Using Value Models to Improve the Cost/Benefit Analysis of Inter-Organizational System Implementations

Outsourcing of IT-supported business processes (systems development; customer relationship management; helpdesk, etc.) has become increasingly common in Western economies since the late 1990s. Such outsourcing is totally dependent on the provision of inter-organizational information systems (IOSs), which act as the “glue” to link vendor(s) and client(s). Hence understanding the importance of IOSs, and conversely, the downsides or risks they embody, is a critical part of ensuring that outsourcing arrangements are successful. In this chapter the theory behind outsourcing is unpacked, and readers are alerted to sometimes-overlooked aspects of the IOSs on which outsourcing depends. These raise the risks, and reduce the benefits, of outsourcing if they are not well thought through. Decision makers are advised to explicitly include the notion of risk in their outsourcing business cases, including those risks associated with the IOSs that support outsourcing arrangements.

Collaboration is now considered as a strategic advantage for enhancing effectiveness in Inter-Organisational Information System (IOIS) implementation, particularly in electronic government (e-government). As governments strive to improve their service delivery systems with constraint resources, IOIS was seen as the key factor for efficacy. Findings in this study revealed that the rhetoric and the reality of IOIS implementation were misaligned. Social and human factors were revealed as pertinent for this disparity and good governance was seen as the redeeming factor for IOIS implementation. Understanding these factors is critical in improving the probability of success in future IOIS implementation.

Despite extensive research and practitioner literature on inter-organizational information systems (IOIS), our understanding of non-adoption still has some under-explored issues. This paper offers an explanation of non-adoption that focuses on the potential structural changes that IOIS adoption entails; in particular, we contend that the contradictions between the initial social structure and the structure enacted in the use of an IOIS can be a cause of non-adoption. This paper analyses adoption from a logic of opposition where non-adoption occurs because forces of transformation are offset by forces of persistence. Relying on the concepts of social structure, duality of structure, and structural contradiction from Structuration theory, we develop a framework that categorizes the underlying social structure where an IOIS is to be adopted, and formulate some theoretical propositions. From a practitioner perspective, this paper contends that the fact that IOIS management uncovers the contradictions in the social structure that result from IOIS adoption can help avoid dead ends. Accordingly, this framework, which can be used as a coarse-grained picture for anticipating adoption problems, can inform managers when devising an IOIS implementation strategy.

This paper uses fractal theory to analyze interorganizational information systems (IOS). Firstly, IOS’s structure has fractal characteristics of self-similarity, self-optimization and self-organization, consequently, gives the concept and definition of fractal interorganizational information systems (FIOS). Thirdly, builds IOS topological structure fits actual needs based on Diffused-Limited Aggregation (DLA) model to optimize the growth rule of IOS, then, designs six topological structures of FIOS and estimates approximatively their fractal dimension values. Finally, gives fractal interorganizational information systems application to optimize the supply chain network structure to improve operation efficiency.

Business integration is no longer optional. With the opening of local and world markets to international competition, businesses have been actively looking at managing their costs, their competition, and their customers' expectations. Integrating business processes amongst partners was deemed as an efficient way to meet these objectives. Amongst various concepts, Inter-Organizational Information System (IOIS) has seen a significant interest from organizations and researchers alike. IOIS is an inter-partners information system that enables adding seamlessness to business processes crossing these partners' systems. The component inside IOIS responsible for the bridging between different partners' systems is the Inter-Organizational Middleware System (IOMS). IOMS is both a technical tool managing communication and data exchange between heterogeneous systems and a business tool proactively participating in the business process. This duality has been a strength but also a problem for IOMS. Indeed, organizations tend to resist updating and upgrading it and in the process causing it to suffer the problem of legacy processes. When these legacy processes become unupgradable, i.e. can no longer be updated using standard methods and tools, the risk to business increases and the cost of keeping these processes functioning becomes excessive. The authors embarked on a four-year journey investigating the problem of Unupgradable Legacy Processes (ULP) in IOMS and propose numerous artifacts addressing various elements of the issue. Riding on these artifacts, this paper looks at their journey from an implementational perspective and assesses lessons learnt for organizations to both manage and avoid ULPs. First, the concept of IOMS is presented. Then the problem of ULPs in IOMS is discussed. Research findings are then presented as lessons learnt before the outcomes are analyzed and limitation of the research are debated.

