During last decades, a large number of authors
have addressed the issue of Information System
performance evaluation. Most of complexes and
classifications of criteria for evaluation of
Information System functionality and
successfulness in organization are defined. In this
field of interest, several studies stand out, such as
DeLone and McLean, proposed by Bailey and
Pearson, referred by Avison and Fitzgerald, Burch
and Grudnitski. Evaluation criteria of Information
System functionality performances referring to the
user’s satisfaction with Information System in the
frame of TQM concept (Total Quality
Management) are considered as Information
System top validation.
Bailey and Pearson (1983, pp. 519-529) have
defined 39 important factors which were used for
assessment of user’s satisfaction with Information
System. Moreover, for each factor they set a
criterion for its measuring. According to these
authors, factors that influence user’s satisfaction
with Information System are: response time,
accessibility, characteristics of used computer
language, realization of users’ demands, correction
of mistakes, model and data safety, system
documentations and procedures, system flexibility
and system compatibility; accuracy of output,
promptness of output, output precision, output
liability, output’s due date, completeness and
output format, output capacity, top management
participation, payment method for expenses of
services, user’s trust in the system and user
participation, user’s expectations from support of
computer based system, business effects from the
support of computer based system and observation
benefits, technical abilities of CBIS employees
(Computer-Based Information System), position of
CBIS employees, schedule of CBIS products and
services, necessary time for information system
department to fulfill demands, processing period
for demands of system alteration, support provided
by the salesman, methods and means input/output
with CBIS center, user’s understanding of the
system and provision of user training, compatibility
between CBIS and other departments, priorities in
resources distribution in CBIS, relations between
users and CBIS employees, communication
between users and CBIS employees, personnel
control over CBIS and organizational position of
the CBIS unit.
De Lone and Mc Lean (1992) attempted an
evaluation of Information System successfulness,
and proposed 180 traits of Information System,
which they classified in six main categories:
System quality: measurements of
Information System itself;
Information quality: measurement of
Information System output;
Information manipulation: recipients’
handling of Information System output;
User Satisfaction: recipients’ response to
handling the Information System output;
Individual influence: effects of information
on recipients’ behavior;
Organizational influence: effects of
information on organizational performances.
However, it has been noticed that these six
categories refer only to systematic aspects of
Information system successfulness, while
overlooking the human aspects. This oversight can
be solved with factors proposed by Bailey and
Pearson, which cover both of these aspects. They
combine the first five dimensions suggested by
DeLone and McLean, leaving out organizational
influence. Additionally, they include human aspect
in Information System successfulness, such as
Information System quality of service and conflict
resolution between the users and Information
Technology professionals. Information System
quality of service includes the following: improving
users’ system knowledge, role and competencies of
Information Technology professionals and
efficiency of services. Resolution of conflict
includes: competition between the users and
Information Technology professionals for the
organization’s resources, assignment of
information resources to users, communication
and relation between users and Information
Technology professionals, control of Information
Technology professionals, and the organizational
position of the Information Technology
Department.
Li (Li & Cheung, 1987, pp. 15-28) argues that
Bailey and Pearson’s list of factors presenting 39
criteria for Information System quality, are in line
with identified dimensions of DeLone and McLean
(1992). The flaw is that they have left out the
dimension of “organizational influence”, which is
due to a fact that users of all levels are more
concerned with the influence of Information
System on personal performances, rather than to
the performances of the organization as a whole.
Therefore, they propose to add performances that
should correct this overlook to the Information
System performances influencing the quality of
organizational functionality. “Re-done” method
looks as follows:
1. Information System Performances: response
time, accessibility, characteristics of used
computer language, realization of user’s
demands, correction of mistakes, model and
data safety, system documentation and
procedures, system flexibility and system
compatibility;
2. Information performances: accuracy of
output, promptness of output, precision of
output, reliability of output, arrival of
output, output completions and output
format;
3. Information manipulation: output capacity;
4. User satisfaction: top management
participation, payment method for expenses
of service, user’s trust in the system and user
participation;
5. Individual influence: user’s expectations
from support of computer based system,
business effects from the support of
computer based system observation of
benefits;
6. Performances of service: technical abilities
of CBIS (Computer-Based Information
System) employees, position of CBIS
employees, schedule of CBIS products and
services, necessary time of information
system department for fulfillment of
demands, processing time for alteration of
system demands, support provided by the
salesman, methods and means of
input/output with CBIS center, user’s
understanding of the system and providing
training for users;
7. Conflict resolution: competencies between
CBIS and other departments, priorities in
resources distribution of CBIS, relations
between users and CBIS employees,
communication between users and CBIS
employees, personnel control over CBIS and
organizational position of the CBIS unit.
Therefore, seven more factors for evaluating
Information System successfulness have been
added to the 39 factors defined by Bailey and
Pearson. These seven factors are: user’s attitude
toward usage of CBIS (follows into group of
“conflict resolution”), clarity of output,
transparency of output (goes into group of
“information quality”), productivity of tools
supporting organizational structures (follows into
group of “user satisfaction”), improvement of
productivity thanks to CBIS, efficiency and
effectiveness of system (these factors go under the
group “organizational influences”). The number of
factors for measuring successfulness of
information system has increased to 46, which
cover all eight categories.
Avison and Fitzgerald (1995) state the following
criteria for the assessment of information system
quality: acceptability, availability, cohesiveness,
compatibility, documentation, learning simplicity,
economization, efficiency, development speed,
flexibility, functionality, implementation ability, low
juncture, maintaining easiness, portability,
reliability, sizeable, safety, simplicity,
confidentiality, promptness and visibility.
Finally, we would like to point out one more
methodological solution. Starting from previous
approaches and criterion classification for
information system functionality performances
evaluation, a group of domestic authors have
suggested their own method and classification,
presented in table 1 (Balaban, Ristić, Đurković,
Trninić, & Tumbas, 2006, p. 469). This method
maneuvers with 22 criteria (traits) of the
information system which are measured with a
five-degree numeric scale of Likert type.