PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 1 IT Ron Williams Information Technology Management People & Work

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 2 IT Ron Williams IT, People, & Work Computers can replace people – Automation –Inventory management –Check sorting –Machine control –Package tracking Computers can perform tasks that streamline work, reduce the number of head count, and provide base of information to better manage the business but people are still in the loop – computer assisted work –Order processing –Claim processing –Expense account processing –Point-of-sale –Office automation Knowledge worker support –Information access –Knowledge management –Collaborative tools ( , conferencing, content management)

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 3 IT Ron Williams Tasks Driven vs. Relationship Driven Activities Task-driven activities –Order Management –Make, move, ship –Funds transfers –Grocery check-out Relationship-driven activities –Customer service –Sales –Design –Negotiation

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 4 IT Ron Williams System Considerations With pure automation the focus can go on the most efficient way to get the job done With computer assisted work a lot of core has to go into the design and training to assure that people can really use the system effectively even though the focus is on the tasks For knowledge workers the focus is on helping them do their job that may occur in a very unstructured fashion For task-driven activities, the focus can go on the tasks provided it is user friendly For relationship management activities, the focus is on flexibility and support, not the tasks In all cases the computer system will perform tasks but the focus, design and use will be very different

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 5 IT Ron Williams What “tasks” need to be performed? What is the best way to have these “tasks” done? Done by a person Who is going to do these tasks? Where is that person when doing the work? How can IT enhance the worker efficiency and satisfaction? Done by a computer Automate the tasks Job Design Framework for Task Driven Activities Source: Managing and Using Information System by Pearlson

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 6 IT Ron Williams Job Design Framework for Relationship Driven Activities What is the nature of the relationship? What kinds of requests might the “customer” make? Which ones would we accept? How can the system best support the response?

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 7 IT Ron Williams System Development with Rapid Prototyping FeltNeed Feasibility Study RequirementsDetermination System Design (Build) or Buy SystemImplementation SystemMaintenance Prototype IT, People, & Work

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 8 IT Ron Williams Providian Trust What’s the focus? –Automation –Computer Assisted –Knowledge worker support –Task-driven –Relationship-management driven? Who is involved in the design? How are the users being trained? Will it succeed or fail and why? What would you have done differently?

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 9 IT Ron Williams IT is Changing the Way People Work The introduction of IT can greatly change workers’ day-to-day tasks. IT changes workers’ communication patterns Workers using mobile devices can send and receive message and tap into databases, affecting sales and service tasks…But also changing our lives (24x7 work) The cost and time needed to access information is dramatically lower, giving workers new tools… But the volume of information expands exponentially Work has become much more team oriented an effect amplified by the Internet… And increasingly globally It also changes the way managers manage

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 10 IT Ron Williams Groupware and Electronic Collaboration Groupware tools such as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook and technologies, such as video conferencing have made it cost-effective for workers in distant locations to create, edit and share electronic documents and processes. Collaboration adds value to many types of tasks, particularly those that benefit from exchange of ideas.

PPTTEST 10/16/ :23 11 IT Ron Williams Whirlpool’s Product Design Management (PDM) system PDM unites design teams electronically using a central data repository. Engineers around the world collaborate online to create several basic designs using PDM. Each region then customizes generic design for local use. PDM cuts design time in half, thereby saving money and brings products to market more quickly.