Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Use of Critical Systems Heuristics to Surface and Reconcile Users' Conflicting Visions for a Business Intelligence System

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Systemic Practice and Action Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes an action research study where the business requirements analysis approach of a business intelligence development project was enriched. Critical systems heuristics, a critical systems methodology that is positioned in the critical systems thinking paradigm, was applied to surface the inherently conflicting views and visions (however unknown to them) that the various stakeholders had regarding a new business intelligence system and its underlying business process. It therefore enabled surfacing of human/cultural and organisational issues that would have negatively affected the adoption of the new system; these were successfully resolved. Accordingly, the various stakeholders reflected on their real requirements that constituted improvement, rather than mere automation, of a business process; it ultimately resulted in a successful new business intelligence system that realised business benefits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Avison D, Fitzgerald G (2006) Information systems development: methodologies, techniques and tools. McGraw-Hill, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskerville RL (1999) Investigating information systems with action research. Commun Assoc Inf Syst 2:1–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskerville RL, Wood-Harper AT (1996) A critical perspective on action research as a method for information systems research. J Inf Technol 11:235–246. doi:10.1080/026839696345289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentley Y, Cao G, Lehaney B (2013) The application of critical systems thinking to enhance the effectiveness of a university information system. Syst Pract Action Res 26:451–465. doi:10.1007/s11213-012-9253-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Checkland P (1981) Systems thinking, systems practice. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Checkland P, Holwell S (1998) Information, systems, and information systems: making sense of the field. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Clegg B, Shaw D (2008) Using process-oriented holonic (PrOH) modelling to increase understanding of information systems. Inf Syst J 18:447–477. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2575.2008.00308.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dresner Advisory Services L (2012) Wisdom of the crowd™. Business intelligence market study(R). www.yellowfinbi.com/Document.i4?DocumentId=159663. Accessed 15 May 2014

  • Flood RL, Jackson MC (1991) Creative problem solving: total systems intervention. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner SR (1998) Building the data warehouse. Commun ACM 41:52–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gartner (2011) Business intelligence adoption trends. http://my.gartner.com/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=256&mode=2&PageID=2350940&ref=WorkGroupWidgetContent&resId=1852916. Accessed 15 May 2013

  • Gartner (2013) Gartner says business intelligence/analytics is top area for CFO technology investment through 2014. http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2488616. Accessed 6 Nov 2013

  • Goede R (2005) A framework for the explicit use of specific systems thinking methodologies in data-driven decision support system development. University of Pretoria, Diss

    Google Scholar 

  • Goede R (2012) Critical systems thinking: from foundation to practice in information systems development. Paper presented at the 18th annual working conference of the IIDE

  • Hirschheim R, Klein HK (1994) Realizing emancipatory principles in information systems development: the case for ETHICS. MIS Q 18:83–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang MI, Hongjiang X (2007) The effect of implementation factors on data warehousing success: an exploratory study. J Inf Inf Technol Organ 2:1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Inmon B (2005) World-class business intelligence DM review. Inf Manag 15:60–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson MC (2001) Critical systems thinking and practice. Eur J Op Res 128:233–244. doi:10.1016/S0377-2217(00)00067-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keating CB, Padilla JJ, Adams K (2008) System of systems engineering requirements: challenges and guidelines. Eng Manag J 20:24–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball R, Ross M (2010) The kimball group reader: relentlessly practical tools for data warehousing and business intelligence. Wiley, Indianapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Leffingwell D (1997) Understanding user needs. Softw Dev 5:51–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin K (1946) Action research and minority problems. J Soc Issues 2:34–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maté A, Trujillo J, Franch X (2014) Adding semantic modules to improve goal-oriented analysis of data warehouses using I-star. J Syst Softw 88:102–111. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2013.10.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mingers J, White L (2010) A review of the recent contribution of systems thinking to operational research and management science. Eur J Op Res 207:1147–1161. doi:10.1016/j.ejor.2009.12.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naur P, Randell B (eds) (1969) Software engineering: report on a conference, Garmisch, Germany. Scientific Affairs Division, NATO, Brussels

  • Newman WM, Lamming MG (1995) Interactive system design. Addison-Wesley, Essex

    Google Scholar 

  • Petkova O, Petkov D (2002) On an application of critical systems heuristics in a framework for evaluation of software development productivity. In: Ragsdell G, West D, Wilby J (eds) Systems theory and practice in the knowledge age. Springer, New York, pp 239–246. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-0601-0_28

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • PMI (2013) A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK guide). Project Management Institute, Newtown Square

    Google Scholar 

  • Popovič A, Jaklič J, Hackney R, Coelho PS (2012) Towards business intelligence systems success: effects of maturity and culture on analytical decision making. Decis Support Syst 54:729–739. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2012.08.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer P, Sommerville I, Viller S (1997) Requirements process improvement through the phased introduction of good practice software process. Improv Pract 3:19–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sommerville I (2011) Software engineering, 9th edn. Addison-Wesley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich W (1983) Critical heuristics of social planning. Haupt, Bern

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich W (2001) A philosophical staircase for information systems definition. Des Dev J Inf Technol Theory Appl 3:55–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich W (2003) Beyond methodology choice: critical systems thinking as critically systemic discourse. J Op Res Soc 54:325–342. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich W (2005) A brief introduction to critical systems heuristics (CSH). http://wulrich.com/downloads/ulrich_2005f.pdf. Accessed 24 Feb 2014

  • Ulrich W (2013) Critical systems thinking. In: Gass SI, Fu MC (eds) Encyclopedia of operations research and management science. Springer, New York, pp 314–326

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Warren L, Adman P (1999) The use of critical systems thinking in designing a system for a university information systems support service. Inf Syst J 9:223–242. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2575.1999.00058.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa

    Carin Venter & Roelien Goede

Authors
  1. Carin Venter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roelien Goede
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carin Venter.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Venter, C., Goede, R. The Use of Critical Systems Heuristics to Surface and Reconcile Users' Conflicting Visions for a Business Intelligence System. Syst Pract Action Res 30, 407–432 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-016-9401-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-016-9401-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation