A successful and instructive start-up phase
The Institute for Information Systems – Information Engineering at JKU Linz can look back on a successful start phase in the research cooperation with TD Trusted Decisions GmbH. Based on the initial results, it is now time to break down the research projects and ideas. Several new directions in terms of a coordinated research strategy will be taken.
Amazing results
The first phase of the strategic and thus deliberately long-term cooperation had the goal of illuminating the role and significance of information systems in the strategic planning process of a company.
As obvious as it seems on the one hand that systems such as ERP, CRM or BI serve corporate management and planning, on the other hand the initial results of the empirical studies were astonishing. A large number of companies use such information systems at the operational and administrative level, i.e. in the implementation of the requirements of “daily business”. However, if the use of the systems and the information contained therein that is relevant for control and planning is consistently continued at the strategic level, the use of the information is significantly reduced in practice. If one assumes, therefore, that control-relevant information (and its quality) at all levels at least has an influence on the decisions of the executing agencies, this inevitably leads to the question of how – and on the basis of what information – decisions are made.
First prototype
As these results are based on qualitative data, a broader quantitative study is currently in preparation to test the hypotheses to be derived. In order to tie in seamlessly at the strategic level on the one hand and to meet the engineering requirements of business informatics on the other, a first prototype of a simple information system was developed to support the strategic planning process. The development of the prototype and the necessary empirical studies and evaluations were supported by the FFG, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, through the granting of an innovation cheque. The prototype is documented in a standardized, comprehensible BPMN model TD Trusted Decisions for further development, which is also depicted in the research strategy.
Gut decision vs. head decision
In addition to the planned empirical studies and prototype (further) development, the Institute of Information Systems – Information Engineering is also taking up the topic that has proven to be particularly surprising at the strategic level: The importance of information use and quality in strategic decision-making; in other words: How prominent is the “gut decision” in relation to the “head decision”, and how can the trigger, frequency, process and quality of the respective decision be made measurable and comparable with computer support, i.e. machine and automated.
The institute as well as TD Trusted Decisions GmbH see enormous potential in this forward-looking issue and will again seek funding for the research cooperation or the specific research project from public funding agencies. The aim of this research strategy is to place the synergetic and exciting cooperation on a stable long-term basis and to further develop theory and practice in interaction.
