Australian Computer Society: ACS Digital Library
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The Evolution of an Information System for Managerial Use: a longitudinal study
Get PDFThe failure of many Information Systems (IS) designed for use by managers may be due to the fact that traditional IS methodologies were used in their development. In this paper we describe an organisation's efforts, over a period of four years, to develop an IS for use by senior management and show how traditional methodologies have impeded the involvement of the intended users of the system from the development process resulting in poor specification of user requirements and inflexible systems. From this experience we verify the superiority of an evolutionary prototyping methodology for the development of these types of systems
Quality Management Systems in Australian Software Houses: some problems of sustaining creativity in the software process
Get PDFSoftware houses are taking steps towards the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) and achieving certification to international quality standards. There is an increasing tendency to require quality certificates from system suppliers before business can be even considered. The QMS is seen as a way of avoiding personnel risk if product and market knowledge remains in the possession of individuals. It is also felt that quality procedures in place will improve the company's image, attract new staff and help to keep the staff turnover low. However, the application of standards to the less structured tasks, eg. pre-sales or research and development tasks, was seen to stifle the creativity needed to complete them successfully
Visual Navigation of Complex Information Spaces
Get PDFThe authors lay the foundation for the introduction of visual navigation aid to assist computer users in direct manipulation of the complex information spaces. By exploring present research on scientific data visualisation and creating a case for improved information visualisation tools, they introduce the design of an improved information visualisation interface utilizing dynamic slider, called Visual-X, incorporating icons with bindable attributes (glyphs). Exploring the improvement that these data visualisations, make to a computing environment, the authors conduct an experiment to compare the performance of subjects who use traditional interfaces and Visual-X. Methodology is presented and conclusions reveal that the use of Visual-X appears to be a promising approach in providing users with a navigation tool that does not overload their cognitive processes
Implementing Business Process Redesign: early lessons from the Australian experience
Get PDFBusiness Process Redesign (BPR) is a change management approach aimed at achieving quantum improvements in business performance. Industry interest levels in BPR are high as a direct result of current difficulties in the global economic climate and tight business conditions. Integral to BPR is the availability of new stable technologies which both stimulate and enable process changes. This paper highlights the experiences of a number of Australian firms which have implemented BPR. A ten step framework for BPR is presented together with a series of caveats. BPR is a difficult, messy and often non-linear activity which challenges many of the ways organisations operate. Information Technology plays a pivotal role in BPR as both an enabler and disenabler for change. Lessons emerging from early Australian experiences with BPR focus on the role of executive sponsorship, consultants, measurements, education and training, technology and people involved in the change process
Evaluating the Factors that Facilitate a Deep Understanding of Data Analysis
No full textIdeally the product of tertiary informatic study is more than a qualification, it is a rewarding experience of learning in a discipline area. It should build a desire for a deeper understanding and lead to fruitful research both personally and for the benefit of the wider community. This paper asks: 'What are the factors that lead to this type of quality (deep) learning in data analysis?' In the study reported in this paper, students whose general approach to learning was achieving or surface oriented adopted a deep approach when the context encouraged it. An overseas study found a decline in deep learning at this stage of a tertiary program; the contention of this paper is that the opposite of this expected outcome was achieved due to the enhanced learning environment. Though only 15.1% of students involved in this study were deep learners, the data analysis instructional context resulted in 38.8% of students achieving deep learning outcomes. Other factors discovered that contributed to deep learning outcomes were an increase in the intrinsic motivation of students to study the domain area; their prior knowledge of informatics; assessment that sought an integrated, developed yet comprehensive understanding of analytical concepts and processes; and, their learning preferences. The preferences of deep learning students are analyzed in comparison to another such study of professionals in informatics, examining commonalties and differences between this and the wider professional study
Justifying Investment in Information Resource Management
Get PDFInformation Resource Management (IRM) is the management of information as a corporate resource rather than as the property of individual systems or users. While many organisations have established IRM functions to address this goal, there has been little formal measurement of their effectiveness. A recent survey of IRM groups in the U.S. showed that only 13% of groups have implemented procedures for measuring their performance. Such measures are essential for justifying the existence of the group, maintaining management support and continuously improving IRM practices. This paper discusses the need to measure IRM effectiveness, identifies key criteria for a measurement program, and proposes some candidate metrics. Further research is in progress to refine these metrics and empirically validate them with practitioners
An Information Technology Tool to Support Negotiating Teams
Get PDFThis paper discusses computer-supported large-scale negotiation, in particular, negotiation with advisers. It is claimed that better communication within negotiating teams should lead to longer, more productive sessions than the current ones. To this end, an information technology environment should be provided for the negotiation. The paper introduces SHINE, a collaborative software system developed at the University of Chile. This software has many features to allow rich interactions among advisers belonging to the same team, among negotiators and also between a negotiator and his advisers. Emphasis is placed on the design features to enable and ease these interactions. The facilities include WYSIWIS windows, enhanced electronic mail to send and receive text or video messages with several urgency levels, an evaluation procedure and various ways to state comments and ideas. SHINE has been implemented as a prototype on Sun Sparc workstations
Defining System Requirements: a critical assessment of the Niam conceptual design procedure
Get PDFRequirements definition is a fundamental activity within information systems development. Social and organisational issues are at the centre of many of the problems experienced during the development and implementation of information systems, and these need to be explored during requirements definition. The NIAM Conceptual Schema Design Procedure (CSDP) is a method for identifying and describing information requirements using fact types. This paper discusses some limitations of the information requirements definition step of the CSDP which result from its lack of focus on the socio-organisational dimension of information systems development. Four different approaches to exploring the socio-organisational contexts of systems are discussed. It is proposed that one of these, viewpoint development, be incorporated into the NIAM CSDP to provide a means of exploring and understanding a system's socio organisational context and to ensure that contextual information is a major input to the requirements definition process. This results in an enhanced design procedure. Future and current research areas are identified
An Ontological Evaluation of Jackson's System Development Model
Get PDFWithin the discipline of information systems, numerous methodologies exist to aid the analyst and designer develop a well-designed system that meets the specifications put forward by the user. These methodologies tend to fall into two categories: (a) reality driven, or (b) information systems driven. Wand and Weber (1989), have mapped a set of ontologically-based constructs onto two widely-used analysis and design techniques being data flow diagrams (an information systems driven methodology) and entity relationship modelling (a reality-driven methodology). In this paper, Wand and Weber's work is extended to investigate the systems analysis and design methodology created by Michael Jackson, namely Jackson System Development (JSD). JSD was selected as it combines the reality-driven and information-system driven approaches by modelling what is happening in reality through the use of constructs related to the process to be modelled (usually computerised processes). The ontological analysis of JSD undertaken during this paper is used to evaluate the methodology's strengths and weaknesses as a modelling technique and ultimately to investigate its usefulness as a systems analysis and design methodology