Heterogeneity,
not uniformity
Whereas the monolithic systems of the 1990s were predicated
on the idea of bringing the disparate functions of an organization together by
standardizing processes and centralizing control, the initiatives described in
these case studies are indicative of a very different approach. Rather than
trying to impose uniform technology on UK police forces, JTrack provided a
secure, easy-to-use way to update and access information in a variety of formats
to cope with the different business processes and counting rules used by the
different organizations. Rather than try to make all central London drivers use
one method of payment, JTrack allowed them to choose a method convenient to
them, leaving behind-the-scenes technology to link everything together. Because
each of these initiatives relied on the cooperation of a wide array of
stakeholders, a top-down approach was never going to work. To encourage take-up,
the different needs of potential users had to be worked with, not ignored.
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