Methodology for demand-supply selection of commercial off-the-shelf software-based systems : contextual approach of leading contractors in Portugal

This research study aims to contribute to the discussion around Information Systems, moreprecisely on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software Based Systems, as a Business Processand as a Supply-Chain enabler tool, within the construction industry in Portugal. Concerned withefficiency improvement of management theory in the construction arena, central discussions ofthis study are about developing a methodology for demand-supply selection of COTS-BasedSystems for leading contractors in Portugal and analysing market offerings of COTS-BasedSystems covering Operations Management functional needs of leading contractors in Portugal.Demand-side and supply-side research is undertaken, eliciting contractors' needs and analysingmarket offerings of COTS-Based Systems at Operations Management-level from a functionalperspective. A multicompany informing case study approach contributes to a betterunderstanding of COTS-Based Systems selection practice, within the demand-supply context ofleading contractors in Portugal. Several other appropriate research methods and techniques areemployed to collect rich field data.A specific Demand-Supply Selection (DSS) Methodology of COTS-Based Systems isdeveloped, based on methods and techniques in use by practitioners and on review of literature,considering context/stakeholders interaction of leading contractors in Portugal. A systematisedlist of functional high-level requirements for COTS-Based Systems evaluation is obtained toproduce a comprehensive Requirements Reference (RR) Model, so that the effort to elicit the(functional) needs of leading contractors' Operations Management through further developmentof requirements models from scratch is reduced. A benchmarking report of leading contractorssystems in use and a demand-supply cross analysis delivered on a COTS-Based SystemsMarket Offerings (MO) Report, answers the question about 'which are the actual marketofferings of COTS-Based Systems supporting Operations Management functional needs ofleading contractors in Portugal'.Based on these three perspectives, the research study aims to provide an original contributionto knowledge, developing a comprehensive study covering supply and demand viewpoints.In this respect, the direct and practical purpose of this study is to facilitate the planning phaseat the beginning of a project and offer comprehensive information to construction industryplayers (e.g. consultants, COTS-Based Systems providers) that could lead to better products(e.g. changes in functions of COTS-Based Systems) and services (e.g. RequirementsEngineering services, COTS-Based Systems selection services) for leading contractors inPortugal.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral (Level 8)

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Lima, JB

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1338155

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1338155