As corporations rely on collaborations with partners to enhance their competiveness, they use interorganizational information systems (IOIS) as a powerful tool to link with their partners in the supply chain. The purpose of this study is to measure IOIS performance in the supply chain. The proposed framework considers both internal and external organisational perspectives and is based on the balanced scorecard. This study also uses experts’ pairwise comparisons in the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process approach to consider the relative weight or importance of diverse indicators of the framework. Then, this study applies the proposed framework to the Taiwanese information technology industry. The results provide references for managers and future researches when assessing IOIS performance in the supply chain. The proposed model can serve as a useful instrument for helping managers to better understand the main facets of IOIS performance, to be more capable of prioritising improvement projects, and to adopt the right solutions to enhance overall performance.

Supply chain digitalization: An integrated MCDM approach for inter-organizational information systems selection in an electronic supply chain

The objective of this paper is to clarify the complex notion of flexibility and to explore the impact of inter-organisational information systems (IOS) on the flexibility of the interaction between organisations. Based on previous research and on Vickers's appreciative systems thinking, the paper examines flexibility as a multidimensional concept, influenced by the inter-organisational context. Following an interpretive approach and a multiple case design, it analyses the flexibility of the interaction of two retailers and two suppliers. Based on the empirical findings, it shows that the use of IOS can constrain even competent organisations. It also shows how different organisational contexts affect the flexibility of inter-organisational collaboration. It finally discusses the socio-technical and dynamic nature of flexibility, as well as examining the relationships between its different dimensions.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is applied to support the creation of electronic markets (e-markets). Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the exchange of structured data between information systems of different organizations. EDI is often considered as the first step towards e-markets. In the course of time EDI was extended and interorganizational information systems (IOS) were used to create electronic marketplaces. IOS serve as intermediaries between buyers and sellers. Probably the most well known examples of IOSs are airline reservation systems, which are closed systems having typically a limited number of participants.

Businesses are increasingly engaging in inter-organizational collaboration. At the same time, assessing the benefits and the success of an inter-organizational system is still a challenge. Academia and businesses alike struggle with insufficient assessment methods and benefits measurement processes. Our research applies and extends a recently developed framework for the assessment of expected and realized benefits in IS implementation projects (expectations-benefits framework). The framework was developed using an established case study methodology (experience methodology) including more than 140 case studies of real-world IS projects. In this paper we selected a sample of 16 suitable cases for the study of inter-organizational information systems and found 190 realized and 59 unexpected benefits in the described implementation projects. The findings show several patterns in the benefits in relation to the existing integration scenarios and the benefits categories.

Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) are widely used for delivering public assets and associated services. A well-developed business case is crucial for the successful execution of PPP projects. This research conducts a comparative study of the critical factors influencing PPP business case development and proposes practical policies and management interventions to enhance this process. Using a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with 46 PPP stakeholders from China and New Zealand, the study identifies four key areas essential for an improved business case development: (1) contextual factors, including political support and enabling legal and regulatory frameworks; (2) procedural factors, such as comprehensive service need analysis, robust procurement option assessment, and clear affordability analysis; (3) capability-related factors, including strong public sector capability and credibility; and (4) organizational factors, such as streamlined institutional arrangements and effective governance structures. By adopting the proposed strategies, policymakers can make more informed decisions on PPP-related policies, while public procuring authorities will be better equipped to plan, structure, and manage the business case process effectively. The research focused on PPP practices in two countries, China and New Zealand, with findings derived from a limited number of interviews. This raises questions about the generalizability of the results. Additionally, the recommendations may need to be adapted to account for varying economic, social, and policy contexts when applied in different settings.

