Centre for Information &

Knowledge Management

INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Jamie OBrien
Centre for Information & Knowledge
Management
University of Limerick
Lecture 3

E-mail: jamie.a.obrien@ul.ie

What well cover today

Information Auditing and Planning

Implementing Information Systems

Managing Information System acceptance and

usability
Managing Information System Fit

Information
Auditing and Planning

Developing the strategy?

Developing a worthwhile information
strategy involves two key activities that occur
in the following order;
Information Audits: first, investigate whats
happening and identify whats succeeding and
whats failing.
Information Plans: devise a course of action
to make sure whats working stays working
and to resolve any problems identified in the
audit.

Content of an Information
Audit
Determines information needs of the different
departments/individuals.
2. Lists the information resources available
and their costs and benefits.
3. Establishes how information systems within
the organisation function, i.e. users,
information flows, information contained
etc.

Some Sample Audit Questions

What is the purpose of the audited system?
Does it accomplish its purpose?
Is the purpose in line with the purpose and
philosophy of the organisation as a whole?
How effectively are resources used?
How are resources accounted for and
safeguarded?
How useful is the information system
supporting the organisation?
How reliable is the information system?
Does the system comply with regulations and
standards?

Audit Context and Outcomes

Information audit context highly
important.
What is the context?
Organisational constraints and competitor or
market place norms.

Primary outcome in the form of a report.

Secondary outcomes could be the possible
identification of organisational problems
and/or opportunities.

Possible problems like

Redundancy
Duplication
Inconsistency
Incompatibility
Excessive Costs

Possible Opportunities like

People assets such as skills and expertise
which were previously unidentified.
Information systems that are not being fully
exploited.
The possible use of Information systems to
support more innovative ways of offering
an existing product or service.
The possible use of Information systems to
support the creation of an entirely new
product or service.

What is an Information Plan?

A document produced at the end of a
thorough information audit.
Document is organic and will change over
time; why?

Is both Reactive and Proactive.

TWO KEY COMPONENTS:
1)The marrying of IT and Organisational Vision
and Strategy.
2)Practical steps to bring the plan to fruition.

Bringing IT and Org Strategy

together
This part of the Plan includes the
following:
Organisational Vision and Strategy.
Current IT systems that supports this
vision / strategy.
Proposed IT systems expected to supports
this vision / strategy.

Making the plan happen

The Budget for the Information Plan.
The Timetable / Time frame for plan
implementation.
Contingency plans in place in case of IT
system failure.
The allocation of responsibilities for the
implementation and maintenance of the
plan.
An Audit schedule and list of potential
auditors.
Reactive?
Proactive?

Group Ex 1: Information
Auditing (15 minutes)

Identify and Discuss examples of the

problems and opportunities that
Information Audits can uncover.

Implementing Information
Systems

Difficulties with IS Projects in

the Public Sector (1)
Can be further complicated due to:
Size/Scale of undertaking.

Large number of potential end-users.

Political changes/considerations.
Ethical and Legal issues surrounding the
data to be stored and how it is to be
processed.

Difficulties with IS Projects in the

Public Sector (2)
Tendency for work practices in the public
sector to be static.

Lack of technical expertise (or lack of access

to same).

Difficulty in achieving recognition of system

importance.

How is an IS developed?
Standard Approach: Software Development
Life Cycle (SDLC) which consists of four
phases.
Analysis: understanding why we need to
create this system, who will be effected and
how it will come about.
Design: creating a system that meets the
requirements identified in the prior
analysis phase.

How is an IS developed?

Testing and Implementation: making sure

the system works and trying to ensure the
system birth is as painless as possible.
Maintenance: prolonging system life for as
long as necessary

Analysis Phase
Also known as the requirements
gathering phase.
Concerned with the what, who and how
questions.
What Questions, e.g. What will the system do
and what need will it be fulfil? What process or
system is it replacing (if any)?
What information will it contain?
Who Questions, e.g. who will use it?, who will
own and/or pay for it etc.
How Questions, e.g. how long will it take, how
will it be sold to the users, how much will it
cost? How will people be trained to use it etc.

Design Phase
Concerned with how the system is to be
created and the physical act of creation itself.
How will the system be created (with what
technology)?
Who will create it (buy it off a shelf or from
scratch) and will it be created by internal
and/or external staff?
Are we sure we have enough time, people,
money and support?
Are we clear are about what the system is
supposed to do?

Testing and Implementation

Three critical issues to be considered:
Has the system been tested sufficiently?

How do we manage the technical changes

(especially if changing over from an
existing system)?
How do we manage the Organisational
Changes?

Maintenance
Three critical issues to be considered:
How much will it cost to keep the system
going?
How easy is it to make changes to this
system?
When did (or will) the system be likely to be
no longer cost-effective?
Maintenance therefore the phase where
systems are kept alive or sunsetted.

Managing Changeovers

In many situations a system already exists

and is being replaced by a new (hopefully)
more effective system.
This scenario is referred to as a changeover.
If a new system has not been created as a
replacement, implementation is still difficult,
but you only have to focus on the new system.

