The Integration of Library, Telecommunications, and Computing Services in a University

Today many IS departments and individuals are attempting to transform from technical groups and specialists to user oriented functions and customer support personnel. The major responsibility of the traditional IS department has evolved from the development, operation, and support of technology to the management of information. In the university environment, managers of information have traditionally been librarians. Librarians have increasingly become users of electronic information resources. A merger of the library with computing and telecommunications brings together technical expertise with information management skills. This case study describes the process of integrating the library, computing and telecommunications services in a University. Within the last two years, a new manager in the newly created position of Chief Information Officer merged these diverse organizations. We will describe the techniques used during the first year to foster communication, develop new strategic direction, and create and implement a new organizational structure. We will focus on establishing leadership, the organizational change and operational planning process, and the initial implementation of the new organizational structure. We will describe some of the problems and obstacles that needed to be addressed, including new management’s establishment of trust and control, creating an environment for change, managing change amid strong time pressures, human resource issues, and resource constraints.

Remote Management of a Province-Wide Youth Employment Program Using Internet Technologies

A province-wide network of Community Access Internet sites was supported during the summers of 1996 and 1997 by Wire Nova Scotia (WiNS), a government funded program to provide staffing, training and technical support for these centres. The program was managed remotely from an office in Sydney, Nova Scotia (Canada) using a variety of Internet-based technologies, including email, a web site, conference boards, real-time chat, and mailing lists. Remote management enabled the efficient and low-cost operation of a program involving 67 sites with field placements, plus six regional coordinators and the technical and administrative staff at the hub in Sydney. Effectiveness of remote management was enhanced when employees participated in an initial face-to-face regional training workshop. This training not only familiarized the employees with the communications technologies, but, perhaps more importantly, put a human face and personality to the messages that later came electronically over the Intranet.

Problems, Their Causes and Effects in the Use of Information Systems

Information technology (IT) has radically improved many aspects of organisational activities. Computer-based information systems (CBIS) are constantly developed more effective and efficient. Development of a new CBIS is justified by higher quality of work, more efficient work processes, and more flexible work practices. However, introduction of the new IS can produce a variety of problems. This paper describes the problems observed in the use of a library CBIS in a Finnish scientific library. The results of the study illustrate well the environment which should be understood by the designers of computer-based information systems. One important prerequisite of good (re)design is a wide understanding of the problems that may prevent effective use of a CBIS. In this study we introduce a classification based on the problems which were found in the case. The classification describes the causes and effects of the observed problems.

Toy or Useful Technology?

In response to increasing competition and cost pressures from managed-care practices, healthcare organizations are turning to information technology (IT) to increase efficiency of their operations and reach out to new patient markets. One promising IT application, telemedicine, enables remote delivery of medical services. Potentially, telemedicine could reduce costs and increase the quality and accessibility of medical services. However, the diffusion of telemedicine has remained low. We present case studies of telemedicine programs at three healthcare institutions in Boston, Massachusetts to better understand why telemedicine has not spread as quickly or as far as one would expect, given its promise. These case studies describe the environmental and organizational context of telemedicine applications, their champions, strategies and learning activities. Since the three cases represent varying levels of diffusion of telemedicine, they enable the reader to understand how and why some institutions, champions and approaches are more successful than others in diffusing a new technology like telemedicine.

Leveraging Objects for Mission-Critical Applications

This case study is based on an enterprise-wide consulting project for a financial services firm in a major metropolitan area of the southwest United States. This case addresses the underlying principles (i.e., techniques and processes) and real-world practical application of object orientation (O-O). The objectives of this case study are to reinforce the student’s foundation in fundamental OO concepts, to provide an in-depth example of the application of O-O analysis and design techniques and formalisms and to enable the student to transfer this knowledge to the student’s actual work. The merit of the development process described here, Compass, is that it presents a repeatable process for delivery of client server architectures, object oriented systems, and distributed objects and components. It helps manage three interdependent variables common to most projects, i.e., deliverables, resources, and time, in a cost effective and efficient manner. The concept behind Compass is to integrate the best-proven solutions currently available, drawing upon several best-ofbreed approaches used within the Information Services industry.

