IT in business

524 CASE Mod 3

As before, the Case for this module asks you to prepare an essay using the writing style, format and referencing methods described in the course Graded Activities and Writing Guides (see the Module 1 Supplemental Reading).

This Case is about how organizations can promote operational success while assimilating emerging technologies and e-commerce. The design of effective IT infrastructure has enabled organizations to accomplish their goals and strategies but remains a challenging task for IT management. The ability to execute IT operations requires a set of policies, procedures, and regulations that are critical for survival. While the IT infrastructure deals with technical aspects, IT architecture focuses on IT governance.

As an IT manager, you must continually question the process to understand what parts of IT operations are well-managed or, conversely, lacking effective control. Some of the main issues include:

IT Infrastructure: Define the computing and network platforms. Has the organization adopted industry standards? Is the necessary technical expertise and talent residing internally? Is there a formal system to acquire technology and track project development? Who leads the IT function and what is the reporting structure?

IT Architecture: What role does IT play within the organization? Are IT performance matrices in place? Is data properly stored and secured? Are IT platforms designed to enable the evolution of products and services and new development? Is there an information policy? Is information available for timely management reporting?

IT Governance: Does the CIO attend the technology governance board meetings? What are the accountabilities and system controls in place for internal auditing and regulation compliance? Are IT and organizational strategy properly aligned? In general, what are the security mechanisms in place to guard company information and assets

These concerns run through the required readings for this Case. They are:

Cantor, M., & Sanders, J. D. (2007, May 15). Operational IT governance. Retrieved from  https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/may07/cantor_sanders/

Zurich Help Point. (2010). The liability of technology companies for data breaches. Retrieved from https://www.advisen.com/downloads/Emerging_Cyber_Tech.pdf

Huhta, S. (2011). IT architecture for small & mid-sized organizations. Business Forum Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizforum.org/Journal/www_journalSH002.htm

SlideShare. (2009). IT infrastructure (Part I). [Power Point slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/soetam/1-mis-it-infrastructure-part-i

Schwartz, K. D. (2007, May 22). IT governance definitions and solutions. CIO. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://www.cio.com/article/111700/IT_Governance_Definition_and_Solutions

Musthaler, L., &Musthaler, B. (2008, March 26). IT governance best practices are critical for business success. NetworkWorld. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/2008/052608techexec1.html?page=1

Kadivar, S. (2011, February 15). Green memories accelerate ROI for data centers. CIO. Retrieved from http://www.cio.com/article/665167/Green_Memories_Accelerate_ROI_for_Data_Centers?taxonomyId=3028

In addition, the optional readings expand on many of the central points; you may also want to do some independent research to clarify any issues.

Case Assignment

Once you have read through the articles and related material, compose a 4- to 6-page critical analysis on the following topic:

What dynamic role do IT managers play in IT governance? Why is IT governance necessary? What is the exposure if a company ignores IT governance? Illustrate the Case with the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) federal regulations for compliance. What is the connection between regulations and IT?

Carefully explain and justify your conclusions.

524 SLP Second Assignment

Session Long Project

Begin with the website of the MasterControl Quality Management System http://www.mastercontrol.com/resource/online_resources.html#od; there you will find several demonstrations of how the MCQM system tracks quality while incorporating company-wide processes for regulation compliance. Review the 3-minute FDA and ISO videos to get familiar with non-compliance risk, software validation, and risk assessment. You do not need to subscribe to the website, but make sure you think of yourself as a manager of IT governance in a big company rather than as a consumer.

After you review the videos, write a 2- to 3-page paper analyzing what you have learned. Start the paper with a brief overview and description of FDA and ISO regulations that exist to protect consumers. Briefly discuss how the MCQM system connects all processes critical to compliance.

Then create a grid as shown below with the selected regulations and the risk of non-compliance for each regulation, as well as solutions that meet compliance requirements.

Regulation	Risk of Non-Compliance	Solutions to Compliance
FDA
ISO

Conclude with a summary of what you have learned in the demos and the advantages of implementing an enterprise-wide quality management system to establish IT governance. Is it advisable to develop a compliance quality system in-house?

Write a 2- to 3-page double-spaced paper.

Remember that these SLP papers require that you integrate, discuss, cite, and later fully reference at least three academically relevant sources. Use enough concurrent discussion so that the purpose of each citation is apparent. (Note that the paper is incomplete without at least three academically relevant references. Articles such as those in CIO and HBR are acceptable. You may also use military/corporate references, but they do not count as one of the required references.)

Use information from the modular background readings as well as any quality resource you can find. Please cite all sources and provide a reference list at the end of your paper.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of regulations and their impact on IT governance.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of risk for non-compliance.

3. Provide some in-text references to modular background readings.

Note: You are not to use any government/military classified or corporate-sensitive information in the development of any TUI papers or in any Discussions.