Marinos Themistocleous

Evaluating e-government: learning from the experiences of two UK local authorities

Abstract. Part of the remit of public sector management includes planning and reflecting on capital expenditure on new technology. With this in mind, the role that information systems play in supporting improvements in e‐government service delivery to stakeholder groups continues to attract much attention. The authors of this paper seek to define the scope and role that information systems evaluation plays within the public sector. In particular, the authors assess whether public sector organizations might benefit from the use of established ex‐ante evaluation techniques, when applied to analyse the impact of e‐government information systems. Following a comprehensive review of the normative literature, an initial conceptual framework for public sector information systems evaluation is proposed, which is then empirically explored within two local government authorities. The conceptual framework is then revised by using the structured case approach, which is dependent on an iterative research cycle where triangulated data are elicited. This then supports the emergence of new concepts during each research cycle that leads to the view that information systems evaluation in the public sector is a process of experiential and subjective judgement, which is grounded in opinion and world views. This leads the authors to challenge the appropriateness of traditional modes of investment appraisal when applied in the public sector. The finalized framework embraces investment decisions, evaluation methods, culture and structure, as well as post hoc evaluation. It emphasizes the importance of situated, interpretive user assessments in evaluating e‐government investments.

ERP and application integration: Exploratory survey

During the 1990s, companies focused on the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to solve integration problems. However, ERP systems automate core business activities without solving underlying business structures and processes. As a result a number of disparate applications often coexist with ERP systems. To better understand ERP and application integration (AI) problems, this paper proposes to identify, analyse and present the problems of ERP systems, as well as examining new approaches for AI. In doing so, a multi‐choice questionnaire has been designed, and was distributed to ERP specialists over the Internet. Responses show that ERP systems amplified the need for integration, as existing systems have to be incorporated with ERP applications. AI securely incorporates functionality from disparate applications, and has shown to lead to the development of new strategic business solutions for enterprises. The results of the research confirm AI as a new means of system integration that adds value by placing business logic in the applications network, thus creating a more dynamic information systems infrastructure.

The impact of enterprise application integration on information system lifecycles

Information systems (IS) have become the organisational fabric for intra- and inter-organisational collaboration in business. As a result, there is mounting pressure from customers and suppliers for a direct move away from disparate systems operating in parallel towards a more common shared architecture. In part, this has been achieved through the emergence of new technology that is being packaged into a portfolio of technologies known as enterprise application integration (EAI). Its emergence however, is presenting investment decision-makers charged with the evaluation of IS with an interesting challenge. The integration of IS in-line with the needs of the business is extending their identify and lifecycle, making it difficult to evaluate the full impact of the system as it has no definitive start and/or end. Indeed, the argument presented in this paper is that traditional life cycle models are changing as a result of technologies that support their integration with other systems. In this paper, the need for a better understanding of EAI and its impact on IS lifecycles are discussed and a classification framework proposed.

Benchmarking the benefits and barriers of application integration

During the last three decades, a number of autonomous and, in many cases, heterogeneous systems have been evolved in organisations which cause integration problems and increase the complexity and cost of maintaining these applications. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were then introduced to overcome integration problems. However, organisations did not abandon their existing systems when adopting an ERP solution, as ERP systems focus on general processes and do not allow much customisation. As a result, ERP systems co‐exist alongside other systems, and therefore amplify the need for integration. Recently, a new generation of software solutions called Application Integration (AI) has been introduced to address integration issues. AI is a new area with limited literature and documentation and explains the integration of basic types of applications and summarises the benefits of and the barriers to the adoption of an AI solution. Uses benchmarking to search and study best practices in the integration area. Explains how AI can be used by organisations to help them increase their productivity and improve their business processes. In addition, proposes a taxonomy of AI benefits and barriers when mapped against custom, packaged and e‐business solutions. The proposed taxonomy will help researchers to better understand, analyse and compare the benefits and barriers of AI and will therefore improve decision making.

