Saturday, September 5, 2009

___Assignment 8___

Information systems are what the companies, organizations and even schools need to understand deeply for it is very needed and important in order to have an organize and well managed business. And in that matter, to make a certain system be effective, efficient and especially friendly user, the system should be well define and proven to be trusted to avoid leakage.

Let’s first define the two, outsourcing and in-source. Says from wiki that outsourcing is subcontracting a process, such as product design or manufacturing, to a third-party company. Out sourcing in the information technology field has two meanings. One is to commission the development of an application to another organization, usually a company that specializes in the development of this type of application. Meaning, a certain company or organization is purchasing a software usually a package one with services free like maintenance depending on their services. But some software companies are providing a 24 hour services so that everytime there's something wrong with the software, they can contact and ask for an advice what to do.The other is to hire the services of another company to manage all or parts of the services that otherwise would be rendered by an IT unit of the organization. The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering cost or making better use of time and energy costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particularbusiness , or to make more efficient use of land, labor, capital, (information) technology and resources.

As you evaluate your choices and decisions in outsourcing different components of your operations, you will need to consider the advantages of outsourcing. When done for the right reasons, outsourcing will actually help your company grow and save money. There are other advantages of outsourcing that go beyond money. Here are the top seven advantages of outsourcing.

1. Focus On Core Activities
In rapid growth periods, the back-office operations of a company will expand also. This expansion may start to consume resources (human and financial) at the expense of the core activities that have made your company successful. Outsourcing those activities will allow refocusing on those business activities that are important without sacrificing quality or service in the back-office.
Example: A company lands a large contract that will significantly increase the volume of purchasing in a very short period of time; Outsource purchasing.
2. Cost And Efficiency Savings
Back-office functions that are complicated in nature, but the size of your company is preventing you from performing it at a consistent and reasonable cost, is another advantage of outsourcing.
Example: A small doctor’s office that wants to accept a variety of insurance plans. One part-time person could not keep up with all the different providers and rules. Outsource to a firm specializing in medical billing.
3. Reduced Overhead
Overhead costs of performing a particular back-office function are extremely high. Consider outsourcing those functions which can be moved easily.
Example: Growth has resulted in an increased need for office space. The current location is very expensive and there is no room to expand. Outsource some simple operations in order to reduce the need for office space. For example, outbound telemarketing or data entry.
4. Operational Control
Operations whose costs are running out of control must be considered for outsourcing. Departments that may have evolved over time into uncontrolled and poorly managed areas are prime motivators for outsourcing. In addition, an outsourcing company can bring better management skills to your company than what would otherwise be available.
Example: An information technology department that has too many projects, not enough people and a budget that far exceeds their contribution to the organization. A contracted outsourcing agreement will force management to prioritize their requests and bring control back to that area.
5. Staffing Flexibility
Outsourcing will allow operations that have seasonal or cyclical demands to bring in additional resources when you need them and release them when you’re done.
Example: An accounting department that is short-handed during tax season and auditing periods. Outsourcing these functions can provide the additional resources for a fixed period of time at a consistent cost.
6. Continuity & Risk Management
Periods of high employee turnover will add uncertainty and inconsistency to the operations. Outsourcing will provided a level of continuity to the company while reducing the risk that a substandard level of operation would bring to the company.
Example: The human resource manager is on an extended medical leave and the two administrative assistants leave for new jobs in a very short period of time. Outsourcing the human resource function would reduce the risk and allow the company to keep operating.
7. Develop Internal Staff
A large project needs to be undertaken that requires skills that your staff does not possess. On-site outsourcing of the project will bring people with the skills you need into your company. Your people can work alongside of them to acquire the new skill set.
Example: A company needs to embark on a replacement/upgrade project on a variety of custom built equipment. Your engineers do not have the skills required to design new and upgraded equipment. Outsourcing this project and requiring the outsourced engineers to work on-site will allow your engineers to acquire a new skill set.

