Chapter 11

Information Systems Management

© 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

11-2 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

This Could Happen to You

Dee wants to restrict access to blog– Easiest way is to put it on Emerson’s server– Needed permission and help of IT department

Used manager to force submission

– Exposed Emerson to enormous security risk Consultant could have misused system

– Dee didn’t understand the problems– Different approach could have elicited more supportive

response Interact in a more effective way

11-3 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Study Questions

Why do you need to know about the IT department? What are the responsibilities of the IT department? How is the IT department organized? What IS-related job positions exist? How do organizations decide how much to spend on

IT? What are your rights and responsibilities? How does knowledge from this chapter help you at

Emerson or DSI?

11-4 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Why Do You Need to Know about the IT Department?

Need to understand the responsibilities and duties of the IT department

– More effective consumer– Obtain services, equipment, and systems needed

Need to know about functions of IT department to be IS-savvy

– Better understand how to integrate disparate companies or offices

– Can raise IT issues early in merger or acquisition– Better understand needs of IT department in supporting

new initiatives

11-5 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

What Are the Responsibilities of the IT Department?

Plan for information systems and IT infrastructure

Develop and adapt information systems and IT infrastructure

Maintain information systems and operate and maintain IT infrastructure

Protect infrastructure and data

11-6 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Plan for Information Systems

Further organization’s competitive strategy– Align activities with primary goals and objectives

of organization– Adapt infrastructure and systems to new goals

Assess new technologies to determine possible applications

Agile enterprise– Organizations that can adapt quickly to changes

in external factors

11-7 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Develop and Adapt Information Systems

IT department must create, develop, and adapt information systems

Create and adapt infrastructure– Computer networks, servers, data centers, data

warehouses, data marts

Create systems infrastructures– E-mail, VPN, instant messaging, blogs, net meetings

Specify standard computer systems

11-8 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Maintain Information Systems and Infrastructures

Operate and maintain infrastructure– Networks and servers must be monitored, tuned,

and repaired– System outages are expensive

Respond to threats to infrastructure

11-9 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Protect Infrastructure and Data from Threats

Threats to infrastructure and data from:– Human error and mistakes– Malicious human activity– Natural events and disasters

IT department helps organizations manage risk– Identify potential threats– Estimate financial and other risks– Specify safeguards– Determine which level of risk to assume

11-10 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

How Is the IT Department Organized?

Chief Information Officer (CIO)– Principal manager– Reports to CEO, COO, or CFO

Technology office– Head: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)– Investigates new information systems technologies for

possible application at organization

Operations– Manages computing infrastructure

11-11 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

How Is the IT Department Organized?, continued

Development– Manages process of creating new information

systems– Maintains existing system

Outsourcing relations– Handles affairs with outsourced systems

Data administration staff functions– Establishes data standards and data

management practices and policies

11-12 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

What IS-Related Job Positions Exist?

Systems analyst Programmer PQA test engineer Technical writer User support

representative Computer technician Network administrator Consultant

Sales Small-scale project

manager Large-scale project

manager Database administrator CIO CTO

11-13 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Position Requirements

Most positions require business knowledge Many require university degrees Most require good verbal and writing skills Think dual majors with IS!

– Accounting– Marketing– Management

11-14 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Guide: Jumping Aboard the Bulldozer

Recent media reports blame overseas outsourcing on US job loss

Real culprit is increased productivity because of information technology

Creative destruction– Unneeded jobs removed– No new hiring

Be a business professional– Use technology and information systems to help the

organization– Define yourself more generally

11-15 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

How Do Organizations Decide How Much to Spend on IT?

Analyze costs and benefits of system– Estimate dollar costs – Value tangible benefits

Lifetime value of customers lost by not having support system Anticipated customer support cost savings

– Value intangible benefits Value of email system

– Compute costs and tangible benefits to see if project is justified

If not, then compute intangibles

11-16 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

What Are Your Rights?

Rights include:– Having resources to perform work proficiently– Having reliable network and Internet services– Secure computing environment– Participating in requirements meeting for applications– Reliable systems development and maintenance– Prompt attention to problems, concerns and complaints– Effective training

11-17 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

What Are Your Responsibilities?

Responsibilities include:– Learning basic computer skills and techniques– Following security and backup procedures– Using computer resources in a manner consistent with

employer’s policies– Making no unauthorized hardware modifications– Installing only authorized programs– Installing computer patches and fixes– Treating informational systems workers professionally

11-18 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Ethics Guide: Using the Corporate Computer

Playing computer games during work hours

Playing computer games before and after work

Responding to e-mails from an ill parent

Watching DVDs during lunch and breaks

Sending e-mails to plan a party that mostly involves people from work

Computers, e-mail, and the Internet are to be used primarily for official company business. Small amounts of personal email can be exchanged with friends and family, and occasional usage of the Internet is permitted, but such usage should be limited and never interfere with your work

You are a manager at a company with the above policy. You find out that an employee has been:

11-19 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Ethics Guide: Using the Corporate Computer, continued

Sending e-mails to plan a party that mostly involves no one from work

Searching the Web for a new car

Reading the news on CNN.com

Checking the stock market over the Internet

Bidding on items for personal use on eBay

Selling personal items on eBay

Paying personal bills online Paying personal bills online

when traveling on company business

Buying an airplane ticket for an ill parent over the Internet

Changing the content of a personal Web site

Changing the content of a personal business Web site

Buying an airplane ticket for a personal vacation over the Internet

11-20 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

How Does Knowledge from This Chapter Help You at Emerson or DSI?

How does this knowledge help you at Emerson:– Understand the need to protect network infrastructure– Suggest alternatives– Hire bonded consultant

Puzzling situation at DSI:– Sole IT person can not perform all jobs– Users are performing some of the work– Some jobs are not getting done– No one seems to be thinking strategically about IS

11-21 © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall, Experiencing MIS, David Kroenke

Active Review

Why do you need to know about the IT department? What are the responsibilities of the IT department? How is the IT department organized? What IS-related job positions exist? How do organizations decide how much to spend on

IT? What are your rights and responsibilities? How does knowledge from this chapter help you at

Emerson or DSI?