Cmgt 445 - Week 2 - Managing the Information System Infrastructure Within a Business

Managerial Issues

Marquita Sparks

CMGT445 – Week 2 – J. Burwick

February 1, 2016

        Managing the information system infrastructure within a business is probably the most important aspect because the infrastructure is considered the backbone to the entire company’s network.  Without it, the company would be disconnected, and revenue cannot generate to a company that is not on the radar.  Additionally, the IS infrastructure powers the company’s productivity amongst employees, connection to its consumers, as well as keeping it abreast within its respective industry around the world.  Whether it is a large or a small company, the task of managing the IS infrastructure can become quite tedious, and issues may arise frequently.  This paper will address some of the problems that might come about when putting forth a plan to effectively manage your IS infrastructure.

Velocity of Change

        We have all experienced this in one way or another.  Technology advances in light years, and all too often to we get used to something that will be rendered virtually obsolete within the next 5 to 10 years.  The speed at which technology evolves is staggering, especially when you are trying to maintain a stable IS infrastructure.  Fidelity Investments CTO Stephen Neff says, “Not only is there so much going on in our world right now between what used to be ‘emerging technologies’, but they are all hitting at the same time… the pace has actually increased, and they’re all additive in the nature of our business.”   This type of change goes across a very wide spectrum of businesses, and is not simply limited to IT.  

Balancing Strategic Priorities with Regulations

        Supplying the demand is a lot easier said than done with regards to qualified resources availability and capital.  It is never a spot-on estimation of how much of something will be needed versus what is actually needed, as well as simply what is required to complete and execute the tasks at hand (Sanli, 2010).  For example, in the healthcare industry, more and more providers are moving from tangible records to virtual, with things such as big data analytics and Cloud computing.  Although making the move to more virtual methods seems like the best idea, there is always the threat of ensuring clients and patients that their information is safe and secure within the confines of the web.  This is a completely different task within itself.

Finding IT Talent

        This issue is probably hit and miss.  Finding employees with the particular skill set that is needed to complete tasks fully and efficiently.  You have to take grave care in this area because those that you hire virtually hold your company in their hands.  If they are ill-equipped or improperly prepared to perform the tasks assigned to them, the foundation of the company could be rattled (Grajek & Pirani, 2012).  There are those who will deliberately exaggerate their qualifications to land a job because of the salary, and it is up to the executives to weed out those who are truly qualified versus those who are fabricating what they know and what they can do for a paycheck.

Too Many Technologies, Not Enough Time

        Keeping up with how quickly things change is one thing, but keeping up with how quickly new technologies arise is just as challenging, if not more.  With new ones popping up daily, it is almost impossible to find the adequate time to decide if they are beneficial to the company, and to implement them all properly.  However, before you have chosen software to implement, there is always something new that will surely arise.

Murphy’s Law of Unforeseen Problems

        Murphy’s Law states that if there is something that has the potential to go wrong, then it will go wrong.  There is nothing that you can really do to ensure a foolproof plan.  No matter how much you plan, how many tests are run, it is almost a guarantee that nothing will go off without a hitch (Gilmore, 2014).  Because of this, you could end up overspending or running out of resources before the project is done.  

Prioritization

        Prioritizing what is important and what is not is a huge part of running a company.  It’s good to have a keen grasp of which aspects are more important to handle first.  This can help with retaining money, manpower, materials, and the most valuable of resources, time.  F. Thaddeus Arroyo, CIO of AT&T Services, Inc. says, “The important part is where we’re going to put, from a prioritization perspective, leadership attention, so that we drive transformational actions… Not letting what I perceive as possible limit what my organization sees as possible.”

Perfectionism

        Perfection is a mentality; it is the mentality that every ‘I’ is dotted and every single ‘T’ is crossed.  This should not be the ultimate goal of an organization with a nimble mindset.  Brook Colangelo, CIO/SVP of the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Technology Group says, “Our biggest challenge over the last year is this idea and mindset, both to our internal and external customers -- and really this pressure on the team -- about perfection”.  The key to overcoming the perfectionist mindset is communication and getting developers to understand that perfection is not the key, but iteration is.