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Information Systems Strategy Development at Sainsbury's Supermarkets Using “Soft” OR

Author

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  • Richard J. Ormerod

    (Warwick Business School, Warwick University, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom)

Abstract

In 1989, Sainsbury's, the largest UK supermarket chain, developed a new information systems (IS) strategy. To obtain management ownership of the strategy and commitment to implementation, it adopted a participative approach using “soft” OR methods. The resulting strategy was projected to cost $73 million and give annual benefits of $64 million. Five years into the strategy the outcome can be evaluated. Inevitably the strategy has evolved. Implementation has taken longer and costs are more than estimated; but benefits are exceeding expectations. The results indicate the effectiveness of the decision-making process used, showing that qualitative OR approaches can be used to good effect and can sometimes be subjected to quantitative assessment.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard J. Ormerod, 1996. "Information Systems Strategy Development at Sainsbury's Supermarkets Using “Soft” OR," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 26(1), pages 102-130, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:26:y:1996:i:1:p:102-130
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.26.1.102
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. R J Ormerod, 2008. "Comments on Córdoba and Midgley: the Javeriana case," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(5), pages 719-721, May.
    2. R J Ormerod, 2008. "The transformation competence perspective," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(11), pages 1435-1448, November.
    3. R Ormerod, 2005. "Putting soft OR methods to work: the case of IS strategy development for the UK Parliament," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 56(12), pages 1379-1398, December.
    4. Small, Adrian & Wainwright, David, 2014. "SSM and technology management: Developing multimethodology through practice," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 233(3), pages 660-673.
    5. Frederic H. Murphy, 2005. "ASP, The Art and Science of Practice: Elements of a Theory of the Practice of Operations Research: Expertise in Practice," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 313-322, August.
    6. David C. Lane, 2010. "OR FORUM---High Leverage Interventions: Three Cases of Defensive Action and Their Lessons for OR/MS Today," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1535-1547, December.
    7. Richard Ormerod, 2017. "Writing practitioner case studies to help behavioural OR researchers ground their theories: application of the mangle perspective," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 68(5), pages 507-520, May.
    8. Ranyard, J.C. & Fildes, R. & Hu, Tun-I, 2015. "Reassessing the scope of OR practice: The Influences of Problem Structuring Methods and the Analytics Movement," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 245(1), pages 1-13.
    9. Peter C. Bell & Chris K. Anderson & Stephen P. Kaiser, 2003. "Strategic Operations Research and the Edelman Prize Finalist Applications 1989--1998," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 51(1), pages 17-31, February.
    10. J-R Córdoba & G Midgley, 2006. "Broadening the boundaries: an application of critical systems thinking to IS planning in Colombia," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 57(9), pages 1064-1080, September.
    11. Peter C. Bell & Chris K. Anderson, 2002. "In Search of Strategic Operations Research/Management Science," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 32(2), pages 28-40, April.
    12. R J Ormerod, 2010. "Articulate intervention revisited," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 61(7), pages 1078-1094, July.
    13. J Bryant & J Darwin & C Booth, 2011. "Strategy making with the whole organisation: OR and the art of the possible," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 62(5), pages 840-854, May.
    14. Ormerod, RJ, 1998. "Putting Soft OR Methods to Work: Information Systems Strategy Development at Palabora," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 75-98, February.
    15. R J Ormerod, 2008. "Evaluating PSMs," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 59(1), pages 137-138, January.
    16. Graeme S. Pauley & Richard J. Ormerod, 1998. "The Evolution of a Performance Measurement Project at RTZ," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 28(4), pages 94-118, August.
    17. Mingers, John & Rosenhead, Jonathan, 2004. "Problem structuring methods in action," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(3), pages 530-554, February.
    18. R J Ormerod, 2005. "Intellectual and practical journeys," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 56(7), pages 874-876, July.
    19. Howick, Susan & Ackermann, Fran & Walls, Lesley & Quigley, John & Houghton, Tom, 2017. "Learning from mixed OR method practice: The NINES case study," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 70-81.
    20. Georgiou, Ion, 2012. "Messing about in transformations: Structured systemic planning for systemic solutions to systemic problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 223(2), pages 392-406.

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