Information Management: The Evaluation of Information Systems Investments

Survey and study background In an effort to gain some answers on the 1ST capital investment (project selection) decision criteria used in practice, a survey was undertaken in 1990 of 80 American, British, Australian and New Zealand companies. A one-page survey form was used that provided 15 possible 1ST investment criteria, a means of indicating whether they are used or not, the percentage of projects to which each criterion is applied, and an overall ranking in terms of total project value for each criterion. The criteria are shown in Table 2.1. The criteria are categorized into financial, management, and development criteria. They were developed, first, through interviews with some 20 chief information officers (CIOs) in Britain and the United States. These CIOs were questioned on what criteria their organizations use in selecting 1ST investment projects, with the aim of developing a full list of the criteria used in practice. Secondly, the criteria and the form were tested and refined in a pilot study with some 12 companies. The criteria used in the survey and listed in Table 2.1 are primary level criteria.