A strategic client/server implementation: New technology, lessons from history

Mary C. Lacity, Leslie P. Willcocks, Ashok Subramanian

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Despite the rapid growth in client/server technologies and their development and usage in work organizations, there have been all too few academic studies of the technical human and organizational issues associated with the phenomenon. This paper provides a longitudinal case study of a 1989-1995 client/server project in a $1 billion annual revenue United States based silicon chip manufacturing company. Using an interpretive research approach the financial and business dimensions of the projects' success were analysed. Seven critical enabling factors were identified, namely business re-engineering driving technical choices, insourcing of new development, the form of vendor partnering adopted, incremental implementation approach, senior level support and participation, close IS-user relationships and IS seen as a business investment, not just a cost centre. These suggest that there is little difference in implementing client/server compared to any other information technology new to an organization. The paper tests this point further by comparing distinctive issues raised by client/server as suggested in the wider IS literature, against the specifics of the case history.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)95-128
Number of pages34
JournalJournal of Strategic Information Systems
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Client/server
  • Strategy
  • Technology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Management Information Systems
  • Information Systems
  • Information Systems and Management

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