Using Network Analysis and Visualization to Analyze Problematic Enterprise Information Systems

Society is demanding larger and more complex information systems to support increasingly complex and critical organisational work. Whilst troubleshooting socio-technical issues in small-to-medium scale situations may be achievable using approaches such as ethnography, troubleshooting enterprise scale situations is an open research question because of the overwhelming number of socio-technical elements and interactions involved. This paper demonstrates proof-of-concept tools for network analysis and visualisation that may provide a promising avenue for identifying problematic elements and interactions among an overwhelming number of socio-technical elements. The findings indicate that computers may be used to aid the analysis of problematic large-scale complex socio-technical situations by using analytical techniques to highlighting elements, or groups of interacting elements, that are important to the overall outcome of a problematic situation.