Main areas When manging Information System and Information Technology in an Organization June 9, 2009
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Computers provide effective and efficient way of processing data where as Information systems requires an understanding of the business and its environment that supported by the IS however computer is a necessary part of a computer on the other hand information technology is collection of computing systems used by and organization and also IT is technological side of information system.
When successfully managing IS/IT in an organization to be productive and profitable the management involvements of the company have to consider the five area such as IT security, e-commerce, customer relationship management, information technology infrastructure and knowledge management. IT security is no longer be treated as standalone function and since it is an un avoidable area of managing IS/IT. CRM is one of major portion of functional enterprise system which provides customer care as well as forging long-term relationships with customers is the key to stability in an increasing dynamic market. E-commerce is capable of automating many business processes as possible using information technology and information systems. IT infrastructure and digitized business process automating a company’s core capabilities thus IT infrastructure is the key to integrating the people, processes, technology and information. The knowledge management is a range of practice that organizations are using to identify, create, present, distribute and enable adoption of insights and experiences.
Customer Relationship Management
IT Security
Information systems collets, process, stores, analyses and disseminate information for a specific purpose, when it related to digital economy that system bases on digital technologies. IT security broadly refers to protection of information and other digital assets, communication networks, traditional and e-commerce business operations to assures their integrity, availability and authorized use and to defend against financial loss and liability furthermore IT security failures have direct impact on business and it is so integral to business objectives that it can no longer be treated as standalone function thus IT Security is an un avoidable area that we must believe as heart of management involvement with IS/IT.
Hardware , software and communication are three main portion of information system and e- business information systems are computer applications that use the Internet technology, its universal connectivity and the capabilities of the web browser to integrate business process within and beyond enterprise. According to the (Turban, 2008) digital economy is Internet economy, the new economy or the web economy. As a result of this e-business and digital economy facility it allows transaction to be conducted in an integrated and enlarge information space by removing constrains imposed by diverse computer platforms, networks and applications as well as eliminating geographical boundaries.
When technology become more and more advanced the main issue is its safety because protection possibility also increases inversely. Information systems security means safeguard all three components (Hardware, software, communication) and protection information from unauthorised access, use, disclose, disruption, modification or destruction. On the other hand information security is a business problem that can be assessed with the same analytic methods that used for other business related risk and consequences. In other words secured information systems have qualities of security component such as confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA).
Trcek (2006) has suggested ISs security and privacy management is an umbrella process consisting of planning, organizing, executing and supervising with corrective actions – these are the classical management functions according to Henri Fayol. And also he suggested IS, IT security and privacy management binds together an organization’s objectives and strategies, the establishment of an appropriate organization structure, the source of security policy, its implementation and validation, its execution and compliance checking, together with adjustment, including reaction to incident and handling of these incidents. Further more all IT techniques and strategies enable business decision markers to tackle information security policy even if they do not know very much about the technology. According to all those factors when selecting appropriate manager who is responsible for IS/IT is not a easy task because in this case their skills, knowledge, experience have to be consider and examine thoroughly.
IT security manager responsible for the planning, design and audig of security policies and procedures which safeguard the integrity of and access to systems and electronic information in order to guard information against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure. To fulfil above mentioned responsibilities the manger should be able to identifies and develops area where information security policies and procedures require creation or updates, confers with management, developers, auditors, plan security for data, software applications, hardware, telecommunication and computer installation, prepare risk assessment and security briefing related issues, manage IT security awareness programs and activates and create security policies. The successful managers should have knowledge of risk assessment procedures, policy formation, authentication technologies, security arrack pathologies, application level security and security programme development or management furthermore desired skills are project management skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, problem solving and analytical skills, oral and written communication skills.
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Relationship management is not only a competitive advantage but also requirement for survival in business industry because Wu and Wu (2005) have suggested CRM is replacement of traditional ‘four PS’ of marketing – product, price, place and promotion (p. 1). Further more CRM is one of major portion of functional enterprise system which provides customer care as well as forging long-term relationships with customers is the key to stability in an increasing dynamic market, therefore Customer Relationship Management is vital area that we have to believe as hart of the management involvement with IS/IT.
