The Customization Process for Organizational Package Information Systems: A Challenge for Participatory Design

Abstract

Today, participation seems to be an established, necessary as well as valuable approach during system development However, because of the shift from individually developed to package software participatory design needs to be addressed in new ways. In this article we evaluate our consulting experience during the customization of an integrated hospital information system in the different units of an acute hospital. We address the important role of the users in the customization process and identify main problems and tasks which often arise. On this basis we provide means for overcoming the difficulties on three levels. We introduce the notion of system stages for structuring the customization process, we present committee structures to be implemented within the user organization for executing the process and we provide proven communication means for the close cooperation between the user and the vendor organization.