The top 8+2 long-term success factors in public IS procurement: A retrospective case study

A multibuyer procurement unit is in a vendor lock-in. It is looking to procure a new information system (IS) for one of its end-user client organizations. Both the procurement unit and its client organization want the new acquisition to succeed, hence, they wish to learn from their preceding collaboration and the IS in use, which dates back twenty years. This paper presents a qualitative case study where IS procurement long-term success factors are identified and prioritized by experts from a procurement unit and its client organization. The objective of the study is to increase scholars’ understanding and promote success in future IS procurement processes. The Delphi method and a focus group interview workshop are used. The Delphi-like study has three phases. First, a preliminary list of potential success factors is identified from the research literature. Then 13 public procurement experts and representative end users review, complement, and validate the list. In the second phase, the experts independently narrow down and prioritize the list in two rounds. In the third phase, a focus group interview workshop is conducted so that the two groups can achieve a shared understanding and consensus, as well as to rank the success factors. Finally, the ranking is validated by all participants. A top 8+2 list of long-term success factors in public IS procurement was constructed. The first 8 factors relate to the procurement as a whole and its stakeholders, while the latter two factors refer to the procured IS and its requirements. We find that focus on the comprehensive procurement process and stakeholder alignment are paramount. The study provides a synthesized and prioritized list of public IS procurement factors that contribute to perceived long-term success. The findings broaden our understanding of such factors, thus guiding future procurement and research endeavors. • Expert synthesis on success factors in a longitudinal public IS procurement project. • Top 8+2 factors cover the procurement process, stakeholders, IS and its requirements. • Long-term success calls for stakeholder alignment, holistic thinking, and documentation.