5. Constructive implementation steps for information systems
5.2 Development cycle method
5. Constructive implementation steps for information systems
system can be used more efficiently (Lankton et al., 2010). Continuous develop- ment can also be considered to be part of the company’s normal system develop- ment and as a continuous operational improvement (Imai, 1986, 1997; Felman, 2000; Benediktsson and Dalcher, 2003).
Information systems will be realised only in use (Macdonald, 1988, 32–33). This pertains to the operative level in an organisation, which is illustrated by the contin- uous change cycle. The practical use of the information system is implemented as operational activity in an organisation (cf. March and Simon, 1958; Zuboff, 1988).
The fourth level of the development cycle describes flexible and context-based routines and problem-solving activities, which contribute to adaptation to the oper- ative demands of the activity environment (Eriksson and Nurminen, 1991; Coriat and Dosi, 1998; Felman, 2000; Doherty et al., 2003).
and (4) it pursues a methodological discipline. The development process also emphasises the importance of models and tools (Alasoini et al., 1994, 51–73;
Hyötyläinen, 1998, 2000, 2005; 2011, 171–173). It can be said that this construc- tive method is aimed at research-based approaches and knowledge for solving development problems defined in companies (see Alasoini, 2005).
The three corner-stones of the research and development method are the de- velopment cycle, development and innovation working, and teamwork and model- ling (Hyötyläinen and Simons, 2007; Hyötyläinen, 2011, 171–173). In the busi- ness-focused development work of a constructive approach, these are the three central pillars on which the development has been primarily based. First, cyclical development is a tool for analysing development processes and keeping them in circulation (Hyötyläinen, 1998, 2000). The second has been development team- work. Development teamwork can be seen as the most characteristic feature in constructive development work. In teamwork, researchers solve development problems, outline solutions, and implement them together with business person- nel. In this work, researchers often play an important role (cf. Burnes, 2004). The third central feature is the creation and use of models and methods in develop- ment work. On one hand, models and methods are used to analyse development targets, and on the other hand, they are used as tools in the development process.
For concrete research and development work, it is ncessary to use suitable methods to manage concrete projects in practice (Hyötyläinen and Simons, 2007).
Figure 6 presents a typical development cycle, which can be applied in business projects, as well as in the case of the implementation process of information sys- tems.
Figure 6 shows the five main stages of business-specific analysis and devel- opment: 1) the start of collaboration, 2) analysis, 3) the choice and definition of development targets, 4) the planning and testing of development, meaning solu- tions and their implementation, and 5) the adoption of solutions and practices that have proven workable (Hyötyläinen, 2011, 171–173). Each stage of the develop- ment process has been assigned certain tasks and actors, that is, an organisation, and development results. The development process also addresses the need for quick problem–solving, which is specified in the discussion of the stages. Natural- ly, the progress is not linear from one stage to the next; instead, sometimes it is necessary to return to review the start position or to plan new solutions and meth- ods when those already developed prove unworkable.
5. Constructive implementation steps for information systems
Figure 6. The model of a development cycle.
Below is a more detailed description of the basics of each stage. The stages are not necessarily linear, as the progress of a development project in a company depends on the needs and interests of the company and its personnel. However, when one moves from one phase to later phases, the knowledge of the subject becomes more structured (Lin et al., 2012).
5.2.1 Start of collaboration
The start of collaboration is a critical stage in the development process: it lays the foundation for the development project as a whole and above all for co-operation and trust between the company and the researchers (Lukka, 2003; Hyötyläinen, 2005, 46–50). In the case development projects, the researchers aimed to invest a lot of effort in the first contacts and in establishing a working relationship at the start of the collaboration.
The purpose of the first stage is for the researchers and key employees at the company to engage in discussions and decision-making to establish a shared vision of the company’s business, strategic goals, operating processes, and also the current state of problems in, and development needs of operations manage- ment and the information systems supporting it. The shared vision is then used for outlining the development project and its goals, and for agreeing on procedures such as human resources, timetables, communication patterns, and working pro- cedures during the project, binding these into the concrete setting of the organisa-
Start of
collaboration - Perceived development needs of operation mgt.
- View of dev. project
-Established practices - Cont. development
Analysis
-Target models -Dev. objectives -Solution procedures
Choice and definition of devel. objectives Development work:
:
Planning, testing Adoption of solutions
- Specified target models - Development plan - Development measures - Workable solutions
- Procedures of development
Quick problem solving Task
Results
tion (Engeström, 1987, 321–337; Bruce and Wyman, 1998, 20–24; Lukka, 2000;
Peffers et al., 2008).
The first stage results in a shared conception of development needs in opera- tions management and of the development project. In addition, a management group is set up for the development project to monitor project, progress and to convey information between development teams and development sites, that is, to co-ordinate the project overall in the company.
5.2.2 Analysis
The purpose of the analysis stage is to collect data on the target company, its operating practices and information systems, and their development needs (Cas- sell and Symon, 1994; Fryer and Feather, 1994; Yin, 1994a). The analysis in- volves charting the current state, business processes, information systems, opera- tions management, future outlook, and goals and key development points of the company (Hyötyläinen, 2005, 45–50; Hyötyläinen and Simons, 2007; cf. Eekels and Roozenburg, 1991). If the company has recently introduced an operations management system and is engaged in operations development, the operations management system implementation project is also analysed, together with the methods used in the information system implementation processes, the roles of various persons and functions, and their tasks and interaction. Data are collected by the project group and through interviews conducted by the researchers.
