Ira R. Weiss

Managing the Risks Associated with End-User Computing

Abstract:End-User Computing (euc) is a rapidly growing phenomenon in organizations. Euc will soon be a major segment of information systems in most large organizations. There is a growing concern about the potential organizational risks of euc activities. This article identifies the risks of euc associated with different stages of the end-user applications life cycle. Generic controls are then identified that address each of the risks enumerated in the article. Controls are introduced in a manner that allows euc management to select those most appropriate to their euc environment.

Strategies for end-user computing: An integrative framework

This paper develops a framework consisting of five core strategies or organizational postures vis-a-vis end-user computing (euc). Following a descrip- tion of each of the strategies, the authors employed a two-step process to represent

Issues and opportunities

As organizational computing moves from back roo m production processing to more highly visible areas such as computing for competitive advantage, expert systems , fourth generation technologies, local area networks, an d desktop publishing, one may assume that the vast majority of organizational effort should be spent on developing new applications to take advantage of these new technologies and development philosophies . As attractive as this migh t sound most organizations are faced with a much mor e glaring problem that is consuming the vast majority o f available resources . Resources that otherwise might b e dedicated to these new projects . The problem is how do w e manage and maintain a 30 year inventory of applicatio n software . The issue is not trivial since the software span s both hardware and software generations and is critical to the day-to-day operations of the business . A brief analysis of the problem indicates it will only get worse . For every new system placed in production we generate another piece of software to be added to the eclectic inventory . Admittedly maintenance can be classified as a technical problem and needs a technical solution . But the only hope of getting a handle on the issue and determinin g how to maintain the inventory, without sacrificing th e future of the organization, is to develop a manageria l solution. The solution needs to address such issues a s strategy, productivity, policy, procedures, and priorities . In an attempt to learn more about the practica l implications and organizational realities of managing th e maintenance function, 29 MIS directors and maintenanc e managers were assembled to discuss the issue. All of th e attendees represented member firms of the Informatio n System Research Center at the University of Houston . A round table discussion format was used to facilitat e interaction among the attendees . The objective of th e session was to establish the key elements of a mission statement for the information system (IS) maintenanc e function from hich organization specific action plans could be developed . The purpose of this article is to report on th e outcomes of the session and specifically to (1) describe th e key issues and questions raised by the group, (2) list a set of critical success factors for the maintenance functio n identified by the group, and (3) list a series of attributes that can be used to develop an organizations mission statemen t for the IS maintenance function .

Managing End-User Computing as a Value-Added Resource

Abstract Because end-user computing (EUC) is playing a more significant role in the overall performance of organizations, EUC and its associated technologies should be viewed as a set of distinct value activities — that is, activities that contribute to an organizations competitive advantage. Management should emphasize those EUC attributes that have a positive influence on the organization —direction, support, and control. This article discusses these attributes, the major issues associated with each, and the timing of each attribute in conjunction with organizational strategy.

The cost of internally developed applications: Analysis of problems and cost control methods

Abstract:The organizational cost of developing software continues to be higher than is projected within the organizations’ budgets. Numerous design methods have been developed to assist in bringing the cost of development under control. The research reported in this article indicates that few of these methods have assisted in bringing costs under control and actually some have caused greater cost overruns.

Application software maintenance: can it be controlled?

Numerous studies have found that subsequent application software maintenance requires a significant amount of a data processing departments resources. Some of the major research in this area [1, 2, 3, 4] revealed the following:• in 1972, 30.1 percent of total programmer effort was devoted to maintenance• in 1978 twenty percent of the systems studied had allocated eighty-five percent of their annual analyst and programming hours to maintenance.• in 1979 as high as seventy-five percent of systems and data processing recourses were spent on application maintenance• a study determined that half of a data processing departments staff time was devoted to maintenance

Auditability of software: a survey of techniques and costs

Numerous techniques have been identified to assist EDP auditors in accomplishing audit objectives. Within this realm a major issue of interest is identifying methodologies to monitor the reliability and integrity of production software. This article presents a number of available techniques to audit software, and evaluates each on the basis of development cost, operational cost, appropriate timing of usage and effectiveness.

Trade-offs of secure processing in centralized versus distributed networks☆

Abstract Simulation was performed for specific network configurations to assess the effect of imposing security measures on a portion of the workload. The results provide a methodology for performing trade off analysis. The trade-offs are presented in terms of the measures of response time, workload, and cost. Network types included distributed, semicentralized, and centralized configurations. The analysis was conducted using a simulation model which is briefly summarized. The results of the simulation for the cases considered indicate that economies of scale shift from centralized to semicentralized configurations for a fixed I/O bound workload. This occurs when throughput degrades, due to the imposition of security measures, approximately 15% (10%) when 10% (20%) of the workload requires secure processing. Degradation is also examined when certain centers process only secure workload versus distributing both secure and non-secure jobs across the network.