Search

A task-technology fit (TTF) instrument was formulated to assess the extent an organization's information systems and services satisfy its managers' information requirements. The instrument, which is based on task-technology fit theory, is governed by a task model related to managerial decision making that utilize recorded organizational information. Data obtained from a sample of 357 users in 10 firms revealed that the instrument is highly reliable and valid for 12 dimensions of TTF.

Assessing the value of information technology (IT) has never been easy. Delayed benefits, unintended uses, business changes, and hidden support costs inhibit meaningful evaluation of individual IT investments. This was [...]

As organizations implement enterprise systems, the issues of whether to "build or buy" new IT modules, and if buying, how much to customize, continue to be key concerns. In this article, we develop a framework in order to better understand effective information system module choice and customization from a strategy perspective. Analysis of the strategic importance of the IS module can provide general guidance for the amount of specialization that is appropriate. To illustrate these ideas we apply them to four case examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are difficult and costly to implement. Studies show that a large portion of the overall implementation cost can be attributed to consulting fees. Indeed, hardly any organization has the internal knowledge and skills to implement an ERP system successfully without external help. Therefore, it becomes crucial to use consultants effectively to improve the likelihood of success and simultaneously keep the overall costs low. In this article the authors draw from agency theory to generate a framework that explains how consultant involvement and knowledge of the implementing organization can impact the outcome of the project. Portions of the framework are illustrated by examples from a series of interviews involving 12 companies that had implemented an ERP. It is suggested that choosing the right consultants and using their skills and knowledge appropriately, as well as transferring and retaining essential knowledge within the organization, is essential to the overall success of an ERP system implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data warehouses provide a remarkable source of data to organizations. They offer the possibility of radical changes in the ways organizations think about and use information to accomplish their mission. However, these changes do not come about solely because an organization installs a data warehouse. In order to achieve these maximal benefits from a data warehouse, an organization's structure, culture, individual roles and incentive systems, and management processes often must all change together. This article illustrates these ideas using a case study of a data warehousing initiative at the Internal Revenue Service Historically, 14 percent of the taxes owed are not collected, yet it is neither physically nor politically feasible to increase compliance through more audits. The IRS's emerging approach strives to increase voluntary compliance by emphasizing market segmentation analysis (identifying whole groups of non-compliant taxpayers) and taking actions that affect the whole group, rather than its historical approach of auditing individual taxpayers. The implementation of this approach is dependent on a data warehouse, but also requires a shift in the culture of the IRS The events of the case are interpreted through the lens of structuration theory, which helps shed light on the difficulty of this type of organizational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]