Monitoring system development :

Abstract

Projects aimed at developing new systems where there are substantial uncertainties as to system requirements, development processes, and ultimate ownership can present project managers with a range of complex, unstructured problems.A process to help identify and solve these problems in a timely, controlled manner is of central importance to the successful conduct of a development with these circumstances.This dissertation describes a research project devoted to examination of problems in complex system developments and to the development of a process managers can use to deal with them.Conducted within the Experimental Technology Incentives Program (ETIP), the research includes analysis of several ETIP projects, a review of the system literature, presentation of a monitoring framework to help manage complex developments, and a brief application of the framework to one ETIP project.The proposed monitoring process consists of a framework of thirty factors and a set of five functions which monitoring can serve.The factors are divided into three main categoriesdesign, process, and user commitment characteristicswhich reflect the general types of problems found to be important in the ETIP environment and the A REVIEW OF SPECIFIC LITERATURE AREAS 3 . 3.1 Case Studies of System Developments

Living with cancer: The cancer inventory of problem situations

“…With the advances in medical treatment in the past several decades, more patients are living day-to-day with chronic illness. Patients with renal failure are supported with hemodialysis; patients with cardiovascular disease undergo surgical interventions and intensive rehabilitation programs; rheumatoid arthritis patients can increase mobility with new medications and reconstructive surgery; and cancer patients are living for extended periods of time because of advances in therapy (American Cancer Society, 1981;Garrity, 1981; Gross, Keane, & McDonald, 1973;Ziesat, 1981).…”