The Evaluation of Management Information Systems

This text brings together two methodological strands of systems thinking. These are the managerial problem solving methodology of System Dynamics (SD) and, the various methodologies available to structured development of management information system (MIS). The work described arose out of a research study supervised by Professor E.F. Wolstenholme and conducted jointly between Bradford University Management Centre and the UK Government Defence Research Agency, aimed at improving methods of evaluating the impact of computer based management information systems. The investment being made in MIS in both military and civlian organizations is enormous and, although much effort has been devoted to creating structured methods to aid the development of MIS to support these organizations, the area of MIS evaluation remains less developed. The emphasis to date has been, at worst, on simply assessing MIS in terms of their ability to process data and, at best, on the aggregation of detailed evaluations of the impact of MIS on sub-functions of the organization at the operational level.
The work described here takes a strategic view of MIS, aimed at providing a systemic and dynamic evaluation of the effect of an MIS on its host organization. Further, it aims at providing a means of evaluation which can be implemented at any point during the MIS development life cycle. The methodology involves the creating of a System Dynamics model of an organization prior to implementing an MIS. The MIS is then superimposed on the model of the organization; not in terms of individual, detailed information flows, but in terms of its anticipated effects on the physical and information processes of the organization and the operational strategies which convert information into action. The model, and hence the MIS, is evaluated in terms of high level organizational performance measures and against alternative scenarios for the evolution of the organization. The System Dynamics based methodology for MIS evaluation arising out of the work is referred to as BISEM (Bradford Information System Evaluation Methodology) and it is intended to be used as a complement to existing methodologies for the structured development of MIS.
That is, to operate in parallel with the evolution of the MIS life cycle, but to remain at an objective, strategic level in contrast to, but supporting, the detailed development of the MIS. The methodology can be thought of as a tool for creating a "virtual reality" of the organization and its MIS, which can be used to imporve understanding of the impact of alternative specifications and configurations of the MIS on the organization. The book should be of interest to both practising managers who require to implement effective MIS in their organizations, as well as software engineers and business analysts who are responsible for detailed MIS development work. Obviously, students of both fields should find interest in the methods described, as well as practitioners and students of management science and other management disciplines involved with information systems. Because of its comprehensive coverage of material and wide potential audience, the book assumes no previous knowledge of System Dynamics and only a general overview knowledge of Management Information Systems on the part of the reader.