Challenges Faced When Developing and Implementing an Information System (Essay Sample)

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Challenges Faced When Developing and Implementing an Information System: A Critical Analysis
Information System (IS) development and implementation raises significant challenges in organizations. Besides the technological problems associated with the interoperability and integration of legacy systems, the organizational processes often include several informal practices that result in exceptions in process workflows. Currently, many business activities rely highly on some Information System, although this normally depends on the organization. Information systems have become an essential element in most organizations, which is to help firms survive the harsh competition of the modern business world. Contemporary organizations need integrated, precise, and state-of-the-art information systems, whose effective management is important for the success of the organization. An information system helps organizations expand the scope of their business activities, modify business control, reshape responsibilities, offer services, and re-design the workflows. The implementation of information systems is usually a continuous process that incorporates the configuration of the information system through feasibility study, assessment, design indoctrination, instruction, adaptation, and installation of the system. Many information systems fail to materialize if the challenges faced at the implementation stage are not managed effectively.
The implementation of an information system entails the procedures executed for completing the system’s blueprint, testing, and installation of a new or revised information system before it starts operating.  However, the implementation and use of these systems impose extensive and diverse challenges for the effective delivery of organizational reprieve during complex situations. These challenges often surpass technological issues and, to some extent, relate to the central organizational issues of communication, environment, culture, and mission. Information systems are designed to support the critical logistics and transportation issues, alongside the support they offer in organizational communication that is highly intricate by a diverse landscape of the many parties involved.
Information Systems
To understand fully the challenges faced during the development and implementation of an information system, it is important to appreciate the fundamental concept of a system. A system is made up of either elements that have developed into particular patterns over time or those that have been devised into such patterns. A system design for multiple users contains computers and secondary devices that allow users to utilize the system in a synchronized way to accomplish the desired organizational goals and objectives. An information system is an example of this concept that integrates information into technology to enhance the achievements of organizational needs. The system calls for designers and users that have the ability to maintain the dynamic nature of the system within an environment of persistently varying variables (Marchand, Kettinger & Rollins 2001, 25).
Until the beginning of the 21st Century, there existed a huge gap between the social and technical orientation to problems of information systems. The gap was affecting the ability to solve these problems as well as the efforts to create a discipline of information systems. Information systems are viewed as social science as they include machines and information management formalisms, which are manufactured objects that ought to be included naturally, in collective form information systems. Information systems are often classified into computer science and information technology; however, information systems belong to their own unique discipline that only accentuates on organizations and humans while it utilizes hardware and software with nothing else to do with the two in comprehensive terms. Information systems play an important part in transforming the community and organizations. The systems function as a conduit to link the intersection between business and technology (Shapiro & Varian 1999, 232). Moreover, information systems perform many tasks simultaneously, such as enabling business entities realize prospective strategic gains. At the same time, information systems provide conveniences to transform the conventional business activities into the contemporary e-business.
The practicability of an information system is a distinctive notion of acceptability of users that draws from utilizing the utilities of the system, and resolves the failures and successes of the information system. In addition, the practicability of the system also signifies the efficiency, effectiveness, and contentment of the system from the perspective of its users. A highly usable system reduces errors and increases the organization’s productivity, as well as ensuring the users’ satisfaction (Maceviciute & Wilson 2005, 105).
As the contemporary society becomes more and more information-driven, the capacity and maturity of organizations to control the value of its information can indicate the disparity between failure and success. Information systems in an organizational setting typically relies on various resources, among them human resources, software resources, hardware resources, communication resources, and data resources. Because of the technological advancements today, organizations have to espouse new systems to match the competitor’s pace. The main constituents of any information system for business include finance, vision, and patience throughout the development and implementation of an information system (Shapiro & Varian 1999, 341).
Challenges Faced In Developing and Implementing an Information System
The implementation of information systems involves the processes carried out for the completion of the system design according to the approved documentation, as well as the testing, installation, and commencement of operation of the new system. The process of implementation is an important part of an information system that results in making the system operative for an organization. Atthe stage, the program and other elements are taken care of, including elements that have piled in the information system for enhanced results (Maceviciute & Wilson 2005, 214). It is often quite challenging to sort out these elements. Modern-day research has primarily focused on the technical challenges of the issue, with very little data available concerning the psychological part of these problems. Some of the intermittent challenges in implementing an information system include system specifications and capturing of prerequisites, unarticulated and idealistic goals, managing the complexity of the entire project, among other persistent technical problems. Such issues often lead to systems that lack efficient usability and support regarding the necessary functionalities that promote the resistance by users.     
Although information has turned into one of the most important assets of contemporary organizations, development and implementation of an information system face various difficulties. Among the most common are low efficiency, failures, as well as an insufficient alignment of the system with the needs of the business. Low productivity is an issue that has been identified in terms of software problems connected to the development backlog and repair problems. The demands of creating a new or improving an existing information system have increased beyond the contemporary capacity to develop them. This could be attributed to factors,such as the escalating cost of software improvement, an inadequate supply of funding, and competent personnel (Marchand, Kettinger & Rollins 2001, 40).
Efforts for the development of information systems have led to a huge number of absolute failures. These failures often occur because of economical differences, such as schedule overruns and issues related to the budget. At times, such failures may occur because of poor quality and inadequate satisfaction by the users of the system. For example, a study conducted by Gladden (1982) approximates that about 75% of information system developments embarked on are never completed, or the ultimate system is never utilized. Another study conducted by the Standish Group in 1995 further reports that of all information systems undertaken; only 16% are delivered on time and within the budget limits. Unfortunately, there exists limited research regarding the main causes of these failures (Checkland 1985, 313).
From a business viewpoint, there has been an increasing criticism in relation to the meager alignment of most information systems and the needs of the business. Huge amounts of an organization’s resources are normally spent in data searching, recording, refinement, and analysis; however, the relationship between information systems, organizational performance, and organizational strategies has been shown to be uncertain (Marchand, Kettinger& Rollins 2001, 296). For example, many managers and system users continue struggling with situations of scarce information, in which they lack the information they require for the smooth operation of their units. The development of information systems is therefore frequently confronted with the dynamic nature of business as well as the manner in which business operations are organized and sustained by the system.
All these problems are further exacerbated by the increased intricacy and size of software inventions. Since the introduction of information systems, each subsequent generation has introduced new application fields and extensive functionality resulting in larger systems that are difficult to construct, design, and maintain. Furthermore, due to the large number of innovations and technical...