Information and Knowledge Management using ArcGIS ModelBuilder

Dawit Asmelash
Steps Output
8
9
Benefits
-Increase number of requests for research-based consultation
-More research projects will proceed
-More papers will be accepted in international accredited journals
All positive outcomes relate to the IT impact on “Research” process.
Monetary or equivalent substitutions gained from the positive outcomes listed in step
8.
4.2 Assessment IT benefits identification method
From a research perspective, the emphasis and use of the business outcomes indicators and the
adoption of this approach is high among the research participants. This shows signs of success in
identifying and describing specific and accurate potential benefits. However, this is not a definitive
assessment and this method should be exercised and tested by the general population that will be
involved in the justification process in the organization. The research will seek to validate the method
in the coming justification season. It has been possible to develop the following provisional list of
findings with respect to this benefit identification approach:
This method requires evaluators (business management) to have an adequate understanding of
the concepts of IT benefits, but this can be achieved through introducing a learning session.
This method keeps benefits firmly on the agenda, whereas most IT requests in the past used to
focus on expressing the severity of their problem as a justification for discretionary IT
investments.
This method makes it easy for the evaluators to understand the nature of their expectations
(benefits) and to identify other possibilities that can be harnessed from IT.
In the successive engagement, almost all participants managed to identify numerous possible
benefits (positive outcome descriptions) that are specific and accurate (true) to the initiatives.
4.2.1 Proposed model for benefit identification at ex-ante justification stage
The identification method steps from 1 to 9 in section 4.1.1 covers the relationship between the
business goal and outcome descriptions. If this method is applied properly, it can be expected to
provide better benefit identification for evaluation at the ex-ante justification process. Taking into
account the effectiveness of the method among the research participants, this research proposes the
following model for the organization.
The relationship between business goal, IT goal and outcome discussed in section 4.1 has been
modified with the support of the empirical findings. At this stage, the “IT solution goal” specifies the
means of achieving the business goal. In turn, the IT solution goal “outcome description” lists
expected IT achievements that indicates how the IT goal is going to be achieved. The IT solution
“outcome description” also indicates whether the business goal is likely to be achieved.
Potential
benefit
Results
Business
Goal
derive
Outcome
Description
drives
enables
IT Solution
Goal
derive
Outcome
Descriptio
Figure 3: Model of benefit identification at ex-ante stage (source: Author, 2011)
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