Effective Business : 5 Smart Tips Essay

In order to have the webpage working 24/7, the online and mobile shopping working; the IT department is doing all the technical things. Usually they have to keep the systems updated and to buy or install programs to provide appropriate information. Also the IT is connecting all the equipment and servers to maintain the company website to be satisfactory for the clients. All the shopping lists go straight to the administration department which makes sure all the orders have been met and customers are satisfied.

IT Organizational Restructure is necessary for the current IT department to be developed into a CIO organization. Outlining a new framework and identifying roles and responsibilities will help to shape an effective organization to be in a better situation to support the company’s goals. It will also better align the current and future IT investments and

IT/IS Department: will derive information from computer data by organizing it and interpreting it in a specific way; through the use of technologies from computing, electronics, and telecommunications. That way, information will get processed and distributed in digital and other forms through the IT/IS department.

Information systems (IS), technically are a set of interrelated components that collect and retrieve information, process and store it and support the organization in decision making. Information Technology (IT) is a shared technology and provides the platform for specific information. It consists of hardware and software for a business to achieve their objectives. Included is the computer systems, the computer, any hand-held devices, software the company needs to operate and storage. (20)

The sheer volume of information of all types is ever increasing, making the job of IT manager more difficult. To remain competent, IT managers must keep up with the latest trends and new technologies. The evaluation of new technology is another skill related to information literacy, since the information describing such technology can take many forms. The best IT managers are highly skilled in such evaluations. These effective managers seem to be rare, as found in Li (2009). That study found that to deal with the difficulties of IT management, many organizations used encroachment, to save face for executives by simplifying and deflecting harmful results and analysis. This spreads the managerial blame and deals with the well documented fact (every computer science student is taught this) that over 60% of all technology projects fail and software development projects in particular fail even more frequently. The reasons for the failure of such projects include the incompetence of IT management (Toader et al., 2010). This is increasingly exemplified by the inability to communicate effectively with workers of foreign origin and incorrect evaluations of technology.

IT governance is not only about IT. Do not make the mistake of believing that IT governance fits inside the walls of the IT organization;

Copyright 2009 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This chapter was originally published as chapter 1 of The Adventures of an IT Leader, copyright 2009 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the

To accomplish this, the IT Department will develop and maintain an information technology infrastructure to provide for the availability of this information to management, the information technology infrastructure consists of the resources used to process data into information and deliver the information to its users.

The role played by the IT in the company to the rest of the organization is reactive to business conditions rather than a proactive approach. IT has been busy establishing several IT processes, policies, and projects in order to catch up with current demand from customers, and has been relying on the “diving catch” approach of finishing things at the very last minute.

• Meet regularly with other departments’ heads- Sales- HR-Accounting-Marketing-Customer Service-Institutional trading-R&A-Client Services to communicate IT strategies and projects. Gather feedback from other departments regarding current needs. Be sure that all departments are aware of an IT strategy and that all future projects and initiatives must fall within this strategy.

Few companies today can exist without an IT department. The IT department contains many of the company’s technology experts. Almost all companies rely on computers to some degree whether it is an international conglomerate or a small startup company. Some companies are very dependent on computer systems while others use them only for accounting for payrolls and everyday computer tasks. Most organization, even the smallest company have people whose job is to make sure that the computer system is up and running or an emergency contact to call when the computer systems goes down. In the future, I want to take the head of a database administrator of an IT department whether the size of the company is small or enormous.

All these factors are creating new challenges and new opportunities for businesses of all kinds and for the public sector. Adapting to the volatility and change is crucially dependent on, and in many cases driven by, IT. But to successfully meet these challenges and grasp these opportunities, you must focus on what you do best, not on becoming systems experts. Yet at the same time you must be 100 per cent certain that your IT support is efficient, cost effective and totally tuned to your needs.

This paper will discuss the processes and pitfalls faced by Information Technology managers in today’s world of business. Today’s IT managers need not only be savvy about existing equipment and upcoming technology; but must also understand the budget issues they face and how to properly address them. The IT manager is asked to look into a crystal ball and predict what products will be beneficial and which requirements can be cut from the budget. They must be able to differentiate between the new shiny fad and products that will be a true asset to the company’s visions and goals. An IT budget can no longer be a static number on the company’s finance sheet; it must be a clear vision of the department’s future spending while falling in line with the goals and expectations of the company.

Mostly, IT department is set up as cost center in the company. The department may provide such services as computer-aided design, network administration, or database development to other units of the company. For example, IT department could charge human resource department for monthly maintenances fee. These services have value, and they are important to the company 's overall success, but they do not generate a profit. IT may charge the "cost" of its services back to the department that requested them, but it does not make a profit because it charges only for its actual costs incurred, without adding an extra margin for profit.

Therefore, IT managers need effective management systems and processes to help them deal with the issues and challenges inherent in their responsibilities. Feeny and Willcocks (1998) suggested that core IS competencies are needed to assist the development of IT, measurable in terms of IT activities supported, and resulting business performance. Figure 1 shows the 9 core IS competencies. The research carried out indicated that in order to have a successful IT function there are four major tasks which need to be accomplished. These include: co-ordination and leadership; ensuring technical capability; managing the external supply; and meeting the business’s requirements.