Information system: Its implementation

Leon Lefcovich

Each organization is unique, it has its own exclusive combination of men,

economic resources, machines, materials, and methods. They are not only
different individual components of the organization, but also the degree
of the evolution of its information system for management. This
singularity makes it necessary for each organization to develop its own
specifications of your information system for management, through
a systematic evaluation of its own external and internal environment and its point
from their own unique needs.

This evaluation consists of the completion of ten stages, which are:

Step 1: Organization of the systems study team. It cannot be overstated

the importance of the study team. It should be large and include
representatives of the main functional areas of the organization.

Stage 2: Establishing the objectives of the study team

organization. The participation in setting objectives of those who must
helping to achieve them is essential. Once they have been properly taken into account
Considering the long-term objectives of the organization, they can be developed.
the short-term goals that allow for achieving those objectives, being interpreted
by the study team to convert them into information system requirements
for the administration.

Stage 3: Research on the information needs of the organization.

requires a study that responds to current needs and, in the short term,
long term. This research should cover the following fields:

1. Review of the overall scope of recording, processing activities,

transport and storage of the organization's information.

2. Compilation of the administration's needs regarding the

information for problem solving and decision making.

3. Determine the timeline for obtaining information, its

processing and its delivery.

4. Identification of each and every feedback channel within

of the subsystems and between the subsystems of the organization.

5. Inventory of personnel and information processing equipment, within

from the organization.

6. Inventory of all the reports and forms currently in use,

It is considered to be used or may eventually be required.
7. Compilation of data on the efficiency and cost of the current system and
prediction of the probable costs of existing and possible systems.

8. Preparation of general specifications regarding the needs of

information about the organization, according to the opportunity and the elements
identifiable data, subsystem by subsystem.

9. Identification of inputs and outputs of definable subsystems, within the

organization and all the organizational subsystems that face the
outdoor environment.

10. Preparation of provisional measures for elements of

subsystems and the subsystems themselves.

Stage 4: Establishing the program and the study objectives. Those

studies will be modular regarding their concepts. This modular philosophy
it will avoid the great complications of all grand plans - trying to
doing too much in an excessively short period of time.

Stage 5: Analysis of existing information procedures. Through

flow charts, diagrams, and work simplifications should be evaluated if the
elements and subsystems contribute or do not efficiently to the objectives of the
organization.

Stage 6: Development of the enhanced functionality specifications for the

system. The new information system must be developed for the
administration satisfying the requirements and exceeding the limitations that are
they have specified previously.

Stage 7: Design of the improved information system. This stage consists of the
following activities:

1. Use of system flowcharts, process flow diagrams and

distribution graphs, to describe the general stages of processing
the information.

2. Description of the input, the output, the file requirements, the stages of
processing, the verification requirements and the documentation for all
computer programs and the procedures of men and machines that are
require.

3. Outline of the necessary procedures to ensure the possibilities

of maintenance, compatibility, and expansion possibilities of the
methods and procedures that constitute the information system for the
administration.
4. Use of the practical guides to plan the appropriate design of the
forms and their control for the new administrative information system.

The basic principles to consider include: First. The simpler it is

The design of the shape will be simpler to fill. Second. The sequence
The concepts of the form must be logical. Third. The amount of writing.
it must be minimal. Fourth. The characteristics of all devices used for
data processing must be maximized. Fifth. The arrangement
the result should have a good visual effect. Sixth. Normalize.

5. A pause must be taken to evaluate each of the previous stages and the
current state of development of the information system.

6. Relate all performance standards with quantitative measures.

7. Relate the controls to the implementation structure that will exist when
the information system is applied.

8. Specify the origin time, the interaction time, and the process time of all the
data elements that are part of the administrative information system
(SIA).

Stage 8: Evaluation and selection of the data processing team with the
new information system for administration.

Stage 9: Detailed list of the system operating procedures.

information.

Stage 10: Application of the conversion to the new information system for the
administration.

Implementation Guides

Since the disturbance inevitably accompanies the introduction of a

new administrative technology, it is necessary to take all precautions
possible for the implementation phase to succeed. In this regard, there exists
a series of proven practical value principles that are worth considering. They
they can be grouped into four categories: general principles, related to the
people, with the systems and with the data.

General guidelines. They apply to the implementation of any type of project.

understanding the following aspects.

Commitment from senior management. The probability of success in the implementation of

Any project is directly related to the organizational position.
from the highest-ranking sponsor. For this reason, it is always recommended
ensure the open commitment of senior management to support the implementation
of a project. When the high levels of the organization are directly
committed to it, there are greater chances of success. As we
declines the highest level of support for a project, its chances of success
decline faster.

The commitment of senior management means something more than approval. It implies
periodic participation to ensure that the project objectives are met
they are reaching and that their philosophy and intentions are reflected appropriately.

