James Ang

Critical success factors in the alignment of IS plans with business plans

The alignment of IS plans with business plans is not an easy task and knowing which are the critical areas to manage will certainly enhance the success of such efforts. Although there is a large amount of research on critical success factors (CSFs), past studies usually examine CSFs of specific systems implementation (e.g., MRP) and total quality management (TQM). Relatively few studies exist on the CSFs related to aligning IS plans with business plans. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of IS executives on the relative importance of various CSFs for aligning IS plans with business plans. The results indicate that top management commitment to the strategic use of IT, IS management knowledge about business, and top management confidence in the IS department are the top three CSFs. Implications of the results are discussed.

An examination of major IS planning problems

Knowing what problems to expect in an IS planning exercise enhances the probability of a successful outcome. This study identifies the major IS planning problems associated with the three phases of IS planning: the launching phase, the plan development phase, and the implementation phase. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey mailed to senior IS executives in 600 firms. Of the 175 responses received, 138 responses (comprising firms practising IS planning) were used for data analysis. In all the three phases, failing to secure top management support for the IS planning effort is the most serious problem. Not having free communication flow, and not being able to obtain sufficiently qualified personnel are the other two major problems in the planning phase. In the plan development phase, respondents reported ignoring business goals and failing to translate these goals/strategies into action plans as major problems as well. Neglecting to adjust the IS plan to reflect major environmental changes is the other major problem in the implementation phase. Probable explanations were provided for these and other problems.

A multiple-case design methodology for studying MRP success and CSFs

We used a multiple-case design to study materials requirements planning (MRP) implementation outcome in 10 manufacturing companies in Singapore. Using a two-phased data collection approach (pre-interview questionnaires and personal interviews), we sought to develop a comprehensive and operationally acceptable measure of MRP success. Our measure consists of two linked components. They are a satisfaction score (a quantitative measure) and a complementary measure based on comments from the interviewees regarding the level of usage and acceptance of the system. We also extended and consolidated a seven-factor critical success factor (CSF) framework using this methodology. CSFs are important, but knowing the linkages between them is even more important, because these linkages tell us which CSFs to emphasize at various stages of the project.

Critical success factors in implementing MRP and government assistance: a Singapore context

It is generally acknowledged that Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) could revolutionize manufacturing operations. Making use of data from a recent survey of MRP practices in Singapore conducted jointly by the National Computer Board (NCB) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), this paper provides a profile of manufacturing companies in Singapore that both have and have not implemented MRP. The Critical Success Factors involved in implementing MRP are identified and the theoretical justification behind each factor examined. Finally, the ways in which the Singapore Government can help local companies implement, operate, and maintain MRP systems are discussed. It is an expensive investment, and difficult to implement, due to its complexity. It is hoped that knowledge and understanding of these factors will assist firms in successfully implementing MRP and enable them to further improve their systems in order to maximize returns.

The state of strategic IS planning practices in Singapore

Abstract Although there has been much research on information systems (IS) planning, most of this was carried out in America or Europe. There are very limited studies on IS planning in the Asian context. This paper examines IS planning in the context of Singapore, a small island of 650 square kilometers in South-East Asia. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey sent to the highest ranking IS executive in 450 firms. 92 usable responses were received; of these, 58 indicated that their firms undertook some form of IS planning. The macro-economic features of the firms, the degree of participation in IS planning by various executives, critical success factors and benefits of IS planning, and other planning parameters were examined.

How useful are strategic plans for information systems

Although much research has been done in the area of strategic planning for information systems (IS), relatively less research has focused on the output of the IS planning process, namely, the IS plan. This paper examines the usefulness of IS plans through a field survey of 136 IS executives. Results indicate that IS plans are generally perceived to be useful for supporting business objectives, improving systems integration, exploiting information technology (IT) for competitive advantage, and prioritising IS development projects. Conversely, IS plans are perceived to be less useful for clarifying the role of IS, evaluating IS performance, anticipating surprises and crisis, and adapting to unanticipated situations. Implications of these results are discussed.

An analysis of Material Requirements Planning (MRP) benefits using Alternating Conditional Expectation (ACE)

Abstract Responding to regional and international competition, many manufacturing companies have adopted MRP systems to improve their manufacturing operations. Of primary interest to managers and users of MRP is the benefits that can be derived from using the MRP technology. While the literature abounds with MRP implementation studies, there is a dearth of research that examines the determinants of specific MRP benefits. Knowledge of the determinants would enable MRP managers and users to concentrate on key areas to achieve benefits that match their company goals. This paper identifies the organisational, implementational, and technological variables that affect specific MRP benefits as reported by Singapore manufacturing companies in the most extensive MRP survey ever conducted in Singapore. Using Alternating Conditional Expectation (ACE), an advanced statistical modeling technique that increases the model fit by approximating the optimal transformations for the dependent and independent variables, the regression models developed reveal more accurate relationships compared to those in previous MRP studies. Our findings offer several novel and valuable insights into the MRP benefit-determinant relationship. The major finding is that determinant variables such as data accuracy, people support, degree of integration, and company size affect benefits in a nonlinear fashion. Data accuracy was found to be critical in affecting operational efficiency, customer service, and interdepartmental coordination benefits. Another finding suggests that when people support and data accuracy degenerate to a critical level, users might still derive increased benefits by resorting to secondary sources to accomplish their work. Users should strive for a high degree of integration to achieve full operational efficiency and coordination benefits. Partial integration does not appear to provide significant improvements. We also found that increasing company size has a positive, followed by a negative impact on operational efficiency. Lastly, our findings suggest that the pattern of technical complaints can be an indicator of system usage and interdepartmental coordination. Our findings have important implications for managers and users of MRP.

Strategic Planning For Information Systems: A Survey Of Canadian Organizations

AbstractThis paper is an empirical study of what is being done in Canada with respect to strategic/longrange planning for information systems. It is based on the work of McLean and Soden, undertaken in the United States in the mid 1970s. The data were collected by means of a survey questionnaire mailed to a sample of MIS/EDP executives of large Canadian firms (those with over

Model and algorithms for multi-period sea cargo mix problem

10 million in annual revenue and more than 100 employees). Replies were received from 138 organizations, a 32.5 percent response rate.Less than half of the respondent organizations undertook strategic IS planning. We found this surprising given the substantial literature that stresses its importance. Among those who did plan, their behavior was reasonably consistent with that recommended in the literature, the findings of McLean and Soden, and what one would expect with a reasonable knowledge of organizational behavior. In general IS planning is done with an IS rather than a corporate perspective. As a case in point, 30 percent of t...

A study of the strategic planning practices in Singapore

Abstract In this paper, we consider the sea cargo mix problem in international ocean container shipping industry. We describe the characteristics of the cargo mix problem for the carrier in a multi-period planning horizon, and formulate it as a multi-dimensional multiple knapsack problem (MDMKP). In particular, the MDMKP is an optimization model that maximizes the total profit generated by all freight bookings accepted in a multi-period planning horizon subject to the limited shipping capacities. We propose two heuristic algorithms that can solve large scale problems with tens of thousands of decision variables in a short time. Finally, numerical experiments on a wide range of randomly generated problem instances are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithms.