Technology diffusion in a centralized MIS environment

Creating user awareness of new technology and managing its organizational diffusion effectively is a major objective of many contemporary MIS organizations. In a centralized MIS environment, the onus of technology introduction and diffusion often falls upon the MIS function. This article recounts the experiences of the MIS department of the Carrier Corporation in introducing expert systems technology to its users. These experiences highlight the importance of effective management of the process, of tempering user enthusiasm so that expectations remain realistic, and of ensuring that the ultimate adoption of the technology can be adequately cost-justified. Lessons learned at Carrier from the technology introduction effort are presented.