Identifying and incorporating change in information systems

Abstract

The difficulty of identifying future requirements and the inflexibility of information systems make what is normally called the maintenance process difficult and costly, and may lead to information systems failure or obsolescence. This paper addresses the problem in a number of ways. It discusses three techniques which might be used to help identify future requirements. Two of these techniques are drawn from other disciplines; the third is not used widely in the information systems domain. All the techniques have broader applicability than maintenance alone, in that they are concerned with reducing uncertainty. The paper outlines some tenets of good applications software design, drawn from a number of sources, which will facilitate change by making the software design more flexible. Finally, these tenets are incorporated into information systems design through a proposed modification of the information systems life cycle framework. This framework—part of a “code of good practice” for information systems developers—could be incorporated into information systems development methodologies.