Ref: http://operationstech.about.com/od/officestaffingandmanagem/a/OutSrcAdvantg.htm

Why outsourcing?
There are many reasons why a company may choose to outsource a particular function of their business. Most managers have the end-result-in-mind that they are going to save time and/or money. Other reasons include:
Resource Shortages Relieved by Outsourcing
A particularly strong reason to outsource involves a shortage of a critical resource. This can be available employees that possess knowledge in a certain area (e.g. engineers), availability of material (e.g. petroleum or minerals) and a labor force at a level and price that will offset the cost of higher prices alternatives.
Outsourcing Provides the Ability to Concentrate On the Core Business
Some necessary, but peripheral operations are outsourced most frequently. This gives the managers the ability to concentrate on the core business issues instead of getting distracted by required, yet minor matters. A good example is a major hospital in our area that outsources its security operations to a third party company specializing in security.
Outsourcing Yields Cost Savings
The prices of labor and/or materials keep increasing and competition keeps forcing prices lower. If there is an outsourcing solution that can save your company money and overcomes the disadvantages of outsourcing, these areas should be investigated.
Outsourcing Provides Flexibility
Seasonal or cyclical demands that ebb-and-flow put varying demands on the resources of the company. An outsourcing contract could provide the flexibility needed to stabilize these varying demands. Example: A business brings in extra accountants during tax season and when being audited by the holding company that owns the business.
Reduce Overhead Costs Through Outsourcing
Some functions require a large outlay of money just to get started. This expenditure could be avoided by contracting with a third party. For example, expanding your call center’s capacity to the point where it exceeds the capabilities of your telephone system.
Common Outsourced Areas
Although many areas and functions are outsourced, here are some of the frequently outsourced areas:
Information Technology Functions
Network and Telecommunications
Human Resources and Insurance Administration
Accounting
Marketing
Security
As you evaluate your outsourcing choices, keep in mind that there are advantages to outsourcing and disadvantages of outsourcing. Look at each one of the outsourcing disadvantages listed below and decide what impact that item would have on your business. If the outsourcing disadvantages outweigh the advantages of outsourcing, then you should avoid outsourcing those operations.

1. Loss Of Managerial Control
Whether you sign a contract to have another company perform the function of an entire department or single task, you are turning the management and control of that function over to another company. True, you will have a contract, but the managerial control will belong to another company. Your outsourcing company will not be driven by the same standards and mission that drives your company. They will be driven to make a profit from the services that they are providing to you and other businesses like yours.
2. Hidden Costs
You will sign a contract with the outsourcing company that will cover the details of the service that they will be providing. Any thing not covered in the contract will be the basis for you to pay additional charges. Additionally, you will experience legal fees to retain a lawyer to review the contacts you will sign. Remember, this is the outsourcing company's business. They have done this before and they are the ones that write the contract. Therefore, you will be at a disadvantage when negotiations start.
3. Threat to Security and Confidentiality
The life-blood of any business is the information that keeps it running. If you have payroll, medical records or any other confidential information that will be transmitted to the outsourcing company, there is a risk that the confidentiality may be compromised. If the outsourced function involves sharing proprietary company data or knowledge (e.g. product drawings, formulas, etc.), this must be taken into account. Evaluate the outsourcing company carefully to make sure your data is protected and the contract has a penalty clause if an incident occurs.
4. Quality Problems
The outsourcing company will be motivated by profit. Since the contract will fix the price, the only way for them to increase profit will be to decrease expenses. As long as they meet the conditions of the contract, you will pay. In addition, you will lose the ability to rapidly respond to changes in the business environment. The contract will be very specific and you will pay extra for changes.
5. Tied to the Financial Well-Being of Another Company
Since you will be turning over part of the operations of your business to another company, you will now be tied to the financial well-being of that company. It wouldn't be the first time that an outsourcing company could go bankrupt and leave you holding-the-bag.
6. Bad Publicity and Ill-Will
The word "outsourcing" brings to mind different things to different people. If you live in a community that has an outsourcing company and they employ your friends and neighbors, outsourcing is good. If your friends and neighbors lost their jobs because they were shipped across the state, across the country or across the world, outsourcing will bring bad publicity. If you outsource part of your operations, morale may suffer in the remaining work force.

