1 / 43

IS6600 – Seminar 8

IS6600 – Seminar 8. Global Information Systems for Work: Designing Systems. What is wrong with systems?. IT has had a huge impact on society Current business would be impossible without IT But IT is often under- or poorly utilised There are many unanticipated consequences

elliott
Download Presentation

IS6600 – Seminar 8

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. IS6600 – Seminar 8 Global Information Systems for Work: Designing Systems

  2. What is wrong with systems? • IT has had a huge impact on society • Current business would be impossible without IT • But IT is often under- or poorly utilised • There are many unanticipated consequences • Resistance to IT-based change is common • People question if IT actually adds value or not

  3. What is wrong with people? • Users don’t know what they want • Analysts don’t understand business requirements • Business people don’t understand what IT can do for them • Programmers cannot get what they need from specifications

  4. Examples of system problems • Customers are billed incorrectly • Systems fail to generate reports, invoices, … • System failure can cause corporate bankruptcy • New work processes ignore effective work practices • Did you ever hear someone say “Oh, sorry, it is the system’s fault”.

  5. Southwest Airlines – July 2016 • A computer error on 20/7/16 caused 2300 cancelled flights! • Website, operations, check-in, boarding passes, ticketing – all shut down for 12 hours • Estimated US$10 million of lost revenue • Lots of inconvenience for passengers • http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/southwest-outage-illustrates-critical-importance-of-it-systems/science-technology

  6. Why? … Lots of Temptations • T1: Assume that technology is a magic bullet • Technology cannot solve informational, human and organizational/cultural problems. • In fact, it may make them worse

  7. Temptations • T2: Technology is the system • It’s not! Just part of it, the supporting part • We still need people, processes, work practices, information, management,… • Techno-centric views are dangerous • Technology is rarely solely responsible for system failures

  8. Temptations • T3: Believe that technology is responsible for itself! • But business professionals & managers have a role to play! • They can’t leave it all to the IT people! • IT people seldom understand the business anyway

  9. Temptations • T4: Avoid measuring anything • If you don’t measure, can you manage? • What are the key performance indicators? • How are they measured? • How are they connected together? • Measuring 1-2 indicators won’t be enough either. It has to be comprehensive. • Measuring productivity alone is insufficient. How about consistency? Error rates? Down time?

  10. Temptations • T5: Analysis tends to be Superficial (at best) • But, what exactlyis the purpose of this system? • What will it do? Who for? Why? How? • What changes do we need to implement in our people, procedures, structures, incentives, culture? • What political issues are going to arise? • How do reporting channels change? • Who is in charge? Where does the buck stop?

  11. Temptations • T6: Systems operate in a vacuum • They don’t! They have users. Users have values. • Organisations have values, a history, a culture. • People don’t do what they are told. • Circumstances change – but few systems are that flexible.

  12. Temptations • T7: Systems implement themselves! • But what about planning? • Hiring new staff? • Changing the organisation? • Re-engineering processes? • Persuading people?

  13. Overcoming Temptations • Focus on the real, business issues • Focus on how work is done • Don’t let the schedule run the project • Don’t let politicians run the project • Think of systems as work systems, supported by IT, not as IT systems.

  14. So, What is a Work System? • “A work system is a system in which human participants and/or machines perform work using information, technology, and other resources to produce products and/or services for internal or external customers”. • Such systems procure materials from suppliers, produce & deliver products, find customers, create reports, coordinate work, …

  15. Commonalities 1 • In any work system, people • are doing work • are using information & technology • In any work system, there are multiple success indicators, including: • time, effort, quality of results… • So, the context is important. • It is not just about IT.

