Major Causes Of Information Systems Failure Information Technology Essay

Major Ca habits Of learning strategys Failure learning Technology sampleWhat ar the study ca mappings of learning show uplines un victorful soulfulnesss. What strategies can organisations take to face the ch exclusivelyenges and go steady the victor.An suppuration frame get a line harmonise to Ewusi-Mensah (1997) is any training technology work out int eat uped to meet the knowledge processing exact of an judicature. In faultfinding issues in aband whizd entropy corpse stick outs, Ewusi-Mensah(1997) stated that entropy dodging catchs murder requires collaboration of reading brass staff that deploys and improve on the use of the softwargon to drive the cast, cobblers last drug drug users and focal point. It is a root word-oriented application organized and executed in teams and therefore subject to the unpredictability of group dynamics, interactions, coordination, and communication ( Ewusi-Mensah ,1997).An information scheme is a come of elements (people, data, and procedures) working in concert to provide useful information (Senn, 1990, p8). Also, information agreement (IS) is any set of information technology and peoples activities using that technology to backup operations, management, and decision-making (SEI Report, G mischiefary ). In a wider reek, the word information remains is often used to attend to the relationship between people, algorithmic processes, data and technology. in that locationfore, the term is used to stir non only to the information and communication technology (ICT) an brass instrument uses, just withal to the way in which people interact with this technology in assume of business processes (Kroenke, D. M. 2008). An information system consists of calculators, instructions, stored facts, people and procedures.A systems reverse occurs when a system does not meet its indispensabilitys or when the level of discontentedness with a system pluss to the level that there is no enou gh zeal to sustain it. entropy system spue stroke may be as a result of its inability to meet users requirements and/or everyplace turns pertaining to reckon or completion snip (Yeo, K. T. 2002). Studies pay shown that many failed projects be over budget, some by as much as 189%. May, L (1998) in Major causes of computer softwargon hardship stated that only atomic number 53-sixth (16.67%) of projects ar finished as schedule and within budget. An information system mischance can cause financial loss, commercial embarrassment, loss of customers and r stillue streams, sanctions and the loss of staff morale or stakeholder allegiance in an institution. Examples of system also-rans includes an warning signal system that fails to sound when pressed, an automated door that fails to open and close on its own accord on approach, ammunition that detonates prematurely, and other similar conditions.This member discusses the causes of information system project ill fortune s and strategies organizations can take to face the challenges and delay success.The Standish group (1995) in (Yeo, K. T. 2002) classified project outcome as vitrine 1, Type 2 and Type 3. According to the group, 16.2%,52.7% and 31.1% of projects fall into Types 1,2 and 3 classes respectively.A prospering project classified as the Type 1 projects are those that were undefeatedly implemented within the stated time and budget with all required features and functionality specified. The challenged projects classified as the Type 2 projects are those that pay back budget overruns and/ or program slips thereby failing to completely attain its final stage even though they are completed and operational maculation Type 3 project classified as the Impaired projects are those cancelled or abandoned at some point during the maturement cycle The Standish group (1995) in (Yeo, K. T. 2002). Technical failure may not necessarily be the cause of project impairment, miss of leadion of a p roficiently faultless Information system project by end users or corporate management consequently resulting in its lack of use or underutilization denotes failure (Yeo, K. T. 2002). From this view point, Information system is said to be a socio-technical system. Land and Hirschheim (1983) described an information system as a mixer system that uses information technology. This can be explained in the sense that as a technical system, a system that fails in an organization can be successfully implemented in another organization succession as a social system an Information system can be successfully implemented in an organization while the capital punishment of another information system can result in failure (Davies G. B. et al, 1992).Information System as a figure of socio-technical systemThe mediating concept between actions and technology is refer to as information systems.(Beynon-Davies P. 2009). The technical system dimension consists of both operational and functional feat ures. The operational features admit to the technology(effectiveness of the hardware or software as sanitary as the consideration of the technologys user interfaces) while the functional features relate to the performance relative to anticipate functionality .Technology as a component of the technical system refers to hardware, software and other related technology. This pertains to the functionality of the system, whether it is up or down when a person ingests to use it.substance abuser interfaces refers to the link between the human user and the software/hardware technology (input screens, output screens, subject input forms and paper output reports). Error rates in the transfer of data from one medium to another and the time that users require to become acquainted(predicate) with the system all constitute indicators of performance of the implemented system while Information requirements as a technical system component refers to the ability of the Information system impleme nted to give sweet-made capabilities than the one being replaced. paying attention study of the organization to know its information need is essential ( Davies G. B. et al).The social system refers to the features of organizational setting which exist in an organization even as people enter and leave the organization.The components of this system include credence/rejection of the technical system, theories in use, measures of performance to expectation and the developmental process of the system. Rejection or underutilization may be based on the premise that the introduction of impudently technology is instrumental to deskilling or job loss (Davies G. B. et al, 1992).Characteristic features of Information system projectInformation system projects are capital and bear on intensive commonly requiring a huge sum of money to implement. Its failure can cause a huge financial loss to an organization and therefore there is need for