A strategic comprehensive framework for evaluating is investments - a proposed checklist for evaluating E-Business investments

Because of the strategic importance of IS investments, it is essential to incorporate in strategic IS management effective managerial evaluation practices. Therefore this paper aims to develop a checklist for comprehensive evaluation of c-business (EB) investments as a part of strategic IS management. An IS (investment) plan is considered as a contract between involved internal stakeholders like department managers and external stakeholders like customers and suppliers. In the evaluation of investments we have to consider the variety in their impacts on objectives and interests of stakeholders. Therefore this checklist is based on six different foci on IS investments. Firstly, from an internal perspective, we distinguish the IS cost savings focus, the management information quality focus and the strategic aligment focus. Secondly, from an external perspective, we distinguish the IT infrastructural platform focus, organisational transformation focus and business scope redefinition focus. The checklist is elaborated for an EB investment evaluation.