Information Systems Strategy Development at Sainsbury's Supermarkets Using “Soft” OR
- 1 February 1996
- journal article
- Published by Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) in Interfaces
- Vol. 26 (1) , 102-130
- https://doi.org/10.1287/inte.26.1.102
Abstract
In 1989, Sainsbury's, the largest UK supermarket chain, developed a new information systems (IS) strategy. To obtain management ownership of the strategy and commitment to implementation, it adopted a participative approach using “soft” OR methods. The resulting strategy was projected to cost $73 million and give annual benefits of $64 million. Five years into the strategy the outcome can be evaluated. Inevitably the strategy has evolved. Implementation has taken longer and costs are more than estimated; but benefits are exceeding expectations. The results indicate the effectiveness of the decision-making process used, showing that qualitative OR approaches can be used to good effect and can sometimes be subjected to quantitative assessment.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: