Business users and the information system development process: a need to know basis

  • D. R. Lawrence
  • H. U. Shah
  • P. A. Golder
Chapter
Part of the IFIP — The International Federation for Information Processing book series (IFIPAICT)

Abstract

We discuss the growth, the benefits and risks, of business users taking a more active part in developing computerised information applications. After briefly discussing IS (information system) development management issues relating to user based IS development, we propose a framework for indicating the extent to which particular business users need to know about the process of developing IT systems. We then outline our recent research which addresses the measurement of BUD (Business User Development) success factors and identifies typical IT involvement levels of business users.

We can conclude that BUD outcome effectiveness can be predicted using measures of contributing factors, a framework can be used to indicate the level of IT development process knowledge needed by business users, and that improved tool support would enable business users to be much more actively and directly involved in IS development. Given the current tool support environment, many agree that business users and managers need to be educated to acquire ‘good’ systems design and implementation techniques. An important assertion in this paper is that appropriately designed tool support would significantly reduce the need for IT training of business users.

Keywords

Business users end users application development effectiveness modelling 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1997

Authors and Affiliations

  • D. R. Lawrence
    • 1
  • H. U. Shah
    • 2
  • P. A. Golder
    • 3
  1. 1.University of WolverhamptonWolverhamptonUK
  2. 2.Staffordshire UniversityStaffordUK
  3. 3.Aston UniversityBirminghamUK

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