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Week 11 Organizing Information Technology Resources. Management of Information Technology Resources. Centralized Management Staff positions and departments in strict vertical hierarchy Control of organization in few hands Decentralized Management Delegates authority to lower-level managers
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Management of Information Technology Resources • Centralized Management • Staff positions and departments in strict vertical hierarchy • Control of organization in few hands • Decentralized Management • Delegates authority to lower-level managers • IS often follows management pattern
Centralized vs. Decentralized Management • Advantagesof Centralized IS Management • Standardized hardware and software • Efficient administration of resources • Effective staffing • Easier training • Common reporting systems • Effective planning of shared systems • Easier strategic planning • Efficient use of IS personnel • Tighter control by top management
Centralized vs. Decentralized Management (Cont.) • Advantages of Decentralized IS Management • Better fit of ISs to business needs • Timely response of IS units to business demands • Encouragement of end-user development of applications • Innovative use of ISs • Support for delegation of authority • Less competition for resources
Organizing the IS Staff • Central IS Organization: A corporate IS team over all units • IS Director oversees several departments • Usually involved in every aspect of IT • Often includes a steering committee • Often easier to integrate an IS plan in a centralized IS organization
Organizing the IS Staff (Cont.) • Dispersed IS Organization • Each unit fulfills its IS needs individually • Each business unit has one or several IS professionals • Funds for development and maintenance of unit’s IS own budget • Decisions made independently
Organizing the IS Staff (Cont.) • A Hybrid Approach • Small companies use the central approach • Midsize and large use elements of central and decentralized approaches • Handled according to the position of the highest IS officer in the organizational structure
Business Managers’ Expectations of an IS Unit • Broad understanding of business activities • Flexibility and adaptability • Prompt response to the information needs of the business unit • Clear, jargon-free explanation of what technology can and cannot do for the unit
Business Managers’ Expectations of an IS Unit (Cont.) • Candid explanations of what information systems can and cannot do • Honest budgeting • Single point of contact
IS Manager Expectations of Business Managers • Business planning • Systems planning • Systems selection or development • Participation and partnership
Chargeback Methods • Two ways to treat cost of IS function • Part of overhead cost: General shared expense • Chargeback system: Units charged for services • Service Charges • Staff hours • Computer hardware • Computer time
Chargeback Methods (Cont.) • Service Charges (cont.) • External storage space • Departmental Web site space • Desirable Chargeback Features • Accountability • Controllability • Timeliness • Congruence with organizational goals
Chargeback Methods (Cont.) • Service Charges (cont.) • Chargeback Criticism • Expense may discourage IT initiatives • High rates can be frustrating • Overhead Expenditures • Research and development • Corporation-wide data communications
Careers in Information Systems • The Systems Analyst • Analysis of business needs and ISs • Setting up of business applications • Designing new ISs and maintaining existing ISs • Analyze system requirements from user input • Documenting efforts and system features • Providing specifications for programmers • Agents of change • Good persuasion and presentation skills
Careers in Information Systems (Cont.) • Database Administrator (DBA) • Responsible for data architecture of an organization • Planning and design • Physical organization and storage • Logical organization & Schema development • Data dictionary development and maintenance • Security measures for access and proper use • Failure recovery and back-up measures • Updates and data integrity • Interfaces of internal databases with other ISs • Database personnel management
Careers in Information Systems (Cont.) • The Network Administrator • Responsible for computer networks • Acquisition • Implementation • Management • Maintenance • Troubleshooting • Assesses future needs of the business
Careers in Information Systems (Cont.) • Webmaster • Creates and maintains Web site and intranet pages • Must know Web technology, business strategy, security • Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) • Oversees IS research and development • Oversees IS infrastructure development • Serves as chief technologist • Serves as chief agent of change
Careers in Information Systems (Cont.) • The Chief Security Officer • Reports to the CIO or the CEO • Security is sometimes classified as a business issue, not an IT issue • Major challenge is misperception that security is an inhibitor rather than an enabler to operations
Careers in Information Systems (Cont.) • Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) • Responsible for finding strategically important knowledge resources • Accumulates, organizes, and retrieves information • Chief Learning Officer (CLO) • Independent Consultant • Offers services to companies that lack qualified personnel for specific tasks
Ethical and Societal IssuesGasping for IT Skills • Demand Keeps Growing • Projected 2 million additional designers, programmers, and maintenance and repair workers needed over the next seven years • 1.8 million computer engineers, computer scientists, and systems analysts needed by 2006 • Ironically, high demand and benefits not attracting students to IT programs
Ethical and Societal IssuesGasping for IT Skills • One Strategy That Worked • Irish government subsidized tuition for students in technological programs • Second largest exporter of software • 60 percent of incoming university students enroll in technological programs per year
Ethical and Societal IssuesGasping for IT Skills (Cont.) • Promoting National IT • Should government subsidize technological education? • Proponents: Benefits all society • Detractors: Objectionable intrusion on personal pursuits and allocation of tax money
Question • Desribe Collaboration between IS managers and business managers. And explain your thingking about the collaboration, how important the collaboration is? • Explain about advantages and disadvantages of Charge back methods • Write responsibilities of each IT person in organizations and which position interest you?
