Limitations and Opportunities of System Development Methods in Web Information System Design

Abstract

This article addresses the question of whether traditional object-oriented system development methods can be applied in the transformation of organizations toward web-based dissemination of information. System development methods have traditionally been argued as valuable tools in the process of capturing the complexity of information technology, organizations, and the interplay between the two. Relatively little is known about the application of traditional methods in web-based information system design. This is due partly to the limited history of web use, but also based in the normative argument that traditional methods do not play a significant role in WIS design. Through an action research project, the application of two system development methods (OMT and RMM) is evaluated. The research suggests that system development methods and a “traditional ”IT-system perspective are applicable as a tool to capture central properties of a web information system. However, the use is limited to an interior organizational perspective: that of the information provider. From the audience context, the system development methods used did not provide proper guidance. The research suggests that future research should pursue the goal of providing better support for making and capturing design decisions about IT, individual, and organizational use from the perspective of the audience side.