The article examines theoretical aspects of the impact of artificial intelligence on increasing the level of efficiency in the work of life insurers. Particular attention is paid to the impact on the business processes of an insurance company: internal business processes (internal environment business processes) and business processes that arise when interacting with external entities, in particular with policyholders and partner institutions. The study highlights key benefits associated with AI implementation which includes process automatization, underwriting accuracy, enhanced data analysis and the development of personalized life insurance products tailored to customer needs. The article describes the challenges that may accompany the processes of integrating artificial intelligence into various areas of business processes. The advantages of using artificial intelligence to increase the level of process automation, reduce operating costs and increase the quality of customer service are considered. AI-powered solutions, such as predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, enable insurers to analyze vast amounts of data in real time, allowing for more precise risk profiling and dynamic premium adjustments. Despite these advantages, the study underscores various challenges that accompany AI adoption in the life insurance sector. Potential risks are described, in particular, algorithmic bias errors, cyber threats and leaks of confidential information, regulatory uncertainty and possible job losses in life insurers. The article emphasizes the importance of developing strategies by both the state and insurance companies to manage the risks of such integration and to form a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence when used in the work of life insurance companies. Addressing these challenges proactively will allow insurers to harness AI’s full potential while maintaining customer trust, regulatory compliance, and long-term sustainability in the evolving insurance landscape. The need to apply a comprehensive approach when implementing artificial intelligence into the operational activities of a life insurer is emphasized.

This paper explores the challenges in the collaborative implementation of interorganizational interoperability through observations of social dynamics. We focus on an inter-organizational information system that has interfaces with several information systems managed by different organizations. This complexity increases degrees of difficulty of the implementation projects. Our main finding is that as the inter-organizational nature of the problem increases considerably the technical complexity of the implementation, it also significantly increases difficulties in the social dynamics. We argue that a careful analysis of these social issues can reveal some interesting viewpoints that otherwise may stay hidden. We limit this paper to consider only the implementation of an inter-organizational information system that is implemented to support pre-defined joint functionalities.

Purpose This paper aims to explore the design, development and implementation of business cases in Dutch Corporate Real Estate (CRE) practice, and how this relates to literature insights and directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a literature review, a 1.5-hour roundtable discussion with six experienced CRE-practitioners, and in-depth interviews with 12 other experienced CRE-practitioners, each lasting 60–75 min. Findings Contemporary CRE business cases extend beyond financial considerations and increasingly incorporate less tangible forms of value, such as employee satisfaction, health and well-being, flexibility, and sustainability. In the context of CRE management, business case development is closely intertwined with stakeholder management and decision-making processes. These complexities confront CRE practitioners with distinct challenges that are insufficiently addressed in the current literature. Research limitations/implications The sample consists of 18 experienced Dutch CRE-practioners. As such, the findings are not fully generasible. Fot this reason a repeat study is recommended with a larger sample, also including CRE-practioners from other countries. Other research methods such as Delphi or a survey would be interesting as well. Practical implications The findings offer practical guidance for developing more integrated, value-based business cases, and highlight areas where further actions from practitioners and researchers are needed. Originality/value Integrated, value-based business cases for CRE interventions are under-researched. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine how Dutch CRE managers and consultants conduct and implement business cases.

Connecting with the actual using issues of inter-organizational information systems(IOS), this study focuses on analysis assimilation of inter-organizational information systems in the post-implementation stage within organizations. Based on knowledge related theory, There has been a growing stream of research on organizational memory systems which is a major research direction in organizational memory nowadays. With the development of communication technology, the technology of organizational memory systems have promoted upgrade and update, from purely software management to the combination of hardware and software implementation; from wired communication technology to wireless communication technology and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). What's more, the ad hoc network technology further pushes forward the historic leap in organizational memory systems; and instinct revolution of the impact of organizational memory systems on knowledge has taken place as the technology increasingly changes.