Ref: http://operationstech.about.com/od/outsourcing/tp/OutSrcDisadv.htm
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outsourcing

Insourcing is the opposite of outsourcing; that is insourcing (or contracting in) is often defined as the delegation of operations or jobs from production within a business to an internal (but 'stand-alone') entity that specializes in that operation. Insourcing is a business decision that is often made to maintain control of critical production or competencies. An alternate use of the term implies transferring jobs to within the country where the term is used, either by hiring local subcontractors or building a facility.Insourcing is widely used in an area such as production to reduce costs of taxes, labor (e.g., American labor is often cheaper than European labor), transportation, etc. Insourcing is loosely referred in call centers who are doing the work of the outsourcing companies.
What is Insourcing?
The opposite of outsourcing can be defined as insourcing. When an organization delegates its work to another entity, which is internal yet not a part of the organization, it is termed as insourcing. The internal entity will usually have a specialized team who will be proficient in the providing the required services. Organizations sometimes opt for insourcing because it enables them to maintain a better control of what they outsource. Insourcing has also come to be defined as transferring work from one organization to another organization which is located within the same country. Insourcing can also mean an organization building a new business centre or facility which would specialize in a particular service or product.
Organizations involved in production usually opt for insourcing in order to cut down the cost of labor and taxes amongst others. The trend towards insourcing has increased since the year 2006. Organizations who have been dissatisfied with outsourcing have moved towards insourcing. Some organizations feel that they can have better customer support and better control over the work outsourced by insourcing their work rather than outsourcing it. According to recent studies, there is more wok insourced than outsourced in the U.S and U.K. These countries are currently the largest outsourcers in the world. The U.S and U.K outsource and insource work equally.

Ref: http://www.outsource2india.com/why_india/articles/outsourcing-versus-insourcing.asp

What is best for an organization?
If an organization has a number of non-core processes which are taking plenty of time, effort and resources to perform in-house, it would be wise to outsource these non-core functions. Outsourcing in this case, would help save on time, effort, manpower and would also aid you in making quicker deliveries to the customers.
If an organization require expertise services in areas which do not fall under core competency, then outsourcing will be a good option as it can get access to expertise services. For reducing costs and making faster deliverables, outsourcing is again a good option.
If work involves production, then it would be more ideal for organization to opt for insourcing, as it can save on transportation costs and exercise a better control over your project.
It is not necessary to choose outsourcing over insourcing or vice versa. A certain organization can outsource and insource at the same time. By outsourcing and insourcing simultaneously, you can have the best of what both offers and business can get a competitive advantage!

“Sa telecommunications naman, inatasan ko ang Telecommunications Commission na kumilos na tungkol sa mga sumbong na dropped calls at mga nawawalang load sa cellphone.”

Let’s first define what is the meaning of telecommunication. From the wikipedia, telecommunication is the assisted transmission over a distance for the purpose of communication. In modern times, telecommunication typically involves the use of electronic devices such as the telephone, television, radio or computer. Telecommunication is an important part of the world economy and the telecommunication industry's revenue was estimated to be $1.2 trillion in 2006. One of them is the Globe Telecom. in which it has been famous this few days for some complains as what PGMA said in her SONA.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications

“Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT.”

BPO stands for Business process outsourcing. BPO is a form of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and responsibilities of a specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider. From the meaning itself, you can conclude that BPO enhances the flexibility of an organization.

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_process_outsourcing


“In 2001, I said we would finance fully automated elections. We got it, thanks to Congress”

Automated elections is one of the things that you can say development here in Philippines. We all know that from the previous elections we used to do a manual system. And now, by implementing this kind of system it really helps in order to have an easy and fast elections.

All of us know how useful is the internet. By using internet, whatever you want to searched it will give you the informations you need. As from the meaning that give by the wiki, the internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized internet protocol suite (TCP/IP). It is a network of networks that consists of millions of private and public, academic, business and government networks of local to global scope that are linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables wireless connections and other technologies. The Internet carries a vast array of information resources and services, most notably the inter-linked hypertext documents of world wide web(WWW) and the infrastructure to support electronic mail, in addition to popular services such as online chat, file transfer and file sharing, online gaming, and voice over internet protocol(VoIP) person-to-person communication via voice and video. As you can see, in all the activities in everyday life, internet is part of us all the time even in the business world. Not only in business world but in all the aspects that comprises in this whole universe.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet

Students nowadays are very lucky to have this kind of source of information for it helps them (we) in all situations. It is really a big help in researching all the necessary and needed information by all of us. It is also one way in which you can communicate to other places by just chatting to your loved ones. All of the people really influenced now by this kind of medium.

Now, all universities have computers and have internet connections for it is also introduced to all the students in order to know how to use it. Even kids now know how to use some products of technology.

