Software building – still craftsmanship

The precise definition of an information system, as interpreted in this book, has been given together with a brief history of its evolution. This history is not only very short but shows many recent evolutions, most of them radically different from the previous state of the art. This very rapid evolution is a sign that information systems design is not something that can be considered stabilized and completely understood.

There remains a large part of craftsmanship in the design and deployment of a software information system. Craftsmanship has its advantages: human attention to detail, custom-tailored functions, uniqueness, and more. It also has numerous drawbacks, such as high costs, difficulty in evolving in a controlled way, dependence on a few creators, and many others. These drawbacks outgrow the advantages in modern companies for which the information system has become the operational backbone.

Well-crafted information systems...