Information Systems/Technology Evaluation Practices: Evidence from UK Organizations

Abstract

The evaluation of information systems technology (IS/IT) investments has been a much debated issue in the IS literature. This paper adds to that debate by discussing the IS/IT project evaluation practices of a sample of the top 1000 UK companies. The study sheds light on a number of evaluation issues, including the extent to which formal procedures of evaluation exist within organizations, and the extent to which consultation with stakeholders takes place, in addition to identifying the problems inherent in evaluating IS/IT investments. The implications of the findings are discussed, where possible in the light of previous research, in addition to identifying a number of key issues where further research is needed.

The interplay between evidence and judgment in the IT project prioritization process

“…These methods, however, have been subject to extended criticism due to their narrow perspective on the nature and impacts of IT (Ballantine et al, 1999;Smithson and Hirschheim, 1998;Howcroft and McDonald, 2007). A number of researchers argue that the IT evaluation process is subjective and contextual (Smithson and Hirschheim, 1998;Farbey et al, 1999;Howcroft and McDonald, 2007) as well as political (Wilson and Howcroft, 2005).…”

The enigma of evaluation: benefits, costs and risks of IT in Australian small–medium-sized enterprises

“…This is especially the case for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as poor IT investment decisions can have a critical impact on organizational profitability [2,3]. The investment required to meet most of the reorganization costs arising from the adoption of IT, as well as the associated risks involved in these projects, typically exceeds the budget and the capabilities of an average SME [51][52][53]63].…”

“…The investment required to meet most of the reorganization costs arising from the adoption of IT, as well as the associated risks involved in these projects, typically exceeds the budget and the capabilities of an average SME [51][52][53]63]. Yet, scant attention has been paid to IT evaluation and benefits realization in the context of SMEs [4,5,38] especially in Australia [24,42]. SMEs are a major business sector in the industrialised world www and have been recognized as making a significant contribution to gross domestic product [48].…”

Operational Use evaluation of IT investments: An investigation into potential benefits

“…Authors are more inclined to view evaluation as part of the planning activity only or, in some cases, as part of the development process. There are also a number of empirical studies-such as those reviewed by Ballantine et al (1996)-which examined ex-ante evaluation, yet only a few (for example Kumar, 1990; and to some extent Beynon-Davies et al, 2004) that have explored the ex-post evaluation.…”