Abstract

Two years ago, the authors conducted a major survey of IT projects in the UK to determine which methods, techniques and tools were being used to develop computer-based information systems. The survey also sought to establish a relationship between their usage, the types of system that developers were seeking to develop and the outcomes, successful or otherwise, of the development process.

The authors were particularly concerned to assess the extent to which the tools, techniques and principles of Object Technology (OT) had been adopted. The results of the survey indicated widespread use of OT and suggested that systems developers considered it to be a mature technology.

Two years on, the authors have conducted a second survey of IT projects in the UK. The intention was twofold: to take a snapshot of information systems development practices as the IT industry moves into the new millennium and to identify any trends that have developed during the last two years.

The results of this second survey confirm many of the findings from the earlier survey, particularly in relation to the use of OT, but also reveal some interesting and unexpected changes in the use of system development methods in general.