Agile Information Systems: Conceptualization, Construction, and Management - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0750682353 ISBN 13: 9780750682350

Publisher: Routledge, 2006

Synopsis

This book presents cutting-edge research and thinking on agile information systems. The concept of agile information systems has gained strength over the last 3 years, coming into the MIS world from manufacturing, where agile manufacturing systems has been an important concept for several years now. The idea of agility is powerful: with competition so fierce today and the speed of business so fast, a company’s ability to move with their customers and support constant changing business needs is more important than ever. Agile information systems: • have the ability to add, remove, modify, or extend functionalities with minimal penalties in terms of time, cost, and effort • have the ability to process information in a flexible manner • have the ability to accommodate and adjust to the changing needs of the end-users. This is the first book to bring together academic experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss how companies can create and deploy agile information systems. Contributors are well-regarded academics known to be on the cutting-edge of their fields. The Editor, Kevin Desouza, has organized the chapters under three categories: • discussion of the concept of agile information systems (i.e. defining agile information management, its attributes, antecedents, consequences, etc.) • discussion of information systems within the context of agility (i.e., descriptions of agile information systems and their attributes, how to build agile information systems, etc.) • discussion of organizational management issues in the context of agile information systems (i.e., how to prepare the organization for agile information systems, management of agile information systems for improved organizational performance, etc.)

About this title

About the Author

C. Desouza Kevin

From the Back Cover

Business/Management

Agile Information Systems
Conceptualization, Construction, and Management

Edited by Kevin C. Desouza

“Agile Information Systems makes an explosive break from the past. It takes you from the Old World to the New World; from the clanking Industrial Age of the mid-50s to the New Age and 21st Century; from adaptive response to preemptive initiatives. You know about ‘just in time’ inventory control, yes? This book develops the idea of "agile information organizations" doing just in time strategy and organizing….It's about getting there first rather than following along behind. Collectively, its 20 chapters uncover drastic changes facing managers: Information is fleeting and emergent. Databases are obsolete. Work has shifted from stable routines to ephemeral global complexity. Basic artifacts of technology are open source and distributed between firm and customers.
Managers and researchers are used to a world of dinosaurs. No more! Agile Information Systems pulls them into a world of socioeconomic viruses and bacteria—fast changing, hard to grab hold of, and dangerous if ignored. This change is fundamental, profound, and upon us. Desouza's is the best book on fast moving organizing that I have seen.”
— Bill McKelvey, Professor of Strategic Organizing, Anderson Graduate School of Management, University of California at Los Angeles

“…No organizational design or information system can overcome rigid, closed thinking. The agile mind is the determining driver. Agile Information Systems is food for nurturing an agile mind. It stimulates thinking about agility and galvanizes the neurons that need to be engaged to build agile organizations and information systems.”
— Richard T. Watson, J. Rex Fuqua Distinguished Chair for Internet Strategy, Director, Center for Information System Leadership, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

The concept of agile information systems has gained great strength in the last three years, coming into the MIS world from manufacturing, where agile manufacturing systems have been an important concept for several years now. The idea of agility is powerful: with competition so fierce today and the speed of business so fast, a company’s ability to move with their customers and support constant changing business needs is more important than ever. Agile information systems have the ability to add, remove, modify or extend functionalities with minimal penalties in terms of time, cost, and effort; to process information in a flexible manner; and to accommodate and adjust to the changing needs of end-users.

Agile Information Systems is the first book to bring together the cutting-edge thoughts of academic experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss how companies can create and deploy agile information systems.

Kevin C. Desouza is Assistant Professor, The Information School, University of Washington.

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0750682353
• ISBN 13: 9780750682350
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 322
• Editor: Desouza Kevin C.