Plan in advance. Detailed project plans are necessary to

minimize surprises during implementation. The effective tools for the
Project planning involves network planning techniques, through which the
a project is divided into subprojects, subprojects into tasks and tasks into
individual activities. As a rule, the activities must represent
work increments that require less than a month to complete.

For each activity, there must be time and cost estimates, as well as
types of skills needed to complement them. Then, they can be
determine the sequence and precedence constraints by structuring all the
activities on a network.

The discipline imposed by the need to develop a detailed plan for it.
general brings to light many unforeseen problems and unanswered questions
Responses. Anticipating these situations brings benefits that far exceed
the cost and effort dedicated to planning.

Select the correct initial application. When a new type of

Technology is important to clearly demonstrate its benefits. This creates
trust and facilitates its expansion within the organization. The right type of application
initial is one that meets at least the following criteria:

Great visibility. When the results are available a large number of

They must know people to become instruments for expansion.
from the use of that technology throughout the company.

Great potential for progress. The results of the initial application must produce
benefits of sufficient importance to encourage others to accept that they
implemented in other areas.

Brief time. The initial application should focus on a situation that can be
resolve quickly, in order to keep the user's interest and attention focused on
she.

Design from top to bottom and implement from bottom to top. The
the most effective way to design an information system is by doing it from
top down; that is, first defining the user requirements of
higher level of the organization and then progressively detailing the
needs of the lower-level users. This approach ensures that the
the system will have the correct center and perspective and as they are obtained
more detailed data at lower levels will continue to be relevant.

On the other hand, the best way to implement an information system is

doing it from the bottom up; that is, starting at the lowest levels
low within the organization and progressively cover applications at the levels
superiors. This approach ensures that data is collected at the lowest level of
details providing them to the highest levels as needed.

Do not underestimate inertia. Any operating system has inertia, it is

say, resistance to changes in their state. Administrative systems do not
they constitute an exception. For this reason, when a new is implemented
administrative technology is necessary to consider the natural trend of the
people resisting change.

To minimize the impact of inertia, it is advisable to do all the

possible efforts to make the user feel like an integral part of the project and
focus your attention on the benefits they can expect from the new system.

Remember that success breeds satisfaction. One of the most difficult situations
the implementation is to try to introduce a new system in an organization
that is working successfully. While success can be achieved despite the
problems that continue to accumulate and threaten the future, is to find
a lackluster attitude towards the need for new ideas in such
organizations.

An effective way to consider these cases is to give importance to the

training and comments on the importance of the proposed new technology.
If this point is not perceived, the inertia of the organization will weigh against the
introduction of new ideas.

Depersonalize the conflict. The introduction of quantitative methods and

automated technology generally results in solutions that are not only
better than those obtained by empirical methods but also tend to be
different in structure and characteristics. It is normal that the non-intuitive nature
from these methods precipitate conflicts with the users who are asked
to consider old and familiar problems in radically new ways. This
the situation tends to exacerbate the user's resistance.

The best way to handle these situations is to adopt a perspective

common with the users and agree to analyze together if
the model is correct or not. This eliminates resistance against people
that implement the system and of the system itself. As the system
provide correct answers, the team responsible for implementing it can
explain to users why these answers are better than traditional ones,
instead of defending a position.

Guides to human relationships. The success of the implementation depends on the

satisfaction of the emotional and learning needs of individuals.
For this reason, it is advisable to follow the steps that are described in the
following subsections.

Ask users what they need. Users should always be.

convinced that they have had the opportunity to express their viewpoints and
needs related to the new system. If they are not heard, they will not feel
committed to the new systems.

However, it is up to those who design and implement the system.

ensure that users get what they really need after
to have had the opportunity to express their wishes. This should be done in a
open way to avoid creating the impression in the user that the technicians
they underestimate your opinion. If this happens, the user will find a way to do
fail the best technical efforts.

Share the credit with users. After the success of a

system, it is important to share credit with users, even when they
have resisted its implementation. The reason is that in the long run only their
system will work.

Invest in training. The need to adequately train the

users before, during and after the implementation of a new system is
as important as the technical design details of it. If users do not
are not well trained nor are they adequately motivated, the best system
it will fail and will not work according to expectations. The training of the
Users must be carried out in five different stages:

Preparatory, when the efforts to develop the system begin. The

the purpose of this stage is to raise awareness among users that it
is working on a new system. In this case, emphasis should be placed on
the expected benefits, features, and the program of the system
proposed.

Conceptual, as the development of the system progresses. The purpose

from this stage is to provide a general knowledge about the application in
issue with the aim of expanding the technical horizons of the user with
anticipation of the new system.

Operational, when the system is ready to implement it. The purpose

the purpose of this phase is to familiarize the user with the procedures and mechanics
in data input and output to be competent in operation
 of the system. This stage is essential to ensure a smooth relationship.
between person and machine.

Reinforcement, after an initial operation period, to ensure

that users are taking advantage of the system options and that
obtain the benefits they expected from it.

