Introduction
In the present work we talk about the administration of the Function in Computing which makes us know the operation of a company which has as characteristics the use of the operation of the software, hardware and telecommunications that exist today. It is a proposal that defines what should be done with computing by Mexican companies.
It is an approach that proposes to use information as a strategic weapon of competition in all companies, regardless of size or turn. It represents a new way of conceiving computing, as well as observing and understanding an organization. It is a mixture of both traditional concepts, but seen and thought with current technological resources.
Sometimes when starting a business or simply working for a company or company, in the computing area, we do not keep in mind what our responsibilities are when being in charge of such a department, Maintain the computer equipment used in the Institute in optimal operating conditions, providing the required technical assistance, and supporting the Network and Communications Department in the installation of local networks. Electronic computing technology has significantly changed the way of working of all humanity. The dependence we have today on computers is evident. However, the events have occurred with such rapidity that a formal analysis is required to verify the magnitude of this dependency. A drastic but very objective way of illustrating it would be to imagine what could happen if all the computers in the world were disconnected from one moment to the next.
The effects would be more severe than those caused by war.
Administration of the Computing function (AFI)
Computer science is in our lives, much of our society has developed under the protection of new technologies and owes its success largely to this science. Due to the great rise that computing has brought, I consider it important to clarify the concept and position it in its proper place to avoid confusion.
Computer science is the science that is in charge of the automatic treatment of information. This automatic treatment is the one that has facilitated and facilitated the manipulation of large volumes of data and the rapid execution of complex calculations.
Background
We will begin precisely that AFI is the acronym for Administration of the Computing Function, which was printed in 1992, currently an organization cannot operate without the function of the computer function.
Today we realize widely that knowledge of information systems is essential for company managers, since without this type of information companies will stagnate for life, since they cannot offer us new services and perhaps not drive your work 100%.
Directly or indirectly, you interact in the modern world with a computer: at bank ATMs, in the purchase of a plane ticket, in your office, in the simple order of hamburgers you eat at the restaurant. It is, therefore, very familiar to all who make the use of computer programs, as well as the information generated by these media, of today's man.
Organizations today require a system that is authorized to provide speed to access information, as each of these systems has to carry other systems to streamline their business function and to handle large volumes of information.
These new demands of the Information Technology Function for new organizations that may be small, medium and large companies; They must have new computer equipment because if they are not updated, these types of companies tend to disappear because they do not train their employees.
The objective of this work is to allow us to standardize the Computer Function for each of the processes and tasks that exist in companies so that they allow us to use human resource decisions. Within organizations it can be seen that there is a high degree of internal control, it is dynamic for the management of human resources and it has the same philosophy for each of those tasks that each group has in companies.
That is why AFI has shown that within our computer deterioration, what we have dedicated ourselves to is managing the computing crisis, instead of managing the computing function. But something even worse is that, if we are aware that we have lived with such a deteriorated computing environment, correcting problem after problem (squandering), why we have not learned from such a great experience. Instead, we keep repeating the same mistakes, and consequently correcting the same problems over and over again.
AFI again demonstrates that it is not possible to apply the learning model, because it is not possible to apply this model within a monitoring context by exception, because to favorably apply said model, a monitoring environment by function is required, within which the model inexorably works.
Therefore, I affirm that computer scientists will very soon be required to undertake a supreme effort to make the best possible use of computing resources (human, technical and material). We have to offer and give companies better results in these tasks. Our obligation is to definitively repair what we have decomposed for so long.
And even more, to begin to open with a new direction the way for the new generations of computer scientists. AFI offers these possibilities, starting by redirecting the obsolete and ineffective concept of IT support to a much broader context, perceived as an IT function, vital for modern organizations.
Information and communication technologies have significantly changed the way of working of all humanity. The dependence that we have in Administration of the Computing function, the topicality of telematics is evident; however, the events have occurred with such rapidity that a formal analysis is required to verify the magnitude of this dependency. A drastic but objective way of illustrating it would be to imagine what would happen if from now on all the computers in the world remained offline. The effects would be more severe than those caused by war.
