Dana Edberg

User-developed applications: an empirical study of application quality and developer productivity

As inexpensive microcomputers and easy-to-use software have proliferated throughout organizations, increasing numbers of employees are developing applications. The end-user computing (EUC) literature contains many prescriptions for managing this activity, but there has been little direct empirical examination of the effectiveness of end users as application developers. This paper describes a study in which five different applications were developed independently by paired teams of end users and IS students acting as surrogate IS professionals. This permitted comparison of end users and surrogate IS professionals on the quality of the finished applications and on productivity. The quality analysis focused on technical design and implementation factors as measured by defect counting and a subjective quality attribute rating. Productivity was measured by function point analysis and lines-of-code metrics.The results of the study indicate that the surrogate IS professionals were much more productive and produced higher-quality applications than did the end users. The fact that student surrogates significantly outperformed the end users is particularly interesting since experienced IS professionals might be expected to show even greater differences in productivity and quality. The study should be replicated using IS professionals to confirm the preliminary findings. The results suggest that additional research on the efficacy of end users as application developers is needed.

Methodology Mashups: An Exploration of Processes Used to Maintain Software

The majority of studies of software development processes explore initial development rather than ongoing software maintenance, yet the majority of the systems development budget in many organizations is devoted to maintenance. Software maintenance projects differ significantly from original development projects, indicating a need for more research specifically concerning maintenance processes. This study uses a grounded theory research method to explore how information technology professionals define and select a methodology to maintain existing software. We found that in-use maintenance methodologies are composed of components from multiple formal methodologies. We developed a factor model describing how these components are chosen. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how standard methodologies are applied in software practice and the critical factors used by professionals when choosing an appropriate methodology for software maintenance activities. This research underscores the need for incorporating the full software life cycle in information systems development research and education.

CREATING A BALANCED IS MEASUREMENT PROGRAM

Although IS measurement programs have long posed challenges in terms of focus and implementation, they have the potential to provide IS managers with the opportunity to improve software development and maintenance based on information not intuition. This article presents a framework that helps IS managers ensure that all critical aspects of the IS function are represented in a measurement program and that the metrics developed for each of them are based on the delineation of appropriate goals. Creating this comprehensive, custom-tailored program provides IS managers with the information they need to formulate targeted actions for improvement.

Organizational learning through the process of enhancing information systems

Business publications have embraced the idea of learning as crucial to empowering individuals and helping them manage the surprises inherent in a dynamic environment. While many agree about the importance of learning, there is little research about the practical mechanisms used to transfer knowledge from the individual to the organization. Computerized information systems codify the established procedures of an organization. Changes to those systems could represent new knowledge, now shared with the entire organization. The process of software enhancement is an opportunity to view a method of knowledge transfer. This research examined the software enhancement process in 15 work groups at five organizations. Enhancement requests in the work groups were reviewed to determine their underlying causes. It was found that software enhancement is a manifestation of organizational learning, since the learning from individuals is disseminated to other members of the organization when software is enhanced.

Retreading Tire Management with Business Intelligence

Justifying the development of a business intelligence system is challenging when the primary beneficiaries of the system are internal to the company responsible for that development; it is even harder to justify when the system is designed to produce a new service that is radically different than current in-house manufactured products. This case explores the possibility of a tire manufacturer developing a business intelligence system to help their customers manage very large heavy equipment tires within the mining industry. These tires are one of the biggest expenses for mining companies and this case discusses the opportunity to use business intelligence to manage that expense. This case encourages discussion of such topics as: the issues involved in system initiation from technology personnel, the need to incorporate both real-time and historical data in a system, the need for technology personnel to have deep knowledge of an application domain, and the challenges that arise from integrating data produced by disparate systems.

Finding Value While Planning a Statewide Health Information Exchange

Implementing a statewide health information exchange (HIE) provides the opportunity to explore the application of IS planning methods to complex inter-organizational systems (IOS). This study describes the HIE planning process followed by one state. The traditional planning steps recommended by the U.S. federal government did not compel project stakeholders to develop a sustainable business value proposition for the system. Unlike traditional project planning methods, planning a complex, relatively undefined IOS such as a health information exchange may require that IT professionals go beyond traditional planning activities and more actively facilitate definition of possible system value. In addition, the results show that technology should be considered earlier in the planning process, underscoring the need to anticipate the impact of IT architecture on the resulting system capabilities and value.

The Functional Placement of IT Workers: Not Always a Good Idea

Many organizations are placing IT staff in functional areas, but they often do so for the wrong reason. The dispersion of IT staff can be effective only when management is aware of the dangers this approach holds and takes steps to reduce them.

Healthcare Transformation: The Electronic Health Record

Computer-based information technology (IT) is used in many industries to help people and organizations collect and analyze data more effectively. Health policy makers in the U.S. hoped that more effective and ubiquitous IT could generate similar efficiencies in the health care industry producing the dual miracles of strengthening health care quality while also reducing health care delivery costs. The digital version of the traditional patient chart, the electronic health record (EHR), is the heart of the IT systems designed to transform health care. While EHR systems have limitations, they are essential tools for storing information and facilitating communication among health care providers. Health care providers must understand this technology to use it effectively and also contribute to its ongoing evolution.

Outlook for state-designated health information exchange: Learning from the information systems and economics literatures

Some states used Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act funds to create Public-Private Partnerships to deliver health information exchange services to end users. As these entities work to identify sustainable business models within increasingly competitive markets, the states and partnerships face three issues. First, while the partnership structure offers potential advantages and disadvantages for exchanges facing competition, they must position themselves strategically to enjoy the potential benefits. Second, the choice of technical architecture has important implications for the partnership’s market niche; thus, exchanges should view the selection as a business, rather than a technical, decision. Third, states face potential conflicts of interest as they participate on partnership governing boards, purchase exchange services, and regulate providers of exchange services. These potential conflicts require careful consideration of funding for last-resort services, pricing for services purchased to support state programs, and separation of the regulatory function from business functions.

Embracing or Constraining Change: An Exploration of Methodologies for Maintaining Software

This study uses a grounded theory research method to explore how IT professionals define and select a methodology to maintain existing software. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how standard methodologies are applied in software practice and the critical factors used by professionals when choosing an appropriate methodology for software maintenance activities. This research underscores the need for incorporating the full software life cycle in information systems development research as well as highlighting the need for more comprehensive education in software methodologies.