IS 414 MANAGEMENT

INFORMATION SYSTEM

LEARNING MODULE 04
Long Range plans
of MIS and Choice of
information technology
RONDE, SHAWN

CHAPTER 8
8.1 DEVELOPMENT OF LONG-RANGE
PLANS OF THE MIS
 Introduction

 In MIS the information is recognized as a major

resource like capital, time and capacity. And if this
resource is to be managed well, it calls upon the
management to plan for it and control it for the
appropriate use in the organization. Most of the
organization does not recognize Information as a
resource. They have looked at information as one
of the many necessities for conducting the
business activity. Many organizations have
purchased computers data processing and for
meeting the statutory requirement of filing the
return and reports to the Government. Computers
are used mainly for computing and accounting
the business transactions and have not been
considered as a tool for information processing.
 The organizations have invested in computers
and expanded its use by adding more or
bigger computers to take care of the numerous
transactions in the business.

 The computers have become user-friendly.

They can communicate to any distance and
share data, information and physical resources
of other computers. Computers can now be
used as a tool for information processing and
communication. It can be used for storing
large database or knowledge base. It can be
used for knowing the current status of any
aspect of the business due to its on-line real
time processing capability.
 In short, we need a Management Information
System flexible enough to deal with the changing
information needs of the organization. It should be
conceived as an open system continuously
interacting with the business environment with a
built-in mechanism to provide the desired
information as per the new requirements of the
management

 To ensure such an alignment possibility, it is

necessary that the business plan strategic or
otherwise, states the information needs. The
information needs are then traced to the source
data and the systems in the organization which
generate such a data. The plan of development of
the MIS is linked with the steps of the
implementation in a business development plan.
 Contents of the MIS Plan
A long-range MIS plan provides direction for the
development of the systems, and provides a basis
for achieving the specific targets or tasks against a
time frame. The plan would have the following
contents which will be dealt by the designer under
a support from the top management.

 MIS Plan is linked to the Business Plan

 MIS goals and objectives

It is necessary to develop the goals and objectives
for the MIS which will support the business goals.
The MIS goals and objectives will consider
management philosophy, policy constraints,
business risks, internal and external environment
of the organization and the business.
The goals and the objectives of the MIS would be
so stated the they can be measured. The typical
statements of the goals are as under.

 Provide online information on the stocks,

markets and the accounts balances.
 The query processing should not exceed more

than three seconds.

 The focus of the system will be on the end user

computing and access facilities.

 Information support will be the first in the

strategic areas of management such as

marketing
 Strategy for the plan achievement.
The designer has to take a number of strategic decisions for
the achievement of the MIS goals and objectives. They are:

 Development strategy: An online, a batch, a real time.

 System development strategy: Any approach to the
system development
Operational versus Functional;
Accounting versus Analysis;
Database versus Conventional approach;
Distributed versus Decentralized processing;
One Database versus Multiple databases;
SSAD vs OOT.
 Resource for system development: In-house versus
external, customized Development versus the use of
packages.
 Manpower composition: Analyst, programmer skills and
know-how.
 The architecture of the MIS
provides a system structure and their input, output
and linkages. It also provides a way to handle the
systems or subsystems by way of simplification,
coupling and decoupling of subsystems by way of
simplification, coupling and decoupling of
subsystems. It spells out in detail the subsystems
from the data entry to processing, analysis to
modeling, and storage to printing.

 The system development schedule

A schedule is made for the development of the
system. While preparing the schedule due
consideration is given to the importance of the
system in the overall information requirement. This
development schedule is to be weighed against the
time scale for achieving a certain information
 Hardware and software plan
. The process is to match the technical decision
with the financial decision. The selection of the
architecture, the approach to the information
system development and the choice of hardware
and software are the strategic decision in the
design and development of the MIS in the
organization.

 It is important to note the following points: The

organization s strategic plan should be the basis
for the MIS strategic plan
1. The information system development schedule
should match with the implementation
schedule of the business plan.
2. The choice of information technology is a
CONTINUATION:

8.2 ASCERTAINING THE CLASS OF

INFORMATION
 Ascertaining the information needs of the
management for the business execution is a
complex task. The complexity can be handled if
the information is classified on the basis of its
application and the user, which becomes the basis
for the ascertainment.

