Introduction
This intervention aims to give some recommendations for our future professional career that we will soon start, or that some of us may have already started.
From my point of view, the importance of information technologies today in the strategy of organizations is so transcendent that it even surpasses the traditional economic, financial and logistical specialties, because even these and the decisions that affect them are conditioned by the information systems on which they rely.
Also from my point of view and in my opinion, those of us who have joined the professional world from specialties related to technologies and especially information technologies, are not occupying the role that our specialty actually occupies in the transcendental decisions of the organizations.
It includes the planning methodology, IT project management aspects and the evaluation and updating of the program, based on a process of continuous improvement; in the understanding that the adequate instrumentation, dissemination and monitoring of the planning process allows the integral administration of the progress of the institution's IT projects.
Why are we not occupying the role that our specialty actually occupies in the transcendental decisions of organizations?
The fundamental reason why it occurs is because of our own idiosyncrasy. Our own trend. Our own inertia. It is true that the training we receive is possibly excessively focused on the purely technological field, as if in the end we were all going to be researchers and developers. It is true, however, that, at least as far as I know, steps have been taken to complement training from a broader perspective of companies and organizations in general.
Computer science elements
From the computer point of view, the physical element used to process data and obtain information is the computer.
Computer is a machine composed of physical elements of an electronic type, capable of carrying out a wide variety of jobs at high speed and with great precision, provided that it is given the appropriate instructions.
The set of orders that are given to a computer to carry out a certain process is called a program. The set of one or more programs that perform a certain complete job is called a computer application. Information is the element to be treated, and it is defined as everything that allows to acquire any type of knowledge; therefore, information will exist when something is disclosed that is unknown.
Informatics is based on three basic pillars:
- The physical element (hardware) The logical element (software) The human element.
The vast majority of administrative buildings are not designed for a computer function; nowadays, technicians are becoming aware of this type of facilities and little by little they are heading towards a new information technology.
A Computer Center or Computer Center can be defined as one that, although not administrative, performs similar functions in an automated way. Computer Centers have emerged based on the repetitive application of specific technology. Therefore, it is necessary to create a regulation that groups the installation of any Computer Center in a standardized way.
The progressive development and implementation of new computer trends implies a transformation in the traditional way of doing work. Information technology allows all processes and movements, both mechanical and human, to be integrated into a single operating system and this undoubtedly forces a total reorganization of the structural elements.
General concepts
The exercise of the administration function from its definition (from Latin: AD = A and MINISTRATE = Serve) leads to the commitment, on the part of whoever exercises it, to take care of the resources entrusted to him in the best way, so that they serve as efficient means, and allow meeting certain objectives of a company.
The administration, for its exercise, is mainly divided into five sections:
Planning: Set objectives, goals and benefits, as well as determine the policies and procedures that will allow to achieve these objectives.
Decision Making: This is perhaps the most important part of a manager's job. Here the possible alternatives or paths that can lead us to achieve the objective in the most efficient way are analyzed.
Organization: This essentially represents the creation of the organic structure that allows carrying out the activities necessary to fulfill the objective that has been set.
Direction: It is the management of human resources that participate in all levels of the organization. Management requires a special ability to deal with the human element, so that it becomes involved in the process necessary to achieve the objectives set.
Control: By means of control, it is monitored that the activities carried out by the organization and their results are actually oriented towards the achievement of the objectives set by the companies.
Administration in IT units
Undoubtedly, the administration scheme must be applied within the IT Units, as well as in the company itself. The result of an adequate use of the administration depends to a great extent on the achievement of the objectives to be achieved. In other words, knowing what is going to be done and how it is going to be done, always having the objective well defined.
In general terms, human resources and material goods are the elements that make it possible to achieve the objectives set. It is important to know that both the former and the latter must be administered in a special way, requiring equally special qualities from the administrator in each case.
Computer science administration demands even more careful attention to these qualities, mainly due to the type of human resources that collaborate in administration. In a predominant way, the personnel that intervenes in the presentation of the information technology service is oriented to carry out intellectual tasks, requiring for this, people with a higher level training, which requires great skill on the part of the administrator, or particularly the person in charge of direct them.
When the company has decided to establish within its organization an Information Technology Unit to support the achievement of its objectives, it must begin to operate based on the management scheme. It is important to consider that normally Computer Units start small, and if one is able to manage efficiently in small, it will be for a large structure, otherwise in both cases it will be a failure that will be amplified in the second.
