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Learning Outcomes Covered by this Assessment:
* Discuss the effect of managing information resources, new technologies and communication networks on the survival of organisations.
* Analyse the effect of Information Systems on strategic decision-making.
* Evaluate the importance of knowledge to the management of an organisation.
* Analyse an organisation’s ability to implement Business Continuity Planning.
* Evaluate the HRM, Ethical and Health & Safety needs of organisations from an Information Systems viewpoint.
Case study
UNICOLXL is a private college offering a range of University accredited degrees.
Students are drawn from all corners of the world to study in subjects ranging from Business and Management to Management Information Systems.
It has a basic website to advertise its programmes. The website was set up in 2005, and has a simple but effective layout. Each programme is listed on the main programme page, and clicking on the name of the programme takes the user to a more detailed description of the programme. The web site is managed by a web manager. In the last year alone, 6 new programmes have been added to UNICOLXL’s portfolio of programmes. It is the website manager’s responsibility to amend the web pages to reflect the new programme information from the original programme definition document produced whenever a new programme is validated and approved to run.
When a student applies to join a programme, a decision is made by the Programme Director(PD). The application details and the PD’s decision are stored in the Student Application Database (SAD). For each application, the full contact details of the student are recorded together with the Programme applied for and the PD’s decision.
When students arrive at the college in September to finally enrol on the programme they have been accepted on, their details are recorded on the College’s Student Enrolment System (SES). The college would like to move to some form of on-line enrolment process, but has not made that step yet. In terms of enhanced internet marketing, it has considered setting up a Face book presence, but is unsure of the benefits and issues involved.
When a student enrols they are allocated a Student ID. This ID, together with an initial password gives them access to the college’s IT facilities. In recent years there have been a number of issues relating to student abuse of the IT facilities. In one particular case a student managed to gain unauthorised access to a Ministry of Defence Computer System whilst using the college’s IT system. Although this was an extreme example, there have been numerous other incidents involving e-mails being sent from student accounts by other students to the whole student staff body. The whole area of student and staff usage of IT needs looking at, as currently there are no hard and fast rules.
Results are stored on the College’s Student results System (SRS). The system is different from the enrolment system in that it stores the Student ID, Name and Programme together with the marks the student has achieved for each module studied. Reports are generated each year ahead of the examining boards, and decisions regarding each student are recorded. Registry staff record details of the board’s decisions. The decisions of the board are also recorded by the college’s academic administrator, and following the examining board, a letter is sent from the academic administrator to each student advising them of the board’s decision. Thus the decisions are recorded in 2 places, by Registry on the corporate Student Record System, and by the academic administrators for the purposes of communicating with the students.If a student has passed all modules, they are advised in the letter that they can proceed to the next year of their course. However if a student has failed a module, they are required to take and pass a resit assessment for that module before proceeding. Therefore the letter to students who have failed includes details of which modules have been failed and the reassessment required.
All of the above systems can only be accessed from within the college using dedicated software installed on the users’ machines. In order to give increased flexibility to staff in terms of systems access, the college wants to consider alternative web based approaches to this, but has not pursued this.
The college’s timetable system is yet another standalone system which is accessed by staff and students via a web based interface. Increasingly students are arriving at college with mobile devices and the college is looking at making the timetable more accessible for these devices. The current web view is designed for larger desktop screens.
Communication problems associated with the cancellation of lectures due to staff sickness is an ongoing problem. In essence, getting the message to students is difficult, and the students arrive expecting a lecture which turns out to be cancelled. This in turn leads to student dissatisfaction.
The official corporate databases outlined earlier are managed by a small dedicated IT team. At the end of each week all of the corporate databases are backed up and the back ups are stored in the server room based in the IT department so that they can be accessed easily in the event of system failure. This process has evolved over time.
Currently staff and students are allocated a very small amount of network space on which to store their documents and data. A consequence of this is that both staff and students store large amounts of key information on a range of devices. These include PC hard drives, pen drives/memory sticks, external portable hard drives etc.
For staff, the kind of data that is involved includes:
Student Results usually stored in the form of spreadsheets ahead of this data being loaded into the SRS.
Student personal information and results downloaded from the corporate systems and stored in the form of spreadsheets and end user databases for convenience.
For students, it involves coursework and other material associated with their programme. The college is acutely aware of the need to have a Business Continuity Plan to combat the risk of failure of some or all of its Information Systems and Technology.
The college is also aware that it needs to manage its knowledge in a more structured way. Ideas for staff and student portals have been floated, but again nothing has been done in terms of an investigation of the business benefits.
For staff, there are procedures and processes to follow in all aspects of their work. However the latest version of these processes and procedures are usually disseminated by e-mail whenever there is an update. Unfortunately there have been cases where staff has not been following the latest versions of a processes because of this.
There are many times when staff needs to liaise with external agencies such as the UK Borders Agency in relation to solving student problems. However there have been numerous examples where essentially the same problem has been faced by several members of staff and each has independently worked to resolve the problem.
When a new programme is submitted for validation, a new validation document needs to be created. There are several sections of the document that relate to the UNICOLXL as a whole and are not programme specific. However the member of staff creating the validation document often has to research the generic organisational information themselves.
UNICOLXL holds regular staff development courses, but unfortunately due to the busy schedule of its teaching staff, the take up is low. Other more flexible methods of the delivery of these courses need to be looked at.
You have been employed as a consultant to UNICOLXL’s management to analyse its approach to Information Systems management and usage and to make recommendations for improvement. Using the above information write a report setting out your analysis and recommendations. It is intended that this report would be used by management to inform its Information Systems strategy. Your report should be in 3000 word limit.
Q1: The rationale for adopting RIS (Replacement Integrated Systems) as the information technology strategy for the college is integration across functional areas, technology platforms, databases, and so on. What are the weaknesses of existing systems? What was the UNICOLXL’s motivation for implementing RIS? How business intelligence, continuity with existing systems can impact on implementation of RIS in UNICOLXL?
Q2. New web site implementation can bring a significant change in UNICOLXL. What are the weaknesses of the existing website? What recommendations would you make to UNICOLXL as management consultant for their new web site to make UNICOLXL more successful in their business?
Q3. Based on your own opinion, what advice would you give UNICOLXL’s management for further improvement in IT security, policies for staff and student use of IS equipment and facilities, business continuity planning and cloud computing solutions.
Q4. What impact new system integration can bring to UNICOLXL’s Human resource management and health & safety?
In line with the assessment criteria, the report should be fully referenced.
Your tutors will play the role of UNICOLXL’s management, and clarification can be sought on any aspects of the UNICOLXL’s during tutorial sessions.
Guidance (Do & Don’t)
? Start your assignment with a short introduction
? Finish your assignment/report with a set of recommendations in conclusion
? This assignment must be your own work and original.
? All sources of reference must be included using the Harvard System
? You will be expected to check spelling mistakes and grammar.
? Make reference to at least 5 reliable literature sources to enhance your answer.
? Structure your report so that each task is addressed in turn.
? Use appropriate sub-headings to make your work logical and easy to read.
? Use appendix for additional/supportive information
? Your work should be interesting, logical and well presented. You should make convincing arguments supported with appropriate theoretical and factual evidence
? Do NOT rely entirely on Internet sources: look for other sources in the library
? Do NOT merely DESCRIBE what happens at that country, you must explain its significance.
? Do NOT cut and paste information from ANY source
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