The computing area represents an entity within the organization, which aims to satisfy the information needs of the company, in a truthful and timely manner. Its primary function is to complement administrative work to make it more secure, fluid and thus simplify it.
The computing area is responsible, among many other things, for centralizing, guarding and processing the majority of the data with which the company operates. Practically all the activities of the other departments are based on the information provided by that area.
Decision making depends largely on the responsiveness of the data process. Therefore, the investment is almost spared to provide the IT area with the necessary technical equipment (material and human). In fact, in most organizations the computing area absorbs most of the budget. The importance of the computing area within the organization places it in a position that influences even a large part of the administrative and projection decisions of companies.
The author tells us about his experience, more or less that it was 25 years ago in the computing field and that he has shown us that in the computing areas they are efficiently managed.
Lack of administration leads to a waste of computing resources, both human and material. I have observed that the most frequent cause of the errors that are committed in the computing area is precisely its lack of administration.
I have carried out technical audits in many companies to detect innumerable deficiencies in the computing area.
Initially, it was relatively quick to find the individual causes of the errors and implement the corrective measures. While the operation was greatly improved and problems were temporarily resolved, and for a time everything seemed to be under control, later, errors that had not occurred would magically arise. This disturbed me, because it seemed that we could never go ahead, or at least cushion the consequences of such errors.
I spent a lot of time finding a really effective method that covered most of the previously identified bug fixes; but as I advanced in the analysis, I concluded that it was impossible to find a really satisfactory single method, because while it was adjusted to the solution of certain types of errors, on the other hand it was incongruous as a solution of other types of errors; that is to say, the integral solution could not be framed in a single momentary strategy. 10 years ago when companies started with some departments that are:
- Analysis and design of systems Programming unit Technical support Analysis
Since they are in charge of preparing a well-structured document where each program was located and sent it to the programming department.
In the programming department, the definition of each program was studied and doubts were clarified with the corresponding analyst, the program was developed and a folder with the results of the last test and the program's source list was returned to the analyst. As the test data had been defined by the analyst, the control figures were easily verified by the analyst, who had considered all the data combination possibilities to which the program in production would adhere. The folder sent to the analyst was part of the system documentation; Another folder of its own for the operation of the program was delivered to the operation department.
The operations department maintained close communication with systems analysts and users to determine production schedules.
Finally, the technical support department was in charge of keeping the operating system operational and technically advising the other departments.
After hereinafter more departments were made such as:
- Advice to users. Data security department. Training department. Method department! and procedures.
It is appropriate to try to describe now, and not define, because there is no definition, what I mean by the AFI factor, since I have often been asked to do so in multiple institutes and universities; But let me first say that there is no definition because I do not yet consider it a concept, but only an approach on the way to becoming a concept.
The AFI factor can be described as the particular mechanism with which each company must be endowed to be able to establish clearly and at all times, the scope and approach of the mission of the IT function, throughout the competitive growth cycle.
The investigations that I have carried out for years to try to discover the root causes that have generated the previous problem have led me to recognize that it exists due to a low administrative level in the IT areas, due to the improvised way in which these areas were structured..
In the absence of a previous model that indicated how to do it, we did it as best we could, without time or certain bases of study. The result was an impressive computer waste.
During this cycle, companies necessarily, if they want to grow, compete and remain, must be informed. However, I also found that the quality of the information they have is directly related to the maturity of their administrative procedures; the more mature these procedures are, the greater the possibility of developing good information systems; and the better the information systems are, the greater the success will be in automating and operating them in the organization, which necessarily pays off in the constant generation of quality information.
