Managing Information Technology

Managing Information Technology

Start / Stop / Continue • Create upward feedback • Do as a group • Identify three items in each area • Present to me • I will not respond • I may ask for clarification • Later • I will respond to group

Information • What information do businesses keep and use? • What information have you been exposed to today?

INFORMATION • An organizational resource and tool • e.g. McDonalds, Walmart, Target • Can you name others? • A resource that must be managed carefully • Associated costs for production, distribution, security, storage, and retrieval

INFORMATION • Global explosion • Global accessibility • Internet • Private networks • Often considered “intellectual property” • Managed by information systems • Often considered a strategic differentiator • Facebook • Google • Apple • Target

Information Technology • Resources used to manage information • Computers, networks, phones, fax, etc. • Often distinction between IT and systems development (IS)

Useful Information • Accurate • How accurate do you need it? • What’s the cost of an error? • Timely • Out of date may mean not accurate • Complete • Do you see the total picture? • Relevant • Companies often collect lots of data that is not relevant

Need to Control Information • Get more data than can process • Used data mining • Need to control it • Check data entering the system • “Garbage in, garbage out.” • Check data in work flows • Check data leaving the organization

Information Users • First level managers • Middle managers • Executive management • Knowledge workers • Text distinguishes functional areas vs. knowledge workers • Others do not make this distinction

Information Systems • Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) • Office Automation Systems (OAS) • Work flows, MS Office • Management Information Systems (MIS) • Provide reports, schedules, budgets • Decision Support Systems (DSS) • Analyze problems. How much to make, order, enter new markets … • Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) • Large, integrated systems for orders, inventory, accounting, payroll, … • Executive Support Systems (ESS) • High level analysis • Expert Systems and AI • E.g. loan approval, medical diagnosis

Internet • Internet and intranet • Need to have outside access • Need to protect corporate information • Security • Firewalls • Separate networks • Mail filters • Backups • Technology-People-Policy tradeoff

The Threat Tree Threat Unintentional Natural Intentional software bugs ¨ system overloads ¨ fires ¨ hardware failures ¨ floods ¨ poorly trained administrators ¨ earthquakes ¨ errors and accidents ¨ hurricanes ¨ uniformed, unmotivated ¨ extreme heat ¨ incompetent custodians Outsider extreme cold ¨ Insider hacker - spy fraud organized crime competitor disgruntled employee ¨ former employee ¨ contract employee ¨

Managing Information Systems • Determine needs (requirements) • Hardware (incl. performance) • Software • Networking • Staff • Integrate • Document & Train • Test • Evaluate and monitor • Needs change

Business Examples • American Airlines – Fuel • Control at Harrah’s • Finagle a Bagel – Operations • Coke – The Bottlers • Fed Ex • Little Guys • American Airlines – Gathering Storm • Cruise Inc. – Bottom Line

Managing Information Technology