Said operations in general terms are carried out as follows:
Planning
A Computer Development Plan must be drawn up in which the objectives, policies and strategies that will make possible the exercise of the computer function within the company are established. That is, it is about ordering, through a logical structure, a series of actions to transform the reality of the company. In this sense, all planning must have an advocacy purpose.
With this plan it is intended:
- Define the needs for IT goods and services that the company will have in the short, medium and long term Establish a scheme for the gradual, coordinated and rational development of IT Regulate the development of the IT function, considering official and legal provisions that apply, as well as the internal regulations Define the feedback parameters that contribute to the success of the development of the plan itself.
Some of the most important characteristics of this plan should be its integrity, flexibility, feasibility, regulations and hierarchy.
A recommended structure of the plan is as follows:
- Identify objectives and functions of the company, considering if necessary, the legal bases of its creation Describe the needs of the company's IT goods and services in the short, medium and long term Establish the policies and strategies that will serve as the basis for the execution of the plan, trying to prioritize the actions that are necessary. Define the Computer Development Scheme that the company intends to reach, considering here physical, logical, structural and human resources. It is important to define here the goals into which the execution of the plan will be divided. Explicitly define the program of activities that will make the execution of the plan possible, considering the procurement of goods and contracting of services necessary to achieve the desired Computer Development Scheme.
Given that computing normally represents a high operating cost for the company, it is important to contemplate within the IT Development Plan, the security measures that will be implemented in the organization in order to protect assets, ensure their availability, integrity and confidentiality.
Within this contingency plan, the action procedures, the personnel involved in its execution, as well as the resources required must be defined.
The organization
It is important to define the way in which the Information Technology Unit should be organized so that it can perform its function in the most efficient way. Here, care must be taken, that this must only obey a real need derived perhaps from an increase in the demand for the service or technological changes typical of the area. The reduction of the organization can also be determined by an inverse behavior of the demand or the same technological advances.
It is always safer to manage what is necessary than to invent functions to justify an organic structure that is not required. Since having a staff that performs too many activities leads to a higher operational cost in addition to many times not being able to meet the objectives.
Due to the role that the Information Technology Units perform within companies, it is recommended that they be unified at the staff level within their organization. This is so as not to predominantly favor a particular area and, on the contrary, that there is a balanced benefit.
Decision making
Those responsible for directing the IT Units require significant skill to exercise this part of the management scheme. It is indisputable that the success of the company depends to a great extent on a correct decision-making.
Important decisions, in most cases, are made by high-level managers, so they require, among other things:
- A clear understanding of the objectives, policies, legal regulations, organic structure of the company Knowledge and responsibility for the exercise of the IT function A commitment, and if possible, a commitment to the institution trying to ensure that their exercise coincide, both the company's objectives as well as personal ones Be informed and up-to-date on technological trends and the environment in which the company operates, both internally and externally An entrepreneurial spirit that allows it sufficient confidence to take measured risks, which make possible to achieve the objective in an efficient way. Care must be taken that reason over instinct prevails in decision-making.
Therefore, in the selection of managers special attention must be paid.
Administrative functions in IT units
The direction
This part of the administration is no less important than the others and is closely related to all of them, since the main responsibility for the successful exercise of the IT function is concentrated in the management function.
The person in charge of directing this exercise, in addition to complying with the requirements described in the previous point, must be able to adequately conduct the performance of their subordinates.Do not forget that human resources are the most important element within the organization, for what for its driving requires special skills such as:
- Selecting the right person for the position Motivating staff so that in the performance of their work they achieve their professional fulfillment and as a human being, thereby contributing to the achievement of the company's objective This can be achieved through respectful treatment, active participation in the preparation and dissemination of work plans and programs, a system that allows their performance to be recognized, a training and education program, as well as the use of some dynamics of integration of work groups, among other things.To train the personnel that in the future could occupy the vacant positions of a higher level, taking care that there are no indispensable people, since unfortunately the dynamics of the Information Technology Units makes it difficult for people to take root.The conduct of human activity requires that the person in charge be able to understand that each person is unique in their way of being, so they must respect their individuality and do everything possible to know them in a particular way. That is why efficient management is achieved when one is skilled enough to lead each individual in a special way.
