Edward Lewis

Using the risk-remedy method to evaluate outsourcing tenders

The risk-remedy method is beginning to replace cost-benefit or weighted scoring methods in the evaluation of information technology outsourcing tenders by the Australian Public Service. This paper describes the use of the method. It also describes some of the lessons that have been learnt from the use of the method in six tender evaluations: use the correct requirements, use requirements correctly, consider the cost of bidding, consider the cost of delay, check the bids carefully and use a design rather than a selection approach.

Mapping the Enterprise Architecture Principles in TOGAF to the Cybernetic Concepts--An Exploratory Study

Although principles are a key concept in the definition of Enterprise Architecture (EA), they have not received the same degree of attention as other EA concepts. The notion of EA principles (EAP) is suffering from the lack of a theoretical foundation that provides a logical framework for defining them. Stafford Beers Viable System Model (VSM) and its application to IT governance, the Viable Governance Model (VGM), have shown to be comprehensive blueprints for designing viable organizations and IT governance arrangements, respectively. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the principles of cybernetics can provide a theoretical basis for interpreting EA principles derived through practice. This paper maps the principles defined in the Open Groups TOGAF to theoretical concepts drawn from the VSM/VGM and cybernetics. The paper concludes by identifying possible shortfalls in the existing set of principles and the need to develop a theoretical framework to overcome them.

Profile-based digital identity management — a better way to combat fraud

Identity and data matching are often utilised to combat identity crime and fraud. An accurate client profile that provides a unique identity and a true description of its associated business activities has become an increasing concern for service providers. There is a need for improved profile-based identity management. This paper identifies key risks, challenges, potential improvements which service providers in both the public and private sectors may find applicable. It proposes an enterprise architectural approach to profile-based identity management.

The Viable Governance Model: A Theoretical Model for the Corporate Governance of IT

Empirical studies into the governance of Information Technology (IT) have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms used to control the management of IT. However, there has been relatively little research into the formulation of a theoretical model of IT governance that explains and organises the growing collection of mechanisms into a coherent whole. To further advance the concept of the corporate governance of IT, the Viable Governance Model (VGM) is proposed. The VGM is a theoretical model of governance based on the laws and principles of cybernetics as embodied in Stafford Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM). The VGM is used to formulate a series of design propositions or principles that may be used to guide the design and implementation of specific IT governance arrangements. The study draws on empirical studies or professional standards to establish how these theoretical design propositions may be satisfied in practice.

The use of Viable System Model to develop guidelines for generating Enterprise Architecture Principles

Enterprise Architecture Principles (EAPs) are regarded as a pivotal element in the definition of Enterprise Architecture (EA). However, the EA discipline still suffers from some fundamental limitations, such as the lack of guidelines for developing a generic set of principles and a theoretical basis for developing them. Assuming enterprises as viable systems, this paper suggests a set of design principles based on the concepts of cybernetics, especially those embedded in the Viable System Model (VSM). These principles are fundamental requirements for any viable systems, and therefore, must be complied with by the organization in order to remain viable. The suggested design principles can be used as guidelines in proposing, developing, and evaluating a set of comprehensive EAPs. As a practical example, this set of generic principles is customized for an Australian government department based on their priorities specifically to cover their architectural needs in adopting new technologies.

Cultural and social aspects of security and privacy: the critical elements of trusted online service

The lack of trust is identified as the key concern for consumers in the eCommerce environment. Service providers attempt to address this concern by implementing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems for online security and privacy and to enhance user confidence. Much research has focused on the technical implementation of online security and privacy systems. This paper discusses social and cultural influence as critical elements of a trusted online service environment. It suggests a mechanism for enhancing trust in e-commerce that takes account of these influences.

W3 trust-profiling framework (W3TF) to assess trust and transitivity of trust of web-based services in a heterogeneous web environment

The growth of eCommerce is being hampered by a lack of trust between providers and consumers of Web-based services. While researchers in many disciplines have addressed Web trust issues, a comprehensive approach has yet to be established. This paper proposes a conceptual trust-profiling framework through a range of new user-centred trust measures. W3TF is a generic form of trust assessment that can help build user confidence in an eCommerce environment. It incorporates existing measures of trust (such as Public Key Infrastructure), takes account of consumer perceptions by identifying trust attributes, and uses Web technology (in the form of metadata), to create a practical, flexible and comprehensive approach to trust assessment.

Reinterpreting the principles of SOA through the cybernetic concepts of VSM to design the ESB as iPaaS in the cloud

One of the fundamental challenges in the design, governance, implementation, and maintenance of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) systems is the variety of enabling technologies, such as those realised in the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), and the absence of a vendor-agnostic approach towards the development of standardised policies, procedures or guidelines to justify the resulting system. This issue is especially actualised in the era of Cloud that integrates together a wide variety of heterogeneous systems. To address this issue, this paper proposes a set of novel design principles, based on the cybernetic concepts of the Viable System Model (VSM), to contribute to the design of the ESB as a Cloud service model, such as the Infrastructure Platform as a Service (iPaaS). These new principles can help those who need to use the Cloud and those who provide Cloud-based services. Essentially, these principles are not limited to the Cloud settings only and can be applied to services at various levels of enterprise. The proposed principles are identified to be useful and toned to undergo testing to further justify their usability in a number of organisations in Australia and in Europe.

Political influence, organisational Structure and managerial co-ordination in Virtual Teams

There is an increasing use of ‘virtual teams’ to undertake software development projects (Balints, 2000; for example). These teams are often separated by great distance and they can draw upon people that do not belong to the same organisation. As projects overlap many areas of an organisation, and in some instances a number of different organisations, the potential for conflict (Sillince, 2000; Sillince and Harindranath, 2000) and turf wars increases. Politics in systems development has been a concern for some time (Markus, 1983; Markus and Bjorn-Anderson, 1987); politics in virtual teams adds a new dimension to the concern. These conflicts can often lead to project delays and hence increased cost.

Managerial Enterprise Structural Stakeholders (MESS) Model-Modelling the Influence of Organisational Politics and Structure upon Cost of Systems Development

There is a need to assist managers in systems development, especially with information politics, so that we have fewer project failures (Davenport, 1992) and more business solutions. The manager must understand the relationship between project structure, and its political implications, with managerial controls and hence cost of development (Strassmann, 1995). By gaining an understanding of the dynamics between these elements, managers can make more informed choices in decisions that impact the systems development process.