Info Systems in organisations - Examples

Data
Overview | Floptical's Carrot Chip Co | Large Organisation | EIT | Hastings DC | Church | Sample Answers

Overview

Example 1 : Floptical's Carrot Chips Co

Floptical's Carrot Chips Co (FCCC) is a growing company. They hope to have 30% of the Carrot Chip industry in 3 years time. In order to achieve this they intend to focus on producing a good quality product, keeping costs down, and identifying customer requirements through market research.

Exercise 1

From the above paragraph you can identify the aims or goals for FCCC.

Sample Answers

Structure Chart:

IT Activities

IT department

FCCC are about to introduce a new Information Technology Department. A proposed structure chart for this department is as follows...

"Brief" Job descriptions:

Career paths within FCCC

Programmer

• Systems Analyst/Programmer to
• IT manager

Help Desk Operator

• User support manager/database administrator to
• IT manager

Technician

• Senior hardware/Network technician to
• IT manager

Example 2 : Large Organisation

The computer services department in a large organisation may be divided into three functional areas:

a. Administration and Planning

Responsible for providing administration services for the computer services department, and also for planning and policy formulation.

Services provided by the administration and planning department include:

• Financial services; responsible for;
  • the preparation of financial statements,
  • processing of accounts;
  • assistance with project costing;
  • preparing submissions for project finance
  • monitoring spending on projects
• Policy and Planning; responsible for;
  • development and maintenance of computing related policy
  • development of plans, including; corporate plan; disaster recovery plan; security plans; backup plans
  • administration of computing contracts
  • monitoring of project schedules
• Training services; responsible for
  • co-ordinating the training of computer services employees
  • the provision of user training when required.
• Personnel services; responsible for
  • the welfare of computing services staff,; involved in recruitment and assistance with promotions and interviews.
• Clerical services; responsible for providing;
  • clerical support for the computing services department.

b. User Applications

Responsible for supporting users of existing applications and the development of new applications.

The User Applications area is responsible for the development and support of computing applications within the organisation. Services provided include:

• Database Administrator; (in some organisations is under the Facilities Support area) is responsible for
  • the organisation's databases
  • ensuring that data is accurate and readily available.
• User Support; the area that is responsible for
  • supporting existing applications and services provided by the computer services department.
  • User support has two responsibility areas:
    (i) Help Desk; where all user problems are logged and if possible from the phone solutions provided.
    (ii) User Support Analysts will solve any problems that can not be solved by the help desk, and may also modify existing applications for users. User support analyst are often tasked with evaluating new hardware and software.
  • Project Area; is responsible for
    the development of new applications.

Some organisations may have a large projects area (responsible for large projects which involve several man year's work) and a small project area (smaller projects that can be developed by one or two analyst programmers). Each large project team will have a project manager, one or more analysts, and several programmers.

Within the Project area there is likely to be a standards and documentation section, which will be responsible for developing documentation associated with project development and enforcing standards during the project life cycle.

c. Facilities Support

Responsible for the provision and support of computing hardware facilities, includes computers, network and operating software.

• Facilities Support is responsible for installing and supporting computer equipment, and maintaining the operating system. There are four main functional areas within facilities support:
• Operations
  are responsible for providing a platform that will run the organisation's computer applications.
  will oversee the installation of corporate computing resources,
  will ensure that programs run as expected and load new applications and files as requested,
  for backups, and often security.
• Data Entry; Data entry staff are responsible for,
  data input in batch type applications. The role of the data entry operator is decreasing as time progresses. and as more systems become on-line.
• Systems Programming area is responsible for
  maintaining the efficient operation of the mainframe computer's operating system.
  fix bugs, install new operating systems, and write backup routines.
• Networking; The networking area is responsible for
  the organisation's data communications resources.
  They ensure efficient and uninterrupted operation of computer networks.
  

Example 3 : Eastern Institute of Technology Hawke's Bay

Goal of EIT Hawke's Bay "EIT will be the dominant provider of tertiary education in Hawke's Bay and the eastern region of the North Island.

In realising this position of dominance

• EIT will be the largest provider in the region in terms of student numbers and will be known locally, nationally and internationally as a high quality institution with a unique character and focus that clearly differentiates it from others.

It will;

• Strongly emphasise applied programmes as its core products, creating a distinctive programme structure.
• be market led in the delivery of programmes and courses.
• achieve excellence in standards across all programmes.
• become an opinion leader in Hawke's Bay, the Eastern region of the North Island, and beyond.
• develop into a truly international institution.
• defend the geographical boundaries of Hawke's Bay and the eastern region of the North Island.
• EIT will develop a funding base that is sufficient to achieve its objectives and is dependable from year to year.
• EIT will develop a leading tertiary education campus.

Jobs, purpose and interaction with IT.

Example 4 : Hastings District Council

Mission Statement

To serve the people of the Hastings District in the most democratic, efficient and effective manner through constructive policies showing leadership, sensitivity to needs, cultures and the environment, and to foster civic pride.

Council goals

• To promote an environment which encourages the development and quality of life aimed at meeting community needs and expectations.
• To ensure the provision and maintenance of services in an efficient and effective manner, in response to existing and future requirements.
• To obtain and administer the financial resources necessary for the cost of effective management of the district.
• To develop an effective an efficient administration that is responsive, responsible and accountable to the community.
• To develop a positive climate which encourages development opportunities to achieve a sound economic base for the district.
• To develop codes, practices and policies for the protection of the physical environment and the use of resources at sustainable levels.
  

Structure

[135]Hastings District Council - Annual Plan 1995/6

Example 5 : Church

- Paraphrased from a church newsletter.

Mission Statement

To be a fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, caring for and encouraging one another and taking the gospel and healing love of Christ into the community.

Church goals

This particular church used vision statements then goals to achieve the vision.

• Attract young people
• Attract and retain children and families
• Provide opportunities for worship, enabling a wide range of people to grow in faith.
• Encourage all members to develop and share talents
• Be a community of people open to God's Spirit and alive in Christ
• Review decision making systems
• Build on-going relationships as a Christian community
• Actively reach into the local community
• Minister and involve elderly.

Sample Answers

Exercise 1:

From the paragraph identify the aims or goals for FCCC.

Floptical's Carrot Chips Co - Goals

• Achieve 30% market share
• Produce good quality product
• Keep costs down
• identify customer requirements

[Rev: 14/1/98] Jun-97 © 1997-98 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.