Problems in the interplay of development and IT operations in system development projects: A Delphi study of Norwegian IT experts

0950-5849/$ see front matter 2010 Elsevier B.V. A doi:10.1016/j.infsof.2010.12.002 ⇑ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Iden). Context: The assumption of the presented work is that the ability of system developers and IT operations personnel to cooperate effectively in system development projects has great impact on the quality of the final system solution, as well as on the service level of its subsequent operation. Objective: The present research explores the interplay of system development and IT operations and the challenges they are meeting. We are especially interested in identifying problems encountered between these two parties in system development projects. Method: We identify and rank problems by using a ranking-type Delphi study. We involved 42 Norwegian IT experts and split them into three expert panels: system developers, IT operations personnel and system owners. We then guided them through the three phases of the Delphi method – brainstorming, reduction and ranking. Results: A comprehensive list of 66 problems, organized into seven groups, is compiled. Through a selection and ranking procedure, the panels found the following to be the six most serious problems in the interplay of system development and IT operations: (1) IT operations not being involved in the requirements specification; (2) poor communication and information flow; (3) unsatisfactory test environments; (4) lack of knowledge transfer; (5) systems being put into production before they are complete; and (6) operational routines not being established prior to deployment. Conclusion: The sheer amount and variety of problems mentioned and the respondents’ explanations confirm that this interplay needs attention; the parties agree that they do not cooperate effectively in development projects. The results imply that IT operations should be regarded as an important stakeholder throughout several systems development activities, especially requirements analysis, testing and deployment. Moreover, such involvement should be facilitated by an increased focus on enhancing cooperation and communication. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.