Decentralized coordination in complex information systems
Type
fundamental research project
Start Date
February 1, 2015
End Date
July 31, 2015
Status
completed
Keywords
Enterprise Architecture
Coordination
Architectural Thinking
Enterprise Transformation
Description
Today's enterprises have to cope with their increasingly complex and interconnected information systems (IS). These IS comprise business processes that are supported by a large number of applications which are implemented by an even larger number of software systems and are run on various generations of information technology (IT) infrastructure. Today the coordination of changes within these IS is implemented by means of plans, rules and principles, and respective governance mechanisms enforcing these plans, rules, and principles. However, while the overall size of these IS and the underlying budgets are unstoppably growing, the impact of IS-oriented management approaches such as enterprise architecture management remains limited and does not reach "that other 90% of the enterprise" (Gardner et al. 2012, p. 287) that is not directly related to IT. The factual short-term consequence of lacking coordination among IS change projects in the magnitude of several hundred projects per year is a waste of resources. The long-term consequences are increasing efforts and difficulties to maintain existing IS and lacking resources for innovation. This challenge is aggravated by the increasing interconnectedness beyond the boundaries of each enterprise to increasingly global partners, customers, and often an increasing number of international governmental agencies and their legal regulations in industries such as banks, insurances, utilities, or health care.
Only recently have researchers started to propose alternative coordination approaches that do not build on centralized structural coordination mechanisms. Next to scalability issues, another drawback of centralized coordination are the ever increasing governance efforts. Instead, researchers propose to decentralize coordination to the local decision maker. However, such decentralized coordination approaches need to foster a decision making that builds on long-term, holistic considerations in local decision making. Such considerations, however, fundamentally challenge existing paradigms, routines, values, performance management systems (e.g., bonus payments), or governance approaches. The new underlying mechanisms, processes, or success factor are largely underexplored.
In the proposed research we therefore aim at answering two research questions:
(RQ.1) What are the mechanisms of decentralized coordination in complex information systems?
(RQ.2) What are the success factors and processes for developing and establishing decentralized coordination in complex information systems?
Only recently have researchers started to propose alternative coordination approaches that do not build on centralized structural coordination mechanisms. Next to scalability issues, another drawback of centralized coordination are the ever increasing governance efforts. Instead, researchers propose to decentralize coordination to the local decision maker. However, such decentralized coordination approaches need to foster a decision making that builds on long-term, holistic considerations in local decision making. Such considerations, however, fundamentally challenge existing paradigms, routines, values, performance management systems (e.g., bonus payments), or governance approaches. The new underlying mechanisms, processes, or success factor are largely underexplored.
In the proposed research we therefore aim at answering two research questions:
(RQ.1) What are the mechanisms of decentralized coordination in complex information systems?
(RQ.2) What are the success factors and processes for developing and establishing decentralized coordination in complex information systems?
Leader contributor(s)
Member contributor(s)
Funder
Topic(s)
Enterprise Architecture
Coordination
Architectural Thinking
Enterprise Transformation
Method(s)
Literature Review
Case Study
Range
Institute/School
Range (De)
Institut/School
Division(s)
Eprints ID
239745
Funding code
2200182