CSFs of IS implementation

Critical success factors (CSFs) are the few areas where results must be satisfactory for an IS implementation to succeed and operate well.

CSFs of IS implementation and operation

1. Top management support and sponsorship.
2. Clear business goals and requirements.
3. User involvement and ownership.
4. Competent project management (planning, cost, schedule, risk).
5. Skilled team and reliable vendor.
6. Training of end users and operators.
7. Change management and communication.
8. Data quality and migration with proper testing.
9. Suitable, scalable technology and infrastructure.
10. Security and controls.
11. Operation: helpdesk, backups, maintenance, performance monitoring, disaster recovery.
12. Post-implementation review and continuous improvement.

Example: a slow, "lousy" online public service system (such as an online vehicle tax or passport appointment portal)

Many such systems in Nepal suffer from slow response, downtime, repeated forms and payment errors. Linking this to CSFs:

• Weak capacity planning: servers and bandwidth were not sized for peak load, so pages time out (technology CSF).
• Poor testing: payment and document uploads fail in real conditions (testing CSF).
• Low user involvement: forms are not designed with citizens or officers in mind (user involvement CSF).
• Inadequate training and support: staff do not know how to handle exceptions and the helpdesk is weak.
• No monitoring or backup: failures are found by users, not by the operators.
• Integration gaps: the portal is not connected to other offices, so data are re-entered.

To improve it, the agency should fix these factors: load testing and scalable hosting, user feedback loops, training, 24x7 monitoring and a clear support process.