BU509 IT in Orgs

Discussion Notes #9

Chapter 11:  Managing Network Applications

At first glance I thought Figure 11.1 [p. 289] was showing mainframe versus client/server versus PC stand alone, but a more careful reading shows that it is just three variations of client/server architecture.  It would have helpful to have each of the three columns labeled.  Is there a link missing between Data Management and Function in the right column, or is this the stand alone PC variation?

It's good that "re-engineering" is mentioned and explained [p.292] because the term is also used in the catalog description of BU509 and is not a term that I use much.  Doesn't it mean regarding what we do and trying to figure out if there is a better way of doing it?  Don't we all do this all the time anyway?

The introduction of IT into the process [p. 293] had some relevance.  There are still vestiges of managerial paranoia in ITS when certain individuals think that users shouldn't know too much about how the systems work.  "Users may contaminate the system. Yuk."  This sounds like the '70s when distributed processing started it's exponential growth in corporations.  The eight "Distributed Computing Issues" [p. 295] provides a good synopsis of the challenges in the implementation, and I'll bet we could trade some war stories of how these issues directly affected each of us at our jobs. 

PSC/ITS/Help Desk  is an example of "Organizational change" and "The Information Center" [p. 298].  The Help Desk is a great concept that suffered from lack of use.  Many users tend not to remember that it is a resource [535-2929], then don't get the help they need, then never return.  Other users go there all the time, establish a rapport with the staff and get great service. While this is a sample size of one, I believe that our own Help Desk is typical of other organizations.

Finally, "Implementation Considerations" seem to be a good reference list before crashing blindly into a new implementation.  Organizational factors, Information infrastructure, systems management and other management issues are topics with some worldly advice.

This was kind of a soft "managerial" chapter after the first attempt [Fig 11.1] at techie-ness.  That's OK.  It helps balance the meal.