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

Barreiro Lima, J

Abstract

This research study aims to contribute to the discussion around Information Systems, more precisely on Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software Based Systems, as a Business Process and as a Supply-Chain enabler tool, within the construction industry in Portugal. Concerned with efficiency improvement of management theory in the construction arena, central discussions of this study are about developing a methodology for demand-supply selection of COTS-Based Systems for leading contractors in Portugal and analysing market offerings of COTS-Based Systems covering Operations Management functional needs of leading contractors in Portugal.

Demand-side and supply-side research is undertaken, eliciting contractors’ needs and analysing market offerings of COTS-Based Systems at Operations Management-level from a functional perspective. A multicompany informing case study approach contributes to a better understanding of COTS-Based Systems selection practice, within the demand-supply context of leading contractors in Portugal. Several other appropriate research methods and techniques are employed to collect rich field data.

A specific Demand-Supply Selection (DSS) Methodology of COTS-Based Systems is developed, based on methods and techniques in use by practitioners and on review of literature, considering context/stakeholders interaction of leading contractors in Portugal. A systematised list of functional high-level requirements for COTS-Based Systems evaluation is obtained to produce a comprehensive Requirements Reference (RR) Model, so that the effort to elicit the (functional) needs of leading contractors’ Operations Management through further development of requirements models from scratch is reduced. A benchmarking report of leading contractors systems in use and a demand-supply cross analysis delivered on a COTS-Based Systems Market Offerings (MO) Report, answers the question about 'which are the actual market offerings of COTS-Based Systems supporting Operations Management functional needs of leading contractors in Portugal'.

Based on these three perspectives, the research study aims to provide an original contribution to 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 phase at the beginning of a project and offer comprehensive information to construction industry players (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. Requirements Engineering services, COTS-Based Systems selection services) for leading contractors in Portugal.

Citation

Barreiro Lima, J. Methodology for demand-supply selection of commercial off-the-shelf software-based systems: contextual approach of leading contractors in Portugal. (Thesis). University of Salford, UK

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 18, 2009
• Keywords: Business process re-engineering, supply-chain integration, information technology
• Additional Information: Additional Information : PhD supervisor: Professor Michail Kagioglou. Co-supervisor: Professor Aouad Ghassan. Advisor/Overseas supervisor: Professor José Cardoso Teixeira.
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2008