Review is conducted periodically to ensure that the system functions.

according to the specifications and that users are not attending to
"shadow systems" to solve their problems. In addition, these
audits are necessary to guide maintenance and, to some extent,
the replacement of the system.

Review the organizational implications. Generally, a new system

administrative will require some realignment of functions in order to be able to
function according to the specifications. These matters must receive a
Complete attention before and during the implementation. In particular, the questions
about who provides or registers what data and who receives such or such information
They must be answered with complete clarity.

Guides on how to manage information systems. The feature of a

competent modern management is its understanding that information
is one of the most important resources of any company. This
understanding is essential to ensure the success of the systems
information administrators. In this regard, it is advisable to follow the
instructions described below.

Invest in systems. In most companies, the systems

Administrative positions offer some of the best opportunities to invest.
Thus, the administration must view the development, implementation, and use of the
systems as necessary investments to achieve good profits and not
like costs.

During the implementation of a new system, the investment must include the
provision to users with the necessary funds to try the system
new without affecting its contribution to profits. This approach greatly facilitates
measuring the user's willingness to give new technology a chance
just

Consider the operational and political needs. The development and

the implementation of any system cannot be guided solely by
technical or economic considerations. It is important to take into account the
operational needs that must be met even when it is not
it is possible to make a direct reduction in costs. For example, the
 customer orders must be processed quickly and accurately, even
when it means an increase in costs.

Moreover, it may be necessary to meet political needs in order to facilitate

the implementation and use of the system. It may be presented as acceptance
to incorporate characters that are highly valued by an important user, even
when from a technical point of view they are not necessary.

Relate the systems to the company's strategy. As was said with

previously, an effective management system is the representation
physics of the function, purposes and objectives of the company. Unless this
the relationship is direct and clear, an administrative system will become increasingly
more irrelevant to the company and limiting to the processing of
transactions.

Computerize the manual systems. As already mentioned, the systems

automated and manual have substantially different characteristics
different. For this reason and given the importance and economy of the
information systems, automated systems must be developed to
maximize the transfer and amplification of skills and not stimulate them
routine operations.

Design systems for future technology. One can expect that the
information technology continues its rapid evolution. Under these
circumstances, when the development of a new system takes place,
its design must take into account the progress that is expected in
functioning and cost that are likely to occur during its development and
in the early stages of its use. In this regard, the design of systems of
Information is a process similar to aiming at a moving target. If not
taking these trends into account, money will be invested in a system that already
they will be obsolete when they are ready for implementation.

Not reinventing the wheel. A common problem with technical staff.

it is their tendency to consider the need for a new and important
system as an opportunity to showcase technical virtuosity and not as
opportunity to improve administrative performance and profitability of
investments. The normal consequence is the periodic reinvention of
technology that already exists.

This attitude is mainly due to not taking into account opportunity costs.
The complete development of a system within the organization, instead of a
selective acquisition of the appropriate parts results in long delays for
obtain the projected benefits. Thus, every new experience gained in
the process is obtained at very high costs.
 Design systems around the structure and processes of the organization.
As already noted, an administrative system should be designed around
functions and processes, rather than positions. Thus, even if it is restructured
an organization, administrative systems can continue operating
without changes as long as the purpose does not change and consequently, the
functions performed by the company.

Guide for data treatment. It can be said that the better...

the better the data, the better the management will be. For this reason, to implement
new administrative information systems must be properly in place
consider the following aspects.

Invest in data. It is advisable to invest money in development and

maintenance of adequate data, both of a financial nature and
operational, to support the control and decision-making processes of the company.

Provide data management. A characteristic symptom of the

Outdated systems are the lack of data management. In this
conditions, are developed on an ad hoc basis, and the process
Administrative tasks are carried out with the available data.

To ensure the conservation and enhancement of the data resource of a

company, it is necessary to provide a data management function
high level, responsible for the development and maintenance of all data
necessary to effectively support the administrative process. This
the function must include the responsibility to provide definitions, relationships,
formats and standards of accuracy and precision. In addition, it must
to be responsible for the security of the organization's data

Automate data development. One of the biggest obstacles

for the implementation of new systems is the need to collect and
maintaining additional data. This task is greatly facilitated by
the introduction of automated means of development and maintenance of
data. This is done through automated coding systems,
automatic data collection, which is best performed when it is part of
of the control process, as well as automated means to extract data
of operational files, consolidate them, shape them, and validate them.

Automate the presentation of information. The existence of languages

high-level information has made it possible for non-technical staff
interact directly with the data files in order to extract and
present selective data, as required. This capability can
significantly improve data availability in formats
flexible and, with it, the quality of decision-making.
Use external data sources. The increasing availability of
automated file services that sell data and information is from
great importance for the implementation of new systems. These sources
allow users to determine the database they need in a
minimum time and with a minimum of effort.