- Discuss the importance and challenges of aligning information systems and business objectives
An information systems can be defined as a set of interrelated components that collect (or retrieve), process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization. In addition to supporting decision making, coordination and control, an information system also help managers and workers analyze problems and visualization in an organization, information systems contain information about significant people , places and things within the organization or in the environment surrounding it.
Information systems enables the organization to access critical information in a fast and efficient manner and therefore aligning Information is a critical resource in the operation and management of organizations. Timely availability of relevant information is vital for effective performance of managerial functions such as planning, organizing, leading, and control. An information system in an organization is like the nervous system in the human body: it is the link that connects all the organization’s components together and provides for better operation and survival in a competitive environment. Indeed, today’s organizations run on information. Information systems in organizations thus provide information support for decision makers. Information systems encompass transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, and strategic information systems. Information system collects, transmits, processes, and stores data on an organization’s resources, programmes, and accomplishments.
One of the main challenges of Information system is creating an information architecture that supports the organization’s goals. Since the goals of organization can be the same but the activities to achieve that goal can always be changing it is therefore difficult to design an information system architecture that can always be flexible with the activities of the organization, this is because the world of business is constantly changing and it is difficult for an organization to design a flexible information system due to the high acquisition costs involved in setting it up.
Understanding the system requirements of a global business environment is one of the main challenges that an organization faces when designing an information system, most organization tend to design systems without considering the convenience of the clients who are the key stake holders of the Business, it is difficult to understand the Business environment on to which the organization faces and therefore it is needed for the development.
- ii) The various components of an information systems plan
Computer hardware; this is the physical technology that works with information. Hardware can be as small as a smart phone that fits in a pocket or as large as a supercomputer that fills a building. Hardware also includes the peripheral devices that work with computers, such as keyboards, external disk drives, and routers. With the rise of the Internet of things, in which anything from home appliances to cars to clothes will be able to receive and transmit data, sensors that interact with computers are permeating the human environment.
Computer software; The hardware needs to know what to do, and that is the role of Software. Software can be divided into two types: system software and application software. The primary piece of system software is the operating system such as Windows or iOS, which manages the hardware’s operation. Application software is designed for specific tasks, such as handling a spreadsheet, creating a document, or designing a Web page.
Telecommunications; this component connects the hardware together to form a network. Connections can be through wires, such as Ethernet cables or fibre optic or wireless, such as through Wi-Fi. A network can be designed to tie together computers in a specific area, such as an office or a school, through a local area network (LAN). If computers are more dispersed, the network is called a wide area network (WAN). The Internet itself can be considered a network of networks.
Databases and data warehouses; this component is where the “material” that the other components work with resides. A data base is a place where data is collected and from which it can be retrieved by querying it using one or more specific criteria. A data warehouse contains all of the data in whatever form that an organization needs. Databases and data warehouses have assumed even greater importance in information systems with the emergence of “big data,” a term for the truly massive amounts of data that can be collected and analyzed.
Human resources and procedures; The final, and possibly most important, component of information systems is the human element: the people that are needed to run the system and the procedures they follow so that the knowledge in the huge databases and data warehouses can be turned into learning that can interpret what has happened in the past and guide future action.
- Describe the personnel involved in information systems planning
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is the head of the information-systems function. This person aligns the plans and operations of the information systems with the strategic goals of the organization. Tasks include budgeting, strategic planning, and personnel decisions for the information systems function
Systems Analyst; The role of the systems analyst is to straddle the divide between identifying business needs and imagining a new or redesigned computer-based system to fulfill those needs. This individual will work with a person, team, or department with business requirements and identify the specific details of a system that needs to be built. Generally, this will require the analyst to have a good understanding of the business itself , the business processes involved, and the ability to document them well. The analyst will identify the different stakeholders in the system and work to involve the appropriate individuals in the process.
Programmer; Programmers spend their time writing computer code in a programming language. In the case of systems development, programmers generally attempt to fulfill the design specifications given to them by a systems analyst. Many different styles of programming exist: a programmer may work alone for long stretches of time or may work in a team with other programmers. A programmer needs to be able to understand complex processes and also the intricacies of one or more programming languages. Generally, a programmer is very proficient in mathematics, as mathematical concepts underlie most programming code.
Database Administrator; A database administrator (DBA) is the person who manages the databases for an organization. This person creates and maintains databases that are used as part of applications or the data warehouse. The DBA also consults with systems analysts and programmers on projects that require access to or the creation of databases.
Project Managers; Information-systems projects are notorious for going over budget and being delivered late. In many cases, a failed IT project can spell doom for a company. A project manager is responsible for keeping projects on time and on budget. This person works with the stakeholders of the project to keep the team organized and communicates the status of the project to management. A project manager does not have authority over the project team; instead, the project manager coordinates schedules and resources in order to maximize the project outcomes.
Cluster 2
Explain any two information technology planning approaches you know. Give an example for each approach.
