Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Article Ch. 15: Global Strategy
This article discusses how important it is for companies to choose the right strategies from the very beginning. Down the road it may make or break the company. When a company decides to choose to go into the global market it is imperative to have the correct strategy in place.
Case Study: Offshore Outsourcing: Good, Bad, or Does not make a difference?
1. No, I don’t think outsourcing created an ethical dilemma because this concept is the way the business sector has evolved into.
2. No, I don’t think is should be restricted because when firms make the decision to outsource that normally means that they have decided upon outsourcing because it will fit with that particular companies business direction.
3. The outsourcing of jobs can create new one in the United States because new white collar jobs will continue to open.
2. No, I don’t think is should be restricted because when firms make the decision to outsource that normally means that they have decided upon outsourcing because it will fit with that particular companies business direction.
3. The outsourcing of jobs can create new one in the United States because new white collar jobs will continue to open.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Article Ch.14 : Agile Processes Go Lean
A company named Allscripts purchased the rights to a medical practices management and billing system from a third party company. Allscripts launched a project to test, debug and enhance the system to fit into its business lines. Unfortunately developers at the company hit a roadblock. The requirements for the system were unclear, continually changing and not based on a solid understanding of the product. At this point the company turned to agile development. This is a methodology based on iterative development and team collaboration. The agile development breaks big projects down into smaller segments and allows software features and plans to be adjusted as development projects progress. The agile approach was created out of the need to build software faster and at a higher quality level.
Companies that have successfully implemented this method have found themselves using the lean principle. His had helped a lot of companies solve many cultural and organizational problems tied to software development. The lean approach challenges traditional techniques and replaces them with ones that reduce waste and increase value for the customer.
In the past traditional development approaches have led to a confrontational relationship with the business partner or customer. The agile method turns this relationship into a collaborative one that requires a close working relationship with the customer.
They found organizations that take advantage of both agile development and lean approaches together have seen benefits such as, reduced costs, improved time to market and higher quality.
West, A (2009) Agile Processes Go Lean: Lean approaches make it more likely agile development can deliver on its promise. Information Week: April 27, 2009, 32.
Companies that have successfully implemented this method have found themselves using the lean principle. His had helped a lot of companies solve many cultural and organizational problems tied to software development. The lean approach challenges traditional techniques and replaces them with ones that reduce waste and increase value for the customer.
In the past traditional development approaches have led to a confrontational relationship with the business partner or customer. The agile method turns this relationship into a collaborative one that requires a close working relationship with the customer.
They found organizations that take advantage of both agile development and lean approaches together have seen benefits such as, reduced costs, improved time to market and higher quality.
West, A (2009) Agile Processes Go Lean: Lean approaches make it more likely agile development can deliver on its promise. Information Week: April 27, 2009, 32.
Case Study Ch. 13: Business Process Re-Design at the small business administration
What was wrong with the existing computer system (ALCS) and why did SBA decide to replace it?
A majority of their process was paper based and the only system they had in place was ALCS. This system was outdated, unreliable and did not comply with the current IT security requirements. ALCS was a tracking system that handled all of the details of a loan. SBA decided to replace his system because it didn’t meet the companies IT requirements. SBA needed a loan control system.
What was the purpose of re-organizing the ODA and centralizing IT in a single office, and centralizing other functions like the call center in a single office?
SBA had organized its agencies into regional areas. They had established four agencies throughout the country that had different IT infrastructures. Each center was a duplicate of the other. In the past files were mailed across the country several times and paperwork was lost, data was entered incorrectly or multiple times. SBA wasted a lot of time trying to send paperwork back and forth, and re-directing victims based on their region. SBA realized that this was inefficient and decided to centralize each process to one area in order to have better control of the process and be more effective and efficient.
In what other ways could the agency use information systems to improve the process of loan application, approval, and maintenance?
SBA can develop a system that allows the victims to apply online. This would save the company a lot of time and money because the company wouldn’t have to set up centers at various disaster locations. It was also reduce the time it takes to process the application because they would receive the application as soon as the victim submits it online. Through this system they can grant approvals and also have the ability to trace the progress of each application.
A majority of their process was paper based and the only system they had in place was ALCS. This system was outdated, unreliable and did not comply with the current IT security requirements. ALCS was a tracking system that handled all of the details of a loan. SBA decided to replace his system because it didn’t meet the companies IT requirements. SBA needed a loan control system.
What was the purpose of re-organizing the ODA and centralizing IT in a single office, and centralizing other functions like the call center in a single office?
SBA had organized its agencies into regional areas. They had established four agencies throughout the country that had different IT infrastructures. Each center was a duplicate of the other. In the past files were mailed across the country several times and paperwork was lost, data was entered incorrectly or multiple times. SBA wasted a lot of time trying to send paperwork back and forth, and re-directing victims based on their region. SBA realized that this was inefficient and decided to centralize each process to one area in order to have better control of the process and be more effective and efficient.
In what other ways could the agency use information systems to improve the process of loan application, approval, and maintenance?
SBA can develop a system that allows the victims to apply online. This would save the company a lot of time and money because the company wouldn’t have to set up centers at various disaster locations. It was also reduce the time it takes to process the application because they would receive the application as soon as the victim submits it online. Through this system they can grant approvals and also have the ability to trace the progress of each application.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Chapter 12 Article: Search and SaaS Unite for IT Management
Conry-Murray, A (2009) Search and SaaS Unite for IT Management. Information Week, 30.
A new start up by the name of Paglo is combining the search with software as a service to make IT management easier to set up and use. The product they offer is called Pagalo Crawler. The software can be downloaded and installed by an IT team. The crawler discovers the network and connected assets and then reports this information to Pagalo’s data center. An IT administrator can access this information from a Web browser. Pagalo also has a search capability that allows someone to query an index and search what software is installed in the PC or how much free disk space is available on the server. The software can also be used to monitor vital statistics, such as system memory, CPU usage and asset inventory.