In this role, the Director must act as a psychologist, father, friend and boss.
The control
This part of the administration represents the greatest demand for procedures and methods, since a reliable knowledge of the achievements, the way to get there, their cost and, where appropriate, the identification of deviations depends on an adequate control of the activity. and its causes, which could jeopardize the conclusion of the objectives set.
Some methodologies and procedures that make possible an adequate control in the exercise of the computer function are the following: - without prioritizing their importance since they are equally convenient as they fulfill different objectives -.
Work agenda
It is important to systematically record scheduled and unscheduled activities and commitments on a daily basis. It is not convenient to rely too much on our memory. Therefore, a good administrator should use an agenda for his daily work, since in addition to serving as a daily program, it allows him to record important unscheduled events that he will probably need to consult in the future.
Single report of non-routine activities
To ensure compliance with the work programs aimed at achieving the proposed goals, it is important to schedule the necessary activities, clearly identifying them, and indicating the person or persons responsible for executing them as well as the progress made.
This procedure allows, in addition to the above, to record actual progress and identify the causes that led to deviations to the program.
It is very common that in any organization it is required to know at any time the status of the plans and work programs, making it necessary for this, different formats that contain essentially the same information. Using this procedure ensures, among other things, timeliness and consistency of the information provided.
Use of the service
This methodology allows obtaining periodic reports classified in different ways that serve as indicators to evaluate the degree of use and the cost of computer assets. This is done in order to make the best use of said goods and detect the causes that have affected the formal service. They also serve to know if these assets are being sufficient and adequate to meet the needs raised.
Service levels
When the IT Units serve a considerable number of users, it is important to enter into agreements with them, by which the characteristics of the required services are defined in terms of quantity, frequency, response time, etc., in order that Users are aware of what is really feasible to receive from the IT Unit, thus avoiding non-conformities or misunderstandings.
Problem handling
When the Computing Units acquire a certain magnitude as an almost logical consequence of their development, the number, diversity and complexity of the problems that arise, both to users and to the service providers themselves, are seen in increasing order, and in Sometimes there is uncertainty as to who should be reported and if the person who receives the report will actually be able to solve them efficiently.
That is why the creation of a Unit that is in charge of receiving the report of technical problems related to the IT area is convenient, this being the only means to do so.
This Unit must record such problems, channel them for attention and follow up on them until they are resolved, recording how it was achieved so that in case of recurrence they can be addressed more quickly.
Change control
Changes within the normal work environment of the IT area are very frequent, due, among other things, to the development dynamics of this area itself.
It is very important to have adequate control of the necessary changes to be made, be they physical, logical, human or procedural. This in order to anticipate the consequences of carrying them out, preparing what is necessary in case the change is not successful.
Inventory of physical resources
Since any equipment is received, regardless of its origin (purchase, donation, rent or loan), special care must be taken in its control, registering it in a database that allows us at any time to know, perhaps, its cost of purchase, date of receipt, serial number, characteristics, direct user, warranty period, supplier, etc.
Inventory of logical resources (Program Library)
Unquestionably, the development of logical resources (software) represents in many cases a significant cost, since these are directly related to the cost of human resources, which normally represent the highest percentage of a company's operating costs.
For this reason, it is highly recommended that an inventory of software developed to avoid redundancies and meet some requirements almost immediately, based on what already exists.
Insurance against claims
Given the high cost of acquiring computer assets, their facilities and mainly the information systems, as well as the information itself, it is essential to contract an insurance policy against certain risks, since as in the case of information, this can be invaluable.
However, in the unfortunate event of a loss, at least one must have the possibility of recovering material assets in order to rebuild the work environment. This is directly related to disaster recovery plans, where the necessary measures are foreseen to reduce the impact of a disaster, counting for example with duplicate files, stored in different places.
The foregoing is valid both for recently created IT Units, and for those that have already started their operations previously; only that in the second case, one does not start from scratch, but must make the necessary adjustments to all the elements of administration proposed by current and potential users.
Cycle of the exercise of the computing function
Within the normal operation of the IT Units, mainly when they have already started operations in previous years, there is a sequence of elements that are necessary to adequately perform their function.
Normally, these elements, related to the management scheme, occur cyclically in each year, adjusting them on each occasion to current needs.In general terms, this cycle is developed as follows:
It is normally based on a budget of expenses, and if the case, the income that will be required for the following fiscal year.
