An Exploration of parametric software cost estimating models for Jackson Systems Development

Most parametric software cost estimation models used today evolved in the late 70's and early 80's. At that time, the dominant software development techniques being used were the early 'structured methods'. Since then, several new systems development paradigms and methods have emerged, one being Jackson Systems Development (JSD). As current cost estimating methods do not take account of these developments, their non-universality means they cannot provide adequate estimates of effort and hence cost. In order to address these shortcomings two new estimation methods have been developed for JSD projects. One of these methods JSD-FPA, is a top-down estimating method, based on the existing MKII function point method. The other method, JSD-COCOMO, is a sizing technique which sizes a project, in terms of lines of code, from the process structure diagrams and thus provides an input to the traditional COCOMO method.The JSD-FPA method allows JSD projects in both the real-time and scientific application areas to be costed, as well as the commercial information systems applications to which FPA is usually applied. The method is based upon a three-dimensional view of a system specification as opposed to the largely data-oriented view traditionally used by FPA. The method uses counts of various attributes of a JSD specification to develop a metric which provides an indication of the size of the system to be developed. This size metric is then transformed into an estimate of effort by calculating past project productivity and utilising this figure to predict the effort and hence cost of a future project. The effort estimates produced were validated by comparing them against the effort figures for six actual projects.The JSD-COCOMO method uses counts of the levels in a process structure chart as the input to an empirically derived model which transforms them into an estimate of delivered source code instructions.

Management information:design of a system for change identification

This thesis deals with the problem of Information Systems design for Corporate Management. It shows that the results of applying current approaches to Management Information Systems and Corporate Modelling fully justify a fresh look to the problem. The thesis develops an approach to design based on Cybernetic principles and theories. It looks at Management as an informational process and discusses the relevance of regulation theory to its practice. The work proceeds around the concept of change and its effects on the organization's stability and survival. The idea of looking at organizations as viable systems is discussed and a design to enhance survival capacity is developed. It takes Ashby's theory of adaptation and developments on ultra-stability as a theoretical framework and considering conditions for learning and foresight deduces that a design should include three basic components: A dynamic model of the organization- environment relationships; a method to spot significant changes in the value of the essential variables and in a certain set of parameters; and a Controller able to conceive and change the other two elements and to make choices among alternative policies. Further considerations of the conditions for rapid adaptation in organisms composed of many parts, and the law of Requisite Variety determine that successful adaptive behaviour requires certain functional organization. Beer's model of viable organizations is put in relation to Ashby's theory of adaptation and regulation. The use of the Ultra-stable system as abstract unit of analysis permits developing a rigorous taxonomy of change; it starts distinguishing between change with in behaviour and change of behaviour to complete the classification with organizational change. It relates these changes to the logical categories of learning connecting the topic of Information System design with that of organizational learning.

River basin surveillance using remotely sensed data: a water resources information management system

This thesis describes the development of an operational river basin water resources information management system. The river or drainage basin is the fundamental unit of the system; in both the modelling and prediction of hydrological processes, and in the monitoring of the effect of catchment management policies. A primary concern of the study is the collection of sufficient and sufficiently accurate information to model hydrological processes. Remote sensing, in combination with conventional point source measurement, can be a valuable source of information, but is often overlooked by hydrologists, due to the cost of acquisition and processing. This thesis describes a number of cost effective methods of acquiring remotely sensed imagery, from airborne video survey to real time ingestion of meteorological satellite data. Inexpensive micro-computer systems and peripherals are used throughout to process and manipulate the data. Spatial information systems provide a means of integrating these data with topographic and thematic cartographic data, and historical records. For the system to have any real potential the data must be stored in a readily accessible format and be easily manipulated within the database. The design of efficient man-machine interfaces and the use of software enginering methodologies are therefore included in this thesis as a major part of the design of the system. The use of low cost technologies, from micro-computers to video cameras, enables the introduction of water resources information management systems into developing countries where the potential benefits are greatest.

Bandwidth management of WiMAX systems and performance modeling

WiMAX has been introduced as a competitive alternative for metropolitan broadband wireless access technologies. It is connection oriented and it can provide very high data rates, large service coverage, and flexible quality of services (QoS). Due to the large number of connections and flexible QoS supported by WiMAX, the uplink access in WiMAX networks is very challenging since the medium access control (MAC) protocol must efficiently manage the bandwidth and related channel allocations. In this paper, we propose and investigate a cost-effective WiMAX bandwidth management scheme, named the WiMAX partial sharing scheme (WPSS), in order to provide good QoS while achieving better bandwidth utilization and network throughput. The proposed bandwidth management scheme is compared with a simple but inefficient scheme, named the WiMAX complete sharing scheme (WCPS). A maximum entropy (ME) based analytical model (MEAM) is proposed for the performance evaluation of the two bandwidth management schemes. The reason for using MEAM for the performance evaluation is that MEAM can efficiently model a large-scale system in which the number of stations or connections is generally very high, while the traditional simulation and analytical (e.g., Markov models) approaches cannot perform well due to the high computation complexity. We model the bandwidth management scheme as a queuing network model (QNM) that consists of interacting multiclass queues for different service classes. Closed form expressions for the state and blocking probability distributions are derived for those schemes. Simulation results verify the MEAM numerical results and show that WPSS can significantly improve the network's performance compared to WCPS.

