John C. Henderson

The value of strategic IS planning: understanding consistency, validity, and IS markets

The impact of IS technologies on the competitive capability of the firm has increased the need for effective strategic IS planning. This paper argues that an effective strategic IS planning process must provide for (1) definition of key markets (within the firm) for IS products and services; (2) internal consistency, particularly between the strategic business plan and strategic IS plan; and (3) a means to assess the validity of the planning process. The need to establish validity is seen as critical in today’s highly turbulent business environment. Results of an actual planning process are used to illustrate how assumption surfacing can be used as one means to address the vafidity issue.

Dimensions of I/S Planning and Design Aids: A Functional Model of CASE Technology

Information technology is playing an increasingly integral role in the competitive strategies of many organizations. As this trend continues, it is not surprising that there is growing emphasis on the ability of organizations to plan, design and implement critical information systems. A major strategy to improve the effectiveness of these processes is the use of computer-based planning and design aids. However, there is little empirical evidence that using this technology provides a significant performance impact. One factor limiting research on the impact of technology on planning and design is the manner in which this technology has been conceptualized for measuring usage behavior. This research develops a functional model of I/S planning and design support technology that distinguishes three general functional dimensions: Production Technology, Coordination Technology and Organizational Technology. An empirical analysis is used to test the robustness of the proposed model and its ability to discriminate among current design aids in a meaningful way. Implications for the use of this model in the study of I/S planning and design processes are discussed.

Technology-process fit: perspectives on achieving prototyping effectiveness

The authors examine the performance impacts of support technology on the prototyping process. The prototyping process is examined from three behavioral perspectives: cognitive, social, and organizational. Support technology is then characterized along the functional dimensions of production, coordination, and organizational technology, and performance measurement framework is developed using the dimensions of process/product and levels of analysis (task, social, and strategic). It is proposed that the primary determinant of performance impact is the fit between the prototyping processes and the support technology used. By combining a functional model of support technology with behavioral perspectives of the prototyping process, a better understanding of the impacts of technology on prototyping effectiveness is obtained. >

Integrating management support systems into strategic information systems planning

Abstract:The critical success factor (csf) methodology is extended to explicitly examine the critical assumptions underlying the csfs and to identify opportunities for investment in management information systems (mis), decision support systems (dss), and executive support systems (ess). A strategic data model is used to help coordinate investments across these types of management support systems. This extended methodology should enhance the validity of an information systems (is) planning effort because of both the scope of management support systems that are considered and the potential use of the assumptions to reassess and reexamine the soundness of the original CSFS. An actual planning engagement is used to illustrate the application of the methodology.

Design and implementation of decision support systems in the public sector

This article examines the implications of utilizing decision support systems (DSS) in the public sector based on a DSS developed and implemented for a community mental health system. The DSS includes a multiple objective (goal programming) allocation model and encompasses a multiple party decision process. The experiences and insights acquired during the development and implementation of this DSS are relevant to public sector decision support in general. The importance of a DSS as a process-support aid rather than a product-oriented aid (i.e., simply providing answers) and the interaction of system architecture and the chosen design strategy are key insights. In particular, the distinction between model-oriented and data-oriented DSS does not appear to be appropriate. The public sector decision makers concern with issues of equity requires the ability to operate in a higher dimensional framework than the typical spreadsheet model and there is a critical need for communication support.

Learning, working, and innovation: a case study in the insurance industry

The worldwide environment in which strategic information technology (IT) initiatives are deployed is changing. Increasingly, these IT investments are intended to produce not only internal operating efficiencies and cost savings but also external market outcomes. The linkage between IT investments and business value is critical in the service sector for industries, such as financial services, transportation, and retailing, where IT is an integral part of the products and services delivered to customers. Using case study research data from six large North American companies and recent theory as our guide, this paper identifies ways in which information systems (IS) organizations can become more innovative by using learning as the bridge between working and innovation. To illustrate the findings, we present data from a case study at Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, a large, multinational North American insurance company.

Planning for MIS: a decision-oriented approach

The concept of using critical decisions as a basis for defining information needs has been suggested by several authors. This article reports on results of a decision-oriented approach to planning for MIS. A structured group process is used to generate both critical decisions and information needs for a manufacturing firm. Results indicate that the decision approach is effective, particularly for organizational units that re line oriented.