In case to our university, the USEP, one of the problems is the internet connection. That problem occurred years ago but until now, didn't get a solution.

If I was hired as an IT consultant, that could be amazing...hehe! Well, in that situation, to help my university, after analyzing the problem I will think about the possible solutions to the addressed problem. And then I will tell them what is in my mind (he he...char). If you observed, every time we step on the line, there is what we called “orientation”. Orientation is the act of orienting a person. At Orientation you will have the opportunity to receive assistance in selecting your fall classes, tour the campus, and get to know other new students. Orientation is also a time to address any questions you have for University staff, faculty, and administration. And the universities always do that every year. Not only universities but also in the business world. It has the purpose of introducing a certain thing in order to be learned and understand. Back to the problem of the internet connection, I would initiate to do an orientation. In that orientation, I will be able to express my feelings, opinions and suggestions to all the students regarding the topic which is the low connection. I will be able also to introduce to them the new policies of using computers. I would suggest that it will be strictly given. And because it is of tight rule, there should be a person/or persons to look over the computers. And I hope he/she will do his/her part in order to have an organize way of using computers. Some policies that I hope to be followed are: a.) When entering the computer lab, virtual lib, students should log-in their names and leave their ID's either school id or library id. b.) One student per computer (the person assigned should always check that). c.) When inserting flash drive, they should first scan it.(students should cooperate...hope so!haizt)


Boost optimization
One way to improve internet speed is click boost where it is the one software for all your PC and Internet connectivity speed boosting needs. It is indeed the solution for great power and web speed as it is capable of installing tweaks that lead to improved connection speed regardless of its nature - Dialup, LAN or DSL. It also monitors your computer silently in the background for processes that have been ended improperly, offering methods to free up unused virtual memory.

Boosting can be very helpful in speeding up internet connection. Like active speed, which dramatically improves any home or office Internet connection, including dial-up modems of any speed, and high-speed connections such as cable modems, DSL, ISDN, T-1, LAN, etc. It works with all Internet services, including AOL and local ISPs. Active Speed’s patent-pending Intelligent Optimization Engine will continually monitor and optimize you connection so the more you use Active Speed the faster it gets. Another one is webRocket which is an Internet Optimizer that is powerful, easy-to-use program for Windows 95, 98, NT, Me 2000, and XP which boosts your Internet connection speed by up to 200%.
Dr Speed will boost your Internet connection up to 250%! This will 1.) Optimize your Internet connection 2.) Increase surfing speeds by up to 250%! 3.)Optimize your computer to reclaim lost memory 4.) Shorten download times for all files 5.) Speed up file sharing 6.) Increase computer performance 7.) Decrease wait times while applications work 8.) Run programs simultaneously, without slowing your PC 9.) Display complete information about your computer and much more.

Maybe by picking by just one of the mentioned above, or to prove it helps, the university should test them first in order to determine either which of them is very effective.

Another way to speed up internet connection is to update antivirus everyday. I think this is also one cause of having a low internet connection. It’s because it prone to viruses. Malfunction will possibly occur and we all know and experienced it every time we use the computer. It always hanged. Updating antivirus is not that difficult to do because it’s just need to find the update and then click. There should be one person assigned to update software everyday. It maybe the person whom assigned to look over the computers. By that, we have an updated antivirus.

Increased the bandwidth. A bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bit/s or multiples of it (kbit/s, Mbit/s etc). I think increasing in bandwidth and proper allocation can help improve internet connection.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwidth_(computing)

Maintenance of computer. In all situations, in order to have a well manage and organize environment, the word “maintenance” should not taken to be forgotten. It is always part of daily activities. Maintenance is the act of maintaining or the state of being maintained. Also the work of keeping something in proper condition. From the meaning itself, you can identify and understand that this word is very important in all activities in which it has something to do with keeping all the things that is meant to be kept or to last forever. That can be applied to computers. And like other things, computers also have some basic maintenance. Like Run Disk Defrag, a scan disk, a virus scan, a malware scan, and clear recycle bin. An unusually slow Internet connection experience is often the only sign that computer is infected with viruses or other malware. Delete old files and temporary files. Never allow the free space on C: drive to be less than 10% of the total size or twice the installed RAM (which ever is larger). A well maintained PC will operate much better than a PC that has never had any maintenance. You can google or your local computer repair store should be able to help you with this if you don't know how.

