Objective
Existing methods and tools for information system development are incomplete, poorly integrated, often ineffective, and typically insensitive to the application environments. The purpose of the HECTOR project was to determine what was needed in the European marketplace, where the opportunities lay to better meet these needs, and to present a framework within which these issues could be studied.
Harmonised European concepts and tools for organisational information systems (HECTOR) came into being as the result of the common perception that existing methods and tools for information system development are incomplete, poorly integrated, often ineffective, and typically insensitive to the application environment. The purpose of the project was to determine what is needed in the European marketplace, where the opportunities lie to better meet these needs, and to draw up a framework within which these issues could be studied.
The work can be divided into the following elements:
development of a prototype computer based training programme based on HECTOR results;
representation of HECTOR's framework of reference in a computer based knowledge base;
development of a training course and material for France, Spain and Germany;
field trials of the 3 working streams.
Existing methods and tools for information system development are incomplete, poorly integrated, often ineffective, and typically insensitive to the application environments. The purpose of the harmonized European concepts and tools for organizational information systems (HECTOR) project was to determine what was needed in the European marketplace, where the opportunities lay to better meet these needs, and to present a framework within which these issues could be studied. This led to the following phased objectives:
establishment of framework to characterize existing system development methods and tools;
use of this framework to describe existing methods and tools;
determination of the extent to which these are inadequate for system improvement projects;
identification of the requirements for integrated methods and tools;
recommendation of a way of improving the selection of system development approaches.
The HECTOR project has developed a reference framework which provides a solid basis for the harmonization of terminologies.
A market survey undertaken during the project has provided an up to date assessment of the recent and potential uses of methods and tools. The research has highlighted the extent of the confusion, with a vast range of methods and tools in use, and a high degree of user dissatisfaction with current methods and tools.
HECTOR has mapped out the opportunities for further development on a national as well as a European basis from the market point of view. The project's results can provide interested organizations with:
recommendations for the development of future methods and tools;
improvements to existing methods and tools;
appropriate ways for the future market diffusion of methods and tools.
This led to the following phased objectives:
- establish a framework to characterise existing system development methods and tools
- use this framework to describe existing methods and tools
- determine the extent to which these are inadequate for system improvement projects
- identify the requirements for integrated methods and tools
- recommend a way of improving the selection of system development approaches.
Coordinator
70569 Stuttgart
Germany
Participants (8)
38240 Meylan
87036 Rende
28020 Madrid
88048 Friedrichshafen
81827 München
EC4V 3PD London
SW1X 7LJ London
50931 Köln
