Running head: MANAGERIAL ISSUES 1

Managerial Issues
David Story
CMGT !
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&ohn Sallee
MANAGERIAL ISSUES $
Managerial Issues
Controlling Information Systems
In'or(ation syste(s )rovide the (eans and intera*tion 'or every ty)e o' +usiness in
today,s international e*ono(y- Ad(inistrators are res)onsi+le 'or these essential syste(s and
en*ounter a nu(+er o' *riti*al )ro+le(s in their atte()ts to su**ess'ully sa'eguard *o()any
in'or(ation syste(s- .ne o' the thing that ad(inistrators have to /orry a+out is aging hard/are0
and i' the syste( *an handle u)dated so't/are- Another )ro+le( 'or the ad(inistrators is data
storing0 and 1ee) the in'or(ation a**essi+le- 2hen they /ant to in*rease the *a)a*ity os the
storage s)a*e0 they have to *onsider ho/ additional s)a*e is needed0 the 'a*ility need 'or the
additional s)a*e0 and /hat the )o/er usage it /ill re3uire-
4The *y*le o' so't/are and hard/are o+soles*en*e is sel'5)ro)agating6 78ala*i*h0 $%1$0
)- 1$%0 $%1$9- 2hen so't/are that an organi:ation uses +e*o(es o+solete0 they /ill need to
develo) a )rogra( to su+stitute it or have one develo)ed0 /hi*h usually needs (ore )o/er'ul
hard/are to run it- The li'e5*y*le o' so't/are and hard/are is the res)onsi+ility o' the
ad(inistrator0 i' so't/are or hard/are has *o(e to the end o' its li'e *y*le0 the ad(inistrator has
to 'ind a *ost e''e*tive alternative 'or the *o()any- The 'ollo/ing tools are used +y the
ad(inistrator to (aintain the in'or(ation syste(s and 1ee) the( u)dated and /or1ing /ell-
MANAGERIAL ISSUES ;
Preventative Maintenance
<rote*ting in'or(ation syste(s is a *ru*ial0 and the ad(inistrators )art o' (anaging
*o()any te*hnology re3uire(ents- Maintaining so't/are *on'igurations *orre*tly is a *ontinuous
)ro*ess /hi*h de(ands *ontinuous *are as /ell as training 'or /or1ers- Ad(inistrators have to
+e *ons*ious o' the (odi'ying *hara*ter o' their syste(s so that they 1no/ /hi*h /or1ers have
the *orre*t in'o to 1ee) so't/are /or1ing at o)ti(u( levels-
=ard/are syste(s need the sa(e degrees o' *aution and training as /ell> ho/ever
*reating a highly e''e*tive (aintenan*e )lan is also re3uired to 1ee) hard/are /or1ing *orre*tly
and e''i*iently- 4<re*autionary (aintenan*e entails /or1ing on hard/are /henever it has a
)ro+le( as /ell as on a routinely )lanned +asis 72illia(son0 $%1%9. This (eans re)airing
so(ething i' it is not da(aged is not re3uired0 +ut (a1ing sure the syste(s are /or1ing li1e they
should- Ad(inistrators as /ell as their te*hni*ians (ust (a1e sure that good *are is ta1en to
(aintain in'or(ation syste(s so they *ontinue to /or1 to their given load-
Configuration Management
?Con'iguration Manage(ent?0 or ?8ersion Control?0 des*ri+es the te*hni*al and
ad(inistrative *ontrol o' the delivera+le *o()onents- It a))lies )arti*ularly /here *o()onents
need to o)erate together to )rovide the overall solution- There /ill +e thousands o' *o()onents
in the overall solution 5 ea*h one (ust 'it 7Si(on 2alla*e0 1@@@5$%%A96-
MANAGERIAL ISSUES
It is not easy to get all o' the )arti*ular re3uire(ents 'or *on'iguration ad(inistration
/hi*h a))lies to every te*hnology re3uire(ent- Ad(inistrators res)onsi+le 'or in'or(ation
syste(s have to (a1e so(e de*isions 'or the *on'iguration and (anage(ent o' the in'or(ation
syste(0 and also adhere to the re3uire(ents o' their *o()any- The (ain o+Be*tive o' a
*on'iguration ad(inistration )lan is to (anage (odi'i*ations to hard/are0 so't/are0 s*reening0
as /ell as (aintenan*e o' an in'or(ation syste( during its /hole li'e5*y*le- This ad(inistration
strategy assists in'or(ation syste( )ro)rietors to )rogra( (aintenan*e0 u)dates0 as /ell as
su+stitutes 'or aging so't/are and hard/are-
The re3uire(ents /hi*h do eCist 'or *on'iguration ad(inistration are +uilt /ithin the IS.
@%%% international re3uire(ents- These ti)s )rovide rules to use /henever using te*hnology 'ro(
idea to dis)osal 7htt):##///-iso-org#9- The Institution o' Ele*tri*al and Ele*troni*s Engineers also
have a )o)ular standard 'or so't/are *on'iguration ad(inistration )lans 7htt):##///-ieee-org#9-
The 'ollo/ing )art on 'leCi+le (aintenan*e is a vital develo)(ent o' *on'iguration
ad(inistration +e*ause it a))lies (u*h (ore agile (ethods to 1ee) te*hni*ians ready to (anage
di''i*ulties /ith in'or(ation syste(s-
Training for Adaptive Maintenance
Training e()loyee,s that ta1e *are o' the in'or(ation syste(s and eC)anding their
te*hni*al s1ills is duty o' an in'or(ation syste(s ad(inistrator- Regardless o' ho/ (u*h o' the
(aintenan*e is auto(ated0 there /ill al/ays +e re3uire(ents 'or eC)erien*ed te*hni*ians to
(anage the in'or(ation syste(s0 s)e*i'i*ally in *ir*u(stan*es that need 'leCi+le (aintenan*e-
MANAGERIAL ISSUES !
