Information Systems Strategy and Services INFO3426

Assignment 2007-2008
Management e!ort on I" Services
1. You are required to construct a report which provides a critical report on IT
services and provision within an organisation of your choice.
2. The purpose of the assignment is to apply a range of concepts from across the
module to a real-life situation. You will need to carefully review concepts
already explored in the course and research the literature to understand other
concepts.
3. It will require you to gain some insights into a real company.
. The company you select could !e" your placement company# a company you
or a friend $ relative wor%s for# a company or pu!lic sector organisation which
provides enough detail of its IT services on its Internet site. It must !e a real
company for which sufficient information in availa!le.
&. You will have to investigate the company# its !usiness and IT services. You
will need to examine any documentary sources which are availa!le. 'n
interview with appropriate IT staff may !e useful !ut is not essential.
(. ' report template is provided !elow# !ut should !e tailored to suit the
organisation. If a particular service process is not of great relevance !ecause of
the si)e or nature of the organisation you should say so and move on. *or
example# stating there are no +,'s# or no service catalogue is quite accepta!le
if that is the case with the company.
-. The report is aimed at management and hence should !e succinct and clear.
The use of !ullet points and ta!les is encouraged provided that the points
made are understanda!le within the context given. Two ta!les# sta%eholders
and the issues catalogue are expected.
.. /nless there are exceptional circumstances# it is expected that each student
will evaluate a different organisation.
0. You are advised to read the assessment ta!le carefully.
11. The report is to !e delivered to the student support centre !y .11 pm on
Thursday 13th 2arch 211..
11. The assignment counts for 313 of the total mar%s of the module.
Management e!ort on I" Services for #om!any $% #&rrent State and F&t&re
'ros!ects
() Introd&ction
This report analyses the current state of IT services within 4ompany 5. It critically
analyses the alignment of IT services with the organisation and outlines current
practice concerning the delivery of IT services. It ma%es some %ey recommendations.
In particular it focuses on point one# point two and point three.
2)Organisation
4ompany description. +i)e. ,ocations. 'ctivities.
6eneral +trategy.
3) I" Services *escri!tion
7rganisation and structure of IT department.
8elpdes% +ervices offered and si)e
9elation to main !usiness..
7verview of IT systems supported in the organisation.
4) Service Orientation of I" Services
:valuation of"
;uality mechanisms
4ustomer focus.
:xtent of usage of +,'s and +ervice 4atalogues.
To what extent does this organisation recognise that it is a service provider<
+) Strategic *irection of Organisation)
2ar%et# =ey concerns and pro!lems.
>erceived 4ritical +uccess *actors.
6) Sta,e-o.ders "a/.e
?:xample@
+ta%eholder
Aescription
+trategic 9oles /se of I4T *utures
Bewsagents
franchised $ run !y
the newspaper.
>rovide access to
community.
4onnect with the
:>7+# +ales#
9eturns# 7rder.
Ce!-!ased lin%s
!etween customers
and newspaper.
paper. 4an provide
mar%et intelligence.
Internet terminal
for direct
transmission of ads.
:tc.
:state 'gents 2ain advertisers.
9egularly fill house
sales supplements
Bone Airect connection
for returning edit
copy# payments etc.
7) Strategic 0se of Information Systems in t-e Organisation.
A!!.ication 'ortfo.io
>otential for Improvement of >ortfolio
+uggestions for +trategic Information +ystems in the 7rganisations
8) Iss&e #ata.og&e
?:xample@
Issue
Bo.
Aescription +ource 4omments 'ction
1 ,ac% of Internet
awareness in the
newspaper. *ew staff use
availa!le information
sources.
2anaging
Airector
'vaila!ility of Internet
access is restricted.
2anagerial policy of
full Internet access
for all is needed.
4reate training
programme.
2 Bo lin% !etween
classified advertising and
accounting systems.
4hief
accountant
4anDt stop someone who
hasnDt paid placing
another advert. 'ction
depend on nature of
replacement classified
system which is due
soon.
Aefine and
implement classified
$ accounting
interface..
3 >ro!lems can occur in
transferring copy from
'pples 2acs to >4s.
IT +ervices Technical issues need to
!e considered# !ut
Eournalists prefer 2acs.
4hec% interface
pro!lem. 4onsider
evaluating other
editorial systems.
2ar%eting data not used
outside mar%eting.
4onsultant 2ar%eting acting li%e
FIsland of InformationD
9eview information
sources. ,oo% for
connections with
sales.
& ,ac% of IT lin%s with
prime advertisers and
customers.
:ditor $
2A.
Bo G2G lin%s. Internet
presence minimal.
Aevelop Internet
strategy
1) I" Service O!erations evie2 and 3va.&ation
?Gased on G+1&111 $ I+7 21111 >rocesses@
1)( Incident Management ?including helpdes% and helpdes% operation@
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)2 'ro/.em Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)3 4&siness e.ations-i! Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)4 S&!!.ier Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)+ Avai.a/i.ity Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)6 Service 5eve. Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)7 Sec&rity Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)8 #-ange Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
1)1 #ontingency Management
4urrent >ractice and >ro!lems
*uture Improvements
(0 #onc.&sions
(0)( o.e of I" Services
+tatements of role of IT services in the organisation.
(0)2 A.ignment Statement
Grief evaluation of relationship !etween IT services and the organisation" structural
alignment# operational alignment# strategic alignment.
(0)3 Main recommendations
Two or three main recommendations summarised in a sentence.
(0)4 ISO20000 Im!.ementation Statement
If H should the organisation pursue I+721111<
Chen H what timescale might !e appropriate.
8ow H two to three initial process steps
'uthor Aate
INFO3426 Management e!ort Assessment #riteria
4riteria
*-/ 6rade
0 to 316
A 6rade
40 to 416
4 6rade
+0 to +16
G 6rade
60 to 616
' 6rade
7 706
/nderstanding of
the company and
its IT services#
particularly
alignment and
service pro!lems.
+hows lac% of
understanding
of company.
+ome !asic
facts.
6ood
understanding
of the
company and
the role of IT
services
+ome very
good comment
on the
company.
4lear insight
into pro!lems
:xcellent ideas
of consultancy
standard
/nderstanding of
module material.
,ac% of
understanding
of !asic
concepts
Botes have
!een read#
!ut are not
understood in
some points
6ood !asic
application of
module
material
4lear
understanding#
some
!ac%ground
material has
!een read.
:xcellent.
+hows research
level
understanding.
'pplication and
relating of
module material
to needs of the
company
Bo
application
'pplication
is considered#
!ut really is
no more that
stated in
lecture notes
+ome
tailoring of
theoretical
material to
company
Iery 6ood
application
gives clear
insights as to
how ideas
might apply
:xcellent. /se
of notes
provides new
ideas for
company
direction.
;uality of
conclusions and
recommendations
/nrealistic.
Bo relation to
companyDs
needs
+ome !asic
ideas which
could apply
to any
organisation
6ood. +ome
useful
pointers to
actions
company
might ta%e#
!ur perhaps
overstated.
Iery good.
6ives clear
direction.
:xcellent.
Could !e
clearly
understood !y
managers and
li%ely to !e
implemented.
>resentation and
quality of writing
>oor
*ull of
spelling
mista%es and
inadequate
grammar
Just
accepta!le
8as not !een
spellchec%ed.
Gad layout.
9easona!le.
Beeds
attention to
tenses and
plurals.
>resentation
could !e
clearer
6ood
presentation
:xcellent
presentation
>rofessionally
prepared
document.