Innovative approach to co-design of information systems: a case study in a small manufacturing business

The growing awareness for co-design of information systems reflects the contemporary requirements in making use of information technology in business process redesign. The basic premise of co-design is that information system planners could (and also desirably should) address many of the organizational and technology design issues jointly in order to create a supportive organizational context wherein they could (and also should) exercise the various management levers (e.g. creating business alignment, developing organizational competence) effectively. In that regard, the information systems organization has to be more innovative in making adequate provision for mutual on-going adaptations of the organization and its information systems developments. The authors present an attempt to understand the dynamics of the co-design process from an innovation research perspective by examining IS in a small manufacturing business. Its potential impact on practices and implications for research are discussed.<>