A changeover scenario more difficult to

manage. Why?

Types of Changeover Method

Immediate or Direct Cutover (Big Bang)
Parallel Processing

Phased Implementation
Pilot Approach

1) Direct Cutover or Big Bang

Results in rapid adoption of system
High risk strategy
High reliance on system design, testing,
training etc
No fallback option on legacy systems if
problems occur

 2) Running in parallel
New system run in parallel with legacy for
period of time
Reduced risk compared to direct system
cutover
Can compare the results of both systems
Only practicable where inputs and outputs of
old and new system correspond
Greater workload/pressure placed on staff
More time consuming and expensive as need
to maintain both systems.

 3) Phased Delivery
Low risk functions are implemented first
Reduced risk
Can back out of system adoption more
easily???
May result in inconsistent systems
Slower period to complete adoption
May not be a one for one replacement of
functionality

 4) Pilot
Involves implementing at certain
branches/departments first
Results in a staged implementation
Reduced risk but longer timeframe
Slower period to complete adoption
Results in different systems being operated at
different branches, leading to an inconsistent
customer experience

Group Ex 2: System
Changeover (20 minutes)

When changing over from an existing to a new

IS, the changeover method selected depends
on the criteria of time, cost and impact.
Elaborate
on
these
changeover method.

criteria

for

each

Managing Information System

acceptance
and usability

The Organisational Factors

- Risk-Averse Organisation to start with.
- Culture of Past IT Failures / IT Obsolescence?

- Culture of creating and designing IT systems,

without due consideration to the end-user.
- Lack of technical support and/or maintenance.

End-User Factors
- User concerns regarding their possible
dispensability.
- User concerns regarding sufficient training.

- Lack of user involvement in design process.

- User concerns regarding replacement of
existing system perceived to be successful
Leave well enough alone syndrome.
- Failure of system to meet user expectations
(Ronseal Test).

How can these factors be

overcome?

End-User Involvement.
Alleviating Resistance to Change.

Appropriate Training.

End-User Involvement (1)

Immediately from the requirements phase

Why?
Confirm System need why?
Communicate System importance how?

End-User Involvement (2)

Illustrate System advantages for their JobRoles.

Emphasis on Business Need translation
afterwards.
Inform on Progress.

Forum for User Involvement?

Alleviating Resistance to
Change

Should be mitigated by taking involvement

steps as discussed.
Accept a certain amount of cynicism let
success take root.
Maximise managerial support/Strategic
leaders.

Contextualise the system appropriately.

Ensure the Changeover method chosen is as
effective as possible.

Emphasise User-Friendliness of System.

Group Ex 3: Information
Acceptance

When implementing IS training, five key

training issues have to be considered.
Identify and Discuss.

Managing Information
System Fit

Importance of IS Fit
Not all IS succeed in making positive
contributions.
Failure can never be the fault of the
technology!!
How can we minimise the risk of failure?
The answer lies in getting the IS Fit right.

What do we mean by Fit?

Describes how well the system is incorporated
into the organisation.
For an IS to be successful, it needs to be (or
made) a good fit:

a) STRATEGICALLY, b) STRUCTURALLY &

c) CULTURALLY.
Issues of fit can impact each other in multiple
ways.

Strategic Fit?
Describes how well the functionality of the
system reflects the priorities of the
organisation.
Does it contribute to the strategic
aims/objectives of the organisation?
Does it fulfil a critical role?
The more critical the role, then??

How can we insure Strategic

Fit?
Have a good understanding of the critical
strategic processes in our organisation.
Be mindful of internal or external changes that
may change what is actually strategic or
critical to the organisation.
As managers, communicate the business
needs clearly to those responsible for
technology design and implementation.

Structural Fit?

Describes how well the functionality of the

system complements existing processes and
systems in the organisation.
Similarity to Existing Systems in terms of
technology (Configuration).

Similarity to Existing Systems in terms of

responsibility and hierarchy.

How can we insure Structural

Fit?

Information Auditing if done well can be preemptive in terms of duplication.

Be clear and open regarding responsibility and
ownership.
Be strong and ready to handle and manage
any process changes that may become clear.

Cultural Fit?
Describes how well the system is in tune with
what constitutes normal behaviour around
technology in the organisation.
Is technology accepted?
What is the level of technical literacy?
Does technology in general have a positive
history in the organisation?
Are the people who actually end-up using the
system used to having minimal say in what
the system needs to contain?

How can we insure Cultural

Fit?
Have a realistic view of the IT skills of your
staff and try and empower as much as
possible.
Push for any new system to be developed as
transparently as possible and have a strong
involvement of the end-users as early as
possible Why?
Gauge how much of a departure any new
system will be from what exists already in the
organisation Why?
Emphasise Informing, Educating and Involving
Why?

Group Ex 4: Information
System Fit (30 minutes)

Consider the Case Study provided and

answer the associated questions.

What weve covered today

Information Auditing and Planning.

Implementing Information Systems (with
particular attention given to the public sector).
Managing Information Acceptance and
Usability.

Importance of managing system Fit.

End of Todays Lecture