The Decision Value of Management Support Systems for Strategic Hospital Management

Several studies have shown that selected management support systems (MSS) favorably impact decision making. Others have theorized that additional benefits could be achieved by consolidating the separate system functions to form an integrated management support system. There have been few, if any, reported empirical tests of this theory. This article offers empirical evidence on integrated MSS effectiveness. It points to the general literature on MSS effects, notes an empirical gap in this literature, and reports the results of experiments that assess the influences of a specific integrated MSS on the process and outcomes of strategic hospital decision making.     

Regret avoidance as a measure of DSS success: An exploratory study

Assessing the value of decision support systems (DSS) is an important line of research. Traditionally, researchers adopt user satisfaction and decision performance to measure DSS success. In some cases, however, the use of DSS is not benefit driven. Instead, DSS adoption may be motivated by avoiding decision errors or reducing decision cost, indicating that regret avoidance may be a useful measure of DSS success. Regret is a post-decision feeling regarding not having chosen a better alternative. Recent behavioral research has indicated that, in addition to pursuing higher performance and user satisfaction, reducing decision regret is another important consideration for many decision-makers. This exploratory study extends prior research on DSS evaluation by proposing regret avoidance as an additional measure of DSS success. Experimental results regarding the use of DSS for stock investment demonstrate DSS use significantly reduces regret in situations involving low user satisfaction. Consequently, besides decision performance and user satisfaction, regret reduction is also important in measuring the effectiveness of DSS.     

A multi-method, holistic strategy for researching critical success factors in IT projects

In the field of information systems (IS) there is an observable trend towards the use of multi-method research. Using different research methods allows for the cross-validation of data obtained via multiple approaches, with the potential to increase the robustness of research results. Such a multi-method approach is applicable to a comprehensive research agenda on critical success factors, an agenda that needs to take into account not only the identification, but also the analysis and management of critical success factors. The goal of this article is to contribute new knowledge on how to carry out research on critical success factors in IS projects using a multi-method approach. For this purpose, two research projects are presented, each a variation of the research design customized to particular circumstances. First, there is an outline of the research approach taken for a critical success factor research project in the field of portal implementation, with discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Taking into consideration these experiences, the research approach of a similar critical success factor research project in the field of offshore software development is then described. Finally, recommendations for using the multi-method research approach in critical success factor research are presented.     

Should we be surprised at expert system success ?

Abstract. Expert systems proliferate. They are now a usable and used tool in a variety of organizations. However, little research has been undertaken on the quantification of success or failure of expert system projects. By and large the only test carried out for expert system validation is one of comparison of the conclusions of the system with those of an expert or team of experts. While questioning the validity, this paper accepts that this method is being used and analyses whether or not the results obtained from this type of test should be a surprise. That is, what sort of results should be expected and to what extent do the reported ones live up to these expectations? Earlier research from the field of human information processing casts doubts on the success claims made for current expert systems. The implications of this research are then analysed in order to explore the possible redeeming features of expert systems which are not taken into account in such comparisons. The use of linear models as comparators for expert systems may prove beneficial.     

Facilitating the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems: an empirical analysis of innovation and support factors

Abstract. Inter-organizational systems, which represent the majority of competitive information systems, have received increasing attention from researchers. This study focuses on the implementation of customer-based inter-organizational systems (CIOS). A model is constructed and tested, based on literature in IS implementation and organizational innovation. Data from 73 organizations who have implemented such systems are gathered through a questionnaire. Two classes of independent variables, innovation factors and support factors, are examined for their influence on CIOS implementation success. While no innovation factors emerge as important, support factors, such as customer training and top management support, are found to significantly facilitate successful implementation of such systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Exploring managerial factors affecting ERP implementation: an investigation of the Klein‐Sorra model using regression splines

Abstract. Predicting successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is still an elusive problem. The cost of ERP implementation failures is exceedingly high in terms of quantifiable financial resources and organizational disruption. The lack of good explanatory and predictive models makes it difficult for managers to develop and plan ERP implementation projects with any assurance of success. In this paper we investigate the Klein & Sorra theoretical model of implementation effectiveness. To test this model we develop and validate a data collection instrument to capture the appropriate data, and then use multivariate adaptive regression splines to examine the assertions of the model and suggest additional significant relationships among the factors of their model. Our research offers new dimensions for studying managerial interventions in IT implementation and insights into factors that can be managed to improve the effectiveness of ERP implementation projects.     