This related to chapter twelve because they discuss DSS which is utilized to help collect current or historical data from various applications or groups into centralized data to simplify management reporting and assist management with business decisions. Pagalo is an example of a decision support system that can be used as a centralized area to collect all of the data within a company.
A new start up by the name of Paglo is combining the search with software as a service to make IT management easier to set up and use. The product they offer is called Pagalo Crawler. The software can be downloaded and installed by an IT team. The crawler discovers the network and connected assets and then reports this information to Pagalo’s data center. An IT administrator can access this information from a Web browser. Pagalo also has a search capability that allows someone to query an index and search what software is installed in the PC or how much free disk space is available on the server. The software can also be used to monitor vital statistics, such as system memory, CPU usage and asset inventory.
This related to chapter twelve because they discuss DSS which is utilized to help collect current or historical data from various applications or groups into centralized data to simplify management reporting and assist management with business decisions. Pagalo is an example of a decision support system that can be used as a centralized area to collect all of the data within a company.
Chapter 12 Case Study: Does Compstat reduce crime?
1.What management, organizational, and technology factors make CompStat effective?
They have structured their organization to have officers report to a commander and a commander reports to the police headquarters. The commander is responsible for reducing the crime that goes on within the district they oversee. This is an effective way to make sure that they are doing their job because they are held accountable if the crime goes up. The commander is responsible for deploying their officers to the appropriate areas within their district based on the crime map provided by CompStat. CompStat assists the commander to properly manage their officers effectively and efficiently so that as a team they can reduce crime. These combined efforts make CompStat an effective tool that police departments can use to fulfill their goal.
2.Can police departments effectively combat crime without the CompStat system? Explain your answer.
No, I don’t think they can effectively combat crime without CompStat. CompStat collects and tracks crime complaints, arrests, crime patterns and police activities. This provides valuable information that would be hard to capture from paper. CompStat can determine what area within a district has an increased amount of activity. The police department can view this on the map and send more officers to patrol this area. Police officers are sent to the proper areas rather than sending officers to an area that has very little crime activity. CompStat is a guide that the police department can use so that they can patrol the neighborhoods more effectively.
They have structured their organization to have officers report to a commander and a commander reports to the police headquarters. The commander is responsible for reducing the crime that goes on within the district they oversee. This is an effective way to make sure that they are doing their job because they are held accountable if the crime goes up. The commander is responsible for deploying their officers to the appropriate areas within their district based on the crime map provided by CompStat. CompStat assists the commander to properly manage their officers effectively and efficiently so that as a team they can reduce crime. These combined efforts make CompStat an effective tool that police departments can use to fulfill their goal.
2.Can police departments effectively combat crime without the CompStat system? Explain your answer.
No, I don’t think they can effectively combat crime without CompStat. CompStat collects and tracks crime complaints, arrests, crime patterns and police activities. This provides valuable information that would be hard to capture from paper. CompStat can determine what area within a district has an increased amount of activity. The police department can view this on the map and send more officers to patrol this area. Police officers are sent to the proper areas rather than sending officers to an area that has very little crime activity. CompStat is a guide that the police department can use so that they can patrol the neighborhoods more effectively.
Chapter 10 Case Study: The Allure of MySpace
1. How do businesses benefit from Myspace? How do Myspace members benefit?
Businesses benefit from Myspace because they can advertise and also retrieve information from these users so that they can target and better serve their market. The businesses can advertise to a particular set of individuals who fit their target market. They can also retrieve their potential user’s age, location, martial status, language, gender, etc. to analyze what types of individuals may be interested in their products. Myspace members benefit from Myspace because they can network with millions of people who also utilize the service. They can do job searches, blog, play games and e-mail.
2. Does Myspace create an ethical dilemma? Why or why not?
Myspace does not create an ethical dilemma because all of its users subscribe by choice and therefore consent to the sites agreement.
3. Do parent and schools’ objections to Myspace have any merit? Should a site like Myspace be allowed to operate? Why or why not?
I do believe parents and school objections should be valued. They object Myspace because they are trying to protect children from being hurt by individuals who misuse this site. Although some people object this site, I believe that Myspace should be allowed to operate. There are a lot more positive aspects to this networking site than negative ones. Myspace is listening to the concerns and doing the best they can to protect individuals who could be a target to sexual predators. It is also the parents responsibility and not Myspace’s responsibility to protect and watch their children.
Businesses benefit from Myspace because they can advertise and also retrieve information from these users so that they can target and better serve their market. The businesses can advertise to a particular set of individuals who fit their target market. They can also retrieve their potential user’s age, location, martial status, language, gender, etc. to analyze what types of individuals may be interested in their products. Myspace members benefit from Myspace because they can network with millions of people who also utilize the service. They can do job searches, blog, play games and e-mail.
2. Does Myspace create an ethical dilemma? Why or why not?
Myspace does not create an ethical dilemma because all of its users subscribe by choice and therefore consent to the sites agreement.
3. Do parent and schools’ objections to Myspace have any merit? Should a site like Myspace be allowed to operate? Why or why not?
I do believe parents and school objections should be valued. They object Myspace because they are trying to protect children from being hurt by individuals who misuse this site. Although some people object this site, I believe that Myspace should be allowed to operate. There are a lot more positive aspects to this networking site than negative ones. Myspace is listening to the concerns and doing the best they can to protect individuals who could be a target to sexual predators. It is also the parents responsibility and not Myspace’s responsibility to protect and watch their children.
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