PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider factors affecting the effective utilisation of information and communication technology (ICT) and the adoption of more sophisticated ICT solutions in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos, Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a case study approach. Semi‐structured interviews in 25 SMEs were used as tools for data collection.FindingsThe paper identifies eight key factors that affect the effective utilisation and adoption of more sophisticated or advanced ICT solutions in Nigerian SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe data for this research are drawn from a particular region in Nigeria, therefore, the findings are not generalisable to SMEs in other regions. Also, the data are collected from various industry sectors hence, it is not possible to have sector‐specific conclusions.Practical implicationsEffective utilisation of sophisticated ICT solutions in SMEs has great impact on SMEs' competitiveness. Also, the study could assist owner‐managers, policy makers and stakeholders to better understand the major challenges faced by Nigerian SMEs and create various initiatives to assist these SMEs.Originality/valueThe study provides insight into the adoption of sophisticated ICT solutions within Nigerian SMEs that is of value to owner‐managers, policy makers and academic researchers. The study further suggests means to achieve a successful and sustainable technology adoption in SMEs.
This paper draws on work undertaken for the Butler Cox Productivity Enhancement Programme (PEP) to describe a process model which will provide a basis for overcoming the problems of cost and complexity associated with software maintenance. PEP is a continuous program that is open to organizations wishing to measure and improve systems development and productivity. The paper argues that for maintenance work to be effective, it is vital to control the input to the process — the procedure by which change requests are notified and managed in the first place. The procedure of change management is followed by impact analysis, system release planning, change design, implementation, testing and system release/integration. These steps, which occur sequentially, are supported by a further activity that continues concurrently - progress monitoring. The conclusion of the paper is that a coordinated program, effective across the whole maintenance process and designed to control changes to the system, will become more and more critical as the complexity of the system increases. Formal procedures are essential to ensure that software is not degraded and to provide an audit facility. At the same time there are several automated change and control packages now available that could help to reduce administrative overheads and increase control over system changes.
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