The enabling role of Web services in Information System Development practices: a Grounded Theory Study

This study presents a grounded theory analysis of a case study in the
banking industry with a view to showing the enabling role of ‘‘Web services’’
technology in information system development practices. The grounded theory
analysis of the Cashier Management System development project at the Central
Europe Bank (a pseudonym) shows that Web services technology is a key technological enabler for more agile forms of IS development, characterized by
incremental analysis, requirements revision, requirements emerging in use and
incremental implementation. In particular, an initial in-depth analysis phase, conducted in a traditional way, is then followed, during system development, by several
iterative phases of requirements revision/addition, in fulfilment of emerging or
previously unplanned user needs discovered along the way. Such system development practices, enabled by the Web services technology and influenced by a variety
of contextual factors, cover a middle ground between methodical and amethodical
development processes.