基于Petri网的装备系统任务成功概率仿真

通过对装备系统在不同任务剖面下的成功性的评估,可以反映装备保障系统的整体保障效能。由于影响任务成功性的因素较多,关系复杂,目前还没有相应的数学公式进行解析,因此采取系统模拟仿真的方法来实现对装备系统任务成功概率的评估。在建立装备系统的保障模型、任务模型与基于Petri网的仿真模型的基础上,可以进行有效的仿真评估,对装备保障工作具有积极意义。文章首先分别介绍了各模型的构建、仿真模型的运行机理;其次介绍了评估系统的框架及其功能组成;最后提供了在某自行高炮系统数据基础上的仿真实例。     

An empirical examination of application frameworks success based on technology acceptance model

Framework-based development is currently regarded as one of the most promising software development approaches when it comes to improvements in lead time, productivity and quality. However, many frameworks and projects based on frameworks still report failures, which indicate that there are problems related to both frameworks technology and frameworks usage. The objective of our research was to examine the major drivers that have an impact on a framework’s acceptance and a framework’s success. We used the technology acceptance model (TAM) and Seddon’s information systems success model as our underlying theory. Data collected from an online survey of 389 active framework users was used to test hypothesized models. Data analysis was performed via structural equation modeling. Our findings support the post-adoption version of TAM and the relationship between continuous use and the successful use of systems, where more use also means more net benefits. We found that the successful use of frameworks is mainly dependent on two factors: continuous framework usage intention and the perceived usefulness of the framework. Several practical and theoretical implications can be foreseen including advances in framework development guidelines and insight into the relationship between the acceptance and success of frameworks.     

The priority factor model for customer relationship management system success

As the market competition becomes keen, constructing a customer relationship management system is coming to the front for winning over new customers, developing service and products for customer satisfaction and retaining existing customers. However, decisions for CRM implementation have been hampered by inconsistency between information technology and marketing strategies, and the lack of conceptual bases necessary to develop the success measures. Using a structural equation analysis, this study explores the CRM system success model that consists of CRM initiatives: process fit, customer information quality, and system support; intrinsic success: efficiency and customer satisfaction; and extrinsic success: profitability. These constructs underlie much of the existing literature on information system success and customer satisfaction perspectives. We found the empirical support for CRM implementation decision-making from 253 respondents of 14 companies which have implemented the CRM system. These findings should be of great interest to both researchers and practitioners.     

A proposed model for evaluating the success of WebCT course content management system

WebCT is an online course management system which is accessed through the portal. It has a wide range of tools which support teaching and learning and enable online delivery of lecture notes, representations, surveys and quizzes, coursework, discussion boards and much more. Evaluation of WebCT systems success or effectiveness is a fundamental challenge to education institutions. A review of previous e-learning research suggests a focused evaluation approach, thus offering limited discussion of comprehensive views of WebCT systems success or systematic and practical guidance to its evaluations. Based on a prevalent information systems success model, this paper proposes and describes a revised model for evaluating WebCT systems success in educational settings. The study findings suggest that content quality, system quality, support service quality, teaching and learning quality, self-regulated learning, intention to use/use, user satisfaction and net benefits are important factors for evaluating the success of WebCT CCMS. Implications of the proposed model for theory and practice were illustrated. In addition, future research directions that extend the reported study are also preferred.     

Expert systems: An application in flexible manufacturing

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) are needed to provide manufacturing operations with the capability to adjust, in real time, to changes in the manufacturing environment. Realization of the goals of flexible manufacturing is governed by the ability of the FMS to maintain adequate information on the factory to assist in generating scenarios from product planning to operations and performance. This leads to a view where the factory is represented as an integrated information system. To facilitate the analysis of information requirements and the design of information systems for flexible manufacturing, an expert support system (ESS) which can be used to model and study the various structures is described. This ESS uses the information cell model to build these information structures. Petri net representations of these structures and their interactions are then constructed. The ESS may now be used to exercise these models and study their performance using time and cost measures.     

