write an essay based on the ppt
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO BUSINESS PROCESSES
Margaret Kahl
IS 440
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Managing Information Resources
Database – group of interrelated files
File – group of related records
Record – group of related fields
Field – 1 or more characters
Character – basic element
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Database Analysis Life Cycle
Database study - the designer creates a written specification in words for the Database system to be built.
Database design – conceptual, logical, and physical design steps
Implementation and loading – once a DBMS has been installed, the database itself must be created within the DBMS.
Testing and evaluation – the database, once implemented, must be tested against the specification supplied by the client.
Operation – this step is where the system is actually in real usage by the company.
Maintenance and evolution – time used to fix problems with the system or recommend enhancements or new requirements.
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Managing Data
3 Level Database Model
Level 1 – external, conceptual, or local level (user views)
Level 2 – logical or “enterprise data” level
Level 3 – physical or storage level
Database Administrator (DBA) – a person with responsibilities to focus on the overall performance and integrity of a single DBMS on one or more databases.
Data Administrator – a person whose responsibility is to ensure the integrity of the data resource.
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
4 Data Models
Hierarchical Model – data are organized into a tree-like structure. The structure allows repeating information using parent/child relationships: each parent can have many children, but each child only has one parent.
Network Model – is a database model conceived as a flexible way of representing objects and their relationships. The network model allows each record to have multiple parent and child records.
Relational Model – a database model that provided for logical connections among files (known as tables) by identifying data from one table in another table.
Object-Oriented DB Model – a data model derived from object-oriented programming that encapsulates data and methods, and organizes objects into object classes, among which there can be a hierarchical relationship.
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Getting Corporate Data into Shape
The Problems: Inconsistent Data Definitions
Proliferation of Heterogeneous Databases
Data availability, integrity, and Security
The role of Data Administration
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Data Warehouse – is the main repository of an organization’s historical data, its corporate memory. It contains the raw material to support business intelligence and management decision making.
Major benefits of a data warehouse:
The ability to reach data quickly since they are located in one place.
The ability to reach data easily and frequently by end users with web browsers.
Chapter 7
Characteristics of a Data Warehouse
Organization – data are organized by subject and contains information relevant for decision support only
Consistency – data in different operational databases may be encoded differently.
Time variant – the data are kept for many years so they can be used for trends, forecasting, and comparisons over time.
Non-volatile – once entered into the warehouse, data are not updated
Relational – typically the data warehouse uses a relational structure.
Client/server – the data warehouse uses the client/server architecture mainly to provide the end user easy access to its data.
Web based – today’s data warehouses are designed to provide an efficient computing environment for web based applications.
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Key Concepts in Data Warehousing
Metadata – defining the data
Quality data – once the metadata definitions have been established, the biggest challenge is cleansing the data to adhere to those standards
Data marts – is a small warehouse designed for a strategic business unit or department
Replicated data mart – one can replicate some subsets of the data warehouse in smaller data marts
Stand alone data mart – independent data marts without having a data warehouse
Chapter 7 Managing Information Resources
Document Management
Improving the Publishing Process
Supporting Communications among people and groups
Supporting Organizational Processes
Content Management
Content Creation and Acquisition
Content Administration and Safeguarding
Content Deployment and Presentation
Web Content Management
Selecting Web Content Management Tools
Chapter 7
Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)
Normalization – the transformation of complex user views and datastores to a set of smaller, stable data structures.
First Normal Form 1NF – separate all repeating groups and identify the primary key
Second Normal Form 2NF – ensure all non-key attributes are fully dependent on the primary key
Third Normal Form 3NF – remove dependencies that show non-key attributes being dependent on other non-key attributes
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
How to solve operational problems:
1. Buy more equipment
2. Fight Fires
3. Document what you are doing
How do you measure operation?
External measures – what customers see
System and network uptime
Response time
Turnaround time
Program failure
Internal measures -what is people see
% Of capacity of computer usage
Disk storage utilization
# Of jobs run/rerun
Age of applications
# Of unresolved problems
The importance of good management
What’s new in operations?
