Methods of Reducing Maintenance Impacts by Building Maintainability into Information Systems

Publication Date

11-2002

Type of Culminating Activity

Thesis

Degree Title

Masters of Science in Management Information Systems

Department

IT & SCM

Major Advisor

Dr. Robert Anson

Abstract

This thesis provides a study of the cost and impacts of maintenance on organizations based on a variety of systems. Evidence is provided through the use of interviews to answer three research questions.

  1. To what extent are maintenance impacts considered by organizations during system development.
  2. What is the potential to reduce the cost and quantity of maintenance during system development?
  3. What proactive strategies during system development are effective for reducing maintenance cost?

Through the analysis of the interview results and the empirical data they provide maintenance impacts and cost will be studied based on the key questions. In this context, four maintenance types are considered as follows:

  1. Repairing coding errors.
  2. Adapting the system to a dynamic operating environment.
  3. Evolving system functionality.
  4. Correcting system functionality.

The IT industry will be able to use this thesis as suggested best practices for reducing the amount of human and financial resources allocated to Information systems maintenance. By reducing maintenance cost, the total cost of the system over its lifetime will be reduced. This author does not suggest that maintenance can be eliminated, only that there is the potential to considerably reduce the cost of maintenance by actions taken before a system is initially released.

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