Assignment #5 Posted by jealou* | at 8:40 PM

During information system implementation any organization however good, big or small experience implementation barrier.

What is a barrier?
A barrier is an obstacle which prevents a thing to be implemented, or limits the way in which it can be implemented.

What is implementation?
Implementation is putting something into practice or operation.

So generally, Information System (IS/IT) implementation is the process of changing into a new information system and putting this new system into operation.

According to the information that I gathered from our interview with our prospect companies I have enumerated here the most common implementation IS/IT barrier an organization experiences in changing into new system.

These barriers are congregation of the data gathered from our interview with Ford Davao and Wilcon Builder's Supply.The barriers are as follows:

INEXPERIENCED or NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE END USER. This barrier is experienced after the system is set up and installed, meaning it is now made available to the end user. One of the reason of ineffective implementation is that end user are not knowledgeable enough about the newly implemented system.

That is why it is very important to include end user training in every IS/IT implementation plan. Another barrier related to end users is resistance.

There are some people that tend to be reluctant to go out of their comfort zones which would make them refuse to accept change. If there is an implementation of IS/IT, it should be expected that there can be resistance by some traditionalist who are not comfortable or threatened with the change. This resistance can be a problem especially if your company spends a considerable amount of financial resource for the implementation but the end users are not utilizing it making the implementation ineffective. In this case, the implementation of IT/IS will be considered a liability instead of an asset for the company. This barrier can be avoided by proper planning, education and communication in order for end users to appreciate the new system.

COST. Perhaps one of the most fundamental barriers any organization experience in implementing system change is the cost. Change is only as good as the cost. A lot of factors in the implementation process are affected by cost. Hardware and software for instance are determined by cost. It is an unchangeable fact that money is an instrument needed to implement any drastic change at any sector of the organization. Without proper financial budget resources and materials required in the actual implementation are not made available inhibiting possible changes.

POOR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. The implementation methodology is not properly planned. The cost, time of implementation, materials, hardware/software, testing and all necessary approach to arising problem are not properly planned and thought about. No measures of solutions are provided if ever one of these problems occurs.

It is very important to understand that implementation of IS/IT doesn’t stop from installing the whole system, even the testing of system is still part of the implementation.

From what I gather in our interview, barriers in Information System (IS/IT) implementation are unavoidable but can be lessened. An organization before doing drastic change must identify and plan carefully the changes they want to implement.

- - - - -

I will also present some of the data I gathered from my research, here are some of the most common barriers experienced in implementing new IS/IT.

Common Barriers

• Studying the problem too long without acting
• Trying to get everyone's agreement first
• Educating without changing structures or expectations
• Tackling everything at once
• Measuring nothing or everything
• Failing to build support for replication
• Assuming that the status quo is OK

More Barriers to Change

• Lack of such resources as time and commitment
• Resistance to change
• Lack of senior leadership support or physician champion
• Lack of cooperation from other agencies, providers, departments, and facilities
• Ineffective teams
• Burdensome data collection

Essential Elements for Change Effort

• Define the problem
• Define the target population
• Define effective treatment strategies and establish procedural guidelines
• Establish performance measures; set goals
• Define effective system changes and interventions
• Develop leadership and system change strategy

So what does learning the barriers to IS/IT implementation?

By identifying and anticipating the possible barriers that may occur during system change an organization can develop strategies to minimize barriers impact or may avoid it altogether. By knowing the potential obstacles that we may experience during transition we could brainstorm for the best possible solution thereby making a good start in making the implementation plan.