Assessing the quality of information technology infrastructure services

Abstract

PurposeDespite existing advances in information technology infrastructure services (ITISs), there remains no consensus in the literature regarding what dimensions or criteria are best suited for the measurement of their quality. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap, proposing a methodological approach to measuring the quality of ITISs, as perceived by users.Design/methodology/approachCronbach’s α and item-total correlations were used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire; multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine the items (criteria) most related to the quality of ITISs; and finally, importance–performance analysis was conducted to determine the most critical criteria in service provision. An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the quality of ITISs at a Brazilian university.FindingsControl of the activities of the information technology (IT) team, periodic maintenance of hardware and software, the security policy and the skill of the labor affect the quality of services most, relative to the dimensions of infrastructure, people and processes.Practical implicationsThe results indicate what dimensions and items should be considered by IT managers to improve the quality of ITISs. Special attention should be paid to the effective use of equipment, software and network infrastructure: it should be ensured that these are in good working order and can be utilized by users who expect to be trained to take advantage of their functions.Originality/valueThis paper shows how to integrate relevant techniques to assess the quality of ITISs. An original set of criteria to evaluate the quality of ITISs, derived from a systematic review of the literature, is suggested.