1 Chapter XI An Analysis-Form of Soft Systems Methodology for Information Systems Maintenance Ivan Ka-Wai Lai Macau University of Science and Technology, China Joseph M. Mula University of Southern Queensland, Australia Copyright © 2009, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. AbstrAct Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) has been employed to increase the effectiveness of organizational re- quirement analysis in Information Systems (IS) development in recent years. Various forms of SSM for IS development have been developed and examined in different environments by different researchers. There appears to be little research or application that can be identifed of the use of SSM in IS maintenance. The objective of this chapter is to develop a conceptual “analysis-form” of SSM for IS maintenance, so that further research can be undertaken in the application of this conceptual model. bAckground During the past few decades, many information systems (IS) were developed in a wide range of working environments. There are many reasons for change to an existing IS in an organization. Examples are functionality, fexibility, continu- ous availability, and correct operation (Lehman, 1989; Lientz & Swanson, 1980). Once an IS has been developed, it is rarely free of errors and occasionally operates in the same way in the changed environment (Leveson, 1995). Literature suggested that IS maintenance is gaining more notoriety because of its increasing cost (Smith,