If It's Worth More Than It Costs, Buy It!

Abstract

Information systems project costs are characteristically tangible and apparent, whereas IS benefits are usually intangible and He in the future. Consequently, project analysts must take care when evaluating project pros and cons. If undocumented judgment is substituted for reasonable estimation of these costs and benefits, or if the project analysis contains too many gaps, projects may not be approved or managers may eventually lose faith in their “go” decision.

Notes

Richard J. Orli and Jonathan C. Tom are consultants with Computer Based Systems Inc, a consulting firm based in Washington DC.