The practice of IS/IT benefits management in large Australian organizations

Information systems and technology investments in organizations are substantial and growing. While formal methodologies and techniques for computing investments are generally used, relatively less formality is applied to managing and realizing their benefits. Part of an ongoing research programme, this paper examines a number of aspects of information systems/information technology (IS/IT) benefits realization in large Australian organizations and reveals issues of identifying and structuring benefits, planning benefits realization, delivering, evaluating and reviewing these benefits, with some success and some failure. The results show some value in the use of formal methodologies, benefits measurement, formal reviews, and allocation of specific responsibilities, but a lack of uniformity in their formality. These results, however, are generally consistent with findings in related studies outside Australia.

[1]  A. H. Church.  ESTIMATING THE EFFECT OF INCENTIVES ON MAIL SURVEY RESPONSE RATES: A META-ANALYSIS , 1993 .

[2]  Ven Sriram,et al.  Information technology investments in purchasing: An empirical study of dimensions and antecedents , 1997, Inf. Manag..

[3]  Tom Coleman,et al.  Beyond return on investment , 1994 .

[4]  Michael Sherwood-Smith,et al.  Achieving Maximum Value from Information Systems: A Process Approach , 1997 .

[5]  Graham Pervan,et al.  How chief executive officers in large organizations view the management of their information systems , 1998, J. Inf. Technol..

[6]  Laurie McAulay,et al.  Information technology investment evaluation: evidence and interpretations , 1997, J. Inf. Technol..

[7]  N. Beaumont.  Investment decisions in Australian manufacturing , 1998 .

[8]  Eric K. Clemons,et al.  Evaluation of strategic investments in information technology , 1991, CACM.

[9]  Theodore K. Apostolopoulos,et al.  Information technology investment evaluation: Investments in telecommunication infrastructure , 1997 .

[10]  Frank F. Land,et al.  Evaluating investments in IT , 1992, J. Inf. Technol..

[11]  Amrik S Sohal,et al.  The role and impact of information technology in Australian business , 1998, J. Inf. Technol..

[12]  Peter G. Sassone,et al.  A survey of cost-benefit methodologies for information systems , 1988 .

[13]  Albert L. Lederer,et al.  Anticipating the benefits of proposed information systems , 1995, J. Inf. Technol..

[14]  David J. Silk.  Managing IS benefits for the 1990s , 1990, J. Inf. Technol..

[15]  J. Ward,et al.  Evaluation and realisation of IS/IT benefits: an empirical study of current practice , 1996 .

[16]  K Hurst,et al.  Measure for measure. , 1988, Nursing times.

[17]  Leslie P. Willcocks,et al.  IT Evaluation Revisited: Plus ça Change ..... , 2001 .

[18]  D. Fink,et al.  Guidelines for the Successful Adoption of Information Technology in Small and Medium Enterprises , 1998 .

[19]  Beat Hochstrasser.  Quality engineering: a new framework applied to justifying and prioritising IT investments , 1993, ECIS.

[20]  Joan A. Ballantine,et al.  Financial appraisal and the IS/IT investment decision making process , 1998, J. Inf. Technol..

[21]  L. Willcocks,et al.  Managing I. T. as a Strategic Resource , 1997 .

[22]  Guy Fitzgerald,et al.  Evaluating information systems projects: a multidimensional approach , 1998, J. Inf. Technol..

[23]  Kuldeep Kumar,et al.  Post implementation evaluation of computer-based information systems: current practices , 1990, Commun. ACM.