Ref: http://www.answers.com/topic/maintenance

Reset Network. Sometimes restarting home network if you have one will drastically increase the speed of the connection.

Optimize cache or temporary Internet files. These files improve Internet connection performance by not downloading the same file over and over. When a web site puts their logo graphic on every page, computer only downloads it when it changes. If you delete the temporary files it must be downloaded again. If you disable the cache, it must be downloaded every time you view a page that uses it. This can be done by opening Internet Explorer, clicking on "Tools" at the top and choosing "Internet Options". On the General tab, click the "Settings" button next to Temporary Internet Files. Set Check for newer versions to "Automatically". Set amount of disk space to use to 2% of your total disk size or 512 MB, which ever is smaller. On Fire fox, click "Tools" then "Options," and go to the privacy tab. Then click on the Cache tab within this.

Never bypass router. A router is a networking device whose software and hardware are usually tailored to the tasks of routing and forwarding information. Most routers include a firewall that is very difficult for hackers to defeat. Routers connect two or more logical subnets, which do not necessarily map one-to-one to the physical interfaces of the router. If you don't need to use Wireless then hook your computer directly to your router. Routers will only slow down your connection by a few Milli-seconds. You won't notice the difference but the hackers will.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Router

Call Internet service provider (ISP). Sometimes you just have bad service. They can usually tell if your connection is substandard without having a technician come to your home. Just be nice and ask. By that, it can lessen the expensive.

Upgrade computers. The term upgrade refers to the replacement of a product with a newer version of that same product. Generally meaning a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to bring the system up to date or to improve its characteristics. Common hardware upgrades are installing additional memory (RAM), adding larger hard disks, replacing microprocessor cards or graphics cards, and installing new versions of software, although many other upgrades are often possible as well. Common software upgrades include changing the version of an operating system, office suite, anti-virus program, or various other tools. Although upgrades are for the purpose of improving a product, there are risks involved—including the possibility that the upgrade will worsen the product. When hardware is upgraded, there is a risk that it will not be compatible with other pieces of hardware in the system. For example, an upgrade of RAM may not be compatible with existing RAM in the computer. Other hardware components may not be compatible after either an upgrade or downgrade, due to the non-availability of compatible drivers for the hardware with a specific operating system. Conversely, there is the same risk of non-compatibility when software is upgraded or downgraded for previously functioning hardware to no longer function. When software is upgraded, there is a chance that the new version (or patch) will contain a bug, causing the program to malfunction in some way or not function at all. Upgrades can also worsen a product subjectively. A user may prefer an older version even if a newer version is perfectly functioning.
If computer is slow, it doesn't matter how fast your Internet connection is, the whole thing will just seem slow. You can only access the Internet as fast as your PC will allow you to.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upgrade

Replace old cable modem. Any solid-state electronics will degrade over time due to accumulated heat damage. Modem will have a harder and harder time 'concentrating' on maintaining a good connection as it gets older (signal to noise ratios will go down, and the number of resend requests for the same packet will go up). An after-market cable modem as opposed to a cable-company modem will frequently offer a better connection.

Ref: http://www.wikihow.com/Maximize-the-Speed-of-Your-Internet-Connection

Another is blocking some sites that is not supposed to be open and browse. Just open internet connection to the sites that is useful to the students. It’s because downloading media, videos and other entertainment files can also lower the internet connection. Much better to have limited sites and just for school purposes. I know that in this suggestion, lots of students will be protesting, murmuring that against to this kind of policy but knowing that it will be helpful to speed up internet connection, this can be in the positive side.

Buying new computers is one of the options that need to consider in the situation of USEP. Although this university is a government school, if have enough budget then suggest to purchase new computers with high specifications. That will guarantee us a fast internet connection.
What are the barriers in IS/IT implementation in a company or organization?

As we all know, IS/IT is very important in a certain company or organization. It is the heart of all operations. As from the meaning given by the wikipedia, the term Information System (IS) refers to a system of people, data records and activities that process the data and information in an organization, and it includes the organization's manual and automated processes. In a narrow sense, the term information system (or computer-based information system) refers to the specific application software that is used to store data records in a computer system and automates some of the information-processing activities of the organization. Computer-based information systems are in the field of information technology. The discipline of business process modeling describes the business processes supported by information systems. And in implementing such system, there could be some negative output and also positive as well. Such barriers that can either be give benefits to the company or not.
As I browse the internet, I found some site that talk about the barriers in information sharing and their management. There’s a lot of different problems occurred in implementing system which are Human resource problems, Technical resource problems, Physical resource problems, Financial problems, Communication problems, Operational problems, Psychological and other problems.

