The terms ‘methodology’ and ‘method’ have been used interchangeably in the IS field. Usually the term ‘methodology’ means a holistic approach to the problem-solving process and the word ‘method’ is a subset of a methodology. Holistic means the methodologies include project management issues, education and training and support.
A methodology can be defined as “an organized collection of concepts, beliefs, values, and normative principles supported by material resources” (Lyytinen, 1987). Methodologies in general are viewed as problem-solving processes, to solve mainly ill-structured problems. Problems where the solution and the outcome is not easily predictable i.e. having high uncertainty. Methodologies provide users with the means to reflect on reality, determine the problems and solving them. They aim at reducing complexities, providing means of involving stakeholders and collect requirements and capturing a holistic picture, allowing for control, and standardizing practices to reduce risks of project failure.
Ackoff (1981, p.354) argues that “to solve a problem is to select a course of action that is believed to yield the best possible outcome.” Methodologies contain a set of practices to suit special circumstances and usually follow a life cycle aiming at an effective solution process and ensuring quality outcomes. Methodologies are usually based on different philosophies as a way to approach the problem and reaching a solution.
Solving problems may follow these three generic life cycle stages, see Figure 5.3.
- Plan: This stage attempts to capture a holistic picture of the problem by involving all the relevant variables and stakeholders and laying down practical strategies and plan to solve the problem
- Develop: Develop the solution according to the plans
- Manage: Implement the developed solution and monitor and assess the results.
These three generic stages are the basis of most methodologies. Methodologies would consist of detailed descriptive steps to guide the user on how to proceed with these stages of solving problems and what work products or deliverables will be required as an output form each stage. Methodology also refers to a “well-tried method, often developed by experts and publicized through training courses and books” and these are called ‘formalized’ methodologies, as opposed to ‘homegrown’. Homegrown are methodologies developed inside an organization based on personal experience of managers or developers.
Methodologies are mostly developed and used in systems development. We find that development of other types of methodologies relies on knowledge and practices gained from systems development methodologies. For example business process re-engineers or information security relies on the established knowledge gained from the information systems development environment. Baskerville (1993) and Dhillon and Backhouse (2001) have all argued that information security methodologies are similar to information systems development methodologies since they consist of phases and procedural steps. Because of this, methodologies usually follow the same three generic stages but differ in their details and the expected work products.
Some of the common types of methodology used in the IS discipline are:
- Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISPM): This type of methodology seeks to integrate and to align an organization’s strategic objectives with its existing information systems plan or business needs. SISP methodologies aim at assisting organizations in identifying opportunities by capitalizing on technologies for competitive advantage.
- Business Process Re-engineering (BPRM): Used to maximize corporate profitability by redesigning and transforming the organization’s business processes.
- System Development Methodologies (SDMs): Used in designing different types of information systems such as transaction processing systems, enterprise information systems, decision support systems, etc.
- Information Security Methodologies (ISM): Assist organizations to establish a security plan to address vulnerability associated with unauthorized misuse of information.
To sum up, methodologies provide users with waysofthinking,doingandlearning. Methodologies provide users with ways to approach the problem and controlling the process of solution development. They provide an appreciation of standards and they enforce a more disciplined and consistent approach to planning, developing and managing. Their deliverables may be checked for quality. A study has shown that the use of a structured software and maintenance methodology can contribute to the quality and business value (Nelson and Ghods, 2002). Methodologies are also seen as a way of learning by acquiring knowledge from previous projects and preserving it in a set format to guide organizations on their next project.
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