Business Process Reengineering for the Use of Distance Learning at Bell Canada

The Bell Online Institute (BOLI) represents a radical change to the way Bell Canada provides internal training to its 27,000 employees. BOLI specializes in Web-based training, one type of technology enabled (distance) learning. Web-based training is a significant departure from the more traditional classroom-based practices at the Bell Institute for Professional Development, which is the organization that oversees all employee training at Bell Canada. This case study examines the use of Web-based training at Bell Canada in the context of business process reengineering. We present a theoretical context and a practical guide to how technology enabled learning changes the business processes in an organization. The study defines the processes that are required to deliver Web-based training, the value to the internal and external business practices of the organization, and the costs for each process. The wider applications of this case study are identified and will be of interest to those in other organizations that are moving from classroom delivered training to distance delivery. This case study describes changes in the organization that result from reengineering, including the impact Web-based learning has on training plans, student needs assessments, the ability to provide specialized curricula, training students and instructors in using new technologies, and establishing a principle of continuous improvement. Alternative ways of achieving project objectives are presented, along with organizational impact, technology alternatives, and cost-benefits.

Building an Internet-Based Workflow System

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories’ Zephyr System demonstrates how emerging technologies can help streamline procurement processes and improve the coordination between participants in engineering projects by enabling new ways of collaboration. The project also shows the success of a highly pragmatic approach that intentionally covered only standard situations, rather than additionally automating the exceptions. Assigning purchasing responsibilities to the end user reduces the involvement of the purchasing department in operational activities. This streamlined the process, resulting in major time savings, cost reductions, and improved quality. Left with less dayto- day purchasing operations, the purchasing department has more time for strategic tasks such as selecting and pre-qualifying new suppliers, negotiating contracts, or implementing new procurement systems. The case reinforces the notion that the use of information technologies can result in major benefits when aligned with process re-organization efforts.

Leveraging Objects for Privatizing Military Housing through Information Technology

The armed services must provide its personnel with acceptable housing at minimum cost within the vicinity of military installations. To achieve these housing objectives, the Department of Defense (DOD) has entered into experimental joint ventures with private developers to construct attractive housing projects on military installation property, with some of the projects reserved for military personnel. To support the analysis of the joint ventures, the DOD needed a methodology that would help officials evaluate the feasibility and cost implications of the housing projects. A decision support system, called the Housing Revitalization Support Office System (HRSOS), has been developed to provide the necessary support. The HRSOS architecture is based on a combination of database, econometric, simulation, and decision support techniques. Its deployment can help the Department of Defense to realize significant economic and management benefits. Future enhancements, motivated by the challenges from the current system, promise to increase the power of HRSOS and to further improve the DOD’s ability to manage its housing projects. To obtain the benefits, the HRSO experience suggests that system design, development, and implementation should be a team effort through an adaptive design strategy. It also indicates that an integrated suite of software development and implementation tools, offering rapid prototyping, computer assisted software engineering, and object-oriented analysis, can promote this strategy. The strategy is likely to work well in a hybrid project-technology virtual organizational form that is established and administered by the practicing top manager.

The Institutionalization of User Participation for Systems Development in Telecom Eireann

It was in 1984 that Telecom Éireann first introduced institutional mechanisms which facilitated employee participation in the formulation and execution of corporate strategy. However, almost ten years elapsed before the full benefits of user participation were realized in the development and implementation of organizational information systems. Two systems development projects that are perhaps exemplars of the manner in which user participation was and still is effected in Telecom Éireann, and which offer unique insights into this multi-faceted phenomenon, are described herein. This case study not only illustrates why user participation is important for systems development in organizations, it also provides evidence that user participation is insufficient for success in systems development if appropriate attention is not given to change management issues associated with the implementation of developed systems. The lessons learned by Telecom Éireann in addressing such issues helped it to evolve its participative policies into a partnership approach to organizational change that helped ensure the success of its strategy of IT-enabled organizational transformation.

Implementing an Integrated Software Product at Northern Steel

This case describes the implementation of the payroll and human resources modules of an integrated software product in a large manufacturing organization. The firm is located in a large metropolitan city and system implementation took place following a major organizational restructuring (from a public to a private enterprise) and downsizing (from 10,000 to 2,000 employees) effort. The extensive maintenance required by the existing legacy systems and the high cost of modifying them to address the year 2000 problem motivated the company to acquire an integrated software product from a vendor, and adapt it to the organization. Implementing the software took longer than scheduled and was 35% over budget. Some of the problems encountered include conflicts between the accounting and human resources departments, technical difficulties in building interfaces to existing systems, inadequate staffing of the project team, the IT director who left during the project, and a poorly functioning steering committee.