Human resource become one of the problem because you can determine here the insufficient skilled management in information-gathering and retrieving information,insufficient trained personnel at all levels and insufficient communication skills. When creating a system, people ware plays a big important role here. They are the one who plans what will be the system to be created for the company, the one who made the decisions of the system to be used, the one who code it, study it and make it. There should be understanding and cooperation between them to reach their goal for the company.

Technical resource is one of the major problems encountered by some personnel within the system. It has the need for modern information systems, difficulties in setting up information programmed, have problems in data processing, technical constraints to reproducing or copying documents, decoding statistics collected and the structure of statistical reporting, time factor in the collection and updating of information, need for qualitative aspects of information. In creating certain system, the very most difficult is the data collection and especially management. It is because it has something to do with the system. It is where you can examine and evaluate datas collected that will help make a deep and not regrettable decision for each company. Data processing takes a long time to process for it requires a step by step formula to make it effective and can satisfy the needs of end-users.

For physical resource, it has something to do with need for publishing houses and need for documentation centres .The very main problem we all know in management is the financial problem. In the real world, we can say that all business are rolled by the money. To have a small business, one needs capital to go with it. Just like in a well grown business, even though it was successful, changing in technology is what the company should have to consider especially in the company that has something to do with the software and hardware. It includes need for funds for processing, printing and dissemination of information so that everything is flowing through and through and just go with the flow. In many cases, the initial purchase and associated implementation costs for these advanced technologies are known to be significant. Administrative and clinical executives at health care facilities cite the lack of financial support as the biggest barrier to implementing information technology. Only organizations with the financial resources and strategic vision to undertake such an investment purchase these systems especially when competition for capital dollars is high.

Another problem exist in implementing such system is the communication problems. There maybe insufficient understanding of the objectives, goals and aims of programmers that lead to unnnecessities expectations that may occur. One of the requirements in creating a certain system is having a purpose or purposes for a better development. If in that case, people who are involved are having misunderstanding or have conflict even in knowing the objectives of their proposal project, this could be lead to unsuccessful work. This also due to the production of incomprehensible information, top-down approach, languages which is the media of communication, information-filtering, untargeted information and insufficient understanding among interest groups. One of the key to successful in making it is the better understanding of each of the personnel involved in the project.

Operational takes also a big role in the company or organization specifically in the information system side. Such co-ordination and networking among professionals and educational institutions is needed. Need for supportive policy to release information, insufficient access to information source is recognize, of course confidentiality is needed here for security, redundancy of information makes the operations takes a long process and can be trouble minded to the personnel, nature of policy directives, it also needed in identifying sources of information for a better one, centralization of activities to make effective and competitive, and need for systematic documentation.

Psychological can also be a hindrance of course because it is in here where every person whom making the system is involved and they should be comfortable with each other. It is in here where mutual trust between professionals and administrators is needed to make it reliable, also need trust in information sharing to each individual to avoid conflict and to have an understanding, need of goodwill also plays a big role here. As we are in the real world, we can’t deny the fact that each know that each organizations are having competitions in their products. And it is natural for them because we are now in that situation. It is also one of the psychological problems. Another is censorship and war.

And of course, in every problem, there should be solutions. There are some of the things to consider in order making it effectively managed. For the development of human resource, training and other capacity building can be helpful to help individual involved in the process more gain knowledge and skills to have an effective and reliable system. On the other hand, for the development of technical resource, establishing documentation centre (independent non-governmental institution for processing and disseminating information), installing modern technology, creating database and encouraging small-scale publishing can be very useful and helpful for the particular problem to be solved. Furthermore, for the development of physical resource, improving infrastructure and building documentation centre are those things to consider that can be helpful to such problem. And for the improvement of the operations, some helpful and useful things to do are setting clear policy guidelines in information dissemination, encouraging government to have depository laws and enforce them, introducing information system, using mass media, following a bottom-up approach, developing grassroots level inventory of information, creating awareness of the value of information, identifying user information needs, consulting target groups, developing target-oriented and useable information, developing effective system of information management and dissemination; information should be simple, understandable and manageable, institute efficient and effective co-ordination and networking and encouraging a free flow of information — horizontally and vertically.