Customer relationship management is an enterprise wide effort to acquire and retain profitable customers. It adds value to both customers and company by building long term and sustainable customer relationship. Customer relationship management is an approach that recognize that customer are the core of business and that the company’s success depend on effectively managing relationship with them. Turban (2008, p. 331) has suggested that three types of applications such as Customer- facing application, Customer-touching application, Customer-centric intelligence application as tools used by CRM applications.
With the era of technology business started using web browser, the internet, and other electronic touch point such as email, POS terminal, call canters, and directs sales. As a result of electronic business the electronic CRM is introduce to mange customer relationship. CRM applications depend of services-oriented architecture to ensure that customer data is truly ready for business(Kobielus, 2008, p. 1).
Selecting a manager for CRM in first place with responsibilities for IS/IT is not a simple task because Wu and Wu (2008, p. 1) have state that 60% of web-based CRM software installations are failures. Wu, Chen & Chang (2007) has suggested carrying a critical IS activities out involves the use of a number of different skills and knowledge and also IS professional activities were significantly different among the management levels, but not significantly different for various industry types (p. 1). Further more Lerogue, Newton & Blanton (2005) have suggested that technical and managerial skills are the most important in affecting organizational success. Turban (2006, p. 334) has mentioned major issues relating to CRM failures as follows:
Failure to identify and focus on specific business problem.
- Lack of non IT senior management sponsorship.
- Poor user acceptance
- Trying to automate a poorly defined process.
Successful CRM managers should able do the following to avoid failures when implementing CRM.
Determine how the organization responds to customers by conducting survey.
- Carefully consider the four components of CRM: sales, service, marketing and channel/partner management.
- Use defined metrics for measure accomplishment of CRM with both quality and quantity.
- Evaluate up to what extent CRM software can vis-à-vis the organization objectives which is going to be implement.
- Determine on a strategy: refining existing CRM processes, or reengineering the CRM.
- Specially evaluate frontline agents, field service, and sales people and all levels in the organization.
- Prioritize the organizations requirements according to the category such as must, desired, or not so important.
- Select most suitable CRM software to the organizations.
All above mentions facts illustrate that CRM involves relatively comprehensive and complicated business process and activities while coordinating marketing, selling and service activities across intra-organizational and inter-organizational boundaries thus to fulfil this role the manager must be able to show skills and knowledge as follows:
Firstly he or she must have B.S. degree in marketing or business and certificate in customer relationship management and master’s in business administration will be added qualification because the role of CRM manger is more closely to business process rather than technical initiatives but it does not mean that CRM manger no need to have technical knowledge. Secondly CRM manager must have knowledge of working with interaction software, advanced reporting software such as or Crystal report or Oracle, database and knowledge of Microsoft office application like Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Thirdly CRM manager must have skills such as data analysis skills, excellent communication skills, team working skills, time management skills, project/programme management skills, self motivation skills and leadership skills. This marketing, business and technological knowledge together with those skills helps to develop strategies to achieve repeat sales, generate customer satisfaction, to organize promotional activities for customers, communicate with variety of internal departments, to analyse customer activities and communication, to learn from existing customer trends and searching for areas of improvement.
E-Commerce
Technology progress and use of information technology will continue at a rapid place with the revolution in computing and communication. E-commerce automate many business process as possible using information technology and information systems within both internet and extranet further more Chaston, Badger & Magles (2003) has suggested that ecommerce provides and opportunity to asses possible relationship that may exist between relationship marketing, knowledge management systems and market performance (p. 109) thus managing e-commerce is important area with IS/IT.
Electronic commerce describe the process of buying, selling transferring, serving or exchanging product, services or information via computer and e-business information systems are computer applications that leverage intra and inter-firm process and systems integration. Malkawi (2006) has defined ecommerce as the use of the Internet to conduct business transaction nationally of internationally (p. 3). Turban (2008) has mentioned electronic commerce is automate as many business processes as possible these process can be order initiation, order fulfilment, procurement of material manufacturing, delivery or providing CRM (p. 161). As an example for e-commerce the company Dell provides products and or services to customer according to Turban (2008) the Dell buys inputs such as material, parts and/or service from supplier and other business partners in a partners in a procurement process and processing the inputs is done in production or operation department and other departments such as finance and marketing support to conversion of input to outputs and the sale to customer.
