Designing Evolution Paths for Enterprise-Wide Information Systems

Because of heterogeneous stakeholder requirements, highly diverse tasks, and the massive investment required, enterprise-wide information systems (e-wIS) are often developed through multiple projects over long time periods. In this context, choosing the “right” evolution path is essential, although doing so is not straightforward because e-wIS comprise technical, organizational, and use-related issues that require development stages to be aligned over heterogeneous dimensions. Although maturity models (MM) are an established instrument with which to devise development paths, their development processes often lack transparency and theoretical and empirical grounding. Moreover, extant MM often focus on the control of certain capabilities (doing things right) rather than on providing the necessary capabilities in a sequence appropriate to the type of organization (doing the right things). We propose an empirically grounded design method for MM that devises capability-development sequences rather than control levels. We instantiate the proposed method twice—once in developing a Business Intelligence (BI) MM and once in developing a Corporate Performance Management (CPM) MM, as two exemplary types of e-wIS. The artifacts are developed over three laps to enhance successively their projectability in the problem space and their tangibility in the solution space.Lessons learned: (1) In conducting DSR projects, it often proves valuable to be open to diverse research approaches like classical qualitative or quantitative approaches since they may purposefully ground and guide design decisions. (2) Complex artifact design processes may not be carried out by a single Ph.D. student or published in a single paper, as they require adequate decomposition and organizational integration. (3) Complex and emergent artifact design processes require a reliable network of practice organizations rather than a project contract with a single organization.