Managers With Needed Information example essay topic

Managing Information Executive Summary Information is any analysed data containing meaningful sense. An organisation couldn! |t operate with out information or data collection. If no information was collected decisions couldn! |t be made therefore the business / organisation could not progress or develop. To effectively operate Sunset Coast University they need to endorse a new information system. Every organisation collects retrieves and uses data. To provide maximum benefit to an organisation data must be managed carefully, organised efficiently and used effectively.

Without a system to distribute and receive data it would be almost impossible for an organisation to make decisions or at least cater for their future needs. Ensuring an organisation has reliable information is vital to meet the needs and responsibilities of the managers, as managers are the primary users of information. To effectively operate Sunset Coast University they need to endorse a new and improved information system. There are many problems with the university's records management and information systems.

These problems have increased over a long period of time and need immediate action. An MISA Management Information system explores un organised data to provide managers with meaningful information. An MIS can be either manual or computer based. Most current information systems will be computer based as newer technology is more accurate and efficient. A Management Information system would be extremely beneficial for the University.

An MIS would provide managers with needed information more efficiently and accurately. This would decrease the pressure on the manager and ensure a more timely process to obtain important information. The Information Manager An Information Manager would be a major asset to the University. It would decrease the pressure on the department heads by ensuring a more organised and controlled process of collecting and analyzing information. Role of the Information Manager:" h Identify problems and determine the cause". h Monitor and control data communications". h Develop the systems for obtaining, processing and presenting information". h Determine costs of the new technology and it's benefit to the organisation. "h Determine current and future needs of the organisation, related to information systems. "h Test and modify the system to adopt to changes". h Train and educate other staff and students. Information Technology Information Technology has made a huge impact on all management functions, creating more efficient and productive workplaces.

Sunset Coast University needs to integrate computing, microelectronics and telecommunication practices to ensure the smooth running of daily operations. The university needs to update software in all departments and create a database accessible to all employees. The database can be used to store data such as student grades, personal details, polices and general account details. This will also alleviate the amount of inconsistencies and mistakes involving student awards. Electronic mail (E-mail) should be used as a major source of communication as it is efficient and will reduce the amount of employees wasting time delivering information via telephone contact or memo.

Not only is E-mail efficient you can attach documents from your computer and it can be sent to many people at once. The improvement in Information Management will reshape the organisation structure. This will decrease the need of supervisory staff and support staff. The decrease in staff and increase in information technology will mean employees need to be multi-skilled to complete a range of duties. With the integration of this new technology it will increase the amount of duties of one employer but decrease the time it would usually take to manage. Staff Requirements Even though Information technology will reduce the amount of supervisory / support staff there will be a need for additional staff to maintain the effectiveness of the information system.

Some of the additional staff requirements the university should consider are: Hardware Engineer / Technician: to maintain the hardware and peripherals so the equipment functions. Computer Operator: Loads tapes into computer drives and retrieves computer printouts. Programmer: Creates a program, which is to be used as a computer application. Systems manager: Supervises and is responsible for daily system operations, also recommends system upgrades. Software designer: Decides how the various parts of the system will interact, designs a flow chart for the information and types of files. Data entry operator: Types data into the computer via a database so it can be processed.

Systems analyst: Implements the ideas of the systems analyst and writes programs in computer language. Needs Analysis When designing a managing information system all aspects of the system need to be taken into consideration, to ensure the system caters for all the departments and functions necessary. A managing information system is vital for the future operation of Sunset Coast University. A MIS would decrease the amount of faulty records, misfiled records and increase the accuracy and organisation of the current system. A managing information system would decrease the amount of equipment usage and paperwork.

Department coordinators will have more time to complete meaningful duties alleviating the need to hire clerks. Students will be more satisfied with the timely process of completed assignments and their progress. Even though a MIS would be expensive it would drastically reduce the costs long term providing better facilities for their future students. Implementation Once the design has been analysed to determine of all its user's requirements, we then need to implement the system and deliver it to the users. The following points need to be performed in the implementation phase:" h Installing and testing the new system. It is extremely important that the hardware and software get thoroughly tested.