Justifying the decisions for EAI implementations: a validated proposition of influential factors

Enterprise integration is considered to be of great strategic significance in the support of organisations to achieve a competitive advantage. Traditional approaches to integration such as electronic data interchange (EDI) have provided a wide range of benefits but have not managed to fully automate and integrate business processes and applications. In addressing many of the limitations of EDI to piece together disparate systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions introduced an alternative approach to integration. Although ERP systems overcome significant integration problems, they have failed to adequately support intra and inter‐organisational integration. There has been a great demand by organisations to overcome integration problems and become more competitive. In this respect, enterprise application integration (EAI) has emerged to address intra and inter‐organisational integration in a more flexible and maintainable way. The normative literature remains limited regarding this emerging area and there is consequently a need for further research and contribution in identifying influential factors for EAI adoption. In addressing this relative void in the literature, this paper proposes a model for the justification and evaluation of EAI adoptions. The proposed model can be used by organisations as a tool for decision making when considering the adoption of EAI.

ERP problems and application integration issues: an empirical survey

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were introduced into companies to solve various organisational problems, and to provide an integrated infrastructure. Although ERP packages offer advantages to enterprises, they have not achieved many of their anticipated benefits. Autonomous and heterogeneous applications co-exist in companies with ERP systems and integration problem having not been addressed. This paper seeks to make contribution to this area by studying and analysing ERP problems through an Internet based survey. Responses are analysed in detail and a new approach to integration problem; the enterprise application integration (EAI) is examined. EAI is a new class of integration software that leads to the development of strategic business solutions by securely incorporating functionality from disparate applications. EAI could be the solution to ERPs integration problems.

Integrating diverse ERP systems: a case study

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) went through many development cycles since its beginning in the 1970s until it established itself as a backbone of most major enterprises in the world. In spite of its countless advantages, most ERP implementations require heavy customisation to achieve their proclaimed advantages. This paper represents an endeavour to investigate, through a case study, the feasibility of minimising the heavy customisation required by most ERP implementations by selecting the best modules from each vendor and integrating them using enterprise application integration technologies, to form one (integrated) system. In doing so, the paper provides a description of a way to implement a suggested integrated solution, as well as a discussion of how minimising customisation enables enterprises to upgrade their ERP software effortlessly and cost‐effectively.

The Same, but Different: Enterprise Systems Adoption Lifecycles in Transition Economies

We investigated differences in enterprise systems adoption lifecycles in transition economies when compared to developed economies. For that purpose, we collected data from experienced practitioners who participated in enterprise systems adoption lifecycles in transition and developed economies. Then we contrasted the findings with the normative literature. We identify similarities and variations in lifecycle phases and the actors involved in the process. This helps to better understand this phenomenon and extend the body of knowledge.

Extending the information system lifecycle through enterprise application integration: a case study experience

Enterprise application integration (EAI) technologies support a direct move away from disparate systems operating in parallel towards a more common shared architecture, where systems evolve and merge together. Such an emergence however, presents a paradigm shift in the way that information system (IS) lifecycles are viewed. The integration of IS in-line with the needs of the business is altering IS identity and extending their lifecycle. This makes evaluating the full impact of the system difficult, as it has no definitive start and/or end. The authors demonstrate, through a case study of IS applications within an e-government framework, that EAI can be used as a portfolio of technologies that improves infrastructure integration. However, in doing so, the authors create the need to re-think traditional IS-lifecycle norms.

An exploratory study of indirect ICT costs using the structured case method

Many companies are increasing their expenditure on information and communication technologies (ICTs) to obtain or even sustain a competitive advantage in their respective marketplaces. Many managers, however, are often left with the quandary of how to evaluate their investments in technologies. Reasons for this difficulty have been suggested in the normative literature as centring on the socio-technical (human, organisational and technical) dimensions associated with the adoption of ICTs. The inability of managers to determine the true costs of deploying ICT are considered attributable to a lack of knowledge and understanding of ICT-related costs. In developing a broader picture of such cost dimensions and their respective taxonomies, the research presented in this case uses a structured method to gain an understanding of how a construction firm embraced the information technology (IT) evaluation process. A review of the IT cost literature is presented, and a conceptual IT evaluation framework (CF) that focuses on indirect costs is proposed. Findings from the case study are presented and discussed in the context of the CF.