 Organizational Information
One can define the organizational information as a
whole and provide suitable information system
architecture to generate the information for various
users in the organization.
 Since the usage of the organizational information
is at different levels for different purposes, it is
advisable to store the data in the form of the
database which will be used by the users for
generating their respective information needs.

 Functional Information
defined as a set of information required by the
functional head in conducting the administration
and management of the function. This information
is purely local to that function and by definition,
does not have a use elsewhere. This information is
used by a manager to plan and control his function.
• Functional information is largely factual, statistical
and detailed in multi dimensions of the function.

• functional information is normally generated at

equal time intervals; say monthly, quarterly, etc.
for understanding the trend and making
comparisons against the time scale. Such
information is used for planning, budgeting and
controlling the operations of the function.

• Functional information is also used for assessing

particular aspects of the business.

• The functional information can be assessed on

the following three parameters-the work design,
the responsibility and functional objectives.
 Work design
For example, for the customer order scrutiny the
available stock, the price, the terms of payment and
the probable delivery is an information set evolved out
of the work design of customer order processing. The
procedure of the order processing requires this
information.

 Responsibility
The managers in the functional areas of management
are responsible for achieving the targets and
accomplishing the goals and objectives. It is, therefore,
necessary to inform and update the information on
targets at regular intervals to enable him to make or
change decisions in his domain of operations. Most of
these targets are business targets such as the
turnover, production, utilization, stocks and so on.
 Functional objectives
Each function has its own objectives which are
derived out of the corporate goals.
For example, the overall business plan objectives
give rise to the objectives for each business
function.
The functional goals and objectives are
necessary to achieve overall corporate
achievements. Most of such goals and objectives
are potentially achievable within the managerial
and physical resources that the manager has at
his disposal.
 Knowledge Information
creates an awareness of those aspects of business
where the manager is forced to think, decided and
act. Such information shows the trend of the
activity or a result against the time scale.

The knowledge information may cut across the

functional boundaries of the organization. The
action or decision may fall in other functional
areas of business operations. The decision may
fall in the domain of top management or the
middle management. The knowledge information
is required by the middle and top management as
they are the ones who have conceived, planned
and implemented the business plan.
 Decision Support Information

Most of the information required by the middle

and the top management is for decision making.
The information does not act as a direct input to
the decision-making procedure or formula but
supports the manager in the efforts of decision
marking.

Information is used in a decision support system

for model building and problem solving. The
support may act in two ways, one for justifying
the need of a decision, and the other as an aid
to decision making.
 Operational Information

This information is required by the operational

and the lower level of the management. The
main purpose of this information is fact finding
and taking such actions or decisions which will
affect the operations at a micro level. The
decisions may be to stay on overtime, draw
additional material, change the job from one
machine to the other, and send a reminder to
the supplier for the supply of material.
KYRL AND KEANNU

8.3 DETERMNING THE

INFORMATION REQUIREMENT
 The difficulty to determine a correct and complete
set of information is on account of the factors
given below:

1. The capability constraint of the human being as an

information processor, a problem solver and a
decision maker.
2. The nature and the variety of information.
3. Reluctance of decision makers to spell out the
information for the political and the behavioral
reasons.
4. The ability of the decision makers to specify the
information.
 In spite of these difficulties, methods are evolved
based on the uncertainty scale, starting from the
low to the high level of uncertainty. If the
uncertainty is low, seeking information
requirement or needs is easy as against a very
high level of uncertainty.

 There are four methods of determining the

information requirements. They are:
1. Asking or interviewing
2. Determining from the existing system
3. Analyzing the critical success factors
4. Experimentation and modeling.
 Asking or Interviewing

In this method a designer of the MIS puts

questions or converses with the user of
information and determines the information
requirements. Putting the questions is an art and
it should be used properly to seek information.
The experts or experienced users are asked to
give their best answer- this approach is called
the Delphi method.
 Determining from the Existing System

In a number of cases the existing system, which

has been evolved after a number of years, and
has been designed out of experience given
straightaway the requirement of information. In
many situations, system from other companies
can give additional information requirements.