There are different phases in the AFI factor:
- Phase 1. In this phase, the company is not ready to compete. Company managers know that the company is out of the market, either because it has just started operations or because it is in collapse. Here the collapse concerns us, and we will handle it for the following explanation. They know that the reason for being outside is that they have so many deficiencies and have been corrupted to such a degree, which is what prevents them from having growth within the competitive environment, and for that reason they do not have the sufficient requirements to stay within. of the struggle. Phase 2. In this phase, having already analyzed the previous situation and the reasons that gave rise to it, it is required and assumed that they manage to develop a clear outline of objectives to be achieved,in order to reach growth levels that place them at the height of the competitiveness requirements of the era in which they are living. In other words, there is a strong desire among managers to enter the competition. Phase 3. In this phase, the objectives to be achieved have already been established and the desire to compete is evident. Now, having matured the objectives set to enter the fight, we proceed to the elaboration of detailed plans that frame the activities that lead them to overcome the vices that made the company succumb and undertake growth towards the achievement of the objectives now rethought. At this moment it is no longer a single desire to compete, this has become a firm decision. Phase 4. In this phase you are fully entering the competition.Competition strategy is determined and implemented. The use of information indicators is part of the strategy. Phase 5. In this phase, the company is trying to locate itself within the competition environment. That is, already within the fight, it begins to have information on how it is behaving compared to its competitors. These information indicators keep you informed of the place you are reaching with respect to the objectives to be achieved. In addition, the experience he is achieving places him in a position of competitive growth; that is, you are in a position to determine the realistic parameters of the information that you require in order to remain in it since you are within the competition..It is time to go in search of excellence; that is to say, to be better than the other competitors. This impulse is necessary in order not to decline, since at this moment the competitive force generates constant pressure. All the competitors are looking for growth alternatives that allow them to increase their market; therefore, it is almost certain that the objectives of a company will begin to require permanence adjustments. Phase 7. In this phase, there will be companies that do not resist the constant pressure of competitors and begin to lose market, to the extent that they are expelled from the competition. In other words, there is a decline in competitiveness because its objectives, whatever they may be, are no longer consistent with the growth achieved by its competitors.It is evident that they did not have effective information indicators that would allow them to create timely corrective mechanisms, and they did not detect their deficiencies in time. Phase 8. In this phase, outside the competition, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate their situation in detail, observing with carefully the competitive picture they must face. It is obvious that the analysis and evaluation of your situation, as well as the observation of the competitive scheme, will have to be done with support from your information systems.as well as the observation of the competitive scheme, will have to be done with support in their information systems.as well as the observation of the competitive scheme, will have to be done with support in their information systems.
Importance of the computing function
The computer function helps us organize and control the technical and administrative operation of the computer center, a very clear example may be that they introduce computer equipment to an organization that generates the change of an organization as well as changes in the organization. Planning and Organization within an IT department or company is important, since systematization is precisely the basis on which IT works, in addition to the fact that there are too many resources in them that wish to be coordinated and organized (man-machine) to harmonious and successful work.
The Computing function and its relationship with the competitive cycle of organizations
Control is a fundamental stage in administration, because, although a company has magnificent plans, an adequate organizational structure and efficient management, the executive will not be able to verify the real situation of the organization and there is no mechanism that makes sure and report if the facts sell according to the objectives.
One of the most obvious reasons for the importance of control is because even the best of plans can deviate.
Face change. This is an inescapable part of the environment of any organization. Markets change, competition around the world offers new products or services that capture the public's attention.
Materials and new technologies emerge. Government regulations are approved or amended. The monitoring function serves managers to respond to threats or opportunities from all of this, because it helps them detect the changes that are affecting the products and services of their organizations.
Information technology trends
Information systems are known as the human resources infrastructure.