Here it is necessary to take into account all the financial needs that are estimated to be required to efficiently attend the IT function. It is also important to bear in mind that if it is sometimes difficult to acquire what was planned, it is more difficult when this is not done. For this reason, special care must be taken in preparing this budget.
Preparation of work plans and programs
It is important to define the work plans and programs that will be necessary to meet the programmed goals. The personnel responsible for its execution must participate in its preparation so that it includes all the necessary activities avoiding, as far as possible, omissions and their own ignorance.
These plans and programs must include the training and training required for people to efficiently fulfill their responsibility.
Preparation of purchase orders and contracting of services
Taking the budgetary authorization as a reference, purchase orders and the contracting of services must be scheduled in advance to ensure that everything necessary for the execution of work programs will be available in a timely manner.
Through the Program-Activity Report, the committed work program is monitored. It is important that its review is periodic and that it includes all the data necessary for the preparation of the corresponding reports. With this, the cycle is closed, identifying the necessary feedback parameters that will give rise to a new approach to the planned plans, adjusting them to current needs.
What can be due to the successful exercise of the computer function?
Without trying to provide a recipe, far from it, a hierarchy of aspects to achieve the success of the exercise of administration within the IT function, these are the points described below, which can contribute to achieving it in a better way.
It is necessary to clearly know and address the objectives of the company, its organization, policies and internal regulations.
Have the support and confidence of higher authorities to carry out work plans and programs.
Be permanently aware of the technological trends in the area to have the technical authority to propose development lines.
Maintain a unique work commitment to better serve the company. Lead by example
Address minor issues immediately and reflect on major issues.
Treat staff with respect and courtesy, doing everything possible to find their own fulfillment in their performance.
Carry out dynamics of integration of work groups, through their participation in the elaboration of work programs, coexistence, etc.
Maintain a cordial relationship, if possible, friendly, with those responsible for the other areas of the organic structure of the company.
Maintain the maximum order in performance, thinking that one should work daily as enthusiastically as if it were the last job exercising that function.
Require the necessary goods and services with the greatest opportunity, trying, as far as possible, to be the first in order to ensure that there are sufficient resources, and not the last when the risk of having them available to address other priorities.
Understand that the performance of the assigned function must go beyond simple fulfillment and that one must feel affection for the institution (put on the shirt), perhaps seeing their interests as their own.
Participate, as far as possible, in defining the lines of development of the company. Delegate what can be delegated.
Maintain a good business relationship with suppliers.
Prepare the Computer Development Plans with the minimum characteristics described in point II.
Recognize the efficient fulfillment of staff performance and even more the extra effort applied to the achievement of the company's objectives.
Centralization of the IT function and decentralization of services
There is some controversy among the computer medium about the pros and cons represented by the centralization of the service provided by these units within the company. However, it is convenient to analyze individual cases and decide what is most appropriate for each of them.
It is indisputable that the fact of having computers and computer systems increasingly oriented to end users could indicate that the most advisable thing is to give each one their resources and manage them for themselves.
However, in some cases this is not very convenient due to various reasons, such as the following:
Normally, the user requires some advice for the proper use and exploitation of their computing resources.
IT assets can be more expensive to maintain per unit than per batch. There is a risk of giving it a surplus or limited resource, according to real needs.
Control over the use of computer assets is lost, and so on.
That is why the most advisable thing, in most cases, within the company is that it be in charge of managing this function based on the decentralization of the service and the centralization of its administration, this area being in charge, among other things, of:
Prepare computer development plans.
Prepare the standards for System Development and Software Use. Control the inventories of computer assets.
Carry out the necessary procedures for the contracting of computer goods and services.
Prepare the regulations for the use of computer assets. Continue the maintenance of computer assets, etcetera.
After doing the above we can say, based on our experience, that working under this management scheme within the IT Units can represent significant savings for the company, and a greater possibility that IT efficiently meets its role in supporting the achievement of institutional objectives.
References
- Banjercito Computer Procedures Manual. Principles of Management and Organizational Conduct, Burt K. Scanlan, Limusa, First Edition. Guide for the Preparation of the Computer Development Program, INEGI-SPP, 1997 Edition. Problem Management, Change Control and Service Levels, IBM, 1987.