The fund of knowledge is available from the

textbooks, handbooks, research studies which
can determine the information requirement.
 Analyzing the Critical Factors

Every business organization performs

successfully on the basis of certain critical
factors. Other factors are important and play a
support role in the functioning of the
organization. Many times a function is
singularly critical to the successful functioning
of a business organization.
 Experimentation and Modelling

The experimentation would decide the

methodology for handling the complex situation.
If the method is finalized, the information needs
are determined as they have been evolved
through the experimentation. Test marketing of
a product is an approach of the experimentation
to decide the correct marketing strategy.
8.4 DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MIS
The development strategy determines where to
begin and in what sequence the development can
take place with the sole objective of assuring the
information support.

The choice of the system or the subsystem

depends on its position in the total MIS plan, the
size of the system, the user understands of the
system and the complexity and its interface with
other systems. The designer first develops
systems independently and starts integrating
them with other systems, enlarging the system
scope and meeting the varying information needs.
 Prototype Approach

When the system is complex, the development

strategy is Prototyping of the system.
Prototyping is a process of progressively
ascertaining the information needs, developing
methodology, trying it out on a smaller scale
with respect to the data and the complexity,
ensuring that it satisfies the needs of the users,
and assess the problems of development and
implementation.
 Life Cycle Approach
There are many systems or subsystems in the MIS
which have a life cycle, that is, they have birth and
death. Their emergence may be a sudden or may be
a part of the business need, and they are very much
structured and rule-based. They have hundred per
cent clarity of inputs and their sources, a definite set
of outputs in terms of the contents and formats.

Examples of such systems are pay roll, share

accounting, basis financial accounting, finished goods
accounting and dispatching, order processing, and so
on
Apart from the core systems, some decision support
systems can be developed through the life cycle
approach. The choice of system design in the
prototype and Life Cycle approach is decided on the
basis of the nature of the system or application.
 Implementation of the management
information system

The implementation of the system is a

management process. It brings about
organizational changes, it affects people and
change their work style. The process evokes a
behavior Response which could be either
favorable or unfavorable depending upon the
strategy of the system implementation.
In the process of implementation, the system
designer acts as a change agent or a catalyst. For a
successful implementation he has to handle the
human factors carefully.
 There are certain guidelines for the systems
designer for successful implementation of the
system. The system designer should;

1. Not question beyond a limit the information

need of the user.

2. Not forget that his role is to offer a service and

not to demand terms.

3. Remember that the system design is for the use

of the user and it is not the designer s
prerogative to dictate the design features. In
short, the designer should respect the demands
of the user.
4. Not mix up technical needs with the information
needs. He should try to develop suitable design
with appropriate technology to meet the
information needs. The designer should not
recommend modifications of the needs, unless
technically infeasible.

5. Impress upon the user the global nature of the

system design which is required to meet the
current and prospective information need.

6. Not challenge the application of the information

in decision making. It is the sole right of the
user to use the information the way he thinks
proper.
7. Impress upon the user that the quality of
information depends on the quality of input
which he provides.

8. Impress upon the user that he is one of the

users in the organization and that the
information is a corporate resource and he
is expected to contribute to the development of
the MIS.

9. Ensure that the user makes commitment to all

the requirements of the system design
specifications. Ensure that he appreciates that
his commitments contribute largely to the
quality of the information and successful
implementation of the system.
10. Ensure that the overall system effort has the
management s acceptance.

11. Enlist the user s participation from time to time,

so that he is emotionally involved in the process
of development.

12. Realize that through serving the user, he is his

best guide on the complex path of
development.
13. Not expect perfect understanding and
knowledge from the user as he may the user of
a non- computerized system. Hence, the
designer should be prepared to change the
system specifications or even the design
during the course of development.

14. Impress upon the user that the change, which is

easily possible in manual system, is not that
easy in the computer system as it calls for
changes in the programs.

15. Impress upon the user that perfect information

is non-existent; his role therefore still has an
importance in the organization.
16. Ensure that the problems in the organization are
resolved first before the system is taken for
development.