The tendencies of the information of administration of the function are a series of scientific techniques that allow the human being to have contact with the function of the informatics of today, the tendencies of the directions of the Functions of the informatics are the initiation of the Manual systems that can be converted into computerized systems, however the Administration of the function in computing guarantees us a wide performance for the organization since these can be made up of the computer system which are:
- Hardware: corresponds to all the physical and tangible parts of a computer: its electrical, electronic, electromechanical and mechanical components; its cables, cabinets or boxes, peripherals of all kinds and any other physical element involved are typical hardware of a computer. Software: refers to the software or software of a digital computer, and includes all the logical components necessary to make it possible to perform a specific task, as opposed to the physical components of the system (hardware). Such logical components include, but are not limited to, computer applications such as a word processor, which enables the user to perform all tasks concerning text editing; system software, such as an operating system, which basicallyIt allows the rest of the programs to work properly, facilitating the interaction with the physical components and the rest of the applications. It also provides an interface for the user. Data: Recent trends in databases include the growth of databases. Distributed data and the emergence of object-oriented and hypermedia databases. Telecommunications: The trend of telecommunications will be determined by the great impact that the Internet network offers users, as the use of this medium is increasing., demanding large information flows and high security in data transmission, so the hardware, software and telecommunications channels must respond to these demands,on the other hand, the bandwidths at the local network level should contemplate the transmission of multimedia, where the information requires more and more shipments of large amounts of information.
The Importance of evaluating worker commitments
Most IT managers are committed to delivering results in record time, regardless of who actually gets the job done.
This problem is very common, since the appointment of chief automatically represents "gift of command." This is not only valid in the computing environment, but in any operational area, in the computing area, where the real work is the result of the creativity factor.
Thus, it is appreciated that the "gift of command" does not guarantee correct or timely results; However, there are more than a few bosses who believe that this way they will obtain better achievements. Sometimes it is thought that the mere fact of having an academic degree, even without being related to the computer science area, it is possible to direct it, which is not true either. Thus, it is not difficult to recognize that when some bosses accept commitments to be fulfilled in record times, they do so with ignorance of the effort that this requires.
Most have only represented significant losses, both in time and money, in addition to the dissatisfaction and general lack of motivation of those who participated.
- A manager must be a person with enough computer skills to allow them to assess the magnitude and complexity of a project, before making a commitment to superiors or users. They must have sufficient technical capacity to break down the total outline of each project According to the macro activities, he himself will have to evaluate the technical and human resources that will be required to carry out said project. Once he has evaluated the above, he will have enough elements to determine if he has these resources. If he has the necessary resources, the situation is more comfortable; however, before committing to giving completion dates, you must assign the macro activities to the personnel you designate, and let them be the ones who, when breaking down each macro activity into detailed activities,determine the completion dates; and thus, by combining all of these, you will have a more realistic view of the total period required for the complete completion of the project. It is worth noting that each activity resulting from the breakdown of macro activities must adhere to the "finished products" policy; that is, the actual termination of each one must be represented by something tangible that allows visualizing its true termination. A manager must be able to detect that, from a technical point of view, the termination dates programmed by his subordinates are not too loose, since if this happened it could turn out that the person to whom such activities have been assigned is not the ideal one. Finally, it is the role of the boss to establish progress controls and project monitoring,This will help you visualize any unforeseen deviations that may arise, and thus establish appropriate corrective measures. At this point it should be noted that for the complete achievement of any project, the boss must refrain from assigning extra activities that deviate the assigned personnel from their objective.
conclusion
At the end of this work, I realize that how important a computer center is, easy to enter but at the same time difficult to manage, there are several ways and ways of managing a computer center, resulting in the following:
Manage existing computing centers more efficiently.
Make decisions in a timely, safe and economical way, guaranteeing the highest benefits to the users of the systems in production, thus helping to obtain healthy business continuity. We try to identify our problems based on clear and concise information, putting into practice our skills for higher performance for the administration of computer centers.
Bibliographic references
- Hernández Jiménez, Ricardo, Administration of the computer function AF1 factor, Mexico: Trillas, 2015. Administration of the Computer Function: A New Profession author Ricardo Hernández Jiménez, 2003, Editorial Limusa.Hernández Jiménez, Ricardo, Administration of the computer function: factor AF1, - 7th ed, Mexico: Trillas, 2003 (reimp. 2006). 400 p.
