Information Technology Procedures Research Articles

Breaking All the Rules: Information Technology Procurement in the Government of Canada

AbstractThe Government of Canada has recently faced intense parliamentary and public scrutiny of the role played by private contractors in its information technology (IT) projects, most notably in the case of the ArriveCAN application. With these ongoing investigations as its backdrop, this article analyzes patterns in federal government IT procurement between 2017 and 2022, drawing on a comprehensive analysis of the federal contracting open dataset. We reveal that the federal government betrays accepted best practice in modern government IT procurement on several key dimensions, including on contract values and lengths; on the diversity of suppliers; on the source of IT expertise; and in the management of intellectual property. We argue that the Canadian approach to IT procurement is an historically overlooked but crucial driver of its failing digital reform efforts. We conclude by turning to IT procurement policy reforms gaining traction outside Canada that may help the Government of Canada improve how it buys and deploys IT going forward—a task we argue is essential if the government wants to avoid future IT contracting scandals and deliver on its long‐standing promise of digital era modernization.

Procurement maturity and IT failures in the public sector

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate disastrous failures in high-value, high-risk IT procurement among US public agencies. The goal is to understand the cause of the failures and explore the role of procurement in IT public investments.Design/methodology/approachThe establishment of the maturity model is based on the relevant literature review and IT procurement failures at four different US public agencies. The data is gathered through multiple sources, including documents, archival records and interviews.FindingsThe findings add to the public procurement literature and highlight the catalyst role of procurement maturity in the success of IT public procurement. They also call for public agencies to grow procurement maturity and increase procurement impact throughout the procurement process.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed model was primarily based on four Information Technology (IT) procurement failures. Investigations on IT procurement successes and on a larger scale are necessary to further validate and expand the model.Practical implicationsThe proposed model can help public agencies identify where they are in their IT procurement journey and formulate plans to reduce the likelihood of IT procurement failure.Social implicationsThe proposed model helps public agencies achieve IT procurement success, which leads to timely policy implementation, huge federal savings and better use of taxpayer money.Originality/valueThis paper provides an effective framework for public agencies seeking to overcome high-value high-risk IT procurement challenges and achieve IT procurement success.

Effect of internet of things on manufacturing performance: A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making and neuro-fuzzy approach

We have entered a new technological paradigm with the emergence of Internet-embedded software and hardware, so-called the Internet of Things (IoT). Although IoT offers pan-industry business opportunities, most industries are only just beginning to employ it. We thus determine and prioritize the most important factors that influence IoT adoption, and reveal how IoT adoption affects the performance of manufacturing companies. We use a hybrid method that integrates the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system with the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, a novelty of the study. The literature on this subject informs our selection of the critical adoption factors, namely, technological, environmental, and organizational. The data are acquired from industrial managers involved in the decision-making process of information technology procurement in manufacturing companies in Malaysia. Our results can support IoT adoption guidelines geared to yield maximum efficiency in manufacturing industries, service providers, and governments.

Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Pengadaan Perangkat Teknologi Informasi Menggunakan Metode Logic Fuzzy Pada PT. Kojo Balairaja

This study discusses decision support system of the procurement information technology devices using fuzzy logic method at PT. Kojo Balairaja. The research objectives are (1) to determine the eligibility criteria for the procurement of information technology devices that are appropriate to the needs of the company, (2) to determine costs according to the company's budget, (3) to determine the quality of devices held, and (4) to determine the update of the devices held. One of the difficullties that found is the manager’s in making decsion. An example manager’s decision in considering some aspects such as costs and needs but they do not consider eligibility criteria, the quality and updating of the equipment needed by the company. The method used the Fuzzy Logic method karena metode ini dapat memetakan perangkat yang dibutuhkan. The results of this study, namely the system built can help managers at PT. Kojo Balairaja in making decisions to procure information technology devices in accordance with the eligibility criteria, namely managers can approve, consider and reject the device request, the quality and updating of the equipment needed and can predict the cost of good quality but the price is moderate and affordable by the company.

