Software Quality Perspectives

Abstract

Software Quality have multidimensional perspectives. Information Security, Reliability are the Integral Characteristics of it. Audit, Inspection & Testing are the methodological process to reach this goal. The meaning of Software Quality cannot be completed without including Security, Reliability, Inspection and Audit. That is the ultimate perspective of this article. This article defines the meaning and Characteristics of Software Quality and its scope and integral relationship with other entities as it is pre-requisite Quality Assurance. This article also identifies the methodological and procedural perspectives of Software Quality Assurance. Discussing a parallel evaluation on Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).

COBIT is designed to meet multiple requirements it allows an organization to assess the business risks and assign control objectives to a common set of IT functions. And CMMI has defined the quality and process.

As integral part of Software Quality Assurance, this article also briefly discusses important parts of Testing, different type and level of testing what to be tested and what not to be tested. Different types of Reviews, Audit, Incident management, Defect management, Risk vulnerability and Threat Management, and Information Security issues.     

企业信息化建设成功之路——IT治理

IT治理是以企业战略为导向,以IT业务过程和IT服务的改进为手段,合理利用IT资源,规避IT风险的动态改进过程。本文从战略管理的角度分析企业信息化建设,认为IT实施与战略目标的背离是其失败的主要原因,并以COBIT模型为例论述了IT治理的流程。     

The IT Value Hierarchy: Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a Metaphor for Gauging the Maturity Level of Information Technology Use within Competitive Organizations

The purpose of this paper is to present a hierarchy of progressive IT maturity using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a metaphor for articulating the increasing value that can be derived by the application of Information Technology within competitive organizations. The authors refer to this maturity model as the IT Value Hierarchy. Each level of the IT Value Hierarchy is described using examples and comparisons to Maslow's Hierarchy. The model can be used by IT executives as a framework for better explaining and discussing the value of increasingly sophisticated Information Technology use within the enterprise.     

Senior executives' use of information technology

There is a paucity of literature focusing on the ingredients for effective top management, i.e. senior executives, use of Information Technology (IT). In practice, many senior executives argue that they do not see a connection between what IT does and their tasks as executives. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a research model was developed and tested to assess the factors that influence the use of IT by senior executives. A dedicated system supporting the task of a senior executive, an Executive Information System (EIS), was used as the IT tool under review. A large number of external variables were identified and hypothesized, influencing the core elements of TAM. To test the research model using structural equation modeling, cross-sectional data was gathered from eighty-seven senior executives drawn from twenty-one European-based multinationals. The results supported the core TAM and found only a small number of antecedent variables influencing actual use, either directly or indirectly. In addition to identifying the external factors, three of these key variables are under managerial control. They can be used to design organizational or managerial interventions that increase effective utilization of IT.     

实现企业信息化控制的COBIT模型初探

首先介绍了信息及相关技术的控制目标COBTT模型的结构,接着详细地阐述了该模型的控制目标体系。最后分析了COBTT模型在企业信息化建设的控制和管理中的应用。     

The IT Value Hierarchy: Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a Metaphor for Gauging the Maturity Level of Information Technology Use within Competitive Organizations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a hierarchy of progressive IT maturity using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a metaphor for articulating the increasing value that can be derived by the application of Information Technology within competitive organizations. The authors refer to this maturity model as the IT Value Hierarchy. Each level of the IT Value Hierarchy is described using examples and comparisons to Maslow's Hierarchy. The model can be used by IT executives as a framework for better explaining and discussing the value of increasingly sophisticated Information Technology use within the enterprise.     

Toward a unified framework for Cloud Computing governance: An approach for evaluating and integrating IT management and governance models

Cloud Computing is currently one of the major trends in the computer industry. It offers a wide range of both opportunities and challenges. The lack of governance causes a slowdown in the adoption process, especially with an absence of a comprehensive approach supporting the Cloud Computing governance objectives. Regarding this issue, our goal is to develop a new management and governance framework based on endorsed IT models; namely ITIL, COBIT, and ISO/IEC 27001/2. These models have been developed for different purposes and aspects of IT governance. The proposed framework is an attempt to a unified approach by taking into consideration the models’ dissimilarities. Before we go further with the final unification stage, this study's main objective is to develop both the evaluation and the integration approaches with regwards to the IT models. The results, therefore, are to shed light on the relevant outcomes emanate from an elaboration within an entirely unified CC governance framework.     

