Understanding Alignment during Implementation of an IS: Two Case Studies in Italian IT Development Firms

Abstract

Successful implementation of new technologies and systems is vital for sustaining and enhancing the productivity and the competitive position of an organization. However, many information systems (IS) implementations fail due to a badly planned process. This paper, drawing from the IS implementation literature, proposes a process model of the alignment of organizations and IS. The model has been tested in two case studies in two Italian information technology (IT) development firms that implemented an IS dedicated to project management. An analysis of how the implementation process is conducted by the organization, how workers accept the technology and how this interacts with the organization’s existing structures, roles, job activities and strategies is presented in the light of a process model of organization-technology alignment. The suggested model is useful as a tool to manage the alignment process and to anticipate how things unfold. Furthermore, we contend that this model for the alignment process needs to be reexamined in future research.