1. Companies have “cleaned their operational house”
2. Managing open source
3. Getting serious with security
4. Large-scale data warehousing
5. Enforcing privacy
6. Dealing with talent shortage
7. More operations managers are managing outward
8. Operations are being simplified
9. Certain operations are being offloaded
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Outsourcing
The driving forces behind outsourcing
Changing customer – vendor relationships
Outsourcing’s history
IT outsourcing
Transitional outsourcing
Best-of-breed outsourcing
Shared service
Business process outsourcing
E-business outsourcing
Utility computing
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Outsourcing (con’t)
Managing outsourcing
Organizational structure
Governance
Day-to day working
Supplier development
Insourcing
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Offshoring
Offshoring Options are broadening
Both parties need cultural training to bridge cultural differences
Communication issues need to be addressed from the outset
Communication issues continue throughout offshore relationships
Country laws need to be followed
Use Offshoring for advantage
Redefine services using offshoring, automation, and self- service
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Outsourcing
Outsourcing Advantages
1. could reduce cost
2. reduces cost of fluctuation
3. makes cost/service tradeoffs
4. allows more rapid or timely development
5. consolidates operations
6. frees management to focus on business
7. offers improved reliability and stability
8. provides opportunity to learn from the contractor
Outsourcing Disadvantages
1. could increase cost
2. locks company into a provider
3. reduces control
4. removes knowledge of process from the company
5. decreases ability to use IT strategically
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Outsourcing Disadvantages Con’t.
Shirking – occurs when a vendor deliberately underperforms, while claiming full payment
Poaching – occurs when a vendor develops a strategic application
for a client and then uses it for other clients
Opportunistic repricing – occurs when a client enters into a long-term contract with a vendor and the vendor changes financial terms at some point or over charges for unanticipated enhancements and contract extensions
Chapter 8 Managing Operations
Strategies for Outsourcing
1. Understand the project
2. Divide and conquer
3. Align incentives
4. Write short-period contracts
5. Control subcontracting
6. Do selective outsourcing
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Companies can be categorized into 3 businesses:
1. Infrastructure Management
2. Customer Relationship
3. Product innovation
IS can also be categorized:
1. Operations
2. Help Desk
3. Systems Development
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
8 Areas in Managing Staff
1. Recruitment and Selection
2. Wage & Salary Administration
3. Training & Development
4. Coaching & Counseling
5. Performance Appraisal
6. Delegating & Assigning Work
7. Career Planning
8. Skills Inventory
Different Philosophies of Dealing with Managing Staff
1. Management needs to find people with the right skills and knowledge
2. Management needs to treat employees as investors
3. Management should no longer expect long-term employment by all employees
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Project Management Professional (PMP) must prove knowledge of:
Integration
Scope
Time
Cost
Quality
Human Resources
Communication
Risk
The Job of a Project Manager
Setting up the project
Managing the schedule
Managing the finances
Managing the benefits
Managing Risks, Opportunities, & Issues
Soliciting Independent Reviews
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Tips for Good IT Project Management
Establish the Ground Rules
Foster Discipline, Planning, Documentation, and Management
Obtain and Document the “Final” User Requirement
Obtain Tenders from all appropriate potential vendors
Include Suppliers in Decision Making
Convert Existing Data
Follow Through after Implementation
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Risk Management
1. Assess the risks
2. Mitigate the risks
3. Adjust the project management approach
Designing Motivating Work
1. Gauging IT Staff
2. Improving the Maintenance Job
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Important Considerations in Technological Change
1. The ability of employees to conceptualize change
2. Employee’s readiness for change
3. Employee’s capacity for change
4. Individual differences among users
5. Environmental uncertainty & complexity
6. Change itself
7. Organizational structure
8. The distribution of power
9. The experience of the change agent
10. The risks involved
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Kurt Lewin – Force Field Analysis
Driving Forces
People pressing for change
Structure pressing for change
Process variables pressing for change
Technology variables pressing for change
Restraining Forces
People variable resisting change
Structure variable resisting change
Process variables variable resisting change
Technology variables variable resisting change
Equilibrium
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Reasons for Resistance
Social uncertainty
Limited perspectives
Lack of understanding
Threats to power and influence
Resistance to technical personnel
Perception that costs outweigh benefits
Fear of failure and inadequacy
Loss of control
Feelings of insecurity
Threat of economic loss
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Education and communication
Participation and involvement
Facilitation and support
Negotiation and agreement
Kurt Lewin – 3 Phases of Change
Unfreeze
Change
Refreeze
Chapter 10 Management Issues in Systems Development
Top five reasons for project success:
User involvement
Executive management support
Clear statement of requirements
Proper planning
Realistic expectations
Top five reasons for project failure:
Lack of user input
Incomplete requirements & specs
Changing requirements & specs
Lack of executive support
Technological incompetence