Extracting value from lightweight IT : a new approach to benefits management? : a case study of the implications lightweight IT has on benefits management

Abstract

This thesis aims to answer the following research question: “What are the implications of lightweight IT on benefits management?”. The motivation to this thesis is that there is extensive literature on how to conduct benefits management of heavyweight IT, however there is little found on lightweight IT. Traditional benefits management has been criticized to be a lengthy and slow process, much due to the complexity of large-scale IT systems. There is also a lack of knowledge on how to conduct benefits management in businesses, which partly explains the low uptake of benefits management. In recent years, easy-to-use lightweight IT solutions have become more appealing to organizations due to its characteristics of usercentricity, rapid deployment and low cost of implementation. Additionally, lightweight IT is easier to adopt compared to heavyweight solutions, as non-IT professionals now also have the opportunity to innovate their IT-services. Lightweight IT is a relatively new concept in literature and the fact that we are dealing with a phenomenon that goes beyond the IT department. To answer our research question, we have conducted an exploratory case study in a Norwegian bank. They have implemented a new lightweight IT solution to govern their RPA digital workforce, called RPA Supervisor. Our primary data was collected through 11 in-depth individual interviews. Our findings show that conducting benefits management on lightweight IT differs from conducting benefits management of heavyweight IT. Despite this, a new benefits management framework for lightweight IT might not be necessary. However, we suggest that there should be a changed emphasis on each step in the benefits management framework, the Cranfield method. Several factors seem to influence this change, which are organizational factors, governance models for lightweight IT and practitioner-tools for benefits management support. With this, we found six implications of lightweight IT on benefits management. With a changed emphasis in the framework for benefits management of lightweight IT, we argue that this can lead to an increased adoption of benefits management in businesses.