Based on your adopted organization(s), identify and discuss barriers in their IS/IT implementation. (2000words)
Organizations that will be able to realign their operational policies and practices with the new IS will have an easier time with the implementation, create more positive organizational goodwill, successfully optimize the software, and achieve a greater return on their investment.
Our adopted organization is ANFLOCOR. Their MIS (internal affairs) are for its clients, they create a system that is required by their clients. On the word of the Senior Manager- IT and Management Services of ANFLOCOR their end-users who are also their customers are their main concern. They do not consider the end-users as a barrier (the term ‘barrier’) in their IS/IT implementation but their approval is a necessity before the implementation. Since the IS that ANFLOCOR brings into being are from the request of their customers, implementation will really vary upon the customer that is why it is necessary for them to have the nod of their end-users/customers before implementing it.
However, on the end-users/customers part, in view of the fact that they took ANFLOCOR’s service there is the assumption that the company (end-user/customer) had already discussed the cost and their current system before taking the service of ANFLOCOR.
In my point of view, our adopted organization for study – ANFLOCOR, since whom we interviewed is under MIS for internal affairs whose main focus are their clients also and only have their clients as barriers on IS implementation. Although realistically speaking, they are not the one responsible for the implementation but their customer. Then again, they have to satisfy the customer and the customer will only be satisfied if they can see that the IS to be implemented conforms to their:
• Organizational Policies and Procedures (Workflow and Timing, Transaction Flows, Organizational Rules and System Rigidity);
• Computer Related Procedures and Policies (Data Entry Policies and Procedures, Timing Considerations, Data Updates, User Access and Security Administration);
• Input and Processing Capability (Speed, Information Retrieval, Data Integrity, Printing and Report Design, and Distribution Needs); and
• Organizational Technology Capability (IT Staff, Users and Management).
Let me explain further those aforementioned issues, because they are what the clients of our adopted organization for study – ANFLOCOR – consider.
Organizational Policies and Procedures
•Workflow and Timing: Manual processes and/or current systems must blend into the new IS.
•Transaction Flows: Address, revise and reach agreement on input forms, authorization signatures, and report routing.
•Organizational Rules: The system must include specification of any organization specific rules in existence.
•System Rigidity: Once again emphasize that the flexibility of manual processes may evaporate with a new system.
Computer Related Procedures and Policies
•Data Entry Policies and Procedures: Who's responsible for entering the data? Does this still make sense if the business processes change with the new system?
•Timing Considerations: When will reports be generated? What are the cut-off dates for data entry?
•Data Updates: Can anyone update data at any time or will there be cut-off times and/or dates?
•User Access: Which users shall have access to which portions of the database and on what basis?
•Security Administration: What levels of security do they currently have? What do they want? Is there a plan for the prevention of data damage or loss, the backup of data and program files, unauthorized distribution of information, computer viruses, network crashes, and interruptions in power?
Input and Processing Capability
•Speed: Just because a system can hold a large volume of records does not mean that it can process changes to all those records rapidly. Acceptable time parameters should be established early in the project.
•Information Retrieval: Users must be able to retrieve grouped data, such as a list of certain types of loans.
•Data Integrity: A good system includes several types of procedures that maximize the accuracy of the data it contains. Most data errors occur in the data entry process through miscoding or operator carelessness. Edit and validation processes limit the types of data accepted in a particular field.
•Printing and Report Design: A good system is capable of producing reports for management, employees and other government organizations.
•Distribution Needs: The form in which information needs to be disseminated has to be addressed. Options may include electronic mail, batch data, use of external databases, distributed or off-line printing at multiple locations, and other telecommunications options.
Organizational Technology Capability
•IT Staff — A centralized database will require the use of a network, in some form, to enable user’s access to the data. Also the larger the database required, typically the more sophisticated it will be. Both of these elements together will require a high skilled network systems administrator. Consider the availability and cost of acquiring such a person for the institution.
•Users — Depending on the daily staff’s previous experience with using computers, it may be necessary to provide a much greater amount of up front training in basic computer skills, in addition to training on the new software package. For novice users a windows based product can be much less intimidating.
•Management — Managers often receive the same training as staff users, but in fact their primary contact with the MIS is not putting data into the system, but getting information out of the system. It is important to provide training to management that is customized to their information needs as managers. In some cases, exporting the data or reports into MS Excel or a similar tool will be necessary to do more in depth data modelling and trend analysis. An MIS is only as good as the information its users can extract from it.
