Investigating perceptions, adoption, and use of digital technologies in the Canadian beef industry

The ever increasing internet bandwidth and the fast changing needs of businesses for effectiveness and integration within and with the partners and the distributed/mobile employee force is leading organizations to adopt information systems infrastructures that are cost effective as well as flexible. Whereas the decision to buy software for monolithic applications (single user application) depends only on the user, the decision to buy/upgrade in network applications depends upon the other players in the network and compatibility/standardization with them. Even if one member in the entire chain chooses not to buy/upgrade their systems, the throughput of the entire chain goes down. In such a context, the question seems to be: what is driving organizations to go in for SaaS rather than the packaged model of software provisioning? Whereas there have been studies reporting technology, cost, quality, network externalities and process as the main variables in the utility function of the user, but most of the studies have modelled either one or two in the their models. In this study we develop an integrative framework to identify the determinants of choice of software as a service in the specific context of network applications like the E-procurement, ERP, SCM and CRM. The framework was then tested empirically using the extended analytic hierarchy process method suggested by Liberatore (1987) and the relative importance and the weights of the factors identified using data collected on 8 clients of SaaS and 9 experts in the field of SaaS. Although the analysis helped in identifying quality and costs as the two most important determinants of choice of SaaS, but the other factors such as network externality benefits, technology and process were also found to be significant determinants of choice.

Determinants of Choice of Semantic Web Based Software as a Service: An Integrative Framework in the Context of E-Procurement and ERP

This paper is concerned with the decision-making processes surrounding the adoption of packaged software in organizations. We begin by looking at its increasing utilization and consider some of the strengths and limitations of employing a standardized approach, particularly in relation to its consideration of end-user requirements. We note the highly problematic nature of installing a global standardized product in the local environment. Using a field study concerning the adoption of a customer relationship management package in a small organization, we go on to illustrate the limited amount of end-user involvement in the selection and procurement of the product. We argue that the art of salesmanship by the third party vendor and project team, which focuses on the interests of senior management, ultimately secures the selection and procurement of the software package.

A Study of User Involvement in Packaged Software Selection in Applegate L, Galliers R D and De Gross J J (Eds)

The buying center concept as a milestone in industrial marketing: Review and research agenda

In the modern age of technological innovation, organizations are evolving rapidly due to the abundance of opportunities. This evolution has provided organizations with the ability to leverage technology for their benefit; however, cybersecurity risks have also developed due to the emerging trends. As the software industry faces a surge of emerging trends, it is critical to address the impeding threats to our cybersecurity infrastructure. The computer software industry is classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 511210 for software publishers. The software development market has experienced an exponential growth as a shift to the cloud has rendered a greater need for cutting edge technology, and this trend is projected to continue.

Industry Trends in Computer Software

Organizations worldwide are adopting software as a service (SaaS) applications, where they pay a subscription fee to gain access rather than buying the software. The extant models on software acquisition processes, several of which are based on organizational buying behavior, do not sufficiently explain how SaaS application acquisition decisions are made. This study aims to investigate the acquisition process organizations follow for SaaS software, the changes to the roles of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the business user and also looks at the impact of SaaS on the proliferation of unauthorized software systems.,The authors used exploratory research using the grounded theory approach based on 18 in-depth interviews conducted with respondents who have studied with enterprise software delivered on-premise and as SaaS in different roles such as sales, consulting, CIO, information technology (IT) management and product development.,The authors identified a need to classify the SaaS software and developed a framework that uses software specificity and its strategic importance to the organization to classify SaaS applications. The aforementioned framework is used to explain how software evaluation processes have changed for different kinds of SaaS applications. The authors also found that the CIO’s and the business users’ have changed substantially in SaaS application evaluations and found evidence to show that shadow IT will be restricted to some classes of SaaS applications.,By focusing on the changes to the roles and responsibilities of the members of the buying center, this paper provides unique insights into how the acquisition process of SaaS is different from the extant models used to explain enterprise software acquisitions. An understanding of how information search is conducted by the business users will help software vendors to target business users better.

R Srinivasa Raghavan

Papers

Impact of software as a service (SaaS) on software acquisition process