Journal of Systems Management articles from December 1991

Journal of Systems Management archives from December 1991

International telecommunications: the current environment.
December 1, 1991... Transborder data flow is the transmission of data across national borders. Although data can be transmitted across national borders by mail, telephone or telex, the most direct methods of data transmission are by satellite, microwave or...

A systems analysis approach to reviewing completed projects. (Systems Project Evaluation)
December 1, 1991... Before I get started, I want to explain why I use the term "review" instead of "evaluate." Evaluate implies judgments and focuses on how much something is worth. I'm sure a few people would like to know whether the project was worth the...

Project evaluation: bringing in the sheaves. (project evaluation techniques) (Systems Project Evaluation)
December 1, 1991... Your project was not aborted, but allowed to go to term. Soon the project will be concluded, the usufructuary will appear and your work -- your "fruit" -- will be measured and handed over. Before going any further, we must first define...

A case study of user evaluation of an expert system. (Systems Project Evaluation)
December 1, 1991... This is a description of a study carried out in a large British company. The aim of the study was to provide the company (called Vulcan) with information about the development of expert systems to aid decision making. To do this, a brief...

How to get there from here: analyzing the index in computer user manuals. (Viewpoint) (Column)
December 1, 1991... Information that can't be found is information that can't be used. This truism has special significance for computer user manuals, which are typically written with "easy" information at the beginning for the novice user and more advanced...

Computer crime and data copyright: issues for IS management part II. (First Person) (Column)
December 1, 1991... Last month, we discussed the issue of computer crime and what responsibility an IS manager has to ensure the security of his company's information. This month, we look at what role IS management plays in the area of data copyright. As the...

Seven keys to achieving quality. (information systems) (Editorial)
December 1, 1991... The most significant issue currently facing IS professionals is how to improve the quality of the design and performance of the products that they create and maintain. If quality is to be built into these commodities, the processes used and...

Systems maintenance contracts. (System Notes ) (Column)
December 1, 1991... Dear Mike: Sometimes the best new ideas are the proven ideas from another industry. My company recently bought a new copier, and the maintenance arrangement with the copier people has started me thinking. If a small company (like...

The demise of the profitable computer. (Looking Back) (Column)
December 1, 1991... Back in the days before personal computers and desktop systems, large mainframes dominated the business scene. These computer centers were headed by systems managers -- technicians rather than executives -- who ruled their arcane turf like...

Using function point analysis as a software development tool.
December 1, 1991... Increasingly, information systems development managers need to be skilled in adapting organizational level goals and strategies to the process of developing project methodologies. Then they must effectively manage those software development...