The 4^th Annual Sociotech Lecture Series

The British Computer Society's SocioTech group hosts talks and events that relate to IT technology and its social impact. The talks are an excellent opportunity to find out about the variety of work in academic research and industry.

London venue:

February 19^th 2003

David Jacobs - Senior Business Analyst and Director

Business and Technology Alone Do Not a Result Make!

Despite strong evidence that the sociological aspects of computerisation have been underplayed over the last few decades, the IS/IT industry remains disconcertingly technically focused and too many projects still fail to deliver significant benefits.

David P Jacobs, director of Profit from Information Ltd, has developed a pragmatic Approach to the improvement of project success rates and levels of value and benefits obtained. This 'Business Value' Approach emanates from extensive Business-IS/IT mediation and incorporates key managerial, technical and sociological aspects.

David started in marketing and subsequently 'trod many walks' of business computing. He perceived that organisations and their IS functions were not working well together and thus focused on making the elision more productive, working in retail, telecommunications, manufacturing, insurance and advertising.

This introduction to The Business Value Approach makes particular reference to sociological and cultural aspects of IS design and usage. Some chosen examples from the outside world of both good and bad can exhibit amusing but stark realities!

March 12^th 2003

Jenny Ure - Senior Research Fellow- Edinburgh University

Sociotechnical design for portals and supply chains.

April 2^nd 2003

Professor Brian Lehaney
Professor of Systems Management
 
TOWARDS A KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

This framework was developed as part of the ESPRIT-funded KNOW-WEB programme.  The project aimed to develop organisational and software tools for knowledge management, and it involved academic and business partners from Finland, Slovakia, and the U.K.  Quite a lot of the project was technology oriented, but the framework was more organisation oriented.  This talk discusses the framework and some of the project process issues that arose in its development, including the technical-business dimensions and approaches to them.

May 2003

Follow-up eBusiness research from 2002

Venue:

Westminster Business School, Marylebone Road

(opp. Baker Street tube)

Luxborough Block

Time:    6pm - 7.30pm

Sunderland venue:

15th January 2003

Janice Whyte:

Aspects of Implementing E-government Policies

12th February 2003

Keith Braithwaite: Penrillian (Development Services)

The Introduction of Extreme Programming (XP) in a Development Services Company

23rd April 2003

Alan Cameron Wills: Consultant in programming methods and a director of Trireme International Ltd and FastnLoose Ltd

Programming in Bed: Dispersed Software Development

14th May 2003

Maureen Tann: Head of Performance Management at South Tyneside Health Care Trust

The Use of PISO within South Tyneside Trust: from the user aspect

Venue: Room 109, The David Goldman Informatics Centre,

Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's,

University of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear.

3pm

Refreshments: tea, coffee, orange juice and biscuits

Car park permits can be obtained from reception.

Cost: Free.  All welcome!