Turban (2008) illustrates eight types of commonly use e-commerce transaction that can be done between various parties. B2B – Business to Business this is the vast majority of e- commerce volume and both the seller and the buyers are business organizations. C-commerce – Collaborative commerce business partners collaborate electronically rather than buying or selling between and among business partners along the supply chain. B2C – Business to consumer and also known as e-tailing in this case sellers are organization and the buyers are individuals. C2C – Consumer to consumer that means individuals sells products or services to individuals. B2B2C – Business to business to customer in this case business sells to a business but delivers the product or service to individual consumers. C2B – Consumers-to businesses in this type consumers make known a particular need for a product or service, and suppliers complete to provide the product or service to consumer. Intrabusiness commerce – interorganizational commerce uses electronic commerce internally to improve its operations. G2C – Government to citizens and others this is government unit provides services to its citizen via e-commerce technology.
Reynolds (2004) has suggested without the appropriate technical knowledge and the understand of the ins and outs e- commerce is easy to get lost therefore first of all in term of technical side your goal should be : learn what it takes to build various kinds of website, determine what kind of website you want to build, build it, continue to improve and update it. According to the Turban (2008) limitation also exist in ecommerce in both technological and none technological. Technological limitations are lack of universally accepted standards, insufficient telecommunication bandwidth, integrating Internet and e-commerce application, need web servers in addition to the network server. None technological limitations are some unresolved legal issues lack of government regulations and industry sanders, lack of measuring benefits of and justifying electronic commerce and an insufficient number of sellers and buyers exists form many electronic commerce products and services.
Shan & Dawson (2003, p. 1) has shown drivers for electronic commerce are both technological and business or0iented as well as both technological and business drivers should play an important. Shan & Dawson also demonstrate that management involvement is imperative for the success of e-commerce implementation and also risks of entering e-commerce are many and it is important that the issues are understood. All above reasons a show selecting an e-commerce suitable manger is very important to organizations success and growth. The successful managers able to do the following: support with the creation of an annual e-marketing and budget, setting up marketing meetings, managing and developing the web site, administration, set up and management of promotion and packages, development of e-marketing strategies, identify internet opportunities in support of marketing goals and objectives, utilize market and competitive profiles, product profiles, market research. Knowledge such as Marketing , business analysis, information and communication technology, programming, dynamic web design and skills like project management, team working, problem solving, content writing are essential to fulfil the role of ecommerce management.
IT Infrastructure
New technologies are coming together to help you construct a smarter, more flexible environment thus to address the complexity of today’s requirements IT needs fresh approach to infrastructure. Further more information technology and information systems are key to ensure that company continue to meet business needs in cost effectively and also more changes happens in business than IT or the business can anticipate and changes to IT services or the supporting infrastructure must be closely managed in order to avoid disruption therefore the IT infrastructure have to be consider the most important area of management involvement with IS/IT.
Infrastructure basically refers everything that supports the flow and processing of information that means interconnecting equipment, systems, hardware, software and other devices such as transmission media, including telephone lines, cable television lines, satellite and antenna. (Stationery Office , 2002, p. 1) has shown that good planning, administration, and control are key to ensure that Information services are built and that they continue to meet business needs in a cost-effective manner. According to the Ross and Weill ( 2006) foundation for execution is the IT infrastructure and digitized business process automating a company’s core capabilities (p. 4). Further more IT infrastructure is the key to integrating the people, processes, technology and information necessary to achieve business goals and also it is serves as the foundation upon which mission/programme/project-specific systems and capabilities are built. That is how IT infrastructure plays vital role in IT/IT.