  16. Commonalities 2 • In any work system • There is a problem or opportunity • The precise scope of the work system is not obvious • Further analysis is required to see what is really involved • There are a variety of work practices • But human communication/persuasion skills are always important • There are participants and customers • They have different roles • Participating in a work system is not the same as using technology

  17. Commonalities 3 • Information • All work systems involve information of some kind • This information is critical to system success • Technology • All work systems use a lot of technology… • … which is used by participants and customers • Environment • All work systems operate in an environment, a social context

  18. Commonalities 4 • Products/Services • All work systems produce things for customers • Who have to buy them! • Infrastructure • All work systems rely on shared human, technical and informational infrastructures (visible or invisible) • Strategies • All work systems have an operational strategy, as does the organisation itself

  19. The Work System Framework T CUSTOMERS S N T E R M A N T O PRODUCTS & SERVICES E R G I V I E N S E PROCESSES & ACTIVITIESS PARTICIPANTS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

  20. Description: Work System Snapshot for a Marketing & Communication (MC) Work in a Hotel Customers Products & Services • Corporate Clients • Private Clients • Hotel MC Manager • Hotel Accounts Dept • Hotel Banqueting & Reservations Depts • Special Offers for Use of Hotel Facilities • Graphical highlights of facilities • Application forms (web based) • Payment arrangements Work Practices (Major Activities or Processes) • MCM manager identifies which materials to send to which corporate and private clients • MCM assistant identifies correct details for clients, e.g. email addresses, WeChat/Twitter – or which Social Media sites/pages to use • MCM manager identifies which technologies should be used for which clients • MCM assistant combines technologies and content in integrated forms for communication • MCM assistant sends materials to individuals and groups • MCM assistant monitors undeliverable communications and update addresses where needed • MCM assistant receives replies / bookings from clients and forwards to appropriate internal departments (e.g. Accts, FB, Resvns) for follow up. • MCM manager evaluates the efficacy of each promotional activity Participants Information Technologies • MCM Manager • MCM Assistant • Promotional Material – Text & Graphics • List of recipients • Email • Social media • Internet • Intranet including Microsite • Telephone • Internal Hotel Reservation Systems A Work System Snapshot

  21. Work System Snapshot Consistency Rules (1 of 2) Each of the processes and activities listed in the work system snapshot must be stated as a complete sentence that briefly specifies which participants perform the work and what they do. Each participant group must be involved in at least one step in the processes and activities. Customers are viewed as participants if they participate in at least one of the steps. Each informational entity and technological entity listed under information and technologies must be created or used in at least one step in the processes and activities.

  22. Work System Snapshot Consistency Rules (2 of 2) Each product/service in the work system snapshot must be the output of at least one step in the processes and activities. Each product/service must be received and used by at least one customer group. Each customer group must receive and use at least one product/service.

  23. Work Systems not IT Systems • The Work Systems concept helps us understand how systems work in the organisational context • IT success is really work system success • IT success is about how IT is used in work systems • IT success is not only the IT professionals’ responsibility. Line managers have a role to play too. • IT needs to be part of a work system – if it is to be useful • We need to understand what IT can(not) do

  24. What’s new about all this? • The concepts used are not at all new or special, but the way they are put together is new for many people. • How is IT perceived in your organisation? • What role does it have? • Who designs and looks after it? • What do people say about it? • Frustrations? Details? How about processes?

  25. How does the Work System Method (WSM) Work? • The WSM is designed to help business professionals understand their organisation’s systems. • It is of particular value early on in projects • It is flexible • There are guidelines/concepts, but users are free to adapt these as needed, to iterate, to select the level of detail,… • The WSM is designed to be rigorous and to focus on real business problems

  26. Work System Method (WSM) Essentials • WSM focuses on work systems rather than the information systems that support them • Produce shared understandings that can lead to better specifications needed to develop software • As with many systems analysis methods, WSM is organised around : • Defining the problem • Gathering/analysing relevant data • Identifying alternatives • Selecting the preferred alternative

  27. WSM – 3 Phases • SO: Identify the Systems and Opportunities • What work system are we talking about? From a business viewpoint, what are opportunities and problems in this work system? • AP: Analyse the system and identify Possibilities • Understand current issues. • How can the work system be improved? • RJ: Recommend and Justify changes • What are we suggesting? Are these sensible suggestions?