Creating value through governing IT deployment in a public/private-sector inter-organisational context: a human agency perspective

Harnessing value from Information Technology (IT) has long been a focus of research, but evidence is lacking about how effective practice of Information Technology Governance (ITG) contributes to creating value for stakeholders in inter-organisational contexts. This is especially so for public/private sector partnerships. In this study we used ISO/IEC 38500:2008, the corporate governance of IT standard, to direct analysis of how ITG was practised in deployment of a large IT project in an inter-organisational public/private sector context. The findings demonstrate that ITG strategies related to human agency contribute to the realisation of value for participating stakeholders, particularly through pre-emptive stakeholder participation in evaluating IT functionality of the old system and iteratively in deployment of the new system. Further, our investigation shows that ISO/IEC 38500:2008 has merit as an analytical framework to objectively evaluate corporate governance of IT, although there is need for some enhancement.     

COBIT控制目标体系研究及在电子政务中的应用

COBIT代表信息及相关技术的控制目标，是国际上公认的安全与信息技术管理和控制的开放性标准，为实施信息系统的管理和控制提供依据，保证信息系统的安全性、可靠性和有效性。深入分析了COBIT控制目标体系，论述了COBIT控制目标体系在信息系统建设中的有效应用，结合国内电子政务建设的具体情况，提出了电子政务系统的控制目标体系。     

Assessing the role of IT-enabled process virtualization on green IT adoption

Green Information Technology (IT) tools and practices contribute to environmental sustainability and business processes virtualization. To assess whether IT-enabled process virtualization capabilities impact organizational Green IT initiatives, Bose and Luo 2011 proposed a conceptual model that combines three theories: technology-organization-environment framework, process virtualization theory, and diffusion of innovation theory. We conducted an empirical analysis of data from 251 European firms, and found that environment context (competition intensity and regulatory support) was more important to Green IT initiatives than organization or technology context. Technology factors (sensory readiness, relationship readiness, synchronism readiness, and identification and control readiness) facilitating process virtualization were not found significant to organizational Green IT initiatives.     

Evaluating Adoption of Emerging IT for Corporate IT Strategy: Developing a Model Using a Qualitative Method

The acquisition and evaluation of new technologies is critical to the development of a timely IT strategy. We report the findings of a four round Delphi study designed to elicit a cohesive set of issues that affect an IT executive's decision to adopt an emerging IT into corporate IT strategy. Based on the results, we present the Emerging Information Technology Evaluation Model, which IT executives and academicians can use to support a strategic adoption decision.     

Can ITIL contribute to IT/business alignment? An initial investigation

Strategic alignment has been viewed as one of the main concerns of management and IT executives. Organizations have realized that in order to achieve competitive advantage, IT needs to be strategically aligned with business objectives. Strategic alignment enables organizations to choose IT applications that meet their needs and as a result, to enhance their profitability and reduce costs. Despite the importance of this matter and a large body of literature written on this subject, it has not yet been identified how it can be successfully achieved and maintained. This paper attempts to provide insight on this matter by investigating an initiative called Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), which ensures the effective and efficient delivery of IT services. The intention of this research was to identify how effective ITIL was in improving alignment between IT and business objectives. The Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) developed by Henderson and Venkatraman was used for this research. This consists of four parts: IT strategy; business strategy; organizational infrastructure and processes; and IS infrastructure and processes. By placing ITIL in the internal domain of the model as a substitute for the IS infrastructure and processes it has been identified that it has the ability to impact the other three main areas of the model and as result enables alignment between all the four parts of model to be achieved. In addition to the above an empirical study has been conducted in order to further investigate the ability of ITIL in achieving alignment between IT and business objectives. Four participants have been interviewed from three organizations ranging from education and banking to the IT sector. The results of the research indicate that ITIL has potential as an effective approach in achieving alignment.     

A Simple Instrument to Measure IT-Business Alignment Maturity

Abstract

The challenge of aligning Information Technology (IT) to business has often been cited as a key issue by IT executives. This paper presents a simple, flexible, and easy-to-use instrument that measures the alignment maturity between business and IT and identifies major gaps. The proposed instrument is based on Luftman's “Strategy Alignment Maturity Model” (SAMM); it directly encodes all attributes of SAMM alignment areas using a unidimensional framework. The instrument supports multiple levels of analysis with minimum assumptions about data using non-parametric statistical tools. In addition, the instrument provides an aggregation procedure to summarize the alignment maturity level for high-level executives. The instrument can also be customized to incorporate the contextual parameters of a company. In addition to the development of the instrument, this paper also shows how this instrument was applied to assess the alignment maturity level between IT and business in a rapidly growing company that had recently been publicly listed. The instrument was successful in identifying six major gaps for the company across the various alignment areas. These gaps were benchmarking, business metrics, strategic business planning, inter / intra organizational learning, architectural integration, and the impact of IT on business processes.     

