This thesis examines alternative prototyping processes as a means of implementing manufacturing information systems in a small to medium sized batch process manufacturing company. Prototyped IS (Information Systems) ate compared to other systems designed and implemented according to the traditional Systems Development Life Cycle model. Action research is used in conjunction with an IS case study framework. as the strategy to provide a rich analysis of the power, political, organizational and business effects resulting from the prototype implementations. Survey and structured interview methods are used to assess the rate of spread and extent of prototyped versus non prototyped IS applications. Perceptions of IS user managers from both prototyped and non prototyped systems are measured using an IS user satisfaction measurement tool. Alternative manufacturing information systems implementation methodological choices are examined resulting in the identification of three paradigms important to the appropriate selection of implementation methodology dependent on manufacturing environment context: Systems ProblemlLearninglAction (SPLA); Systems Engineering; and Systems Architecture. Prototyping is identified as belonging to the SPLA paradigm characterized by 'soft' systems methodologies orientated to problem solving by an iterative process of learning. Conclusions from this multi-disciplinary research enquiry are that prototyping is a viable implementation methodology with defInite performance improvements over traditional methodologies. A five dimensional framework for prototyping manufacturing information systems is proposed. The five dimensions: IS Strategy; Organizational; User; Business; and Prototyping provide a mechanism (or planning and managing the prototyping process. Recommendations are made for more research to be carried out into the derivation of a structure for the evolutionary prototyping process, for more investigation into the problems of early implementation of prototypes, whilst maintaining technical and quality integrity, and for more field studies to identify potential implementation contexts of the prototypingframework.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:291280 |
| Date | January 1982 |
| Creators | Paul, D. K. |
| Publisher | Swansea University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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