17. Conduct a periodical user meeting on systems

where you get the opportunity to know the
ongoing difficulties of the users.

18. Train the user in computer appreciation and

systems analysis as his perception of the
computerized information system will fall short of
the designer s expectation.
 The Lewin s model suggests three steps in this
process. The first step is unfreezing the
organization to make the people more
receptive and interested in the change. The
second step is Choosing a course of action
where the process begins and reaches the
desired level, and the third step is Refreezing,
where the change is consolidated and
equilibrium is reinforced. Many a times, this
process is implemented through an external
change agent, such as a consultant, playing
the role of a catalyst.
ARVIN AND IAN KEITH
8.5 MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY
IN THE MIS
 Its quality information would adversely affect the
organizational performance as it affects decision
making. The quality of information is the result
of the quality of the input data, processing
design, system design, system and procedures
which generate such a data, and the
management of the data processing function.
Quality, unlike any other product, is not an
absolute concept.

 The quality of this important parameter is

ensured by conducting a proper systems
analysis, designing a suitable computer system
and ensuring its maintenance from time to time,
and also subjecting it to audit checks to ensure
the system integrity.
 The quality of the parameters is assured if
following steps are taken.

1. All the input is processed and controlled.

2. All updating and corrections are completed
before the data processing begins.
3. Inputs (transactions, documents, fields and
records) are subjected to validity checks.
4. The access to the data files is protected and
secured through an authorization scheme.
5. Intermediate processing checks are introduced
to ensure that the complete data is processed
right through, i.
6. Due attention is given to the proper file
selection in terms of data, periods and so on.
7. Back-up of the data and files are taken to
safeguard corruption or loss of data.
8. The system audit is conducted from time to time
to ensure that the computer system
specifications are not violated.
9. The system modifications are approved by
following a set procedure which begins with
authorization of a change to its implementation
followed by an audit.
10. Systems are developed with a standard
specification of design and development.
11. Computer system processing is controlled
through programme control, process control and
access control.
8.6 ORGANISATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIS

 Proper people organization is basic to the

management of any activity or function. The same
thing is true for the development of the MIS. The
principles of the organization and structuring the
organization to the specific needs of the function
are a prime necessity. When we talk with
reference to the MIS a number of issues come up
and they are not the same in all the organizations.
Hence, the organization structure of the MIS
would differ from one organization to the other.
 The type, the size and the structure of corporate
organization becomes the basis for the MIS
organization for handling the MIS function and
management alternatives. The major issues
involved are:

1. Whether the function should be handled as a

centralized or decentralized activity.
2. The allocation of the hardware and software
resources.
3. The maintenance of the service level at an
appropriate level.
4. Fitting the organization of the MIS in the
corporate organization, its culture and the
management philosophy.
 The question of centralization versus
decentralization is resolved by assessing the
status of information resource in the
organization, i.e., whether the status is the
information systems management or the
information resource management. When it is a
case of information systems management then
the organization of the MIS would be
centralized, but if it is a case of information
resource management, it will be decentralized
organization.
8.7 MIS: THE FACTORS OF SUCCESS
AND FAILURE
 Many organizations use MIS successfully, others
do not. Though the hardware and the software is
the latest and has appropriate technology, its
use is more for the collection and storage of
data and its elementary processing.

 There are some factors which make the MIS a

success and some others, which make it a
failure. These factors can be summarized as
follow.
Factors Contributing to Success

If a MIS is to be a success, then it should have all

the features listed as follows.

 The MIS is integrated into the managerial

functions. It sets clear objectives to ensure that
the MIS focuses on the major issues of the
business. Also adequate development resources
are provided and the human and
organizational barriers to progress are removed.
 An appropriate information processing

technology required to meet the data processing

and analysis needs of the users of the MIS is
selected.
 The MIS is oriented, defined and designed in
terms of the user s requirements and its
operational viability is ensured.

 The MIS is kept under continuous surveillance, so

that its open system design is modified according
to the changing information needs.

 MIS focuses on the results and goals, and

highlights the factors and reasons for non-
achievement.

