Architectural Deviations and Inconsistencies Management: A Framework Based on Information Systems Urbanization

Abstract

Abstract The critical role played by information systems in supporting organizational processes and maintaining competitive advantage of modern organizations has been analyzed by many authors. These authors have demonstrated how computerized information systems impact organizational characteristics and outcomes. Moreover, organizations’ survival depends on the efficiency of the support brought by information systems to organizational processes. Nevertheless, there are various inconsistencies inherent in information systems. Such inconsistencies impact information systems efficiency and effectiveness and result in important direct and indirect costs and risks for organizations. Many studies have been devoted to the study of inconsistencies in software engineering. Nevertheless, despite the richness of the research contributions proposed by these authors, they don’t take into account all the aspects of information systems inconsistencies. In particular, inconsistencies inherent in information systems architecture has not been studied in depth. In this paper, we propose a framework - based on the “information city” metaphor – which analyzes inconsistencies of information systems architecture from a governance perspective.