Combining ERP systems with enterprise 2.0

The paper discusses both the complementary factors and contradictions of adoption ERP based systems with enterprise 2.0. ERP is well known as its' efficient business process management. Also the high failure rate the system implementation is famous as well. According to [1], ERP systems could achieve efficient business performance by enabling a standardized business process design, but at a cost of flexibility in operations. However, enterprise 2.0 supports flexible business process management, informal and less structured interactions [3],[4],[21]. Traditional researcher claimed efficiency and flexibility may seem incompatible in that they are different business objectives and may exist in different organizational environments. However, the paper will break traditional norms that combine ERP and enterprise 2.0 in a single enterprise to improve both efficient and flexible operations simultaneously. Based on the multiple cases studies, four cases presented different attitudes on usage ERP systems and enterprise social systems. Based on socio-technical theory, the paper presents in-depth analysis benefits of combination ERP with enterprise 2.0 for these firms.

The core critical success factors in implementation of enterprise resource planning systems

The Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems require huge investments while ineffective implementations of such projects are commonly observed. A considerable number of these projects have been reported to fail or take longer than it was initially planned, while previous studies show that the aim of rapid implementation of such projects has not been successful and the failure of the fundamental goals in these projects have imposed huge amounts of costs on investors. Some of the major consequences are the reduction in demand for such products and the introduction of further skepticism to the managers and investors of ERP systems. In this regard, it is important to understand the factors determining success or failure of ERP implementation. The aim of this paper is to study the critical success factors (CSFs) in implementing ERP systems and to develop a conceptual model which can serve as a basis for ERP project managers. These critical success factors that are called “core critical success factors” are extracted from 62 published papers using the content analysis and the entropy method. The proposed conceptual model has been verified in the context of five multinational companies.

Advances in global sourcing : models, governance and relationship:7th global sourcing workshop 2013, Val d’Isère, France, March 11-14, 2013, revised selected papers

This book contains 13 papers from the 7th Workshop on Global Sourcing, held in Val d'Isere, France, during March 11-14, 2013, which were carefully reviewed and selected from 40 submissions. They are based on a vast empirical base brought together by leading researchers in information systems, strategic management, and operations. This volume is intended for students, academics, and practitioners interested in research results and experiences on outsourcing and offshoring of information technology and business processes. The topics discussed represent both client and supplier perspectives on sourcing of global services, combine theoretical and practical insights regarding challenges that both clients and vendors face, and include case studies from client and vendor organizations.

The dynamics of global sourcing : perspectives and practices:6th global sourcing workshop 2012, Courchevel, France, March 12-15, 2012, revised selected papers

This edited book is intended for use by students, academics and practitioners who take interest in the outsourcing and offshoring of information technology and business services and processes. The book offers a review of the key topics in outsourcing and offshoring, populated with practical frameworks that serve as a tool kit for practitioners, academics and students. The range of topics covered in this book is wide and diverse, and represents both client and supplier perspectives on sourcing of global services. Various aspects related to the decision making process (e.g., asset transfer), learning mechanisms and organizational practices for managing outsourcing relationships are discussed in great depth. Contemporary sourcing models, including cloud services, are examined. Client dependency on the outsourcing provider, and social aspects, such as identity, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, resistance in outsourcing and failures are investigated to derive lessons as to how to avoid them and improve efficiency in outsourcing. Topics discussed in this book combine theoretical and practical insights regarding challenges that both clients and vendors face. Case studies from client and vendor organizations are used extensively throughout the book. Last but not least, the book examines current and future trends in outsourcing and offshoring, placing particular attention on the centrality of innovation in sourcing arrangements, and how innovation can be realized in outsourcing. The book is based on a vast empirical base brought together through years of extensive research by leading researchers in information systems, strategic management and operations.

Preface

This edited book is intended for use by students, academics and practitioners who take interest in outsourcing and offshoring of information technology and business processes. The book offers a review of the key topics in outsourcing and offshoring, populated with practical frameworks that serve as a tool kit to students and managers. The range of topics covered in this book is wide and diverse. Various governance and coordination mechanisms for managing outsourcing relationships are discussed in great depth and the decision-making processes and considerations regarding sourcing arrangements, including multi-sourcing and cloud services, are examined. Vendors’ capabilities for managing global software development are studied in depth. Clients’ capabilities and issues related to compliance and culture are also discussed in association with various sourcing models. Topics discussed in this book combine theoretical and practical insights regarding challenges that both clients and vendors face. Case studies from client and vendor organizations are used extensively throughout the book. Last but not least, the book examines current and future trends in outsourcing and offshoring, placing particular attention on the centrality of innovation in sourcing arrangements, and how innovation can be realized in outsourcing. The book is based on a vast empirical base brought together through years of extensive research by leading researchers in information systems, strategic management and operations.