Reference:
http://www.cgap.org
Organizations that will be able to realign their operational policies and practices with the new IS will have an easier time with the implementation, create more positive organizational goodwill, successfully optimize the software, and achieve a greater return on their investment.
Our adopted organization is ANFLOCOR. Their MIS (internal affairs) are for its clients, they create a system that is required by their clients. On the word of the Senior Manager- IT and Management Services of ANFLOCOR their end-users who are also their customers are their main concern. They do not consider the end-users as a barrier (the term ‘barrier’) in their IS/IT implementation but their approval is a necessity before the implementation. Since the IS that ANFLOCOR brings into being are from the request of their customers, implementation will really vary upon the customer that is why it is necessary for them to have the nod of their end-users/customers before implementing it.
However, on the end-users/customers part, in view of the fact that they took ANFLOCOR’s service there is the assumption that the company (end-user/customer) had already discussed the cost and their current system before taking the service of ANFLOCOR.
In my point of view, our adopted organization for study – ANFLOCOR, since whom we interviewed is under MIS for internal affairs whose main focus are their clients also and only have their clients as barriers on IS implementation. Although realistically speaking, they are not the one responsible for the implementation but their customer. Then again, they have to satisfy the customer and the customer will only be satisfied if they can see that the IS to be implemented conforms to their:
• Organizational Policies and Procedures (Workflow and Timing, Transaction Flows, Organizational Rules and System Rigidity);
• Computer Related Procedures and Policies (Data Entry Policies and Procedures, Timing Considerations, Data Updates, User Access and Security Administration);
• Input and Processing Capability (Speed, Information Retrieval, Data Integrity, Printing and Report Design, and Distribution Needs); and
• Organizational Technology Capability (IT Staff, Users and Management).
Let me explain further those aforementioned issues, because they are what the clients of our adopted organization for study – ANFLOCOR – consider.
Organizational Policies and Procedures
•Workflow and Timing: Manual processes and/or current systems must blend into the new IS.
•Transaction Flows: Address, revise and reach agreement on input forms, authorization signatures, and report routing.
•Organizational Rules: The system must include specification of any organization specific rules in existence.
•System Rigidity: Once again emphasize that the flexibility of manual processes may evaporate with a new system.
Computer Related Procedures and Policies
•Data Entry Policies and Procedures: Who's responsible for entering the data? Does this still make sense if the business processes change with the new system?
•Timing Considerations: When will reports be generated? What are the cut-off dates for data entry?
•Data Updates: Can anyone update data at any time or will there be cut-off times and/or dates?
•User Access: Which users shall have access to which portions of the database and on what basis?
•Security Administration: What levels of security do they currently have? What do they want? Is there a plan for the prevention of data damage or loss, the backup of data and program files, unauthorized distribution of information, computer viruses, network crashes, and interruptions in power?
Input and Processing Capability
•Speed: Just because a system can hold a large volume of records does not mean that it can process changes to all those records rapidly. Acceptable time parameters should be established early in the project.
•Information Retrieval: Users must be able to retrieve grouped data, such as a list of certain types of loans.
•Data Integrity: A good system includes several types of procedures that maximize the accuracy of the data it contains. Most data errors occur in the data entry process through miscoding or operator carelessness. Edit and validation processes limit the types of data accepted in a particular field.
•Printing and Report Design: A good system is capable of producing reports for management, employees and other government organizations.
•Distribution Needs: The form in which information needs to be disseminated has to be addressed. Options may include electronic mail, batch data, use of external databases, distributed or off-line printing at multiple locations, and other telecommunications options.
Organizational Technology Capability
•IT Staff — A centralized database will require the use of a network, in some form, to enable user’s access to the data. Also the larger the database required, typically the more sophisticated it will be. Both of these elements together will require a high skilled network systems administrator. Consider the availability and cost of acquiring such a person for the institution.
•Users — Depending on the daily staff’s previous experience with using computers, it may be necessary to provide a much greater amount of up front training in basic computer skills, in addition to training on the new software package. For novice users a windows based product can be much less intimidating.
•Management — Managers often receive the same training as staff users, but in fact their primary contact with the MIS is not putting data into the system, but getting information out of the system. It is important to provide training to management that is customized to their information needs as managers. In some cases, exporting the data or reports into MS Excel or a similar tool will be necessary to do more in depth data modelling and trend analysis. An MIS is only as good as the information its users can extract from it.
Reference:
http://www.cgap.org
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