adequate planning before its carrying into action to moderate that desired expectations are met.An information system is a type of socio-technical system which is critical to the survival and soundly-being of companies. As a result, the secure technology must be deployed and the end users educated on its use and benefits.Also, Brooks in Ewusi-Mensah (1997) stated that IS projects are conceptual in temper (i.e. it is pure thought stuff which is invisible and unvisualiz sufficient).In addition, there are certain risks and uncertainties such as large project size, unfamiliarity with the new technology and unstable information requirements associated with projects that are difficult to assess antecedent to the start of the project.IS projects as stated earlier are group oriented requiring members from different backgrounds and therefore require a high degree of coordination and go on lines of communication to ensure success Ewusi-Mensah (1997).Reasons for Information System performanceTo increase productivity in order to mainta in competitive advantageTo rear business operations through the re-engineering of an organisations processesChanges in activities of an organisation or in the nature of the organisation.Technological Changes can lead to new production processes or using alternative materials in the manufacturing processClassification of system failuresThere are four major categories of Information system failure according to Lyytinen and Hirschheim (1987). The categories are as followsProcess failure this occurs when an Information system project cannot be developed within an allocated budget and/or time schedule. The project development results in overspending in both cost and time.Correspondence failure this occurs when the objectives and goals of the systems design are not met.Interaction failure this is attri buted to the level of end-user role or adoption or acceptance of the implemented information system. User attitudes, data packets, user satisfaction and the degree of adoption are measur es of customs of information system usage.Expectation failure this is the inability of a system to meet its stakeholders requirement, expectations or valuesAnother classification of failures according to Ben Meadowcroft in wherefore Systems fail isHard ware design/ specializedation erroneous beliefSoftware developmental fault this is error due to imperfect software development as a result of inadequate test run of the program and poor user interface among othersEnd user error this arise a result of inadequate grooming and/or user resistance.Majors causes of information systems failureUn go off goals lack of well delimitate project goals and objectives which is key to the success of any IS project development. There is in addition need to state occurly the information need of an organization and excessively the adoption process before attempting to introduce an information system(Lucas in Davies G. B. et al 1992)Improper insurance coverage structure/Miscommunication since t he development of large IS projects is the work of a team drawn from diverse groups of people with responsibilities to ensure the projects success which includes IS staff, end users and senior management, there is need for the establishment of clear lines of communication and well defined lines of authority and responsibility among team members. Communication in project teams is essential to sort out dispute concerning requirements of design decisions among project members (Curtis et al 1988).Inept/incompetent drawing cardship Poor management of the project and lack of good leadership responsible for coordination and control, meter of progress and making of racy decisions at different phases of the project.Poor technology base or foundation lack of adequate technological base needed for successful implementation of the kind of systems development being considered. According to Land in G. B. Davis et al, the outdo between the existing system and the replacement system is essentia l for the success of an information system.Poor project management this has to do with inadequate measurement system to measure progress and equally identify potential risks in time to mitigate them.Lack of technical competence the technological know-how of information systems staff is very vital to the success of IS projects as lack of familiarity with an information technology new to the IS staff is contributory to IS project failure. If a user is improperly trained then the likelihood of them making major errors is increase due to their lack of knowledge of the system. Failures by reason of lack of training should not be regarded as an error due to the individual streetwalker as is likely with a poorly designed user interface, but as a mistake by the management.Scope creep projects too grand in mountain chain usually have high risks and higher complexities and therefore more prone to failure. Scope is the initial blueprint of an implementation plan.Faulty hardware faulty hard ware can bring near serious system failure. This factor is then again an essential one that should be given due consideration together with the more parking area software errors. Faulty hardware should be interpreted into thought when invention the systems in order to try and reduce the impact of the failure. Hardware failure is not as likely to occur as software faults but can be as damaging.Poor selection decision of project team members the project team composition is too vital for the success of the information system project.Strategies organisations can take to ensure success of information system projects.Firstly, to ensure success of information system projects there is need for a clear and well defined IS goal. Every member of the IS project management team as well as stakeholders should know the specific information requirement of the organization as well as how to go about satisfying it. This is important to guide the information requirements phase of the development p rocess. Failure in this area will lead to fragmented efforts and lack of focus in set up facts to guide the rest of the development (Curtis et al 1988).Secondly, the selection of competent and qualified staff to serve as members of IS project team is very vital for successful project implementation (Brooks, 1981). squad members should be those with real prior experience and who are equally familiar with the technology being deployed. Improved training of the end users will importantly reduce system failures and improve the integrity of data stored on the computer systems. The project team should consist of the most successful people of the organization (Nah et al, 2001). Lockheed Martin, a leading aeronautical group, stated that one of its keys to success was assembling a team capable of making and executing changes required (Stedman, 1999)Also, the craft of structure on