An ontology for the harmonization of multiple standards and models

Harmonization plays an important role in organizations that are seeking to resolve manifold needs at their different hierarchical levels through multiple models such as CMMI, ISO 90003, ITIL, SWEBOK, COBIT, amongst others. A great diversity of models involves a wide heterogeneity not only about structure of their process entities and quality systems, but also with regards to terminology. This article presents an ontology which: provides the main concepts related to harmonization of multiple models; is supported by a web tool and; has been applied for the harmonization of COBIT 4.1, Basel II, VAL IT, RISK IT, ISO 27002 and ITIL.     

电子政务的IT治理初探

IT治理，作为一种全新的管理理念，有助于防范各种导致电子政务失败和低效化的风险。本文运用COBIT模型，对电子政务中存在的风险进行IT治理，并指出建立IT治理机制势在必行。     

Consumer Attitudes Toward Online Mass Customization: An Application of Extended Technology Acceptance Model

This study investigates consumer attitudes toward the online codesign process in mass customization among Korean consumers. The extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was our theoretical framework, along with the constructs of perceived control and enjoyment. Web skill and fashion involvement were integrated as individual characteristics variables in the model. Data from 749 self‐administered surveys collected in South Korea were used in this study. Findings indicated that TAM was an effective conceptual framework in explaining consumer response to the online codesign process. The statistically significant results of the perceived enjoyment and control constructs in the extended TAM suggest the importance of their addition to building a model to explain consumer attitudes toward the online codesign process.     

The advanced information technology innovation roadmap

The AIT (Advanced Information Technology for the European Manufacturing Industry) initiative is focusing on IT innovations and their integration in the users enterprise. This is achieved through the deployment of the AIT Innovation Cycle starting with the AIT strategic planning (development of a common master plan) and finishing with the business integration of complete IT innovative solutions. The IT integration includes two major action streams supported by various R&D projects belonging to the ESPRIT and Brite Euram research programmes, which are: The technological integration which is achieved in strong cooperation with IT vendors through the development of integration platforms based on emerging standards such as STEP, CORBA, JAVA, etc. In this integration context, the CIMOSA framework has been used to build the AIT IT Reference Model (ITRM). The IT innovations integration into the users' enterprise which consider the usage of all the CIMOSA views (function view, information view, organisation view, resources view including Human, Financial and IT resources) as well as their aggregation in order to support the development of generic networked enterprise (re)engineering methodologies, processes and associated IT supporting tools. This paper is focusing on the second integration stream by describing the progress achieved to date in the AIT-IMPLANT project. The aim of this ESPRIT project is to develop a generic enterprise change management methodology and associated IT tools to support the integration of IT Innovations into the networked manufacturing enterprises.     

Continual Process Improvement for ITIL Service Operations: A Lean Perspective

IT service management (ITSM) practitioners recognize the need for continuous improvement of IT services. Using a design science research approach, we develop a five – step process improvement framework for ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) service operations, based on the use of the Lean toolset. The proposed framework offers a structured approach for process improvement in practice and a basis for more systematic research.     

Measuring the impact of IT on learning

Abstract This paper considers the impact of Information Technology on children's learning in schools with particular reference to the ImpacT report and the Plait report. The difficulties of evaluating the effectiveness of? are discussed as are some of the explanations given for the insignificant impact of IT in the two studies. In conclusion it is argued that the framework for evaluating the impact of Information Technology needs to consider the aims of the teacher, the principles of the software and an interpretation of what went on in the classroom.     

An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between IT Training Sources and IT Value

Information technology (IT) training has been identified as a key factor for the success of IT applications and the most frequently applied coping mechanism to handle changing IT. However, there is a question as to how IT training has to be conducted to obtain desired outcomes (higher levels of IT value). This paper analyses the presence of IT training sources used by firms and examines the influence on IT business value. Here, IT training is studied according to three IT training sources: in-house IT training, outside IT training, and self IT training by employees. In addition, differences in IT training sources are analysed according to two contingency factors: business size and business industry. Results show a positive relationship between IT training sources (outside and self IT training) and IT business value and confirm that IT training sources are positively related to business size and differ moderately by business industry.