 MIS is not allowed to end up into an information

generation mill avoiding the noise in the
information and the communication system.
 The MIS recognizes that a manager is a human
being and therefore, the systems must consider all
the human behavioral factors in the process of the
management.

 The MIS recognizes that the different information

needs for different objectives must be met with.
The globalization of information in isolation from
the different objectives leads to too much
information and its non-use.

 The MIS is easy to operate and, therefore, the

design of the MIS has such features which make
up a user-friendly design.
Factors Contributing to Failures

Many a times MIS is a failure. The common factors

which are responsible for this are listed as follows.

 The MIS is conceived as a data processing and not

as an information processing The MIS does not
provide that information which is needed by the
managers but it tends to provide the information
generally the function calls for. The MIS then
becomes an impersonal system.

 Underestimating the complexity in the business

systems and not recognizing it in the MIS design
leads to problems in the successful
implementation.
 Adequate attention is not given to the quality
control aspects of the inputs, the process and the
outputs leading to insufficient checks and
controls in the MIS.
 The MIS is developed without streamlining the

transaction processing systems in the

organization.
 Lack of training and appreciation that the users

of the information and the generators of the data

are different, and they have to play an important
responsible role in the MIS.
 The MIS does not meet certain critical and key

factors of its users such as a response to the

query on the database, an inability to get the
processing done in a particular manner, lack of
user-friendly system and the dependence on the
system personnel.
 A belief that the computerized MIS can solve all
the management problems of planning and
control of the business.

 Lack of administrative discipline in following the

standardized systems and procedures, wrong
coding and deviating from the system
specifications result in incomplete and incorrect
information.

 The MIS does not give perfect information to all

the users in the organization. Any attempt
towards such a goal will be unsuccessful because
every user has a human ingenuity, bias, certain
assumption not known to the designer. The MIS
cannot up these by providing perfect
information.
ADRIAN AND KENTOY
CHAPTER 9
CHOICE OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
9.1 NATURE OF IT DECISION
 A business enterprise or an organization requires
making a decision of choosing appropriate
information Technology (IT), as a vehicle, to
handle the management information system. The
choice of IT is a strategic decision, making long-
term impact on the effectiveness of the MIS of
the enterprise. The information technology
affects the people, the processes and the
productivity of the organization. It is a strategic
business decision and not a financial decision to
be taken on the least cost approach.

 Just as the MIS handles the decision support

applications, the choice of the Information
Technology makes a qualitative difference in the
decision-making process.
 The modern information technology offers a
number of different system configurations, each
being a candidate, as a solution to satisfy the
needs of the MIS. The information technology
decision, therefore, is a technical decision, where
it is required to decide between the various
configuration alternatives made of a variety of
hardware and software option.

 Another important factor which influences the

information technology decision is the
organization and its infrastructural arrangement
of the offices, warehouses, factories and the
customers.
Much organization would demand hardware typical
to that particular location and also be able to
communicate with other hardware-software
platforms. In such situations, the communication
requirement becomes a dominating factor in
choice of the information technology.

 The information technology decision is also

influenced by people-related factors. The choice
of the information technology is made on the
basis of the ability of the people in the
organization to run the hardware-software
system.
 Finally, the information technology choice is
governed by the requirement of the mission
critical application(s) of the organization. The
hardware choice and its configuration in terms
of memory, disk and communication are
decided on the base of processing needs of the
mission critical applications. .
9.2 STRATEGIC DECISION

 The information technology choice is a strategic

decision and, therefore, it should be taken after
considering a number of factors. The information
technology offers a number of alternatives which
have varying costs. The costs differ due to the
difference in the architecture of the hardware,
capability of the software and different
configurations but achieving more or less the
same results.
 Management Process or Style

The information needs of the people in the

organization arise from the process or the style by
which the management runs the business. The
quality of management process depends on the
people culture and the culture predominantly
affects the decision-making process.
 If the decisions in the organization are of the
following types, then information technology
option would differ. These types are:

