Why Mixed Methods are Necessary to Derive Enterprise-wide Solutions

Abstract

The high costs and failures of many information systems projects have attracted severe criticism, analysis and recommendations. Unfortunately these appear to have done little to stem the flow of such incidents. Consequently the general level of dissatisfaction with the use of information technology, and the gulf between expectations and reality, does not appear to have significantly diminished. Fortunately, there have been some successes. In this chapter the author draws upon his experience of over 30 years in the development and implementation of effective low-cost enterprise-wide information systems. A number of case histories are used to derive some useful lessons, and a mixed method is described which has proved to be both effective and durable in the face of rapid advances in technology.