the developmental effort of the project helps to guide it to successful completion. It involves the division o f the project into phases which helps the project team realize what deliverables for each format are and to know the extent to which they have been met.It is also important that clear lines of authority, communication and responsibility among team members be drawn. This is important since the team members are drawn from diverse units.Selection of competent leaders who will ensure that proper management and control practices are adhered to and enforced in the implementation process of an Information system is vital. Adequate safeguards and oversight by management is necessary to ensure technical personnels compliance with accepted industry standards for reporting and dealing with problems uncovered in any phase of system development. The leader should be one with both application-domain knowledge and software knowledge.There should also be regular periodic meetings to discuss the systems development effort. A successful implementation of a project is only attainable when high-level executives cause a strong commitment to the project (Davenport, 2000). Senior executives at cultivated land Industries demonstrated its support to project team members by providing financial incentives to incite the project team members.The technological infrastructure available in a company needs to be critically assessed to determine it is adequate to support the kind of system development that is to be implemented. Care should be taken not to embark on IS project development until management have the assurance that the companys technological base is adequate. Assurance from the Management Information System management should be taken to reduce the risk s and uncertainties associated with system development works.There is need for the maintenance of scope. The ability to maintain scope is related to planning and this is attainable for companies both small and large. Geishecker (1999) stated that Colgate-Palmolive conjunction itemised scope maintenance as a contributory factor to their success. The cheat out approach for the implementation of the information system project is a very important consideration under scope maintenance. There are two approaches namely the big bang approach and the gradual (phased) blowout approach. both(prenominal) approaches have their prons and cons. Oil giant Chevron attributes a phased roll out to the successful implementation of an information system project. Home Depot has also successfully implemented several modules of an Information system using the phased roll out approach (Mearian, 2000). Phased roll-out approach though more expensive and usually taking longer time, offer reduced business risk (Davenport, 2000). internal pushiness/training is also vital for the successful implementation of an information system project. The most common failure factor recorded was that of readiness for change. All employees must be trained on the new system in order to prevent underutilization of the system. Also managers must und erstand the importee of the system and the changes it will cause. If managers are not in agreement or cooperation, then there will be no eagerness or buy-in and this may result to resistance or lack of adoption of the new system (Davenport, 2000).Planning/development /budgeting are necessary for the success of an information system project. Planning should be intimately identified with maintaining scope during an implementation. otiose planning results in cost overruns and development delays. Home Depot, Lockerheed Martin and Mead Corporation are examples of companies attributing success to planning. As stated earlier, many projects especially failed ones are over budget, some as much as 189 percent.Adequate interrogation of the system is a key element for the successful implementation of the system. It is reported that Gillette friendship withstood five months of severe testing procedures before their successful go-live date (CIO, 2000). Also, Eastman Kodak was able to complete what at the time was the largest implementation on record as a result of testing (PR Newswire, 2001). Whirlpool Corporation attributes inadequate testing as its single reason for unsuccessful and costly implementation. The company gambled on its testing program by cutting down the amount of time needed to test run the new system before implementing it in a bid to meet deadlinesConclusionThe goal of this was to identify the major causes of information systems failures and strategies organisations can take to face the challenges and ensure the success? Towards this goal different articles and journals were examine. The project team compostion, management support , internal readiness of the employees, existence of technolgical infrastructure able to support and sustain the new system to be implemented, well defined goals which is in line with the organizations goal, adquately tested system, clear and well defined reporting structure and good leadership are all vital ingredients to ens ure the successful implementation as well as utilization of a newly deployed information system. It is to be say that even though a system technically faultless, underutilization as a result of lack of full acceptance or understanding of how to adopt the information system for day to day operation amounts to failure of the information system. For this reason, the management must enlighten the users of the deployed information system on the need for the change as well as attached benefits.Finally, though appropraite measures should be put in place to prevent failure of the information system project, they may still occur but when they occur, a system failure analysis which is an investigation to determine the underlying reasons for the nonconformance to the system requirement in order to identify the causes of nonconformance equally recommend appropraite discipline measures. This is because failure could have benefits expecially in relation to learning,especially in understanding t he developmental process of a system and steps to take to prevent failure of future Information System development projects.Word Count = 2,932REFERNECESMearian, L. (2000), chief operating officer SAP installation caused problems, ComputerWorld, Vol. 34 No. 48,p. 20.Nah, F.F., Lau, J.L. and Kuang, J. (2001), Critical factors for successful implementation ofenterprise systems, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 285-96.Ben Meadowcrof, Why Systems Fail. http//www.benmeadowcroft.com/reports/systemfailure/Beynon-Davies P. (2009). The language of informatics the nature of information systems. International Journal of Information Management. 29(2). 92-103CIO (2000), Does ERP build a better business?, 15 February, pp. 114-24.Davenport, T. 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