1. The decisions affecting the operations

management.
2. The decisions affecting the execution and
control of the business.
3. The strategic business decisions.
 Important to note that the information
technology choice considers the management
process, the business organization, the decision
making style and the mission critical
applications as the important dominating
factors. The choice of hardware details and the
software mix will be decided on these factors.
 Business Operations
There are many organizations, where the business
operations are typical, voluminous and their
information needs are largely transaction
processed.
The typical example is that of the banks where the
banking operations are uniformly standard at
almost all branch locations. The transactions are
large in number and need to be processed very
fast. The decision making process is rule based
governed by the policy and the guidelines issued
by the statutory bodies in the banking industry.
 Suppose there is an organization the main
business of which is marketing of a variety of
product through a nationwide distribution
channel system. The business here operates
mainly on satisfying the needs of the buyers by
providing them what they want. Hence,
inventory management is the main business
function here. The information technology choice
in such case will be the one where the sales and
the receipts data is processed very fast, the
inventory related decisions are taken, stocks are
adjusted and the procurement action is also
taken quickly. The hardware details in such case
will be decided based on the data volume, the
speed and the communication systems.
9.3 CONFIGURATION DESIGN
 The details of the information technology, such as
architecture, communication, RDBMS, storage
media, and operating system are also strategic to
the success of the MIS. These details are carefully
worked out for effective implementation of
information technology. The details are worked
out based on the following features:
Data type
Words, Numeric, Image and Voice. The hardware
and software should be capable of handling these
data types.

 Data volume
The online storage capacity would be decided
based on the processing needs. It will be further
increased due to the disk mirroring.

 I/O operations
These would decide the controllers and the speed
of I/O processing.
 Data sharing
If the data is to be shared across the databases,
then the storage capacity will be decided based on
the size of the databases.

 Process speed
The speed needed for processing will decide the
CPU, memory and the processing architecture.

 RDBMS and 4GL

These will be chosen on the basis of the volume,
special handling of the data, and the level of
security and the integrity required. All RDBMS are
not same and are not equally efficient on all the
platforms.
 Query processing
These decides the SQL or standard SQL and 4GL.

 Communication protocols
If different platforms need to be connected, then the
software such as the TCP/ IP needs to be considered.

 Interface and gateways

These will be decided on the basis of data transfer
needs between the locations and between the
hardware-software platforms.

 Security and Integrity

The level of security and integrity required will decide
the hardware, the software and the operating system.
All the hardware and software do not satisfy these
needs fully.
 Languages and packages
The requirement, often, is of a special
language and packages besides the main
software. The hardware and operating system
will be decided based on this need.
ANDUJAR AND ARSOLON
 9.4 EVALUTION
As we develop different choices of information
technology and its configurations, the decision
making enters into the evaluation phase for
selection. The selection criteria for evaluation
would have different dimensions to be satisfied
simultaneously.

 These dimensions are as follows:

 Technical Evaluation
 Operational Feasibility

 Financial Consideration
 Technical Evaluation (TE)

Technical evolution deals with the testing

parameters, such as data transfer needs, the
response level, the successful connectivity of the
different hardware platforms, and the degree of
meeting the overall system performance standards.

Technical evaluation can be carried out first by

studying the literature of product in detail and then
by conducting brain storming sessions with the
vendors specialists.
 Following hardware software details are
configured and the quality of each item is also
decided using the norms developed in a live
experiment. The decisions on the following points
would facilitate the system configuration for a
given requirement.

■ Memory and Cache

■ Disk Capacity, Features, Controllers
■ CPU Speed, Processing Architecture and
Capabilities
■ Servers
■ Terminals-PCs, X Terminals Work Station
■ Network and Cabling, Internet and Intranet
■ EDI, E-Mail
■ Network Hardware
■ Output Devices
■ Monitors
■ Operating System
■ Standard: ASCII, ANSI, GUI
■Hardware Architecture
■ System Software: OS, Gateways, Interfaces,
Drivers, Utilities and Compilers
■ Media, Copying Devices
■ RDBMS, FEATURES
■ Packages
 Operational Feasibility

The options approved after the technical evaluation

are tested on the operational feasibility. What the
technology offers may not be possible to operate at
the practical level and scale to obtain full benefits
of the various inherent features. The operational
feasibility evaluation considers the people-related
issues and whether the systems and the
procedures of the organization are complementary
and conducive.
 Financial Evaluation

