Information System Success Metrics Evolved Over 60 Years
Category: Innovation & Design · Effect: Moderate effect · Year: 2012
The definition and measurement of information system success have evolved significantly over the past six decades, reflecting changes in organizational roles, stakeholder expectations, and perceived benefits.
Design Takeaway
When designing or evaluating information systems, consider the historical context of 'success' and adopt a multi-dimensional approach that includes technical, user, and business impact.
Why It Matters
Understanding this historical evolution is crucial for design practitioners to ensure that the information systems they develop align with current and future organizational needs and stakeholder expectations. It highlights the dynamic nature of 'success' and the need for adaptable evaluation frameworks.
Key Finding
The way organizations define and measure the success of their information systems has changed dramatically over time, moving from simple technical metrics to more complex considerations of business impact and user experience, though practice often lags behind research.
Key Findings
- The concept of 'IS success' has shifted from a focus on technical quality and system usage to encompass broader impacts like organizational benefits and user satisfaction.
- Organizational expectations and the perceived value of information systems have grown exponentially, leading to more complex and multi-faceted evaluation criteria.
- There is a persistent gap between research advancements in IS success evaluation and its adoption in organizational practice.
Research Evidence
Aim: How have the perceptions and measures of information system success evolved across different eras of their development within organizations?
Method: Historical analysis and commentary
Procedure: The authors reviewed and analyzed the literature and practice surrounding information system success across five distinct historical eras, tracing the changes in the role of information systems, key stakeholders, and expected benefits.
Context: Organizational Information Systems
Design Principle
Information system success is a dynamic construct that requires continuous re-evaluation based on evolving organizational contexts and stakeholder expectations.
How to Apply
When initiating a new design project involving information systems, conduct a brief review of how similar systems have been evaluated in the past and what the current organizational priorities are for success.
Limitations
The study is a commentary and historical review, not an empirical study of current practices across all organizations. The 'five eras' are a conceptual framework for analysis.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: What makes a computer system 'good' for a company has changed a lot over the years, and we need to keep up with those changes when we design them.
Why This Matters: Understanding how the definition of 'success' changes helps you design solutions that are relevant and valuable not just now, but also in the future.
Critical Thinking: Given that practice often lags behind research in defining IS success, what are the practical challenges designers face in implementing more advanced or nuanced success metrics in their projects?
IA-Ready Paragraph: The evaluation of information system success has undergone significant transformation over the past six decades, moving from a focus on technical aspects to a more comprehensive consideration of organizational benefits and user satisfaction. This evolution underscores the need for design projects to adopt flexible and context-aware definitions of success that account for changing stakeholder expectations and strategic priorities.
Project Tips
- When defining success for your design project, consider how 'success' has been defined for similar products or systems in the past.
- Think about who the stakeholders are for your project and what 'success' means to each of them.
How to Use in IA
- Reference this study when discussing the evolution of design criteria or the importance of aligning design goals with organizational objectives.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate an awareness that design goals and success metrics are not static and can evolve over time.
Independent Variable: Time/Eras of Information System Development
Dependent Variable: Perceptions and Measures of Information System Success
Controlled Variables: ["Organizational context","Technological advancements"]
Strengths
- Provides a valuable historical perspective on a critical aspect of system design and implementation.
- Highlights the dynamic and evolving nature of 'success' in the field of information systems.
Critical Questions
- How can designers proactively anticipate future shifts in the definition of 'success' for their designs?
- What are the most significant barriers preventing organizations from adopting more sophisticated IS success evaluation methods?
Extended Essay Application
- An Extended Essay could explore the evolution of success metrics for a specific technology (e.g., mobile applications, AI systems) and propose a framework for future evaluation.
Source
The Past, Present, and Future of “IS Success” · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · 2012 · 10.17705/1jais.00296