Frederik Ahlemann

PROMONT – a project management ontology as a reference for virtual project organizations

This paper introduces “PROMONT”, a project management ontology PROMONT models project management specifications from a number of sources, most notably the upcoming DIN 69901 model for the exchange of project data As a reference ontology it helps to build a common understanding of project related terms and methods thus facilitating the management of projects conducted in dynamic virtual environments It is especially well suited for cross-enterprise project related business processes such as integration management, communication and controlling A distributed project scenario is used to illustrate how a project plan is broken down for individual partners, and how activities are coordinated in a heterogeneous group.

Business value through controlled IT: toward an integrated model of IT governance success and its impact

Owing to increasing regulatory pressure and the need for aligned information technology (IT) decisions at the interface of business and IT, IT governance (ITG) has become important in both academia and practice. However, knowledge of integrating the determinants and consequences of ITG success remains scarce. Although some studies investigate individual aspects of ITG success and its impact, none combine these factors into a comprehensive and integrated model that would lead to a more complete understanding of the ITG concept. To address this gap, our research aims at understanding what factors influence and result from successful ITG, and at determining how they can be translated into a model to explain ITG success and the impact thereof. Therefore, we conducted interviews with 28 IT decision makers in 19 multinational organizations headquartered in Europe. Our study synthesizes the fragmented previous research, provides new empirical insights gathered on the basis of a clear ITG conceptualization, and suggests three innovative constructs heretofore not related to ITG. Moreover, we elucidate in a holistic model the factors that make ITG successful, how ITG contributes to an IT organization’s success, and how it eventually unfolds throughout the overall organization. The resulting model allows organizational decision makers to develop an effective ITG implementation and to explain the implications of successful ITG, thus providing a justification for the respective investments.

RefModPM : A Conceptual Reference Model for Project Management Information Systems

Project management information systems have changed considerably in the last decade. Today they go far beyond traditional scheduling as well as resource management. These systems have become comprehensive information systems (IS) that support the entire life cycle of projects, project programmes and project portfolios. In this context, project-oriented organizations face a new challenge: the design, implementation and operation of such information systems has become increasingly complex, since numerous processes have to be considered, diverse stakeholder interests taken into account and corresponding software systems selected. The reference model for project management IS (RefModPM) presented here addresses these challenges and aims to support corresponding implementation projects. This article introduces RefModPM by discussing its construction process and evaluation, as well as providing an overview of its architecture and presenting one part of the reference model in detail.ZusammenfassungDer Artikel stellt ein konzeptionelles Informationssystem-Referenzmodell für das Projektmanagement vor (RefModPM). Hierzu wird zunächst auf den Konstruktions- und Evaluationsprozess eingegangen, in dessen Rahmen RefModPM entwickelt wurde. Dann erfolgt eine überblicksartige Vorstellung der Referenzmodellarchitektur. Abschließend wird ein Modellausschnitt im Detail diskutiert.

Digitalization: Opportunity and Challenge for the Business and Information Systems Engineering Community

The convergence of the so-called SMAC technologies – social, mobile, analytics, and cloud computing – has led to an unprecedented wave of digitalization that is currently fueling innovation in business and society. As digitalization is embracing all aspects of our private and professional lives, it is becoming a priority for managers and policymakers, and has made it into the headlines of newspapers, magazines, and practitioner conferences. This wave of digitalization is creating opportunities for the BISE community to engage in innovative research activities and to increase the discipline’s visibility. However, since BISE researchers have investigated the increasing exploitation and integration of digital technologies over several decades, they also naturally react with ambivalence when others claim that going digital is a new phenomenon.

Der Wissensarbeitsplatz der Zukunft: Trends, Herausforderungen und Implikationen für das strategische IT-Management

ZusammenfassungDie gegenwärtigen Entwicklungen in Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Informationstechnologie führen zu veränderten Anforderungen an den modernen Wissensarbeitsplatz. Um diesen Anforderungen gerecht zu werden, sind die erforderlichen organisationalen und technologischen Voraussetzungen zu schaffen. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht der Frage nach, welche konkreten Anforderungen an den „Wissensarbeitsplatzplatz der Zukunft“ gestellt werden, welche Herausforderungen sich dadurch für das strategische IT-Management ergeben und wie die erforderlichen Entwicklungsschritte aktiv angegangen werden können.

Understanding acceptance of information system development and management methodologies by actual users: A review and assessment of existing literature

Abstract Despite the advantages of using IS methodologies, they are often rejected by actual users. Consequently, researchers have repeatedly attempted to understand why individuals accept certain methodologies while rejecting others. In order to differentiate what has been done from what needs to be done in research, a systematic review of academic studies that examine the acceptance of IS methodologies by actual users was conducted. This review revealed 19 articles. We found that the studies were either: (a) descriptive, (b) focused on specific determinants, or (c) applied a holistic approach, examining methodology acceptance from a number of dimensions. Furthermore, while cognitive aspects have received considerable attention, none of the publications studied the effect of habits, emotions and the personal characteristics of individuals. We also examined the studies with respect to the reported research practices, and thereby identified areas of improvement. Based upon our findings, we developed a research agenda to guide future studies on this crucial subject.

What methodology attributes are critical for potential users? understanding the effect of human needs

Despite the overwhelming advantages of using IS development and management (ISDM) methodologies, organisations are rarely able to motivate their staff to use them. The resulting lack of methodology usage by individuals fails to deliver the expected advantages of better quality, control, less time, and less effort in IS development projects. We analyse the technical as well as non-technical aspects of an individuals use of ISDM methodologies, in order to enable organisations to engineer those that meet the needs of actual users and are actually used by them in a productive manner. We construct a conceptual model, based upon which, we posit that: technical methodology attributes such as relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, demonstrability, visibility, triability, and reinventability influence an individuals methodology usage behaviour. We also propose that the strengths of these relationships depend on non-technical, deeply rooted psychological needs of the people.

EA frameworks, modelling and tools

As enterprises can be large and complex, their architecture (EA) also tends to be large and complex. Frameworks, models and tools have been developed to address this complexity and to support enterprise architecture management (EAM) endeavours. EA frameworks use different approaches, each with its particular strengths and weaknesses. Primarily, an EA framework is a practical starting point for EAM. It is not easy to know which EA framework, or which combination of EA frameworks, is best for your organisation. For many organisations, a ‘blended’ approach might be best; this means creating an EA methodology out of parts of existing methodologies that provide the highest value in specific areas of concern.

Embedding EAM into operation and monitoring

Strategic initiatives and projects are carefully planned and systematically develop an enterprise architecture (EA), but many smaller changes occur daily. If not properly managed, these operational changes might cause an organisation to lose control of and deviate from its target enterprise architecture roadmap. However, given the number of changes and their urgency, making changes requires efficient and lean EAM practices that do not delay business operations.

EAM governance and organisation

An effective model for enterprise architecture management (EAM) governance and organisation is vital. EA governance provides project teams with a structure to guide their decision-making, especially with regard to solutions design and technology choices that optimise the value of architecture components across the enterprise. EA organisation design establishes the effective division of roles, responsibilities and reporting relationships. We propose that the architecture resources be organised into one or more architecture bodies, depending on the level of architecture maturity and corporate structure. The architecture bodies we propose are the enterprise architecture council (EAC), the architecture review board (ARB) and the architecture forum. We discuss different organisational structures and present different decision and escalation processes and practices between which you can choose.