Faculty of Science

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Browsing Faculty of Science by Author "Ddembe, Williams"

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    Complexity and risk in IS projects: a system dynamics approach
    (Fountain Publishers, 2007) Ssemaluulu, Paul Mukasa; Ddembe, Williams
    In spite of ongoing research on IS risks and the increased sophistication of the tools and techniques developed, IS risks continue to be a challenge to IS professionals and managers. Increased complexity leads to increased risks. When we are confronted with a complex system, our knowledge and understanding of how different components work and interact, and accordingly how the system as a whole works, will always be incomplete. While many researchers have dwelt on project management techniques, it is apparent that we cannot have all the answers in advance since we cannot foretell the future. Due to the increasing complexity of IS solutions it is seen that existing information system development methodologies do not tackle this adequately. The primary purpose of this paper is to highlight how System Dynamics which employs systems thinking can be used to deal with the study of organizations (companies, public institutions, and other human organizations) as complex systems of human activity, with plurality of interest and values. It also shows how System Dynamics models can help companies to manage the risks and uncertainties related to complex IS projects. This paper partly describes some variables in an ongoing research where we aim to use the system dynamics methodology to create a better understanding of the link between information quality and customer satisfaction. We critically look at two variables that we deem important in the search for this relationship. These are complexity and risk in IS projects
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    A system dynamics tool for IT investments.
    (Fountain Publishers, 2006-01-01) Ssemaluulu, Paul Mukasa; Ddembe, Williams
    Systems dynamics modeling is the technique of constructing and running a model of an abstract system in order to study its behavior without disrupting the environment of the real system. The process simulated in this study, that is, evaluation of IT investment projects, is one of increasing importance as it has been observed that 90% of all senior IS managers have no idea how to determine the value of information systems. In an era where cost overruns and cancelled projects cost millions of dollars, a simulation tool which can rapidly calculate the benefits to be derived from an information system can be very useful. The existing literature identifies noticeable gaps between academic theories, commercially available methodologies and actual evaluation practices promoted by organizational rules and structures, informal practices implemented by stakeholders and academic recommendations which are not used in practice. Problems relating to evaluation of IT investment projects were established-. Understanding these problems would in the long run reduce losses due to failed IT investments. In this study, five different methodologies were investigated taking into account the suitability or goodness of the framework, bias, focus and complexity. The System Dynamics Methodology was found to be the best as the others had serious shortcomings. A model derived from earlier work by Seddon et al., as well as Delone and Mclean was used to construct a dynamic hypothesis that helps to realize the interrelationships between the critical variables. A causal loop diagram derived from the dynamic hypothesis was also constructed. A simulation tool for evaluating IT investment projects was developed to help managers cut down on time spent debating investment decisions, cut down on costs, reduce information overload and help researchers evaluate related problems. The simulation tool was used to analyze how different variables interact to affect the total benefits of an information system. It was observed that only a strong interaction of people, information, and technology can improve business performance, and consequently lead to Information Systems success.
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    Use of “flight simulator” for training it managers in investment decision making.
    (Fountain Publishers, 2008) Ssemaluulu, Paul Mukasa; Ddembe, Williams
    In this paper it has been suggested that the findings of research on managerial decisionmaking may be relevant in IT, but that research needs to be carried out on the factors that influence the decisions of IT managers in order to develop an effective “flight Simulator”. While this is useful as a first step, the paper argues that a systems thinking/ systems dynamics approach is necessary for developing flight simulators as learning environments for managers. The advantage of SD is not merely that it captures the complexity of decision­ making processes; it also offers a way of exploring the impact of change on decision­ making over time. The paper describes the model, identifies a number of propositions that can be derived from it and suggests how these may be tested empirically through a flight simulator.