The interviews focus on key members of the company management, such as the managing director, production manager, supervisors, and information system manager (or the project manager in an information system introduction project).
The purpose of the interviews is to gain an overall impression of the company, its current state, its future outlook, and what the company management and key persons feel about operations development and the information system implemen- tation process, problems encountered, and development needs (cf. Gottschalk, 2001).
In addition to management, employees from various user groups in the compa- ny (e.g. financial management, production planning, procurement/purchasing, and sales) are interviewed (Burgoyne, 1994; Cassel and Symon, 1994). The purpose of the interview is to get acquainted with and establish relations with personnel in the company and to obtain data on how the implementation process was execut- ed, how users participated, and what problems were encountered in the imple- mentation process from the user groups’ perspective. The interviews can also be used to chart user experiences of how the new information system has affected their work and what the general mood regarding development is in the company.
User interviews are conducted individually or in groups.
The results of the analysis stage are summarised in an analysis report, contain- ing the researchers’ target models for the company’s business processes and operations management, and the role of information systems in the company’s
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business. The report also identifies the company’s development points and prelim- inary solutions to them (cf. Burnes, 2004).
The need for rapid troubleshooting in the company is also taken into account in the development process. This is about addressing minor but acute development needs emerging in the development project, to which clear solutions and devel- opment measures can be assigned through troubleshooting techniques (Simons and Hyötyläinen, 1998; Hyötyläinen, 2011, 171–173).
5.2.3 Choice and definition of objectives
The third stage begins with a discussion of the aforementioned analysis report with the project group and key employees in the company. Sufficient time must be allocated to discussing the findings, because the development points for the pro- ject are to be selected and defined on the basis of the discussion. In many cases, there are numerous points at various levels to be considered at this stage. The aim here is to prioritise development points and choose the most important among them related to the development of operations management and procedures, and of the information systems supporting them (Lukka, 2003; Tikkanen et al., 2005;
Hyötyläinen, 2005, 171–173; Peffers et al., 2008).
Then, internal development teams are set up in the company to address specif- ic development points and development themes. Members of these teams are selected from various functions and include experts in the relevant themes. The purpose of the development teams is to activate company personnel, who are the people actually affected by the problems or development needs identified, to work together to find solutions to address the selected development points. This will utilise employee expertise, provide motivation, and get employees to commit to the improvement of their work and workplace environment while learning new professional and social skills. Another aim is to ensure the establishment of new working practices in day-to-day work. The researchers participate closely in the work of the development teams, offering troubleshooting procedures models and tools, and also guiding the work of the groups (Simons and Hyötyläinen 1998;
Hyötyläinen 1998).
In addition to selecting development points and setting up development teams, the purpose of this stage is to organise development efforts in the company (Ar- gyris, 2000). Based on the analysis results and the following discussions, the researchers draw up specified target models for the selected development points and a development plan, besides determining which development measures will need to be carried out in the course of the project (Lukka, 2003).
5.2.4 Development work: planning and testing
The innovation and development work proper in the project is done at this stage, with the development teams addressing their predetermined agenda. The team members seek solutions to the problems, modelling the current state and outlining the target state, and also testing and evaluating how the proposed solutions would work in practice, according to the principles of the constructive model in practice (Weick 2003; Lukka 2003; Hyötyläinen, 2005, 46–50; Peffers et al., 2008). They also, assisted by the researchers, develop procedures and tools suitable for them- selves in particular, and for the company in general, for further development (Hyötyläinen and Karvonen 2000; Ilomäki 2003; cf. Torvinen, 1999).
In this project, focusing on the operations management and procedures of SMEs and the information systems supporting them, all the companies involved in the project identified, as development points, the modelling of business processes and critical information flows, and an analysis of how the current operations man- agement system is used. The usage analysis includes defining current use, en- hancing user operations, and charting features of the system not yet utilised in the company’s operating processes. These development points were addressed in the development teams with tools including modelling methods and wall poster tech- niques (cf. Ehn, 1988; Engeström, 1994; Simons and Hyötyläinen, 1998; Torvinen, 1999).
The management team follows the work of the development teams closely and ensures that the company personnel are kept up to date on their progress. The results of the fourth stage are solutions in accordance with the development goals and the development procedures created by the development teams (cf. Bruce and Wyman, 1998; Lankton et al., 2010).
5.2.5 Adoption of solutions
At the adoption stage, workable solutions and new operating practices and devel- opment procedures are established in the companies’ operations management and in the use of their operations management systems (Hyötyläinen 2000;
Hyötyläinen and Kalliokoski 2001). At this stage at the latest, the results of the work done by the development teams and the project group are published for the personnel groups and employees involved to see. Here, the input of the members of the development teams in instructing other employees in the new procedures and in the use of the equipment and software, and in sharing expertise and knowledge, is vital. Sufficient time must be allowed for the adoption stage, so that employees can learn the new practices and adapt them to their own personal ways of working (Reijonen and Toivonen, 1996; Davis and Hikmet, 2008; Cragg et al., 2011).
The researchers support the companies in the adoption of solutions and in the monitoring and evaluation of how well the solutions work. At the same time, they help the companies to orient their development efforts in accordance with the
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development goals set (cf. Peffers et al., 2008). The underlying goal is that, at this point at the latest, the company adopts active and continuous development and acknowledges its importance to the company’s success (Eriksson and Nurminen, 1991; Garvin, 1993; Lowendahl and Haanes, 1997; Ilomäki 2003).