Distributed priority ranking of strategic preliminary requirements for management information systems in economic organizations

The development and construction of a management information system (MIS) is a complex task. Selection of the correct requirements to be implemented in the MIS is a serious problem. The problem is made even more difficult by inadequate methods of requirements priority ranking. This paper describes instruments for distributed priority ranking of strategic preliminary requirements for MISs in organizations, profit-making or non-profit making, that are involved in the economy. The instrument consists of a metamethod that combines several methods, each accomplishing a different subtask of the priority ranking. A Web-based tool is provided to assist the requirements engineers in applying the instrument with a distributed group of stakeholders. The instrument and the tool are validated as effective by their use in an effort to create requirements for the management information system for city government. The paper reports lessons learned in this validation exercise.