Process-Technology Fit: Extending Task-Technology Fit to Assess Enterprise Information Technologies

1
Process-Technology Fit Extending
Task-Technology Fit to Assess Enterprise
Information Technologies

Michele L. Gribbins University of Illinois at Springfield Urbana-Champaign Chandrasekar Subramaniam University of North Carolina at Charlotte Michael J. Shaw University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2
Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Motivation
• Research Objectives
• Related Literature
• Process-Technology Fit (PTF) Model
• Approach to Determine PTF
• Conclusion
• Academic Contributions
• Implications for Practitioners

3
Introduction

• Definition of Enterprise IT
• Unite data across functions, business units, and
  companies
• Support users with multiple functionalities,
  infrastructures applications
• Support internal external process integration
  (Barki Pinsonneault 2005)
• Potential Advantages (Davenport 1998)
• Reduce costs
• Improve productivity performance
• Increase user satisfaction
• improve communication coordination

4
Introduction
?
?
Financial Reporting
Production Scheduling
5
Introduction
Financial Reporting
Production Scheduling
6
Research Objective

• Evaluate the role of the fit between processes
  and IT in understand IT use and process
  performance
• Identify key variables
• Propose a PTF model
• Develop a methodology to measure PTF

7
PTF Model

• Framework from ongoing theoretical work in PTF
  (Shaw et al. 2006)

P1-9
P13
P10-P12
8
Process-Technology Fit

• ITs ability to support a process in reaching
  process goals
• Fit 1 - the appropriateness of IT features in
  supporting process features (PTF)
• Fit 2 - the appropriateness between IT features
  IT use context
• Considers organizational contingencies in which
  the IT is implemented

9
Process Routineness

• The level of repetitiveness, structure,
  programmability, and analyzability
• The ideal IT support likely changes based on
  level of routineness

High Low
Highly repetitive Highly predictable Activities are well-defined Example Procurement of Direct Materials Lacks well-established methods predefined responses Procedures arent well understood Activities lacks definite boundaries Example Procurement of Replacement Products, Software Development, Strategic Planning
10
Process Complexity

• The overall sophistication of tasks resources
  the additional efforts required
• Processes benefit differently from specific IT
  features depending on their complexity

High Low
Requires much insight judgment Objectives interpretations conflict Inconsistent inputs Multiple possible solutions Example Procurement of Customized Products Requires little insight judgment No conflicts among objectives interpretations Consistent inputs One or few possible solutions Example Procurement of Off-the-Shelf Products (i.e., Industrial and Office Supplies)
11
Process Interdependency

• Extent to which successful process completion is
  dependent on the successful completion of process
  activities
• Varies based on resources required for
  generated from various activities

High Low
Requires extensive interaction Reciprocal dependencies Critically linked activities Example Procurement of Hazard Materials, Production Tasks for High-Technology Organizations, Advertising Campaign Lacks well-established methods Requires little interaction among actors Dependencies are pooled or sequential, if any Activities arent critically linked Example Telemarketing
12
IT Functionalities

• The capabilities and tools of IT software
  (Gebauer et al. 2004)
• Process characteristics determine needed IT
  support
• Classifications
• Type of system used (Goodhue Thompson 1995)
• Type of support provided (Zigurs and Buckland
  1998)
• Our classification information accessing, data
  processing, communication coordination support

13
System Performance (Reliability)

• The likelihood that a system will remain
  operational (Somani Vaidya 1997)
• Reliability leads to utilization usage
  compliance (Goodhue Thompson 1995 Croom
  Johnston 2003)
• Measured
• User evaluations
• System-generated metrics

14
IT Support

• The availability of assistance to aid users with
  system.
• Processes having high support provide adequate
  means for actors to overcome difficulties with
  using system

15
Fit 1 (PTF)

• P1a Processes having high routineness have
  greater fit with information accessing and data
  processing functionalities
• P1b Processes having low routineness have
  greater fit with communication and coordination
  support functionalities
• P2a Processes having high complexity have
  greater fit with information accessing and
  communication and coordination support
  functionalities
• P2b Processes having low complexity have greater
  fit with data processing support functionalities

16
Fit 1 (PTF)

• P3a Processes having high interdependency have
  greater fit with information accessing and
  communication and coordination support
  functionality
• P3b Processes having low interdependency have
  greater fit with data processing functionality
• P4 Processes with higher routineness have
  greater fit with system performance
• P5 Processes with higher complexity have greater
  fit with system performance

17
Fit 1 (PTF)

• P6 Processes with higher interdependency have
  greater fit with system performance
• P7 Processes with lower routineness require more
  IT support
• P8 Processes with higher complexity require more
  IT support
• P9 Processes with higher interdependency require
  more IT support

18
IT Use Context

• Need to consider the process context of IT use to
  better understand (Heine et al. 2003)
• the impacts of enterprise IT
• the determinants that drive its use
• Gebauer et al. (2006) incorporate IT use context
  in TTF model for mobile IS
• Other elements of the IT use context used in
  understanding fit
• Frequency/Volume of Like Process Occurrences
• Process Actors IT Experience
• Flexibility in Achieving Desired Outcome

19
PTF Model

• Framework from ongoing theoretical work in PTF
  (Shaw et al. 2006)

P1-9
P13
P10-P12
20
Process Performance

• The ability to reach stated process goals
• To be operationalized in greater detail for
  specific process situations
• P13a Fit 1 is positively associated with process
  performance
• P13b Fit 2 is positively associated with process
  performance

21
Determining Fit 1

• Fit 1 - the extent IT supports process attributes
• Define attributes of process technology
• Develop profiles using a metric

22
Determining Fit 1

• Determine cells predicted fit values from
  previous research estimation
• Average the fit for each pair

23
Determining Fit 2

• Fit 2 the extent to which IT supports various
  use contexts
• Determine cells predicted fit values
• Average the fit for each pair

24
Next Steps

• Further develop the PTF metric to identify fit
  estimates
• Test effectiveness of framework metric
• Metric-computed fit will be tested against survey
  of user perceptions of fit
• Metric-computed fit will be tested in its ability
  to predict process performance

25
Contributions

• Development of a PTF model and procedure to
  compute fit
• Emphasize the influence of the IT use context on
  fit
• Identify IT characteristics that maximize Fit 1
  (PTF) Fit 2 (IT/Use Context)
• Aid in the development of more effective IT
  strategies

26

• Thank You!