Failure Analysis in Information Systems Design

Abstract

The information systems discipline appears not to recognise the possibility of failure and, consequently, makes little effort to gain from failure when it does occur. This is in contrast to other design disciplines, which not only allow for failure, but often improve their own practice by performing some sort of failure analysis.

Rather than ignoring the possibility of failure, information systems practitioners need to appreciate that an active study of failure can provide many benefits. These include avoiding the same mistakes, discovering errors in the design process, gaining insights that might have been impossible to obtain in any other way and preventing similar kinds of failures in related systems. In addition to this, the study of historical cases of information system designs can act as a valuable learning aid in its own right.

For the information systems discipline to achieve these benefits, however, changes are needed in design methodologies. New methodologies must be developed which not only allow for the possibility of failure, but are able to evolve as a result. In this way, the whole discipline will gradually improve because valuable experiences gained from failure will be captured through continually improving methodologies. Such an approach will not only improve information systems practice, and the quality of the artefacts that are constructed, but also contribute positively to the professional standing of the discipline.