Texts

Bott, F., Coleman, A., Eaton, J. and Rowland, D. (1995) Professional issues in Software Engineering, UCL Press

Wysocki, R. and Young, J. (1990) Information Systems: Management Principles in Action, Wiley & Son, NY

Martin, E., DeHayes, D., Hoffer, J. and Perkins, W. (1994) Managing Information Technology:What Managers Need to Know, Prentice Hall, New Jersey

Plus texts from General Papers

Computer ManagementDefinitions (after Martin et al.)

Information technology - Computing, telecommunications and automation technologies used to capture, store, process, communicate, present and use data and information.

Information system - the collection of hardware, software, procedures, documentation, forms and people responsible for the capture, movement, management and distribution of data and information.

Computer ManagementOverview of management

Role of management Planning Decision making Organising Leadership and motivation Control

Levels of management Strategic Tactical Operational

IS

Strategic

Tactical

Operational

Evolution of Computer ManagementRobson (1994)

Structure “Traditional” approach

Database driven

Functional project groups

Information centre and decision support

Externally focused

Relationship IS group sets the rules

Service oriented

Bridges and partnerships

Influence rather than control

Bridges between information providers and information users

Evolution of Computer ManagementInfluencing factors

Organisational IS strategy Advances in technology End-user computing Cost External forces i.e.,

•People•Organisation•Technology•Cost•Legal issues

Stages of Growth ModelNolan and Gibson (1974)

Initiation - Computers are introduced to the organisation by enthusiasts. No management interest and no long term plan.

Contagion - Unmanaged growth when the technocrats provide solutions without considering organisational requirements.

Control - Management take control and apply formal budgeting and planning. Structures and roles are clarified.

Integration - Eases management control to encourage innovation. Re-organises the IS function and identifies user accountability. Expenditure on integration architecture.

Data Administration - The importance of corporate data drives policy at this stage. Cross-functional data access.

Maturity - A fully co-operating MIS triad. A balance between stability and innovation, control and chaos and between autonomy and cohesion.

Strategic GridMcFarlan and McKenney (1982)

Low

Low

High

High

Support Factory

Turnaround Strategic

Degree to which ITdevelopments will createcompetitive advantage.

Degree to which the firm isfunctionally dependent onIT today.

Strategic GridMcFarlan and McKenney (1982)

Strategic - Firms that are heavily dependent on IT to deliver their everyday product or service, e.g., banks and insurance companies.

Turnaround - Firms that are not heavily dependent on IS at present but will look to their IS function to provide them with competitive advantage in the future.

Factory - IS applications are not seen as providing competitive advantage although they are heavily relied on for day-to-day operations.

Support - Use administrative systems to improve efficiency and have islands of specialist systems which innovate the manufacturing process

Computing Installations

Mission Role and Position Stakeholders Organisational Structure Location

Mission

The style and structure that involves how and where systems are built, run, planned for, funded and where the IS professional are located. Reporting structure Distributed or centralised Provided in-house or outsourced

An organisational function

The IS function is the professional discipline with the authority and responsibility for organisational Information systems.

Responsible to Board Properly funded Employs qualified IS professionals Critical to organisation’s competitive survival.

IS

Role and position of the IS function

IS. The name of an organisational function which has responsibility for the DP, IT, MIS, DSS and SMIS requirements.

Board

ISUser

Role and position of the IS function

Immediateenvironment

IS

Role of the IS function

Formulate the organisational IT vision.Advise Board and senior management re

strategic issues.Maintain an architecture that supports the rapid

development of systems.Communicate the vision and architecture to the

organisation.Deploy efficient and effective IT resources in the

entire organisation.

Role of the IS function

Maintain managerial control and integrity of core IT services.

Administer organisational data.Support the end-user use of systems.Comply with all International and national

legal obligations.Be accountable for their own continued

professional development.

Stakeholders

Organisational StructureTraditional or Classic (1)

D irec to rP rod u c tion

D irec to rS a les /M arke tin g

B u d g e tin gM an ag er

S ys tem s O p era tion s

D ata P rocess in gM an ag er

G en era l A ccou n tsM an ag er

D irec to rF in an ce

D irec to rH u m an resou rces

M an ag in gD irec to r

Reporting to Director of Finance

Organisational StructureTraditional or Classic (1 Cont.)

S ys tem san a lys ts

P ayro ll/A ccs

S ys tem san a lys ts

In vo ices /S tock

S en iorA n a lys t

D eve lop m en tp rog ram m ers

M ain ten an cep rog ram m ers

S en iorP rog ram m er

S ys temD eve lop m en t

M an ag er

S h ift op era to rs

S h iftS u p ervisor

C on tro lc le rk

V a lid a to r D ata en tryc le rk

D ata-p rep .S u p ervisor

O p era tionM an ag er

D P M an ag er

Organisational StructureTraditional or Classic (2)

D irec to rP rod u c tion

D irec to rS a les /M arke tin g

S ys tem s O p era tion s

D irec to rIn fo rm ation S ervices

D irec to rF in an ce

D irec to rH u m an resou rces

M an ag in gD irec to r

Reporting to Managing Director

IS

Organisational StructureFunctional IS

P lan n in g an dA d m in is tra tion

D ata C en trean d N e tw ork

C orp ora teS ys tem s

M arke tin gS ys tem s

P rod u c tionS ys tem s

S u p p ortS ervices

D irec to rIn fo rm ation se rvices

Finance

ManagementScience

Personnel

Sales

CustomerService

MarketResearch

InventoryControl

ProductionScheduling

Engineering

DBA

SystemsProgramming

InformationCentre

Security

Report toheadquarters butmay be locatedoutside in the user community

Organisational StructureService-oriented IS organisation

A d m in is tra tion

S ys tem s D eve lop m en tan d M a in ten an ce

D ata C en treO p eartion s

P lan n in g an dTech n ica l S ervices

D ataA d m in is tra tion

D irec to rIn fo rm ation S ervices

InformationCentre

R and DTele-communications

Organisational StructureDistributed IS organisation

A d m in is tra tion

Too ls , M eth od san d P roced u res

C on su lt in g

D ivis ion 1D eve lop m en t

D ivis ion ....nD eve lop m en t

F u n c tion a lD eve lop m en t

S ys tem sD eve lop m en t

R an d DTyp e tit le h ere

D ata an d S ys tem sP lan n in g

D ivis ion 1In fo rm ation cen tre

D ivis ion ....nIn fo rm ation cen tre

In fo rm ationcen tre

D ivis ion 1D ata C en tre

D ivis ion ....nD ata C en tre

O p era tion san d N etw ork

D irec to rIn fo rm ation S ervices

IS ProfessionalsRoles and responsibilities

See handout

Steering committee

An issue forum or a project advisory committee

IS resource modelsSullivan-Trainor (1989)

The service model - The organisation may not yet understand what IS it requires so it relies on IS professionals to provide a service.

The partnership model - Close alignment between IS and the functional lines in the user community.

The vendor model - IS is considered to be a cost centre that sells its services to the user community.

The expansion model - IS create a flexible architecture for common systems to accommodate the user community's growing needs.

The strategic advantage model - IS and the user community working in harmony to create systems for competitive advantage.

LocationRobson (1994)

Centralised - One single-access function. IS provides the service and retains control. Facilitates consistent data formats, compatibility and security.

Decentralised - A number of single-access functions. A collection of mini “DP” departments.

Distributed - Lots of connected functions. IS is a number of laterally linked multi-service providers.

Devolved - As distributed with significant end-user control over processing and development.