In the current agile organizations, there are objectives of providing the customers with cutting edge solutions to their recurrent problems. Therefore many organizations are adopting Information Systems Management (ISM) that can effect internal cooperation while enabling them to compete in the market. Many organizations have also realized the need to change processes due to prevailing business uncertainty. In the 21st Century and beyond, ISM will be critical in the leveraging of the business while impacting on the workforce and other stake holders.
Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction: 4 ISM in project Management 4 Conclusion: 6 References: 8 Introduction: Information System management (ISM) is objective use of data processing systems within the scope and scale of the organization. ISM is critical because many organizations have volumes of data to coordinate towards decision making. ISM also offers employment opportunities to many people with prospect of rising up the ladder to Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer.
ISM prepares workforce to take up other challenging jobs like HR, Marketing, Operations and Finance (Stewart, 2008) where cost saving and management enhancement are key corporate strategies (Tata Interactive System, n. d). ISM in project Management: The first effort for any organizations to implement ISM is to allocate a budget. Previous lessons from use of ISM show that firms like O’Hara Manufacturing Company are able to customize their internal designs of pre-engineered products.
Firms can also use ISM in the architectural designs with market focus, production scheduling and commercial roll out strategies. ISM can effectively offer design solutions that are needed by today’s giant manufacturers and projects. ISM can also enable organizations to lease out projects as a cost cutting measures since ownership could be labor and cost intensive (Tata Interactive System, n. d). According to experiences management, ISM leads to alignment of corporate strategy and improved communications.
The ISM also improves the general workforce collaboration and interdepartmental units while prioritizing their goals. ISM can be used to consolidate data so that the entire workforces have the same information with easy access. This has implications that the general data analysis process is improved hence informed decision can be made (Tata Interactive System, n. d). ISM can provide a central platform for all stakeholders like suppliers, dealers, agents and project consultants to collaborate as long as the system has proper back up facilities.
ISM is used by the stakeholders to gather their requirements with the marketing department being in a position of aligning to the business strategies. ISM is crucial because of the connectivity it offers to the stakeholders using aspects like e-mail as compared to the conventional mail services. This will greatly lower the cost of operating paper work (Tata Interactive System, n. d). ISM cuts down the period of data analysis, which has implications that decision relating to financial strategies, can be arrived at faster due to the enhanced collaboration.
ISM can be used to develop a common organization package that can be used to plan next steps. A well developed ISM has the capability of connecting tens of thousands of workforce with ease of operations of the platform and data management (Tata Interactive System, n. d). All units in any organization can use ISM to cut cost of operations while reducing the duplication of information and communication process. ISM is used to cover most of the workforce which boosts their morale. ISM will ease the workforce sharing of data so that the best decisions are arrived at.
ISM can be used to integrate all organizations departments towards the building of one brand. This has implications that the organizations can be techno savvy. ISM has capabilities of simplifying the organizations administrative process because there will be lesser paperwork (Tata Interactive System, n. d). ISM can be used in design and engineering so that application of high tech systems is improved in scalability. This has implications that the system will be more efficient as a departure from the conventional manual systems.
Organizations use ISM to consolidate funds, finances and other processed. This has implications that the finance management process will be streamlined. ISM has also got its place in HRM management. This has implications that the employers will have a better management and feedback mechanism (Tata Interactive System, n. d). This far, it is important that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) recognize that ISM can constitute towards new opportunities to the organizations. This has implications that ISM is the modern driver of company business process.
That said the CIO must pay close attention of risks like costs and resistance to the adoption of the ISM. Therefore the CIO should position the ISM to a state where a combination of best business practices and processes can be implemented in the shortest time. In the end the organization must come forward to invest in an IT platform which is innovative enough to adapt to the changes needed while effecting the changes in the shortest time. To that effect, organizations have options of forming alliances and partnership if they feel that the ISM process is not their core business strategy (Tata Interactive System, n. ). Conclusion: In many organizations such as the O’Hara Manufacturing Company, the Chief Information Officers have a duty of making the right decision in Information Systems Management. Strategic Information Systems (SIS) enables organizations to leverage their products and competitively while gaining competitive advantage over their market segment competitors. SIS also enables business to promote their products, adopt innovations and streamline their operations and process efficiency levels.
SIS enables organizations to manage their strategic products and services from a resource base. (Tata Interactive System, n. d) SIS like internet and intranet enables organizations to link the Human Resource functions, enable collaboration of the accounting systems, improve the communication between the department and units and streamline the operations of HR with other units like Accounting. SIS can align the product and service design, manufacturing and production process, coordinate the supply chain process and focus on the overall corporate strategy.
SIS such as Expert Systems (ES) or Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) has enable organizations to align corporate strategies to the business processed. The outcomes of these business strategies alignments are enormous. These include reduction in cost of information systems, operations and communications. On the other hand, ES and EPM enable organizations to realize higher workforce morale, better information collaboration and managerial decision making. (Tata Interactive System, n. d)
