1

IS Management

2

Reporting Hierarchy of IS Director

Managing Director

IS Steering Committee

Director Manufactu

ring

Director R & D

Director IS Director Finance

Director Marketing

Data Services

Planning & Strategy Group

Information Centre Services

3

IS Director Skills The current perception of the required skills for an IS

Director is: A good business manager A Realist Able to resist technological distractions Able to see through bottom line implications

4

IS Management Concerns Manage the Technology -

Operational Manage the use of Information - Tactical Manage Information - Strategic

5

Key IS Management Issues & Tasks People Focus – rather than placing technological concerns

to centre stage Cost effectiveness – an to be seen to be const effective by

way of demonstrable business value Information dispersal – and to relinquish inappropriate

control mechanisms that reduce information use Business process redesign – the real embodiment of

technology-enabled change Reporting relationships – that place IS into the business and

not an ‘ivory tower’ distance

6

Non-contingent Distribution of IS Management Tasks

IS Function Line business Function

Strategic planning for IS Tactical planning for applications

Physical systems design and development (or joint procurement)

Business analysis and logical systems design

Training and consulting End-user computing developments

Telecommunications network management

Local data centre management

Manage across whole organization Manage for local organization

Develop and manage shared and feeder databases

Develop and manage local and application databases

Provide IS professional to business units

Provide business managers to IS units

7

Generic Management Tasks (Boynton et al (1992)

Setting strategic direction – facilitating the planning of the IS strategy(ies)

Establishing infrastructure systems – for data, networks highways, standards, and shared applications

Scanning emerging technologies – including all aspects of R&D (critical if the IS strategy will not rendered obsolete)

Transferring technology (how to do things) – learning from others how to do things, which must become diffused throughout the organization

Developing business systems – the planning, ‘building’ and running of applications, including all acquisition approaches

8

Strategic IS Management Hussain and Hussain (1992) describe IS as a business

within a business with a structure akin to a manufacturing business. This is illustrated below:

Manufacturing Business IS Business

Product planning Information systems planning

Facilities planning Infrastructure configuration planning

Market research IS demand forecasting

Product research Technology scanning

Market development User education

Product design Application design

Problem analysis Business analysis

Tooling Programming

Production scheduling Job scheduling

Production Computing and operations

Production control Production/operations control

Stock control Supplies inventory

Quality control Quality control

9

Manufacturing Business IS Business

Consumer survey User satisfaction survey

Consumer services liaison User liaison

Personnel management Personnel management

Administration Administration

Product for sale Information (whether sold or provided as an overhead service)

Product line strategy Applications development strategy

Product cost strategy Applications project estimation

Pricing policy Charge policy

10

Strategic IS Management Just as a business has some form of management

committee at the apex, so IS has the IS steering committee whose responsibilities include: Ensuring top management involvement in IS planning Ensuring the fit between IS and business strategy Improving communication with top and middle

management Changing user attitude to IT

11

Hybrid Management Hybrid managers require business literacy, technical

competency and organizational astuteness that allows a manager to make business-appropriate IS use and management decisions that enhance or set business directions as well as follow them.

Hybrid managers are a high-risk, high cost, people infrastructure that enables the organizational integration of IS and business

12

Characteristics of Hybrid managers Business knowledge – general business knowledge about the

organization’s goals providing a global view Organization-specific knowledge – culture, structure, processes, key

people and their motivation IS knowledge/experience – IS project management experience in the

organization’s business; awareness of existing/potential applications inn the organization’s business; knowledge of who can provide expertise on specific technologies

Communications skills – value information sensing, good listening skills, good at informal communication, responsive

Cognitive abilities – above average, moderately analytical, strongly intuitive, good problem-solving skills

Personal traits and behavior – people oriented, development and change focus, outgoing, commitment and integrity, energy and enthusiasm

13

Problems with hybrid management Hybrid challenge The need to reassess budgets Dislocation Perceptions of unfairness Skills loss Reward structures Poaching Fear by superiors Early damage Time horizons Recruitment policies Loyalties Assessment

14

Approaches to Developing Hybrid Managers

Recruitment Training and education Cross-fertilization Transfers Encouragement