Ref: http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/erd/english/wgesa/doc/ethiopia/appendice_2.htm

As I further browse the internet, another site I found is from the study in University of New Mexico Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in Latin America. Study revealed the obstacles in science and technology information (S&T) sharing and information technology (IT) developments in the region. These are lack of current information for planning and developing technology, lack of expertise in the use of information, lack of international cooperation in developing the critical mass needed for projects and joint efforts and lack of interaction (lack of confidence and sometimes lack of information) between universities and industries. For the first obstacle above mentioned, it simply signifies that since we are in modern technology or high tech world, we should be updated to something new in able to have a fast software and hardware. The second one determine about the skills in which not sufficient to make an effective and reliable one. The third obstacle emphasizes that in order to communicate to the other areas; we should be cooperative and an active individual as part of the fast of growing world of technology. The fourth one also signifies of having no cooperation between parties that lead them to lack of information needed.

Ref: http://www.unm.edu/~jreenen/dlbook/chapter9.html

Other barriers I found as I searched the net that is related to this assignment are the barriers ideal intergovernmental systems. These are:
A general lack of education and information about both technology and programs. Technology has rapidly permeated our society and most of our institutions, but government organizations often lag behind others. Government staff are often ill-informed and poorly trained in how to use information technology effectively. This is particularly true of the newest technical tools and platforms. Public employees, both users and technicians, seldom have ready access to skills training or professional development that continuously upgrades their knowledge and skills. Conversely, technical staff typically have few opportunities or incentives to learn the goals and operational realities of service programs and therefore tend to focus too sharply on the technical tools and too little on the programmatic reasons for new systems.

Lack of a shared, reliable computing and network infrastructure. Existing state-local systems suffer from the lack of a ubiquitous, consistent computing and communications infrastructure. This makes it difficult or impossible to operate technology supported programs in a consistent way from place to place and organization to organization. It also slows and complicates communication among state and local staff involved in joint programs. New York State is currently embarking on a statewide networking strategy called the NYT that will help solve this problem for future systems.
Goals that are too ambitious for the resources available to achieve them. Project goals are often laudably comprehensive, but the staff, equipment, and dollars allotted to achieve them are often underestimated. Projects that could succeed on a smaller or incremental scale, fail to achieve success when their goals and resources are played out on different scales.

Human and organizational resistance to change. In some cases, new state-local initiatives threaten a comfortable status quo. They promise big changes that not every participant is eager to see. Fear and resistance to change exist even in the best planned and managed projects. A new way of doing business threatens existing personal, organizational, programmatic, and political conditions by rearranging authority, influence, power, resources, and information. This natural resistance is exacerbated when new programs arrive with too little advance information, weak leadership support, inadequate user participation, too little funding, and less than comprehensive training and orientation.
Unrealistic time frames. Many information systems projects take considerably longer than originally planned. State-local projects, with their added layers of legal and organizational complexity are especially vulnerable to this problem. Since so many different organizations are affected by them, time delays lead to serious difficulties in planning for and adjusting to changes in operations.

Organizational, programmatic, technological, and legal complexity. The state-local environment is extraordinarily complex on a number of dimensions: organizational size, number of organizations, number and skills of staff, size of budget, financial practices, legal authority, programmatic focus, and geographic dispersion. Existing systems are an important complicating factor. Only so much change is possible in an environment that depends on information systems already in place — especially ones that were designed and implemented using older technologies. There is little that can be done to simplify this environment, making it essential that project participants have a good understanding of how it will affect their activities.
Changing priorities. Any project that lasts more than a few months is subject to changing priorities for time, money, and attention. This problem is multiplied in state-local projects since each participating organization is likely to be working in circumstances and with responsibilities and priorities that are unique to its own situation.

Overlapping or conflicting missions among the participating organizations. Government organizations at both the state and local level have public service and public accountability goals that can overlap or conflict, even when they are engaged in a joint project. For example, a state agency manager may have the role of project leader which implies facilitation, collaboration, and support for other participants. At the same time, that person’s agency may have oversight responsibility and financial and other regulatory means of compelling local compliance with state requirements. In other projects, non-profit service providers may be project participants sitting at the same table with state or local officials who license and inspect their programs. These roles are all legitimate but can conflict and become a source of difficulty in sorting out the working relationships within the project team.
The barriers are undeniable. But the potential benefits of successful systems are compelling reasons to go forward with well-designed state-local initiatives.