Drivers, barriers and critical success factors for ERPII implementation in supply chains: A critical analysis

This paper reviews existing literature to determine the drivers of and barriers to Enterprise Resource Planning II (ERPII) implementation. The ERPII literature is then extended through interviews with potential players in ERPII implementations to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) or preconditions required for successful implementation throughout supply chains. These interviews were conducted with leading ERP vendors/consultants and organisations involved in the entire supply chain to gather evidence on the success, or lack thereof, of ERPII implementations. The results were compared and contrasted to existing literature on ERPII, collaborative networks, and the extended enterprise. We found more barriers to than drivers of successful ERPII implementation. This leads prospective implementers to have a pessimistic forecast for ERPII implementation success. Our research reveals that main reason for this negativity is a general lack of understanding and appreciation of the capabilities of the extended enterprise network. Second, the research presents two sets of CSFs: CSFs which apply to traditional ERP and carry forward to apply to ERPII, and CSFs that are tailored to the new needs for successful ERPII implementations. Finally, the research questions the suitability of ERPII in today’s modern business environment, and suggests that technology may have overtaken management’s capabilities to capture the full benefits of such an advanced enterprise system. Future trends in ERPII development are also considered in an attempt to find the next phase in the enterprise system life cycle. Beyond ERPII, the research suggests that infrastructure such as large-scale business intelligence (BI) systems must be heavily incorporated into modern enterprise systems to fully understand how information flows throughout an organisation and to make sense of that information.     

Exploring inconsistencies between modal transition systems

It is commonplace to have multiple behaviour models that describe the same system but have been produced by different stakeholders or synthesized from different sources. Although in practice, such models frequently exhibit inconsistencies, there is a lack of tool support for analyzing them. There are two key difficulties in explaining why two behavioural models are inconsistent: (1) explanations often require branching structures rather than linear traces, or scenarios; and (2) there can be multiple sources of inconsistency and many different ways of explaining each one. In this paper, we present an approach that supports exploration of inconsistencies between modal transition systems, an extension to labelled transition systems. We show how to produce sound graphical explanations for inconsistencies, how to compactly represent all possible explanations in a composition of the models being compared, and how modelers can use this composition to explore the explanations encoded therein.     

Prioritizing and Assessing Software Project Success Factors and Project Characteristics using Subjective Data

This paper presents a method for analyzing the impact software project factors have on project success as defined by project success factors that have been prioritized. It is relatively easy to collect measures of project attributes subjectively (i.e., based on expert judgment). Often Likert scales are used for that purpose. It is much harder to identify whether and how a large number of such ranked project factors influence project success, and to prioritize their influence on project success. At the same time, it is desirable to use the knowledge of project personnel effectively. Given a prioritization of project goals, it is shown how some key project characteristics can be related to project success. The method is applied in a case study consisting of 46 projects. For each project, six success factors and 27 project attributes were measured. Successful projects show common characteristics. Using this knowledge can lead to better control and software project management and to an increased likelihood of project success.     

A goal-oriented,ontology-based methodology to support the design of AAL environments

One of the most critical issues in Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is the design of systems that can evolve to meet the requirements of individuals as their needs and health conditions change. Although much work has been done on home and building automation systems for AAL, often referred to as assistive domotics, there is in fact still a substantial lack of solutions capable to support system designers in the early stage of development of such assistive systems. To this aim, the work contributes to the research on design of assistive domotic systems by presenting an ontology-driven methodology aimed to guide the development process. The novel contributions of the paper include the goal-oriented approach of the methodology, which involves the elicitation and analysis of AAL requirements and their formal representation in an ontology, where high-level goals are described in terms of subgoals and tasks, that are then linked to corresponding measures and devices. Moreover, logic-based reasoning enables more advanced functionalities useful at design time. We present a validation of the methodology showing typical use cases both related to the development from scratch of a domotic system with assistive capabilities starting from a set of high-level user requirements and the redesign of existing implementations according to changed requirements.     

