Exploring the fitness relationship between system functionality and business needs

Abstract

Fitting information systems to business needs is considered equally important by both, the Requirements Engineering and MIS communities. Even though alignment/fit clearly appears as desirable, a number of issues still remain unsolved as for example: (i) the achievement of alignment (ii) its management over time, (iii) the identification of non fit and, (iv) its evaluation. This paper gives to fitness a central position and introduces the notion of a fitness relationship and its measurement. In doing so, this paper tackles the social context and requirements intertwining as pointed out in the book framework. It highlights two sets of issues, one involved in understanding this relationship and the second in engineering it. It also points out broad directions and trends in resolving these issues. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.