Determining Requirements for Management Support Systems

Abstract

The nature of managerial work makes the design, development, and implementation of Management Support Systems (MSS) a major challenge. The MSS literature suggests that determining MSS requirements and specification of MSS are the most critical phases in MSS design and development. We present a methodology that can be used as a guide for MSS design, with a primary focus on MSS requirements determination and how requirements can be fulfilled using information and communication technologies (ICT). The methodology builds on Quinn and associates’ competing values model (CVM) of organizational effectiveness and current MSS knowledge. The methodology can guide MSS designers in designing MSS that support different managerial roles, i.e. the development of MSS that support managerial cognition and behavior.