Ref: http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/guides/tying?chapter=3&section=4
Additional barriers: The healthcare industry provides a unique vantage point to examine IT implementations considering the rapid infusion and diffusion of technological innovations in a highly legislated environment. It is further complicated where the primary focus centers not only on delivering quality patient care but also on facilitating continuous billing and reimbursement activities. There is uncertainty surrounding many healthcare organizations’ future technological resource and capital requirements because of the enormous scope of the necessary compliance activities, which have been brought
about by legislation such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This indecision serves to emphasize the need for a higher level of efficiency within the management of IT processes, especially as it relates to the success of technology implementation projects. The idea that successful IT implementation projects can be hindered by factors beyond those that are technology-based is not a new concept within project management education and research initiatives. Organizational factors do affect the success of information systems implementations, but the measure of success “must be individualized to the organization and to the various system users.” Fortunately, most non-technical factors can be controlled — or at least mitigated — within the project process if they are proactively recognized, properly understood, and ultimately expected.

Ref: http://www.ehrscope.com/downloads/may_articles/barriers_ehr_implementation.pdf

Barriers to successful in information technology are one of the studies done by Keith Fletcher and George Wright. In discussing the problems and issues in the use of IT, many different factors are usually mentioned. Schultz and Dewar (1984) referred to the technological challenge to Marketing Management, which they detailed as the way technology was changing the market place and the need to change organizational structures to meet the challenge. Indeed, these two elements, technology and organization are frequently mentioned when impediments to successful implementation or use of IT initiatives are discussed. Rucks and Ginter(1982) reflected on the previous decade and argued that the promise of strategic MIS was largely unfulfilled and that this was due to organizational structure deficiencies, communication problems between users and IS staff, and deficiencies in strategic planning models which did not reflect reality. There are lots of people identify the barriers whom are experts and in overall, researched into the barriers to organizations’ adopting IT intervention are consistent with a general conclusion that organizational barriers are more important than technical barriers, but that is frequently not recognized by the adopting firms. Organizational barriers relate to structural issues, such as fragmentation and poor relations between functional departments and an acceptance, by senior management of the strategic benefits of IT intervention and a clear strategy for its implementation. We all know that database is one of the way in which system is being made into functional and reliable one. And some of the barriers to implementing database management are: high cost of development, high fragmented system, data quality, account-based customer records, no clear DBM strategy, lack of company-wide marketing orientation, lack of direct marketing specialists, fragmented sales and marketing organization, lack of board level backing, agency relations and poor relations between marketing and IT.

And now based to our adopted company, barriers are as follows:

Lack of feelings of "ownership" of a project or execution plans among key employees. - Key employees tend to depend so much on the IT group in the execution of the project. They feel that the project is owned by the IT and they are just participants.

People are not measured or rewarded for executing the plan. – The success of the project greatly depends on the people implementing it. To inspire them, they need to be recognized for a good job, Tying up incentive and reward systems to success is a better way of doing it.

Competing activities distracted attention from implementing this decision. – In implementing projects, focus is vital. Each member in the team including management has to be involved and maintain focus during the implementation processes.

Major problems surfaced which had not been identified earlier. – Project plans that were not thoroughly discussed/reviewed/analyzed will create more problems during implementation. To minimize them, more time and analysis on identification of problems in implementation has to be done. Likewise delineation of work and role clarification should be addressed.

Took more time than originally allocated. – Controllable and uncontrollable factors can influence the time table of the project. The team must develop and evaluate strategies and plans that will expedite implementation.

Training and instruction given to lower level employees were inadequate. – Lack of training creates problem during implementation. Errors will be created, man hours wasted, project timeline exceeded. To address this, staff employees should be provided the needed training & instructions during implementation phase. Likewise, they should have higher involvement in strategic planning inputs and feedback.

Insufficient financial resources to execute the strategy. – Money to fund the project should be readily available at all times.

Information systems used to monitor implementation were inadequate. – Each member of the team has to be regularly updated on the status of the project. There should be tracking and dissemination of information on implementation of major tasks and activities. A development of better information and communication systems and feedback mechanisms is needed. Employees need to be updated on implementation tasks.

 
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