1. Organizational Information Systems and Their Impact
Vocabulary and concepts to categorize different Information Systems
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2. Course Roadmap Part I: Foundations
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Information Systems Defined
Chapter 3: Organizational Information Systems and Their Impact
Part II: Competing in the Internet Age
Part III: The Strategic use of Information Systems
Part IV: Getting IT Done
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3. Learning Objectives
How to categorize systems according to the hierarchical, functional, and process perspectives.
The rationale of each perspective and its limitations.
The definition, underlying principles, and applications of business process reengineering (BPR). The advantages and disadvantages of BPR.
The definition of integration and its role in the modern firm.
The pressures toward integration and the challenges integration creates.
Business and systems integration trends and the relationship between the two.
The information systems cycle and the progression of business data, from its inception in transaction processing systems, to its storage in data repositories, and finally to its use in analytical tools.
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4. Categorizing Systems The Hierarchical Perspective
The Functional Perspective
The Process Perspective
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5. Hierarchical Perspective
Activity
Time horizon
Hierarchical level
Characteristics
Strategic
Long term
General management
Functional management
Externally focused
Ad-hoc
Highly unstructured
Tactical
Mid term
Middle management
Repeatable
Semi-structured
Recurrent
Operational
Short term
Front line employees
Low discretion
Highly structured
Transaction focused
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6. Hierarchical Perspective
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7. Today’s Hierarchy
Adoption of flatter hierarchies between front-line operations and strategic decision-making
Empowerment
Limitation:
Difficult to neatly separate information systems in clear cut categories
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8. Functional Perspective
Systems are designed to support specific needs of individuals in the same functional area
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9. Process Perspective
The functional and hierarchical perspectives are limited by:
Lack of integration of separate systems
Leading to:
Redundancy
Inefficiency
Business Process Reengineering offers a potential solution
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10. Business Process Reengineering
Business processes are inherently cross-functional
BPR seeks to break down the organizational silos
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11. Process
Series of steps that a firm performs in order to complete an economic activity
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12. BPR Risks BPR requires radical 3rd order change
Significant downsizing and layoffs follow BPR initiatives
Very expensive to implement
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13. The central role of IT in BPR
As organizations and technology evolve over time, traditional business processes may become obsolete and need to be reevaluated.
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14. Integration The history of lack of integration
Coordination costs
Mergers and acquisitions
Integration: The process of unifying, or joining together, some tangible or intangible assets
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15. The Dimensions of Integration
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16. Object & Locus Locus: Object: Internal External
The assets the organization seeks to combine
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17. Business Integration
The introduction of cohesive, streamlined business processes that encompass previously separate activities
Objective:
Presenting “one face” to the customer
Providing solutions
Achieving global inventory visibility
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18. Systems Integration
Unification or tight linkage of IT-enabled information systems and databases
Primary focus: Technological component of the IS
Types of systems integration:
Internal
External
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19. The Integration Trade-offs
Benefits
Reduction of duplication and redundancy
Access to information
Speed
Response time
Drawbacks
Increased coordinate costs
Reduced local flexibility
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20. The IS Cycle
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21. The IS Cycle Models the progression of data
From its inception in transaction processing systems
To its storage in data repositories
To its use in analytical tools
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22. What we Learned
How to categorize systems according to the hierarchical, functional, and process perspectives.
The rationale of each perspective and its limitations.
The definition, underlying principles, and applications of business process reengineering (BPR). The advantages and disadvantages of BPR.
The definition of integration and its role in the modern firm.
The pressures toward integration and the challenges integration creates.
Business and systems integration trends and the relationship between the two.
The information systems cycle and the progression of business data, from its inception in transaction processing systems, to its storage in data repositories, and finally to its use in analytical tools.
© Gabriele Piccoli