Web Site Development Methodologies - High Level Models and Methodologies for Information Systems - page 71

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The results will depend on the
speci c conclusions of this process or analysis, which will inevitably vary with the

particular conditions of the organization; however, Standing ( 2001 ) points out three
generic outcomes that determine the scope of the project:

“ process change ” (the

modi cation of a given organizational process using the Internet), “ process re-

engineering ” (complete redesign of a process through use of the Internet), or

“ (radical alteration of business practices through use of the Inter-

net) (Standing 2001 ). This is followed by a substage of meta-development strategy,
where the Web development team will outline and plan the Web site in relation to
business needs, with more or less autonomy, depending on the project and con-
clusions of the SWOT analysis. Finally, it concludes with a component strategy,
where the implementation team determines the technical constitution of the Web
site

transformation ”

s components.
After the strategic aspects of development have been established, there follows
an analysis of logical functional requirements. This process is heavily user-oriented
(Standing 2001 ). Brainstorming sessions, and similar group communication tech-
niques, are used to provide developers with fast and insightful feedback from all the
stakeholders involved, and particularly the intended user base.
With clearly de

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ned strategic principles and requirements, the project can move
on to the technical stages of development. Semi-physical architecture will establish
the framework for the Web site ' s architecture, defining the combination of docu-
ment systems, interactive systems, and complex transaction systems that the site
will use. Design entails all the necessary activities that will provide the Web site
with a de nitive structure. At this point, it is fundamental to uphold key values of

Web design, such as usability, promotion, customer evaluation, and the effective
representation of the organization

s desired image (Standing 2001 ).
Implementation and evolution are closely related to the meta-development
strategies. Unless the intended Web site is small, it is very likely that not all the
content will be established de

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nitively. Some components will remain stable (such
as transaction modules), while others will need to evolve continually, a task which
should fall under the domain of the Web development team. This team will
determine who will have the responsibility of adding and editing the site

s content,
as well as what guidelines and principles are to be followed in that respect
(Standing 2001 ).
ICDM essentially attempts a multidimensional view in order to bring together
the various different perspectives that are formed over the Web-based system
(Table 4.2 ). A combination of different methodologies is, according to the author,
the only way to appropriately bridge the gap between these different approaches.

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