Decoupling,re‐engaging: managing trust relationships in implementation projects

An important aspect of the successful implementation of large information systems (such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems) is trust. These implementations impact the legitimate interests of many groups of stakeholders, and trust is a critical factor for success. Trust in the project is contingent upon many factors, is likely to vary over time and should not be taken for granted. Previous studies have identified the relationship between trust and project outcomes and suggested trust‐building strategies but have largely ignored the dynamic quality of trust relations through the life of a major project and the complex demands of managing those fluctuations. We investigate evolving trust relationships in a longitudinal case analysis of a large integrated hospital system implementation for the Faroe Islands. Trust relationships suffered various breakdowns, but the project was able to recover and eventually meet its goals. Based on concepts from Giddens' later work on modernity, we develop two approaches for managing dynamic trust relationships in implementation projects: decoupling and re‐engaging.     

支持深度学习的视觉数据库管理系统研究进展

计算机视觉因其强大的学习能力,在各种真实场景中得到了广泛应用.随着数据库的发展,利用数据库中成熟的数据管理技术来处理视觉分析应用,已成为一种日益增长的研究趋势.图像、视频和文本等多模态数据的相互融合处理,也促进了视觉分析应用的多样性和准确性.近年来,因深度学习的兴起,支持深度学习的视觉分析应用开始受到广泛关注.然而,传统的数据库管理技术在深度学习场景下面临着复杂视觉分析语义难以表达、应用执行效率低等问题.因此,支持深度学习的视觉数据库管理系统得到了广泛关注.综述了目前视觉数据库管理系统的研究进展:首先,总结了视觉数据库管理系统在不同层面上面临的挑战,包括编程接口、查询优化、执行调度和数据存储;其次,分别探讨了上述4个层面上的相关技术;最后,对视觉数据库管理系统未来的研究方向进行了展望.     

Investigating the Critical Success Factors for Implementing Electronic Document Management Systems in Governments: Evidence From Jordan

We investigated the critical success factors that affect the implementation of electronic document management systems in government organizations. Based on a comprehensive literature review and input from an expert panel, we composed a list of 37 factors that were considered as prerequisites of successful electronic document management system implementation. We then grouped these 37 factors into six categories. Through a questionnaire survey and factor analysis, we confirmed that the categories identified are important for successful electronic document management system implementation.     

Factors affecting the implementation success of Internet-based information systems

The Internet has come to revolutionize the way in which business conducts commercial activities. In this paper, we report on the development of a model of Internet-based information systems (IIS) implementation in business-to-consumer electronic commerce based on IS implementation and technology innovation–implementation studies. Our research model suggests that eight factors, comprising the characteristics of IIS technology innovation, organizational factors, and IS related factors, affect the implementation success of IIS. IIS themselves are characterized by three dimensions: volume, sophistication, and information contents. The suggested model was empirically tested using survey results from Korean companies that have adopted IIS. The results of multivariate regression analysis reveal that compatibility and IS infrastructure are key determinants of the extent of IIS implementation (in terms of volume, sophistication, and information contents). IS expertise potentially affects the extent of IIS implementation.     

Rationality in Information Systems Support to Decision Making

Management information systems serve business organizations by providing information for decision making. Various types of systems serve different types of decision contexts. The philosophic basis of information system support is discussed. The rational (or normative) philosophy is widely used, and appears in business theory in the form of agency theory and transaction cost analysis. While this approach has been valuable in some contexts, there are other contexts where the rational approach has limited in utility for real business decision making. Decision makers need to consider subjective factors to enable them to cope with the high levels of uncertainty, incomplete understanding, and imperfect data typical of dynamic open systems. There are alternative philosophies upon which to base decision-making that are appropriate for specific decision contexts. Churchman identified empirical, multi-perspective frameworks, dialectic, and cause-and-effect inquiring systems as alternatives to the rational (normative) system. A number of information system tools, such as decision support systems, expert systems, and group support systems can be supported by models based on philosophies other than rational models. A more empirically based philosophy, with decision-makers balancing hypothesis generation and observations of performance, is often more appropriate. The relationship between Churchman's inquiring systems and information system types are discussed.