Information system

1. Information system • The information system (I.S) is the nervous system of any organization; collect, generate and distribute the information essential to execute the daily tasks and take appropriate decisions. • Before becoming information, the data, raw material of any I.S, must be created, stored, processed, analyzed and distributed. • The procedures and rules governing the operation as well as the different players (users, administrators and decision makers) will guarantee the accuracy the produced information.

2. Building the IS (Enterprise Resources Planning) MEXICO CITY • Building the IS is as complex as urbanizing a city, you need to take into consideration the current situation, the resources and the future plans. Two architectures being confronted: • The classic approach of software engineering consisting of answering needs of the different groups of users by developing or acquiring slim computerized solutions. • The second approach, is focused on an information node, the core component on top of which the I.S will be built and improved.

3. Problems facing the IS • The classic approach will often lead to an incoherent and heteroclite system as a consequence of the continuous accumulation of multiple computerized systems often aging, difficult to integrate and rarely expandable. • The information is considered then as an element necessary for the execution of the applications and not as a crucial component of the system. • As a result, the produced information is most of the time insufficient and redundant, the problem is even more serious when the produced information is inconsistent or incoherent.

4. Taking the bull by the horns • In front of such a catastrophic situation and in the presence of aggressive market competitiveness, considering that information is becoming increasingly a key element for survival, it is becoming urgent to take the bull by the horns.  • For a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem and the possible solutions, the I.S experts have used the analogy between an IS and a city • Rebuilding the entire city is equivalent in IS to the acquisition of an integrated system (like SAP), which meets best the needs of the organization. (50 – 500 Million $) • The challenges and the cost of the two above operations are comparable; in addition an integrated system is by definition difficult to expand and above all technology dependent. • Investing in a new completely integrated ERP (destruct and rebuild a city) have proven to be a tedious adventure, many ended in catastrophic situations.

5. The top 12 reasons for integrated ERP Projects Failures • 1. Education (understanding what the new 'system' is designed to achieve) • 2. Lack of Top Management Commitment • 3. Inadequate Requirements Definition • 4. Poor ERP Package Selection • 5. Inadequate Resources employed by the Client • 6. Internal Resistance to changing the 'old' processes • 7. A Poor fit between the software and users procedures • 8. Unrealistic Expectations of the Benefits and the ROI • 9. Inadequate training • 10. Unrealistic Time Frame Expectations • 11. A Bottom up approach is employed (the Process is not viewed as a Top Management priority) • 12. The client does not properly address and plan for the expenses involved

6. Big Failures Buying the wrong software can significantly affect the health of even the largest company. • Airbus Crashes from Incompatible Software • Ford Motor Co. • System: Purchasing system • Cost: $400 million • Status: Abandoned • Source:Spectrum IEEE Bob Charette 2005 • Avis Europe ERP • System: ERP • Status: Project cancelled • Cost: $54.5 million • Source:Spectrum IEEE Bob Charette 2005

7. Urbanization as a solution • The urbanization of the information system consists of restructuring the I.S following an urban plan focusing on the mission of the organization; just like a city plan should be focused on its specific characteristics and sources of wealth. • For a University; the most significant asset is information (knowledge). The urbanization of its information system must aim at producing, managing and distributing information (knowledge Management).

8. Old Medina (Fez), constructed around the ALQUARAOUEEN university which represented the most valuable source of wealth for the city “science”. • The urban plan was organized so as to enable the university to play its primary role in leading the development of the city, for example the heavy and noisy industry was deployed way off from the university; while handcrafts, libraries and other noble and clean activities were implemented all around.

9. AUI Information Node Incremental Replication Applications POISE Domino Mail server TAJINFO Desktop Client Information Node Oracle Replicator Warehouse Builder DECS Notes TECHLIB Replicated integrated databases Oracle Data warehouse Lotus script Java script LDAP Information Web Client Domino Doc Accounting INTRANET JSP Domino JDBC Knowledge(E-Docs) LIBRARY Web-sphere Application Server and Web server EJB Java Beans / Entity Beans Data Access Objects INVOLYS

10. Replicated Integrated DatabasesThe challenge here is to build a Global relational database and enforce consistency, coherence and synchronization. Synchronization between the different tables can be triggered by an event ”data change” or by a scheduled agent. Replicated integrated databases Admissions Techlib Students infos Poise Books Amount Accounting Accounting Transactions Library Fines Balance when account is closed Cash wallet INVOLYS Tajinfo

11. Expanding Around the Information Node Architecture Bull 2001COBISE SA