A successful and instructive start-up phase
The Institute of Information Systems – Information Engineering at the 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 are being taken in terms of a coordinated research strategy.
Amazing results
The first phase of the strategic and therefore deliberately long-term cooperation aimed to shed light on the role and significance of information systems in a company’s strategic planning process.
As obvious as it may seem that systems such as ERP, CRM or BI are used for corporate management and planning, the initial results of the empirical studies were astonishing. A large number of companies use such information systems at an operational and administrative level, i.e. in the implementation of requirements from “daily business”. However, if the use of the systems and the information they contain, which is relevant to management and planning, is consistently continued at a strategic level, the use of the information is significantly reduced in practice. If one assumes that management-relevant information (and its quality) at all levels at least has an influence on the decisions of the responsible bodies, 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 in order to test the hypotheses 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, an initial prototype of a simple information system was developed to support the strategic planning process. The development of the prototype and the empirical studies and evaluations required for this were funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) through the award of an innovation cheque. The prototype is documented in a standardized, comprehensible BPMN model TD Trusted Decisions for further development, which is also mapped in the research strategy.
Gut decision vs. head decision
In addition to the planned empirical studies and the (further) development of prototypes, the Institute of Information Systems – Information Engineering is also addressing a topic that has proved to be particularly surprising at the strategic level: The importance of information use and quality in strategic decisions; 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. by machine and automation.
The Institute and 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 bodies. The aim of this research strategy is to put the synergetic and exciting cooperation on a stable long-term footing and to further develop theory and practice in interaction.