  28. WSM – 3 Levels & 3 Phases

  29. Level 1 • General requirement to think about the system • Clarification of assumptions • Quick personal summary of what is happening • Minimal first-cut representation of reality

  30. Level 2 • Important questions are asked about the 3 phases of the analysis • Four for SO, • Ten each for AP and RJ • If any of these 24 questions are not addressed, the analysis is probably deficient, which will cause problems later on.

  31. Level 2, SO questions • SO1: What are the problems or opportunities? • SO2: Which is the work system that has these problems or opportunities? • SO3: What are the factors that contribute to problems or opportunities? • These may be political, organisational, cultural,… • SO4: What constraints limit the feasible range of recommendations? • E.g. $/resource limitations, politics, people, …

  32. Level 2 AP questions (1 of 3) • AP1: Who are the customers and what are their concerns? • AP2: How good are the products/services produced by the work system? • AP3: How good are the work practices inside the work system?

  33. Level 2 AP questions (2 of 3) • AP4: How serious are any mismatches between the work system and the roles, knowledge and interests of the participants? • AP5: How might better information or knowledge help? • AP6: How might better technology help? • AP7: How good is the work system’s fit with its environment?

  34. Level 2 AP questions (3 of 3) • AP8: How well does the work system use the available infrastructure? • AP9: How appropriate is the work system’s strategy? • AP10: How well does the work system operate as a whole?

  35. Level 2 RJ questions (1 of 3) • RJ1: What are the recommended changes to the work system? • RJ2: How does the preferred alternative compare to other alternatives? • RJ3: How does the recommended system compare to an ideal system in this area? • RJ4: How well do the recommended changes address the original problems and opportunities?

  36. Level 2 RJ questions (2 of 3 ) • RJ5: What new problems or costs might be caused by the recommended changes? • RJ6: How well does the proposed work system conform to work system principles? • RJ7: How can the recommendations be implemented?

  37. Level 2 RJ questions (3 of 3) • RJ8: How might perspectives or interests of different stakeholders influence the project’s success? • RJ9: Are the recommended changes justified in terms of costs, benefits and risks? • RJ10: Which important assumptions within the analysis and justification are most questionable?

  38. Level 3 • The 24 questions in Level 2 provide an organised approach for pursuing each of the three major WSM phases. • At level 3, there are a number of specific topics to consider for each of the 24 questions. • We won’t look at all of these today – there are too many and it is not a good use of time. • But we will consider one to exemplify the point…

  39. AP3 at Level 3 • How good are the work practices inside the system? • Roles and division of labour • Relevant functions that the system does not do • Problems built into the current business process • Effect of characteristics of work practices • Evaluation criteria for work practices • Problems involving decision making • Problems involving communication

  40. AP3 at Level 3 • All of the topics listed provide a perspective for examining work practices • It is not an exhaustive list – this has to be compiled by those working with the precise system in its context. • But it does help us assess if there are issues that have not been considered carefully.

  41. Level 3: Enough or Too Much?! • The WSM focuses on single systems • But not interactions between systems • Nor the level of detail that programmers will need • The WSM enables managers and business professionals to examine work systems at a level of detail with which they feel comfortable. • In some cases, Level 1 may be enough. In many, Level 2 is advisable. • If you require a good business understanding of a work system, then Level 2 is likely to be necessary. • Level 3 is necessary for those who need an intimate understanding of business processes.

  42. And now… • Use the work system method to • Identify a system, ideally a global system in a global organisation, that you are familiar with and its opportunities • Analyse the work system and identify possibilities • Recommend and justify changes • Use the blank sheet provided as a basis for your work – for submission at the end. • Work in small groups.

  43. Reference Steven Alter, The Work System Method: Systems Thinking for Business Professionals, IIE Annual Conference. Proceedings, 2012, pp.1-10

More Related