Ten Key Points

Ten Points

Information Technology – Ten key points

Every organisation whether for profit or non-profit has information which needs to gathered, stored and maintained. Well structured computer systems incorporating hardware, software and communications can make this process efficient and highly valuable to the organisation.

The following are ten areas to be considered in developing a well structured 'Information Technology' system.

• Identifying The Information
In order to start specifying the key elements of the IT system such as software and in turn hardware and communications, the nature of the information required by the organisation must be identified.
This may be as simple as lists of prospective customers and active customers together with accounting information. However, every organisation has 'key' information peculiar to its trade or profession or purpose. It is this key information that may place added design requirements upon the IT system in order for the system to become a valuable tool.
• Process mapping
The methods used to gather the information and to process it through the organisation to be mapped and understood. The software required must be capable of dealing with any key process steps. Compromises may have to be made in balancing the process steps required and those the software can economically handle. For example, a key step in a retail sales process would be identifying and using barcodes and suitable software is readily available. On the other hand another stock control system may require more serial number identification increasing the cost of software required.
• Identifying The Software
The processes above will have provided the initial list of software specific requirements. In most cases the 'wheel' has already been invented and most business activities have had relevant software produced. The smaller the nature of trade, the less the choice of software. The keys to acquiring software are i) to match the business requirements as closely as possible, and ii) talk and/or visit other users.
There will be other software needs that are generic such word processing, spreadsheet and email, these are readily catered for by a range of Microsoft products and in particular the Office suite of applications.
• Hardware Sourcing
The hardware required will depend upon the requirements of the software and the number of people involved in the processing of The Information. The simpler requirements, for example, a single version of Office will enable the hardware to be easily acquired through a high street retailer.
The more involved the system requirements become, the more difficult the acquisition of the most suitable hardware will become. Where there are a number of people involved, then a server may be required to connect the users and to share The Information. At this point, a specialist supplier will be necessary. The selection of the supplier will require investigation and the key areas to consider are i) relevant experience; ii) after sales support; iii) price; iv) other users' references, and v) relationship. The latter is important as you may need to rely on the supplier over a number of years and it is vital that a trusted relationship can be built and developed.
• Printing
In most cases the printing requirements of an organisation can be easily satisfied, but there are business specific requirements that need addressing. For example, architects have the need for large scale printing devices and artwork design companies require accurate full colour proofing, both require specific printing equipment.
• Installation
This is the foundation to any system, a poor installation can result in months or even years of system inefficiencies. The degree of involvement of the supplier will be dependant upon the level of IT knowledge in the business and the complexity of the system. As above, once the need for a server has been identified, the supplier will be best suited to carry out the installation. The key areas are i) planning and logistics; ii) data movement; and iii) clearly defined objectives.
In addition to the specific software requirements for handling The Information, there will other installation issues to consider. For example, the fault tolerance of the system may need to be strong where the cost of any downtime is expensive. The hardware now available can achieve very high levels of guaranteed uptime but at a cost.
• Communications
The process of gathering and maintaining The Information will dictate the need for communications beyond the IT system. For example, email and Internet access may be essential in communicating will customers and suppliers and will require the IT system to have links to an Internet Service Provider. The nature of the link will be determined by the complexity of the IT system and again where a server is in use, advice will be needed to ensure the correct type of connection service is installed.
The communication capabilities now available enable users to work from remote sites and this ability may be very valuable to some businesses. The selection of the supplier should consider the supplier's relevant experience if remote working is likely to be used in the future. Apart the configuration of the system, advice will be necessary of the vital issue of security particularly across 'Always on' (for example, ADSL) based Internet connections.
• Training
The value of any IT system and The Information will depend entirely on the quality of the raw data being entered and in the manner it is entered. To gain the greatest return on the investment in an IT system, the users must be adequately trained. This is an area too often overlooked and under funded.
• eCommerce
The use of the World Wide Web has dramatically change the world of commerce and the effective use of a website can bring value business rewards. Most businesses can generate business through a properly designed and marketed web site. The advice of web designers should be considered and explored at an early stage in the development of a web site. In some circumstances, the nature of the web site can impact upon the software requirements of the business.
• Maintenance of the system
Once established the system must be maintained and a number of issues should be considered:- i) backup of data; ii) protection against viruses; iii) security from intrusion and data deletion; and iv) regular preventative maintenance especially where a server is installed.