Managing Information Technology
Managing Information Technology
All the organizations need information technologies and information systems to conduct their operations efficiently and effectively. The information technology (IT) must be organized and managed correctly to get expected benefits from the information technology. The technology changes, improves in a very short duration of time. Organizing and managing IT infrastructure needs serious thought process and consideration. The organizations must understand how to organize and manage the information technology products. The IT can help organizations only if the IT plan aligns with the business strategies. Business strategies and IT components must be aligned by developing correct plan. Business strategies are made to improve performance of the business; satisfying and retaining customers are necessary part of the business strategies. The plan developed to align business strategies and IT components should focus customer value and business values of the business organization. Right approach must be taken to organize and manage Information technology of the organization.
Several approaches are purposed to manage the information technology. But the approaches to managing IT should have following major components:
- Component to Manage the Joint Development and Implementation of Business/IT Strategies The relationship and understanding between the technical and non-technical persons are very necessary. IT supports, helps the managers. So, it is very necessary for the IT officers to have to good understanding with the business managers. The business managers make business strategies and proposals acquire IT infrastructure to support their business strategies. The business/IT process must align the strategic business goals with IT.
- Managing the Development and Implementation of New Business/IT systems: Both IT managers and Chief Information Officer (CIO) are responsible for managing the development and implementation of new business/IT systems. They must work as a team and participate in the development process, see how the development process is carried out, where problems arise, how those problems are addressed, how the system will work, how the components are integrated, how to use the system.
- Managing the IT organization and the IT infrastructure: Both IT managers and Chief Information Officer (CIO) are responsible for managing the work of IT professionals who are organized into different project teams. CIO must understand the hardware and software requirements of the MIS, s/he must be able to make decisions about acquiring, managing, operating, monitoring and maintaining hardware, software, databases, networks and other IT resources and must work with the IT officers, support the IT officers.
The business/IT planning process is coadaptation process between CEO and CIO. The planning process focuses to address customer needs and create value for the business. The business/IT planning process has following major components:
- Strategy Development: The first thing done in the business/IT planning is the development of business strategies to support a company’s business vision, goals, and objectives.
- Resource Management: Developing strategies to organize and manage all the resources: human, hardware, software, network, data.
- Technology Architecture: Designing correct information technology architecture to support a company’s business/IT requirements.
The IT architecture is a conceptual blue print of the IT systems, that includes:
- Technology Platform: Computer Network, software, computer systems, integrated application software provide a computing and communications infrastructure and belong to the technology platform.
- Data Resources: Data is the most important component of the information system. Databases, data warehouses, files are examples of data resources.
- Applications Architecture: Application architecture shows different software components and relationship between those components.
- IT Organization: IT Organization defines how the information technology components are organized and implemented within the organization. IT organization depends on the managerial philosophy and business/IT strategies developed.