Dor eCa()le0 'leCi+le (aintenan*e /ould in*lude (a1ing (odi'i*ations to so't/are /hen
re3uired and enhan*e the )er'or(an*e or to su+stitute unne*essary (odules-
This 1ind o' agile (aintenan*e /hi*h (odi'ies or (oves /ith the *o()any needs o' an
organi:ation is /hat is re3uired in a 'ast )a*ed *o()any at(os)here- Training /or1ers to *arry
out 'leCi+le (aintenan*e de(ands0 and *ontinuous te*hni*al training to 1ee) the in'or(ation
syste( running /ell- Additionally0 ad(inistrators need to develo) /or1er trust in nonte*hni*al
dis*i)lines0 'or eCa()le0 tea( develo)(ent0 online *oo)eration0 and /ays to develo) (eaning'ul
end5users trust- Gathering data and in'or(ation 'ro( the *usto(ers /ill give ad(inistrators and
the te*hni*al sta'' the tools to )rovide ne/ or additional 'un*tions to the latest so't/are +uilds-
This *an hel) 1ee) the *usto(ers so't/are u)dated /ith the latest 'eatures or add so(e ne/
'eatures-
.ne (ore )art o' training /or1ers 'or 'leCi+le (aintenan*e is tea*hing the( ho/ to (a1e
dee)er (odi'i*ations to the in'or(ation syste(- The duty to 1ee) (aintenan*e eC)enses 'air
(ust re(ain /ith the ad(inistrator- Tea*hing /or1ers on the *ost 'a*tor side o' the in'or(ation
syste( /ill hel) the( in de*ide i' a (odi'i*ation is needed or i' it *an /ait 'or a (ain
(odi'i*ation or u)date o))ortunity- DleCi+le (aintenan*e is an e''i*ient tool 'or in'or(ation
syste(s su)ervisors> ho/ever the eC)enses o' (a1ing (odi'i*ations (ust al/ays +e *o()ared to
the advantages to the *o()any-
MANAGERIAL ISSUES "
New Frontiers: Managing Information Systems in a Gloal !conomy
The +iggest )ro+le( in (anaging in'or(ation syste(s in today,s so*iety and e*ono(y is
glo+ali:ation- 2ith the la*1 o' glo+al +orders to *o()anies has generated nu(erous 'resh
)ossi+ilities0 +ut also has (ade additional )ro+le(s 'or su)ervisors- Unta))ed te*hnology
(ar1ets are in nu(erous develo)ing nations0 ho/ever in'or(ation syste( in'rastru*ture (ust +e
in )la*e )rior to any+ody (a1ing a )ro'it- The tas1 o' dis*overing and i()le(enting *ost5
e''e*tive (ethods to ta) into untou*hed (ar1ets is so(ething that lots o' su)ervisors are 'a*ing
these days- The hu(anitarian advantages o' te*hnology are indis)uta+le0 +ut (any su)ervisors
are a**ounta+le 'or their +usinesses )ro'it (argin 'irst-
.ne (ore serious )ro+le( o' the international e*ono(y 'or in'or(ation syste(s
su)ervisors is sa'ety o' *usto(er in'or(ation- Many third /orld *ountries have di''erent rules in
)la*e to sa'eguard in'or(ation syste(s0 so su)ervisors and their te*hni*al sta'' (ust +e
*ons*ious o' the legal re3uire(ents o' lo*ali:ed in'or(ation syste(s- Understanding o' glo+al
re3uire(ents0 esta+lishing 'leCi+le )re*autionary (aintenan*e )lans0 as /ell as instru*ting or
training the e()loyee,s to (a1e solid te*hnology *hoi*es0 /ill hel) sa'eguard *o()anies
in'or(ation /hen they eC)and into the in*reasingly inter(ingled international e*ono(y-
MANAGERIAL ISSUES A
Re'eren*es
&oe 8ala*i*h 7$%1$9- In'or(ation Syste(s Today: Managing in the Digital 2orld0 !e
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htt)s:##e*a()us-)hoeniC-edu#*ontent#eEoo1Li+rary$#*ontent#Do/nloadList-as)CF
assetMetaIdG+$+'"aA5@AH!5H;%5+''e5HdaA*+'1*%"IassetDataIdGAee*%'%%5de+!5%A$5@@'H5
H*'HA%11@d%d
Si(on 2alla*e 71@@@5$%%A9- Con'iguration Manage(ent: Retrieved 'ro(
htt):##///-e)(+oo1-*o(#*on'iguration-ht(
IS. @%%% 7$%1;90 htt):##///-iso-org
IEEE 7$%1;90 htt):##///-ieee-org
2ells0 M- G- 71@@H9- Application of internet technology to business process reengineering: An
exploratory study of critical success and failure factors. 7.rder No- @@%HH@0 The University o'
Ne+ras1a 5 Lin*oln9- ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 0 1$$51$$ )- Retrieved 'ro(
htt):##sear*h-)ro3uest-*o(#do*vie/#;%A!$@Fa**ountidG!H- 7;%A!$@9