Preface

This edited book is intended for use by students, academics and practitioners who take interest in the outsourcing and offshoring of information technology and business services and processes. The book offers a review of the key topics in outsourcing and offshoring, populated with practical frameworks that serve as a tool kit for practitioners, academics and students. The range of topics covered in this book is wide and diverse, and represents both client and supplier perspectives on sourcing of global services. Various aspects related to the decision making process (e.g., asset transfer), learning mechanisms and organizational practices for managing outsourcing relationships are discussed in great depth. Contemporary sourcing models, including cloud services, are examined. Client dependency on the outsourcing provider, and social aspects, such as identity, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, resistance in outsourcing and failures are investigated to derive lessons as to how to avoid them and improve efficiency in outsourcing. Topics discussed in this book combine theoretical and practical insights regarding challenges that both clients and vendors face. Case studies from client and vendor organizations are used extensively throughout the book. Last but not least, the book examines current and future trends in outsourcing and offshoring, placing particular attention on the centrality of innovation in sourcing arrangements, and how innovation can be realized in outsourcing. The book is based on a vast empirical base brought together through years of extensive research by leading researchers in information systems, strategic management and operations.

Perface

This book contains 13 papers from the 7th Workshop on Global Sourcing, held in Val d'Isere, France, during March 11-14, 2013, which were carefully reviewed and selected from 40 submissions. They are based on a vast empirical base brought together by leading researchers in information systems, strategic management, and operations. This volume is intended for students, academics, and practitioners interested in research results and experiences on outsourcing and offshoring of information technology and business processes. The topics discussed represent both client and supplier perspectives on sourcing of global services, combine theoretical and practical insights regarding challenges that both clients and vendors face, and include case studies from client and vendor organizations.

Designing multiple user perspectives and functionality for clinical decision support systems

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) need to disseminate expertise in formats that suit different end users and with functionality tuned to the context of assessment. This paper reports research into a method for designing and implementing knowledge structures that facilitate the required flexibility. A psychological model of expertise is represented using a series of formally specified and linked XML trees that capture increasing elements of the model, starting with hierarchical structuring, incorporating reasoning with uncertainty, and ending with delivering the final CDSS. The method was applied to the Galatean Risk and Safety Tool, GRiST, which is a web-based clinical decision support system (www.egrist.org) for assessing mental-health risks. Results of its clinical implementation demonstrate that the method can produce a system that is able to deliver expertise targetted and formatted for specific patient groups, different clinical disciplines, and alternative assessment settings. The approach may be useful for developing other real-world systems using human expertise and is currently being applied to a logistics domain. © 2013 Polish Information Processing Society.

New capabilities:can IT service providers leverage crowdsourcing?

Technological advancements enable new sourcing models in software development such as cloud computing, software-as-a-service, and crowdsourcing. While the first two are perceived as a re-emergence of older models (e.g., ASP), crowdsourcing is a new model that creates an opportunity for a global workforce to compete with established service providers. Organizations engaging in crowdsourcing need to develop the capabilities to successfully utilize this sourcing model in delivering services to their clients. To explore these capabilities we collected qualitative data from focus groups with crowdsourcing leaders at a large technology organization. New capabilities we identified stem from the need of the traditional service provider to assume a "client" role in the crowdsourcing context, while still acting as a "vendor" in providing services to the end client. This paper expands the research on vendor capabilities and IS outsourcing as well as offers important insights to organizations that are experimenting with, or considering, crowdsourcing.

A conceptual framework of knowledge integration in multisourcing arrangements

As organizations are increasingly outsourcing interdependent IT and business services to multiple vendors, the issue of knowledge integration between client and multiple vendors is becoming of high relevance today. This paper explores the antecedents and mechanisms which facilitate the success of knowledge integration across multiple stakeholders in multisourcing and the outcomes of successful knowledge integration in this context. The paper develops a conceptual framework of knowledge integration in the multisourcing arrangements, based on a detailed review of current literature on knowledge integration and applying it to the multi-vendor environment. This paper concludes by calling for further empirical study to examine the integrative framework of the key antecedents, mechanisms and consequences of knowledge integration in the multisourcing arrangements.

Looking under the bonnet:factors affecting student adoption of e-learning systems in Jordan

The primary questions addressed in this paper are the following: what are the factors that affect students’ adoption of an e-learning system and what are the relationships among these factors? This paper investigates and identifies some of the major factors affecting students’ adoption of an e-learning system in a university in Jordan. E-learning adoption is approached from the information systems acceptance point of view. This suggests that a prior condition for learning effectively using e-learning systems is that students must actually use them. Thus, a greater knowledge of the factors that affect IT adoption and their interrelationships is a pre-cursor to a better understanding of student acceptance of e-learning systems. In turn, this will help and guide those who develop, implement, and deliver e-learning systems. In this study, an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was developed to investigate the underlying factors that influence students’ decisions to use an e-learning system. The TAM was populated using data gathered from a survey of 486 undergraduate students using the Moodle based e-learning system at the Arab Open University. The model was estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). A path model was developed to analyze the relationships between the factors to explain students’ adoption of the e-learning system. Whilst findings support existing literature about prior experience affecting perceptions, they also point to surprising group effects, which may merit future exploration.