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Flexibility As a Criteria for Information Systems

By: Hans Bool
Submitted: 2007-01-17 15:05:11
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Today more than before, flexibility or maneuvrability, is important when designing or buying information systems. This is a new kind of thinking where it is no longer sufficient to construct an information plan for the near future and design systems as planned. Plans do change often and before your system is implemented there is already a new technology available that provides other opportunities.

The depreciation rate of information systems is higher than any other investment category. Change is the order of the day.

But there is something special about this flexibility requirement. And that is to do with the fact the flexibility is not functional. But to design systems that are flexible you need to invest in the same way that you need to invest in order to design a functional solution.

And this trade-off is not always communicated to the business sponsors who decide about information technology investments. Information technology is still an area that is very complex and it requires in depth knowledge to understand the difference in impact between one decision and the other.

The missing link however is not that complex and any consultant could tell you this. There is only one budget which you can address to both functional and non-functional or infrastructural requirements. Normally the (main) focus is on functions, because this is where the money is earned. Most money is however lost on infrastructures that are not sufficient, because they provide a means that serve your whole organization whereas functional solutions serve only specific business processes (or departments).

If you walk on the street, and further down you notice that one road is closed, you will often see a sales-message, with something like: “road blocked because of remodelling the street.” But in fact, this remodelling is only to sell you something new, most cost sinks in the renovation of the sewerage. Like any other requirement flexibility too needs to be sold because the sponsor will have to pay for it. But what do I receive.

Use the example of the street (maybe not the best example and metaphor, but still useful), and make a prognosis of the number of times that you need to break it up in the future. Again it is not functional, but for the pedestrians (clients) quite annoying when they cannot reach you. And so it should be for you...

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our free management tools

Article source: Expert Articles

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