A revolution of democratic warfare? Assessing regime type and capability-based explanations of military transformation processes

Armament policies are determined by domestic rather than international politics according to liberal IR perspectives. More specifically, military transformation processes in democratic countries are understood as being informed by the political need to limit the number of casualties during military operations. Consequently, liberal scholars assume a distinct democratic eagerness to resort to precision-guided munitions, drones, or even cyber attacks. Our analysis challenges this explanation of democratic armament policies. We evaluate the timing and programmatic choices of armament policies of 33 countries, democratic and non-democratic, combining different indicators of information technology procurement and usage by national militaries. Based on this data, countries are categorized into Revolution in Military Affairs leaders, uppers, followers, stragglers, entrants, and non-participants. Finally, we test the explanatory power of two competing independent variables, representing casualty shyness versus capability-based explanations of military transformation processes. Our results show that realist assumptions yield strong correlations, while liberal assumptions do not produce statistically significant results.

An evaluation of transit procurement training

We evaluated a training course called “Orientation to Transit Procurement”, designed and conducted by the National Transit Institute. This course is designed to provide Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grantees an overview of regulations and best practices related to the procurement process. Our objective in conducting the evaluation was to understand how transit agency staff made changes in procurement practices in response to the course training. The evaluation was mixed mode: an Internet survey followed by in-depth interviews with a small group of respondents. Survey respondents were also provided with an open-ended question providing us with additional context for our evaluation. Results show that the training is substantially successful at meeting the goal of improving procurement practices at transit agencies; indeed, most respondents report making changes at their agencies as the proximate result of the training. This was at odds with our exploration of knowledge of procurement topics, as most respondents gave inaccurate answers on multiple-choice “knowledge questions”. This may have been due to question structure or, more likely, the nature of online surveys. Suitable training on the procurement of information technology was also a main concern. The lack of training in this area is indicative of the broader challenge facing public transit agencies in how to incorporate new forms of technology into their existing practices and bureaucratic structures.

Democratizing IT: A Cloud Computing Framework

Information technology (IT) is indispensable in the present day business scenario and equally sought by established as well as the new enterprises. Consequently, need is to democratize the IT resources in order to offer enough opportunities to everyone to grow. A new emerging paradigm termed as cloud computing is attempting to democratize the IT procurement and usage. This work has proposed a framework that maps the democratic values offered with the help of cloud computing. Various key features are mapped that are enablers in the proliferation of the democratic values including equal opportunity, share-ability and minimum upfront cost. Finally, this article also highlights the key initiatives by the various governments in order to promote democratic values through the cloud computing.

A new vision for Federal information technology procurements

This article highlights several of the most impactful challenges that have plagued IT acquisitions over the last two decades and describes transformative initiatives that the Obama Administration's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) announced last December to help agencies overcome long-standing obstacles and get better results for the taxpayer. The discussion looks separately at IT commodity spend and IT systems investments, as smarter IT buying requires an understanding of these differences and solutions that are targeted to change long-standing cultural and structural assumptions that have prevented real and sustained progress in the past.

Building procurement capability for firm performance: a service‐dominant logic view

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore four integrative supply chain practices – customer information technology (IT) integration, supplier IT integration, customer collaboration, and supplier collaboration – using a service‐dominant logic (SDL) lens to inform their relationships with procurement capability and ultimately firm performance. The study goes on to examine how firms with high and low procurement capability differ in their use of these practices, thus informing curiosity regarding “best practices”.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 711 firms in 23 countries during the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS). Exploratory factor analysis established simple factor structure and construct validity. Stepwise regression was employed to analyze relationships among customer collaboration, supplier collaboration, customer IT integration, supplier IT integration, procurement capability, and firm performance. T‐tests examined differences between the practices employed by firms with high and low procurement capability.FindingsFindings reveal positive relationships among customer collaboration, supplier collaboration, customer IT integration, and procurement capability. Supplier IT integration is not found to be significantly related to procurement capability. Procurement capability is in turn found to be positively associated with firm performance. All four variables emerge as best practices of firm's demonstrating high procurement capability.Originality/valueThis study provides a rare empirical investigation, and rich insights, into SDL for value co‐creation in supply chain management by examining an international sample of manufacturers. This study contributes to the extant understanding of supply chain collaboration and integration by unpacking key practices in the context of a firm's procurement capability. Lastly, “best practices” are provided which should be of great interest for practitioners from around the globe.

