctness, reliability, efficiency, documentation, and flexibility. This paper deals with the devel opment of a computer-aid for one portion of the software system design probl em, namely, the determination of process organization in program modul e specification

Juggling Paradoxical Strategies: The Emergent Role of IT Capabilities

The simultaneous pursuit of paradoxical strategies is an emergent means of attaining competitive advantage. By nature, exploration and exploitation are fundamentally different and contradictory, thus reflecting an instance of organizational ambidexterity. We assert that IT capabilities act through different mechanisms to influence ambidexterity. To test our model, we selected to gather data from 352 manufacturing firms in high growth sectors in India – a setting that provides an exemplar for the world’s enterprises undergoing rapid changes in the 21st century. Through OLS analysis we find strong support for our assertion that an organization’s IT capabilities individually and jointly influence organizational ambidexterity, hitherto a challenging competitive possibility. We are thus also able to account for previously unexplained variance in IT payoffs in the emerging economy and small and medium enterprise contexts. Overall, through this research, we validate the emergent role of IT capabilities in juggling paradoxical strategies in the 21st century

Dynamics of consumer demand for proprietary software in the presence of open source software

Over the last two decades, the software industry has witnessed the outstanding growth and adoption of the Open Source Software (OSS). Industry analysts claim that the market share of Proprietary Software (PS) has been shrinking because of the competitive pressure from OSS. Nevertheless, many PS vendors, such as IBM, Oracle, etc., are surprisingly active participants in OSS development and community, which could be particularly instrumental in helping their PS sales. Therefore, it remains largely unclear as to the net impact of OSS entry on the demand for PS. The resolution to this central tension in the extant literature has immense theoretical implications for the research on competitive rivalry as well as managerial implications for PS vendors regarding their product and pricing strategies. To …postprin