A Review on Methods for the Assessment of Information System Projects

Abstract

Recently, it is inevitable that businesses invest in many information system (IS) projects in order to gain a competitive advantage within the internal industry and global environment. The important point is the selection of the appropriate IS environment, hence the optimal IS investment methods with respect to changing technological needs. In this respect, both empirical and conceptual studies are reviewed to identify the relevant IS/IT investment methods. After an extensive literature review, 51 relevant articles are identified. The IS/IT investment methods studied in these articles are classified and examined within the three categories: financial, non-financial, and hybrid. The results reveal that most of studies focus on a mixed usage of financial and non-financial methods called hybrid methods, whereas financial methods are used more frequently when compared to non-financial methods during the selected research period. On the other hand, the usage of pure financial methods decreases in recent years, while the usage of hybrid and non-financial methods increases in the same period.