Steven John Simon

Intangible benefits valuation in ERP projects

. The development, implementation and ownership of information systems, especially large-scale systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), has become progressively longer in duration and more cost intensive. As a result, IS managers are being required to justify projects financially based on their return. Historically, information systems have been difficult to quantify in monetary terms because of the intangible nature of many of the derived benefits, e.g. improved customer service. Using the case study methodology, this paper examines an attempt by a large computer manufacturer to incorporate intangibles into traditional cost–benefit analysis in an ERP project. The paper reviews the importance of intangibles, lists intangible benefits that are important in ERP projects and demonstrates the use of a scheme through which they can be incorporated into traditional evaluation techniques.

Control and coordination in global ERP configuration

The dominant market for enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors has traditionally been the largest of multinational corporations. Until recently, most vendors (SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle, etc.) have promoted a “one size fits all” solution built on “industry best practices.” This approach forced organizations to either conform to the “best practices” and configurations suggested by vendors and implementation consultants or embark on extremely costly reconfiguration of their ERP package. The study reviews the concepts of control, coordination, and their trade‐offs plus Bartlett and Ghoshal’s topology of firm strategy. Human resource issues are introduced as examples of organization elements that may or may not conform to the enterprise design structure within coordination and control. Finally, the concepts of control and coordination and the Bartlett and Ghoshal topology are combined to create a firm strategic orientation which is then matched to an ideal ERP configuration or enterprise information architecture.

User Acceptance of Voice Recognition Technology: An Empirical Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

Voice recognition technology-enabled devices possess extraordinary growth potential, yet some research indicates that organizations and consumers are resisting their adoption. This study investigates the implementation of a voice recognition device in the United States Navy. Grounded in the social psychology and information systems literature, the researchers adapted instruments and developed a tool to explain technology adoption in this environment. Using factor analysis and structural equation modeling, analysis of data from the 270 participants explained almost 90% of the variance in the model. This research adapts the technology acceptance model by adding elements of the theory of planned behavior, providing researchers and practitioners with a valuable instrument to predict technology adoption.

An examination of media richness theory in product Web site design: an empirical study

Internet2 research will lead to new technologies that will launch the Internet into another wave of unprecedented growth with enhanced interactivity and greater amounts of information delivered via richer communication. As a result, Web‐based retailers must begin to rethink the design of their sites, the amount of information to provide, and the degree of media richness to deliver. Based on a large sample of managers, this study examines media richness theory in the context of simple and complex products. The findings suggest that, overall, Internet users have more positive attitudes and higher levels of satisfaction with regard to rich sites than to lean sites, although the results for simple product sites were inconclusive. The study discusses the impact of the results for both simple and complex products and details the development of a new experimental instrument to measure user attitudes and satisfaction.

Attitudes Towards Product Website Design: A Study of the Effects of Gender

The research of the Internet2 project has resulted in the introduction of new technologies and has set the stage for another round of Internet growth. These technologies will enhance interactivity and allow for the delivery of greater amounts of information through richer communication. With these new options, World Wide Web‐based retailers must now rethink the design of their sites, the amount of information to deliver and the degree of media richness to provide. This article sets forth an overview of the evolution of the Internet, presents relevant media richness theory, gives a review of the literature with regard to gender and the Internet and presents an empirical illustration of the effects of gender on attitudes towards website design. The results suggest that, overall, males have more positive attitudes than females with regard to both rich and lean websites. The study details the development of an experimental instrument for measuring user attitudes and discusses the impact of the results.

An examination of the financial feasibility of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs): a case study of tangible and intangible benefits

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and associated systems have existed in various forms for almost ten years, yet they are still considered in their infancy sporting low adoption rates in US hospitals and physician practices. One of the key barriers to the adoption of these systems has been the concerns of healthcare providers that the system will not provide sufficient Return On Investment (ROI). This study examines the success of one medium-sized physician practice with the selection, implementation and ROI of an EMR. This study demonstrates that an EMR can provide both tangible (monetary) and intangible (clinical/quality of care) returns for the healthcare provider.

Voice says it all in the Navy

The commercial potential for voice technology innovations currently being developed by the U.S. Navy is immense.

Hospital profitability crisis: an integrated process and technology solution

Hospitals around the globe face a profitability crisis that ultimately threatens the quality of healthcare provided to patients. While a variety of factors have been attributed to this profitability crisis, key internal causes include the failure of process design and the healthcare technology solution to keep up with changing demand, environmental and governmental regulations, and lack of integration of disparate systems. This paper examines these issues with regard to ambulatory payment classification (APC) – the scheme that drives hospital billing systems – and an integrated technology solution. Two scenarios are provided illustrating a non-integrated/manual hospital and an integrated process and information system. Learning points, process flowcharts, and real-world examples are used to demonstrate potential gains from the integrated technology solution.

Asia's Pending Labor Crunch: An Analysis of Human Resource Management Best Practices in IS Departments

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between host-country stage of socioeconomic development and the migration of human resource management best practices in IS departments in Asia. Employing a sample of 181 Asian firms, significant differences were found to exist in the management of cross- border relationships and in the transfer of HRM best practices to IS departments located in industrialized, newly industrialized and transforming economies.

Trust and distrust as distinct constructs: Evidence from data theft environments

Trust is a widely understood construct utilized across most disciplines. Unlike trust, distrust is less studied and understood. For the last two decades, researchers have been engaged in a discussion - are trust and distrust distinct constructs or just two ends of the same continuum? This study investigates that question by surveying more than 1000 consumers involved in technology-driven transactions. Using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the study develops empirically-supported models, providing insights.