Electronic customs innovation: An improvement of governmental infrastructures

Abstract This article examines the diffusion of an e-government innovation, a common e-customs standardized solution, which is currently subject of research in the European Union. One of the goals of the European Union is to achieve trade facilitation as well as to secure import and export. In order to achieve this goal, the European Government aims to have a common e-customs standardized solution. For this reason, the European Government provided an e-government model. However, while the e-government model regulates the boundaries of the e-government elements and provides high-level functional and technical specifications, the adoption part is in the hands of the individual EU member states. Procurement of information technology and implementation of e-customs solutions are not specified. The main goal of this study is, therefore, to identify facilitators and barriers that can influence the adoption of standardized e-customs solutions. The research is based on Rogers' theory of innovation considering the technological, organizational, and environmental context. Within the framework of a European funded project, we conducted our study collecting data from interviews and workshops involving an inhomogeneous group of participants, i.e. stakeholders coming from academy, industry, and governmental institutions. By demonstrating the existence of four generic facilitators (benefits potential of the public sector; procedural improvements and streamlined business processes; avoidance of misinterpretations of standardized regulations; and standardization of processes, messages and data models) and three barriers (slowdown in regulation execution due to missing procedural templates, increased complexity in the standardization process itself, electronification of operations) related to customs management, the article contributes towards the research in diffusion and adoption of e-government standards and in particular of standardized e-customs solutions as well as political and societal impact of e-customs policies.

Repeated Interactions and Contractual Detail: Identifying the Learning Effect

Organizations interacting repeatedly on similar transactions may learn from prior experiences, allowing contracts to be specified in greater detail. In this study, we analyze the conditions under which this learning effect is most likely to manifest itself. We do this by focusing on different parts of a contract as well as differences across transacting parties. Using a survey of information technology procurement contracts from 788 Dutch small- and medium-sized enterprises, we show that the learning effect is stronger for technical than for legal detail in contracts and is stronger for firms with information technology expertise than for firms without such expertise.

Information technology (IT) strategic planning for libraries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe an approach to information technology (IT) strategic planning for libraries and institutions of higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe “why, what, and how” of IT strategic planning for libraries is explained, to show the efficacy and value of long‐term IT planning and budgeting. The organization, design, processes, templates, and methodologies of IT strategic planning practices that have been proven and constantly refined through projects with academic, public, and national libraries are described.FindingsPrinciples described for IT strategic planning as a team‐based enterprise learning process apply as well to the design and conduct of major IT procurements, where the organization also seeks best value IT outcomes for the long term. The approach is scalable with respect to the human resources and time required (e.g. three months, six months); the design and steps of the process; the methodologies employed; and the number, design, format, components, and contents of internal working documents and the published report(s).Originality/valueIT strategic planning educates the institution about choices and consequences, decides on technology priorities and investments, makes informed decisions with confidence, and delivers consensus‐based outcomes and stakeholders' buy‐in.

Procuring technology: issues faced by public organizations

This article addresses some of the critical issues with respect to public procurement of information technology (IT). The article provides results from surveys of state public information managers and technology vendors who provide services to government to determine if IT procurements have improved in the ten years since the Kelman study on public procurements and suggests opportunities to improve public IT procurements.

IT Planning and Procurement — The Underlying Architectural Process

A highly flexible and responsive, yet strategic, information technology (IT) planning and procurement process is essential. However, many IT organizations have all they can do to keep up with day-to-day demands. Concern for the present and future management of IT planning need not be mutually exclusive. This article describes how an organization's IT architectural process can be used to facilitate the continuous updating and improvement of its technology investments, even as it positions the enterprise's technology team for the future.

Organizing and managing supplier relationships in information technology procurement

This paper begins exploration of the broad question: how should the relationship between IT suppliers and customers be organized and managed? It reports the results of an empirical, exploratory study which investigates the organization and management of IT supplier relationships in large North American firms. A sample of 518 large corporations was surveyed to determine the degree of formalization of IT supplier-management practices, the extent of discretionary collaborative behavior (DCB) on the part of information technology customers, and the relationship between formalization, DCB and perceived effectiveness in influencing supplier performance. Findings indicate that most companies surveyed continue to manage their supplier relationships in a relatively informal way. Formalization of the supplier management function appears, unsurprisingly, to be a function of the size of the organization and the number of suppliers it utilizes. Relatively high levels of reported discretionary collaboration indicate that IT buyers find value in taking positive, relationship-building action toward their suppliers. Discretionary collaboration appears unrelated to supplier management formalization, company size, or number of suppliers. Thus these results suggest that companies may employ two independent strategies for managing supplier relationships, formal and informal, which both lead to perceived influence over suppliers.

Evaluating information technology in health care: barriers and challenges

There is strong push for clinical leadership in the development and procurement of information technology in health care.1 The lack of clinical input to date has been cited as a...