Ferguson & Charrington (2004) have suggested organization want an infrastructure that can desire to display characteristics that are difficult to achieve simultaneous trough traditional IT architecture. Ferguson & Charrington also describe those characteristic as dependable, manageable, adaptable and affordable. Stationery Office (2002) has suggested existing infrastructure able to provide demanding new services according to changing business requirements (p. 2). The distributed , complex and powerful IT infrastructure is placing more stringent demands upon IT management and its process and tools, and hence a demand for more investment. The effective IT infrastructure management has benefits for both the business and IT. Benefits to the business are increased service availability and quality to users, better match capacity to users’ requirements, less adverse impact of changes on the quality of IT, more efficient handling problems, lower costs of IT service provision, reduce risk failure and minimising the effect of such failure. Benefits to IT services are managing changes to IT infrastructure, managing problem, anticipating problems, increased productivity of IT personnel, reduce risk and identify new which could reduce cost
Johnson, Hately and Miller (2007) has suggested to support new business processes and to address the challenges of cost, complexity, and compliance with government regulation , many IT organizations are implementing comprehensive approach to management-information technology service and this approach focus on aligning IT services with business objective strive to optimize the performance of the entire business organization. Most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world is Information Technology Infrastructure Libratory (ITIL). IT is a cohesive best practice framework that describes the organisation of IT resources to deliver business value, and document processes, function and roles in IT service Management. ITIL version 3 has nine core modules such as service delivery, Service support, Service management, ICT infrastructure management, Security management, The business perspective, Application management, The application management, planning to implement service management and Security management.
The infrastructure manager’s role is not only for technological objects but also to plan, organize and manage staff and overall operation to ensure the stable operation of the organization’s IT infrastructure. The responsibility of this role includes developing, maintaining, supporting, and optimizing, key functional areas, specially network infrastructure , server infrastructure, data communication and telecommunication systems further more resolve hardware and software problems in a timely and accurate fashion. The successful infrastructure manger requires extensive knowledge of wide area and local area network, telecommunication, server administration messaging system, data centre operation, database administration, storage management, disaster recovery, IT security, IT infrastructure strategic planning and development and ITIL framework. Desired skills are Project management skills, team working skills, policy development skills, Excellent professional writing skills.
When selecting staff for knowledge management systems is very complicates because most of the issues concerning the success, implementation and effective knowledge management systems are people issues. The person in charge of the knowledge management system must be able to do the followings: set strategic priorities for knowledge management, establish knowledge repository of best practices, gain commitment from senior executives to support a learning environment, teach information seekers how to ask better and smarter questions, establish a process of managing intellectual assets, obtain customer satisfaction, globalize knowledge management. Steinberg( 2002) has mention that too much information is one of the reason to failure of knowledge system because it is not easy to search. Doesouza (2003) has suggested that inability to capture and categorized knowledge as well as from over management of the process also reason to failure.
Knowledge management:
Knowledge management is more a methodology applied to business practices than a technology product and also information technology enables knowledge management by providing the enterprise architecture thus information technology is vital to success of every knowledge management system hence knowledge management is inevitable area of managing IS/IT.
Knowledge management enables effective and efficient problem solving, dynamic learning, strategic planning and decision making. Turban (2008) has describe knowledge management is a process that helps organizations identify, select, organize, disseminate and transfer important information and expertise that are part of the organization’s memory and that typically reside within the organization and unstructured manner (p. 390). In other words knowledge management is a range of practice that organizations are using to identify, create, present, distribute and enable adoption of insights and experiences. Objective of knowledge management to organizations are improved performance, competitive advantage, innovation and continuous improvement. (Bennet & Bennet, 2003) has describe the goal of knowledge management for an organization as to be aware of individual and collective knowledge collective knowledge.
Good knowledge management system never finish that is knowledge is dynamically refined over time therefore knowledge management system follow cycle steps. Six step of knowledge management cycle are create knowledge, capture knowledge, refine knowledge, store knowledge, manage knowledge and disseminate knowledge. Approaches to knowledge management systems can be categorized in to three ways those are the process, the practice and the best practices approach. There are three sets of technologies that used to develop knowledge management systems and those are communication, collaboration and storage and retrieval. The main managerial issues that knowledge management systems are facing is store tacit knowledge and measure the benefits.
management can be believe and treated as vital of management involvement with IS/IT.
References :
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