Ebook: Information Systems: Failure Analysis

Although system analysis is a well established methodology, the specific application of such analysis to information systems is a relatively new endeavor. Indeed, it may be said to be still in the trial-and-error stage. In recent years, such analysis has been given impetus by the numerous accounts of information system failures, some of which have led to serious consequences -e.g., the accident at Three Mile Island, the chemical spills at Bophal, India, and at Institute, West Virginia, and the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. Analysis of the failure of the W. T. Grant Company, the third largest retail organization in the United States, indicated that improper use of the available information was a significant factor in that failure. In spite of these incidents and their widespread impact, only meager attempts have been made to develop an effective methodology for analyzing the information systems involved in such incidents. There have been no well developed guidelines for determining the causes of such events and for recommending solutions so that similar failures could be avoided. To address the need for such a methodology, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sponsored an Advanced Research Workshop attended by a group of 32 scientists, scholars, and expert investigators, representing a variety of disciplines and countries.

---

---

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XV
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Disaster Warning Systems: Learning from Failure....Pages 3-13
System Issues in Information System Failure....Pages 15-19
System Failure Models as a Result of Design Inadequacy....Pages 21-27
Failure of Business Information Systems....Pages 29-36
The Relationship Between Information and Decision Making and the Effect on the Reliability and Failure of Information Systems....Pages 37-46
For the Record—Some Difficulties of Generating, Discerning, Transmitting and Receiving a Signal....Pages 47-52
Two Examples of Partly Failing Information Systems....Pages 53-56
Front Matter....Pages 57-57
Application of Team Concept/Systems Approach to Investigation of Major Mishaps....Pages 59-65
The Investigative Techniques Used by the Challenger Commission to Address Information System Failures as They Related to the Space Shuttle Accident....Pages 67-72
Accident Analysis and Information System Failure Analysis....Pages 73-78
Factors in the Investigation of Human Error in Accident Causation....Pages 79-83
The Investigation of Information Failures in Organizations....Pages 85-89
Information System Failures During Hazardous Material Spills....Pages 91-99
Control of Information Generated During Failure Analysis of Information Systems....Pages 101-105
Front Matter....Pages 107-107
Management Strategies and Information Failure....Pages 109-127
Investigating Sources of Error in the Management of Crises: Theoretical Assumptions and a Methodological Approach....Pages 129-162
Fallible Humans and Vulnerable Systems: Lessons Learned from Aviation....Pages 163-181
Human Reliability in Information Systems....Pages 183-189
Error Auditing in Air Traffic Control....Pages 191-198
Failure Analysis of Information Systems: Reflections on the Use of Expert Systems in Information Systems....Pages 199-204
Front Matter....Pages 107-107
Fault Management, Knowledge Support, and Responsibility in Man-Machine Systems....Pages 205-209
An Interactionist’s View of System Pathology....Pages 211-220
Mental Models and Failures in Human-Machine Systems....Pages 221-230
Front Matter....Pages 231-231
Failure of Process Plant Monitoring Systems....Pages 233-240
Use of Software Reliability Tools in Information System Failure Analysis....Pages 241-271
Failure Analysis of Information Systems with a Cybernetic System Perspective....Pages 273-277
Artificial Intelligence Techniques for the Distribution of Critical Information....Pages 279-286
Failure Analysis of Information Systems: An Overall Discussion and a Simple Calculative Rationality Model....Pages 287-298
A Practical Approach to Automated Testing in PC Boards....Pages 299-303
Failure Analysis of Information Systems in Small Manufacturing Enterprises: The Importance of the Human Interface....Pages 305-310
Back Matter....Pages 311-340

---

Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XV
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Disaster Warning Systems: Learning from Failure....Pages 3-13
System Issues in Information System Failure....Pages 15-19
System Failure Models as a Result of Design Inadequacy....Pages 21-27
Failure of Business Information Systems....Pages 29-36
The Relationship Between Information and Decision Making and the Effect on the Reliability and Failure of Information Systems....Pages 37-46
For the Record—Some Difficulties of Generating, Discerning, Transmitting and Receiving a Signal....Pages 47-52
Two Examples of Partly Failing Information Systems....Pages 53-56
Front Matter....Pages 57-57
Application of Team Concept/Systems Approach to Investigation of Major Mishaps....Pages 59-65
The Investigative Techniques Used by the Challenger Commission to Address Information System Failures as They Related to the Space Shuttle Accident....Pages 67-72
Accident Analysis and Information System Failure Analysis....Pages 73-78
Factors in the Investigation of Human Error in Accident Causation....Pages 79-83
The Investigation of Information Failures in Organizations....Pages 85-89
Information System Failures During Hazardous Material Spills....Pages 91-99
Control of Information Generated During Failure Analysis of Information Systems....Pages 101-105
Front Matter....Pages 107-107
Management Strategies and Information Failure....Pages 109-127
Investigating Sources of Error in the Management of Crises: Theoretical Assumptions and a Methodological Approach....Pages 129-162
Fallible Humans and Vulnerable Systems: Lessons Learned from Aviation....Pages 163-181
Human Reliability in Information Systems....Pages 183-189
Error Auditing in Air Traffic Control....Pages 191-198
Failure Analysis of Information Systems: Reflections on the Use of Expert Systems in Information Systems....Pages 199-204
Front Matter....Pages 107-107
Fault Management, Knowledge Support, and Responsibility in Man-Machine Systems....Pages 205-209
An Interactionist’s View of System Pathology....Pages 211-220
Mental Models and Failures in Human-Machine Systems....Pages 221-230
Front Matter....Pages 231-231
Failure of Process Plant Monitoring Systems....Pages 233-240
Use of Software Reliability Tools in Information System Failure Analysis....Pages 241-271
Failure Analysis of Information Systems with a Cybernetic System Perspective....Pages 273-277
Artificial Intelligence Techniques for the Distribution of Critical Information....Pages 279-286
Failure Analysis of Information Systems: An Overall Discussion and a Simple Calculative Rationality Model....Pages 287-298
A Practical Approach to Automated Testing in PC Boards....Pages 299-303
Failure Analysis of Information Systems in Small Manufacturing Enterprises: The Importance of the Human Interface....Pages 305-310
Back Matter....Pages 311-340
....