Managing IT Innovations:

1
Managing IT Innovations

• The Case of Group Support Systems

2
The Case of GSS

• Generally purchased software
• Maintained by IS group, operated by a GSS
  organisation
• Centralised for the firm, or
• Pilot project, or
• Used by only one department
• Major uses are highly exposed
• Strategic planning with upper management
• Team building across departments or
  intra-organisational

3
GSS (contd.) Challenges

• Almost always used by novices
• Product has high promise, but has not lived up
  to it
• Stewards are hard to find, as operators are
  often not the champions
• IS Group role is often merely operational, but
  with strong maintenance flavour
• Network problems abound

4
Application Trends

• A new kind of application
• Strategic to companys plans
• Operated by a group, possibly for gain
• Complex, hw/sw/nw/third-party situation
• Not computation in traditional sense
• Possibly inter company, non-standard
• Has own interest group, multidisciplinary,
  cross-divisional

5
GSS Applications
Brainstorming Nominal Group Topic Commenter Group
Writer Group Outliner Bulletin Board Discussion
Group Idea Organiser Voting (Various) Group
Matrix Multi-Attribute Eval Etc.
Net- work
Meeting Simulator
Participant Stations
6
Brainstorming (Nominal Group)
A enters the original comment on the topic
Aaa aaaa aaa aaa
Bbb bbb bbbb bbb
The comment is sent to B, who reads it and adds a
comment to what A has already said
Ccccccc cccc ccccc
The two comments are then sent to C, who reads
both comments and then adds a third comment to
the existing two.

Other sheets have other debates recorded on
them.
7
Facility Requirements

• A network
• A number of microcomputers
• Software (generally a package of functions)
• A room, generally bookable
• A booking agency or facility manager
• One or more facilitators, also bookable
• A set of policies

8
A GSS Example

• GSS facility of 12 stations running GroupSystems
  for Windows. IS Group has only maintenance
  function, as well as responsibility for the
  network. The day before a meeting, ISG is
  notified. However, room and equipment are booked
  through another department. Product steward
  knows nothing about how the application works
  inside and users are almost always executives
  with little time to spare for technical problems.
  System was built for OD Department. Relations
  with steward are very poor!

Product
ISD Role
Customers
Steward
9
Managing GSS
Users

• Expectations
• Procedures
• Activities
• Relations
• Whos in the middle here?
• Is GSS a Typical Product?

Good meetings
Opera- tors
Trouble-free operations
Useful events
Stew- ard
Happy (repeat) customer
Ven- dor
10
Products of the Future

• Diverse group of users
• Strategic employment
• Technology is highly transparent
• Technology is network dependent
• User relations depend on success of product
  operation
• Third-party installation, including outside,
  outsourced, consultants