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Analysis of the Dimensions Involved in IT Evaluation
Abstract
According to Smithson & Hirschheim (1998), due to pressures to implement costs reduction and improve the quality of products and customer services, the organizations have been facing the need to revise their processes and to transform their business models. Therefore, information technology (IT) has assumed an important role within the organizations, in terms of creating the conditions to the viability of these requisites so that the organization can strive to and maintain its competitiveness. Thus, it has been observed that the organizations make high investments in IT, and these investments have been increasing mainly due to the Internet. The present study aims to discuss aspects related to the evaluation methodologies that are critical for evaluation success. Many researchers (for example, Symons, 1991; Farbey et al, 1993; Walsham, 1993; Willcocks and Margetts, 1994; Serafeimidis, 1997; Smithson & Hirscheim, 1998; Ross & Beath, 2002; Irani & Love, 2002;) have discussed that a successful evaluation requires a detailed analysis of the organizational situation. The evaluation context (Figure 1) of a new IT application includes the characteristics of the organizational context, of the IT management and the parties involved (stakeholders), because it is fundamental to take into account the affected parties and to understand their roles during the evaluation. This article reviews the literature referring to the aspects involved in the process of investment evaluation and tries to analyze similar aspects in practice, through the analysis of a case study where a significant investment in IT is observed. The last section discusses theory and practice, in an attempt to enrich the understanding of IT evaluation (and its methodologies) as an organizational practice.
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