All programs need to be tested at this point so any errors can be corrected before putting the system into production. "h Training and educating users. For the system to reach it's full potential users must be trained on all aspects of the systems functionality. User manuals should also be provided to users for future reference. "h Resistance Many staff can feel threatened by the producing of a new advanced system. Some staff fear of less authority or being incompetent to operate the new system while others are scared to make a change into their usual routine. "h Involvement When delivering a new system into a workplace it is important to inform the future users of the whole implementation phase. Users will need to participate in the process to ensure a clear understanding of its functions and it's value to the workplace. "h Security Security is vital where confidential data or information is concerned. Strict rules need to be addressed to ensure no unauthorised personnel gain access to confidential databases.

Identification, badges, duress alarms, keypad entry's, passwords, safes and all strict security measures need to be considered to provide maximum security. "h Regular reviews The information system needs to be audited regularly, and if necessary adjusted to meet new and improved standards of the user requirements. In today's society technology is improving dramatically and keeping up with current trends will help provide the highest service possible. Evaluation The managing information system now needs to be evaluated to ensure the correct procedures have taken place. Even though a MIS will improve the functions of the organisation it won! |t replace a manager, as verbal and personal communications are vital. We need to determine how effective the system will be to our users. Everyone who will be affected by the proposed information system should participate in its development.

To ensure this managers and department heads should organise meetings to get feedback from all of the proposed users. The information manager should coordinate all of the major decisions ensuring all managers and department heads contribute. All aspects of this system need to be overlooked to ensure all of the software is correct and operational. Staff communication is extremely significant to the introduction of a new MIS, to ensure the new practices are beneficial to all the users. Gathering Information The structure, text and production of forms are important factors to ensure a clear understanding of the data received. Forms should be in a simple format to ensure data is accurate, reducing complications when the form is being processed or registered into a database.

Colours, sizes and font should also be analysed when designing forms as the construction is very important. The structure and accuracy of a form is also very important as misleading information can cause major problems. The design and printing of forms could be expensive so duplicate sides should be considered to reduce costs. Records Management Sunset Coast University retained all its paper records over 17 years. To reduce the amount of misfiles, errors and complications with filing and retrieving of records a record management plan should be established. This would also increase the amount of storage space and make retrieving of information more efficient.

First of all when storing records all of the different methods need to be considered. The university will still need to keep a paper filing system for student reports, assignments and other important documents. The storage mechanism CD ROM can! |t be altered or deleted so types of data such as student grades should be stored in this method. Accounts and budgets are very important data and can cause major problems with the organisations finance. A database should be used for this type of data as records can be added, altered or deleted. This of storage is becoming more popular as it is high in security and has many advantages over the other methods.

It is important that the same system / methods of record management is used in all the departments. This will reduce mistakes and inconsistencies and improve communication between departments, which is vital in an organisation. A records retention and disposal schedule needs to be implemented for the university. The schedule is a list of all the records that belong to an organisation and when they are disposed of into their next cycle. The university has kept its records over 17 years this is unnecessary and is causing more work and many problems in locating and managing the records system. The university should keep student details and grades located on the campus for the length they are attending the university.

When the student leaves / graduates the record should be disposed of to secondary storage. The same process should be used for account details and budgets, as it is a waste of office space to store inactive records on campus. Any records that have no significance at all in historical or legal research can be destroyed as long as the statutory requirements are met. Security Confidentiality is a major issue in today's society so all security measures need to be addressed to protect information. Passwords, identification, alarms, pin codes / pads, are types of security essential to the needs of the university. Only authorised staff should be able to access information relating to students, accounts etc.

The university building itself needs to be protected. Sunset Coast need to ensure no unauthorised personnel can gain access to where information is stored. They can reduce this by installing alarms, camera's, deadlocks, pin codes and guards. All staff should wear identification badges and uniforms at all times to ensure any suspicious behaviour can be identified as soon as possible. Computerised databases need to have passwords that are frequently changed to avoid unauthorised persons tapping into the database and viewing confidential data. All staff should also sign a form of confidentiality in their contract and these forms should be kept in their personnel files..