[eBook Code] Managing Complexity of Information Systems (eBook Code, 1st)

Foreword xi
Pascal GROJEAN

Preface xv

Chapter 1. Why Simplicity? 1

1.1. Solving conflicting requirements 1

1.2. Three periods in IS management 5

1.3. And now … simplicity! 10

1.4. Plan of the book 13

Chapter 2. Complexity, Simplicity, and Abstraction 17

2.1. What does information theory tell us? 17

2.2. What does the design tell us? 33

Chapter 3. Value or Values? 77

3.1. Who is concerned? 79

3.2. Concepts of value for an IS 80

3.3. Are these values sufficient and independent? 90

Chapter 4. Promoting Value Through Simplicity 97

4.1. Growing technical heterogeneity 100

4.2. Changing requirements 121

4.3. Human factors 131

Chapter 5. Simplicity Best Practices 149

5.1. Putting simplicity principles into practice 149

5.2. Defining a generic IS 149

5.3. A simplicity framework 152

Conclusion 173

APPENDICES 177

Appendix 1. Digging into Information Theory 179

Appendix 2. Two Measures of Code Complexity 195

Appendix 3. Why Has SOA Failed So Often? 207

Bibliography 219

Index 221