2023/05/26

Information Systems Foundation – Week 9

General Infotech

IS Success Model

IS Functionality

Information Quality: Think of this as how good, accurate, and timely the information you get from the system is. You wouldn’t want to use a weather app that gives you the wrong forecast, right?
System Quality: This is about how well the system works. Is it fast? Does it crash? Is it secure? Just like you would prefer a car that runs smoothly and doesn’t break down every few miles, you’d prefer an information system that operates efficiently.
Service Quality: This relates to the support provided for the system. If something goes wrong or if you need help using it, how good is the assistance you get? A great customer service experience can make all the difference.

IS Usability

Intention to Use: Simply put, do you want to use the system? If an information system is designed well and offers valuable information, you’re likely to want to use it.
User Satisfaction: This is about how happy you are with the system. If the system meets your needs and is easy to use, you’re likely to be more satisfied.

IS Utility or Benefit

Net Benefits: This is all about what you gain from using the system. Does it make your job easier? Does it save you time or money? If the benefits of using the system outweigh the cost or effort, then the system is successful.

System Failure

Development and Use Failure

Imagine you are building a toy model car.

Development Failure

This is like starting to build the model car but never finishing it. Maybe you lose some pieces, or you find the instructions too hard to follow. In this case, the project to build the model car is abandoned before you’ve fully built it. In terms of an information system, a development failure would be when the system is not completed and is given up on before it is ready to be used.

Use Failure

Imagine that you did complete the model car. But after playing with it a few times, the wheels keep falling off or the doors won’t open. Because it’s not working properly, you stop playing with it and put it aside. This is a use failure – the model car (or information system) was completed, but once in use, problems arose that led to it being abandoned.

4 Categories of Information Failure

Correspondence Failure

Imagine you’re ordering a customized birthday cake and you request it to be chocolate with strawberry filling. But when you receive the cake, it’s vanilla with raspberry filling. It didn’t meet your specific requirements. Similarly, in an information system, a correspondence failure means the system doesn’t fulfill the requirements that were initially set for it.

Process Failure

Let’s say you’ve hired a painter to paint your house. You agree on a budget and a timeline. But, as the days go by, the painter takes much longer than agreed upon and asks for more money because he underestimated the cost. This is a process failure – the project didn’t stay within the agreed-upon time and budget. In terms of information systems, a process failure happens when the system wasn’t developed within the given time or budget.

Interaction Failure

Suppose you buy a new high-tech blender that’s supposed to make cooking easier. But the controls are so complicated that you end up not using it much. This is an interaction failure – the target user isn’t using the system (in this case, the blender) as much as expected. In terms of an information system, this happens when the system is not used or under-used by its intended users.

Expectation Failure

This is like ordering a fancy gadget online because the ad made it seem like it would solve all your problems. But when you get it, it’s not nearly as good as you expected. An expectation failure in terms of information systems happens when the system fails to meet the user’s expectations. This is a broader category that could include the other types of failure (correspondence, process, and interaction), since all these could lead to the system not meeting the user’s overall expectations.

5 Organizational Forms

Entrepreneurial

Think of this like a small start-up company, perhaps like a family-owned restaurant. It usually has one main person in charge, like the restaurant owner, who has a vision for the business and makes most of the decisions.

Machine

This type is similar to a factory with a production line. Everything is standardized, meaning every product is made in exactly the same way to ensure consistency. It’s usually inward-looking, meaning it focuses on improving its own processes.

Professional

This is like an accounting firm or a law office, where the focus is on the skill and expertise of the professionals. These organizations value knowledge and proficiency above all else.

Diversified

This is a larger organization that offers a variety of products or services, with each business unit operating somewhat independently. An example might be a large multinational corporation that produces a range of different products, each handled by a different division within the company.

Adhocracy

This organization form is like the research and development department in a company, where skilled experts work on creative and innovative projects. The structure is fluid and flexible, with lots of informal communication and collaboration.