Technological Approach
Underpinning Assumption: Information Systems-oriented model of the business is a necessary outcome of strategic Information systems planning and therefore, analytical modeling methods are appropriate. Emphasis on deriving architectures or blueprints for Information Technology and Information System, often Information engineering is used. Formal method applied based on mapping activities, processes and data flows of the business. End product is a business model (or series of models). Architectures for data, computing, communications and applications might be produced and computer-aided software engineering might be used as a tool. Proprietary technology-oriented method might be used or adapted in-house. Information System Directors and General Managers tend to emphasize objectives of rigorous analysis and building a robust infrastructure. Information technology (IT) is an essential part of any organization, and with rapidly changing technologies, funding challenges, and conflicting priorities, it’s essential for organizations to have an effective plan or roadmap to follow. Many organizations utilize consultants to undertake the process of creating a plan. This helps ensure objectivity and dedicates resources that can efficiently create a plan, usually within a three- to four-month timeframe depending on the scope of the project and the size of the organization (Rouse, 2016).
Administrative Approach;
Advantages: Procedure is visible, all users and units have opportunity to submit proposals Emphasis on viability, project approval, resource planning produces application development portfolios that are eventually implemented. IS managed in congruence with other activities, permitting complementary resources to be allocated in parallel. Disadvantages: Viewed as not strategic, bottom-up instead of top-down Ideas for radical change not ID’d, Strategic thinking absent, bus-as-usual dominates Enterprise-level applications remain in background Conflict, drama, game playing as a result of resource allocation procedure Emphasis on resource planning leads to resource-constrained outcome (budget cuts being applied to US budget damages business as a whole)
- Describe how to formulate an information systems plan
Defining the role of information system in the organization
This is the first plan of Information systems within an organization. It is foremost for defining the role information systems will play in the overall scheme of things. Typically, top management formulates a charter for information systems or the CIO formulates the charter and gets approval of the top management. With the charter, the mission of information system in the organization is also formulated. Thereafter the constraints and environment in which Information system is to be implemented is analyzed. In this, the strategic objectives, policies, human resource, maturity of Information System usage of the organization and the present and future information needs of the organization in view of changes in technology is analyzed. Following the broad mission and analysis of environment and constraints, concrete objectives of information systems is laid down along with the plan of achieving the objectives. The plan will include broad guidelines on allocation of resources, mechanisms of control of the process of information system development and other guidelines for implementing the strategies of the plan.
Long Range Information System Planning
This is the second stage of planning done primarily to understand the user needs and objectives. This sort of plan does not go into project specific details but rather focuses on the expectations of users from the system. Typically, this kind of planning is done with a time horizon of five to ten years in mind. Broad characteristics of information systems based on the needs of the users are dealt with in this plan along with the technology trends in the information technology space and long-term objectives of the organization. The long-term plan requires greater detailing than a strategic plan and is normally prepared by senior executives in the organization which is then approved by the top management. Ideally, senior executives from different departments are involved in this process.
Analyzing the broad long-term needs
Based on the prepared background, analysis of the overall long-term information system need of the organization is defined. This entails an analysis of demand on resources for such information systems and the means to provide them.
Developing the long-range plan document; formally documenting the above steps into a plan of action results in the creation of this document. This document typically contains information about the objectives, resources to be made available for the Information System, future trends in demand for information within the organization, risks and opportunities in developing the Information System and organizational issues pertaining to installation of such Information System.
- Describe the frameworks available to support the planning process
Internal Sources
Internal sources of organizational change are forces which appear inside the organization. Controlling these organizational changes is easier for entrepreneurs and managers because they are from inside the organization, something that according to the managerial functions, management can control.
Highly Intelligent Data
Are individual facts, statistics or items of Information, often numeric, that are collected through Observation, In a more technical sense, data are a set of values of Qualitative or Quantitative variables about one or more persons or objects,
Structure data Input: the system how the data will be put into the system.
Emphasis on past: when designing the system the organization must emphasize on the past of the organization so as also to project the future.
Cluster 3
- Discuss inter-organizational information systems planning
Nearly all modern organizations rely extensively on computer-based information systems to process the data needed to operate their businesses for such tasks as managing employee data, keeping track of sales and inventory, engaging in product development, forecasting future demand, and maintaining customer information. When such information systems extend beyond the borders of one organization, and provide for automated information exchange to support linked business processes between two or more organizations, they are considered to be inter organizational information systems (Robey, Im, and Wareham 2008). have become increasingly prevalent in the networked world in which businesses operate today. Often these systems are used to connect suppliers and manufacturers to support just-in-time (JIT) inventory practices in supply chains based on electronic document interchange (EDI), a global standard for structured exchange of business data and documents. In the retail sector, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) systems are used to improve coordination up and down the value chain of retailers’ supply partners, so that suppliers are better aware of consumer demand and retailers can better manage replenishment practices and inventory costs. Moreover, electronic procurement has become pervasive in business-to-business (B2B) exchanges, promoting widespread use of IOS in nearly all types of industries.
- Discuss the methodologies available to facilitate IT planning