All the option can be evaluated in terms of the

invested it calls for. It is always possible to rank the
option on the basis of the basis of the investment.
All business investment is evaluated in terms of
return on the investment (ROI) or certain payback
period. They are also judged from budget
considerations.
 The information technology investments are
difficult to judge on the ROI basis as some
aspect of the investment are intangible and
are difficult to quantity in monetary terms.
The best approach in such cases is to judge
the investment in terms of the value of
information it gives on an incremental scale.
If the value of information in relation to its
investment is not significant, then it could be
advisable the consider the next best lower
investment option.
 Horizontal expansion
The memory, disk, terminals, peripheral
equipment, etc. can be configured for the present
needs and then expanded as the coverage
increased.

 Vertical expansion
The system integration, backward or forward,
concentrates on the mission critical applications,
covering only the main key business
functionalities.
9.5 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

 The implementation of the information

technology is a complex task and needs a
detailed and careful planning for successful
implementation. It is necessary to prepare a
plan of implementation covering the
following features.
 These features are:

1. Site preparation
2. System development plan
3. Information technology installation schedule
4. Recruitment and training of computer
personnel
5. Training of the users
6. Investment plan
 Site Preparation
This is a major activity, wherein you prepare the site for
the physical installation of the hardware i.e., the main
computer system, the peripherals, the electrical and
communication cabling, the air conditioning system, the
tape-disk consumable storage, and the office layout for
the professionals. The space allocation for each of these
items is based on present need with some allowance for
the future.

The modern information technology needs site

preparation at the user s end as well for the
convenience and the ease of operations. Most of the
information technology installations need infrastructural
facilities, such as a conference room, and training-cum-
demonstration room with the modern aids of training.
This process of site preparation takes away 10 to 12 per
cent of investment.
 System Development Plan
This is generally prepared while assessing the
hardware and software needs. Such a plan gives
the indication of the various locations of hardware
in terms of quality and time when needed. System
development plan priorities the various steps in
the site preparation. One can make a site
preparation plan for an immediate need and also
for a later date. This would help to make a long-
term financing plan.

A system development plan also helps you in

planning the other activities such as recruitment
and training. It also helps in deciding the
procurement plan of the hardware and software
 Information Technology Installation
Schedule

This schedule gives the item-wise details of the

hardware arrival and its installation, testing and
acceptance. It also needs to be linked with the
information system development plan to
synchronize the installation with the user of the
hardware and the software.

Many times the schedule also considers key issues

like data conversion, switching over from an old
system to a new system, rewriting programmer for
new software environment and so on. Such
schedule also helps in the smooth transition from
old to the new.
 Recruitment and Training of Information
Technology Personnel

The implementation of the information technology

needs specific skills in the manpower responsible
for effective implementation. The skills may fall in
the area of languages, tools of development and
also acquiring the precise know-how on the
emerging technologies and its application in the
information systems.
 Training of Users
The training may range from awareness to
learning of the specific tools. The users should be
trained to accept the concept of end user
computing. The users should be trained to use the
various information technology facilities.

 Investment Plan
Summarizing the estimates on the time scale
would generate an investment plan. One can fit
the investment in the budget provisions by
suitable modifications in the implementation plan
of the information technology.
9.6 CHOICE OF THE INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AND THE
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM

The choice of the information technology is a

backbone of the Management Information
System. It is a critical, strategic decision affecting
the business operations and prospects. It affects
the people, the processes and productivity and
helps organization emerge with a new work
culture. Since, it is a high investment decision; the
management would look at it from the return it
yields in the business.
 The success of the MIS lies in how the information
technology is implemented in the organization. A
lot depends on the people and their ability to
accept the new work style and the new work
culture. All the implementation of the information
technology leads to organizational transformation
in the content and structure.

 The information technology changes are very

rapid. To protect the investment in the information
technology, the selection criteria should include
features such as scalable architecture,
upgradeable software, an open system
environment, communication capability through
gateways and interfaces and so on. A good
management information system design requires
a matching support from the information
technology.