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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

we ought to know the truth!

In order for us to formulate a plan for the IS of the 'psyche' company , we have know the details of their existing IS. But how can we if from time to time we get to have vague answers and inconsistent informations from them.
This is really making us sOo annoyed!
We have signed confidentiality 'thingy' paper.
So why can't they just give us the real data?
It's not like we're going to vend their informations and strategy.HMP!
How rude of them!
They really are witty.
It suits their company name!
(try to guess it)
bLeh.hehe

Friday, September 26, 2008

our prolonged burden is official over! - nOt!

whew!
At long last!They handed out the documents we need.
It was very troublesome for us to go there (LandCo) almost everyday to get the files required for our major paper in MIS.
..gOod thing that was over.
Now the real clash begins!
haha gOodLuck na lang.

_information environment_



Technology. Nowadays, it has come to have widespread rapid development and expansion. It has brought forth to the civilization the significant and convenient applications and innovations. It has provided the world with ease and comfort particularly on communications and transportations. With regard to management of information, automation of manual systems has been made. And so there is what we called IS (Information System).

Information System. It is a system that comprises of people, machines, and methods organized to collect, process, transmit, and disseminate data and information in an organization. It may be automated or manually processed. It deals with the development, use and management of an organization's IT infrastructure. The study of information system, originated as a sub-discipline of computer science, in an attempt to understand and rationalize the management of technology within organizations.

I think it is an essential element in an organization to have an information system for them to be able to manage and handle their important documents, files and information within their institute with less or no difficulty or trouble. An automated information system would be better. It is to centralize, to integrate and to access the data and information within the organization with great ease.

There is now a critical mass of digital information resources that can be used to support researchers, learners, teachers and administrators in their work and study. The production of information is on the increase and ways to deal with this effectively are required. There is the need to ensure that quality information isn’t lost amongst the masses of digital data created everyday. If we can continue to improve the management, interrogation and serving of ‘quality’ information there is huge potential to enhance knowledge creation across learning and research communities.

Why discuss these things? How are they related to an information environment? And what does information environment implies? And what is the information environment’s significance?

Information Environment. The aggregate of individuals, organizations, or systems that collect, process, or disseminate information; also included is the information itself.

Could it be any broader?

Well, if I were to define it based on what they have conveyed, I guess it would a setting or an area wherein interrelated ideas and concepts of information technology are best utilized such as information system or maybe management information system. It is where application of such expertise and knowledge of the said information systems and technology are entirely functional, useful and employed.
The aim of the information environment is to help provide convenient access to resources for research and learning through the use of resource discovery and resource management tools and the development of better services and practice. The information environment aims to allow discovery, access and use of resources for research and learning irrespective of their location.

The information environment is clearly the key to the goals of achieving an interoperable distributed national electronic resource. Cognate strategies, recognizing the interrelation of activities, exist for collections development and management, and communications and are on going for preservation.

Being an IT student, it is my foremost desire to belong in an organization that specialize IT wherein I’ll be molded and improved, where the extent of my capabilities and potential will be put to test and be assessed. So If I were to choose an information environment I guess it would be a customer call center agency or a software product development company just like MyndTech.

The continuing growth of the customer call center as a marketing channel and customer service tool has created an incredible demand for industry professionals. The industrial services specialty includes those service industries executives that have similar skill sets in operations, customer service, new business development and business unit management.

It doesn’t only provide employment. I think it is one of the leading and massive users of most up-to-date information technology thus its information environment is one of my considerations. With regard to the flow and structure of its organization, IT is best exploited.

Present day innovations can help you to enhance customer value, control and reduce costs, meet customer expectations and handle increasing customer contact workloads. Call center is a centralized office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. It is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers.

Call centers are complex operating environments that depend on a wide variety of sophisticated technology to process transactions. While call center technology is essential, it's really the agents who leave a lasting impression on customers and they are the key to retaining clients and enhancing relationships.

Call center technology is subject to improvements and innovations. Most major businesses use call centers to interact with their customers. The renewed focus on the call center is being driven primarily by three forces: customer demands for more convenient access to goods and services, business pressures to drive down costs, and the convergence of computer and telecommunications technology.

I could not think of the exact and precise position or role best suited to what I’ve aspired to be part of an information environment. I want to manage or administer group of people. Well I guess it’s not that pleasant term to be used. I yearn to lead and guide people. I think it is what everybody desires. To become the head, the leader or practically saying to be a boss, superior, manager or anything you want to call it. I know you know what I mean. Almost everyone aim to be looked up to. I guess its part of human nature to seek for greater power. Anyway, that’s off topic. Whew! To be able to lead and direct, one must know how to follow. For great leaders are great followers. One must keep in mind that by directing and leading, respect between both parties is crucial. Harmony in the work area or field of a team is obtained through respect.

Aside from the fact that I want to lead, I would also like to be part of a team wherein real world interaction with IT is practiced and adopted. I would like to help create, construct, formulate and develop automated information systems and to deal with dilemmas regarding with the existing systems. Maybe become a system analyst in which I can study, analyze, explore, evaluate and govern and decide how the infrastructure of such system would turn out to be. Or maybe become a programmer where I will be able to program or code with my bare hands a proposed and planned system or application. I think it would be suitable in software developing company. Now that would be great, right? But all of these are always up to one’s capacity and potential. You can’t actually lead a group of programmers if you yourself aren’t capable enough.

But I think all of these can be attain and achieve if one will pursue to reach his goals. Hard work, perseverance, patience, and focus, these are just some characteristics one should have to be able to accomplish success.

How can the principles of information organization and representation help in performing favored and ideal role?

Planning and organization of knowledge and information for the society must be considered. Through this principle, I’d be able to keep the fact that it is always the customer or client’s welfare that should be prioritizes and with regard to this detail the learning, knowledge and information should be structured well.

Designing tools to support the organization of knowledge, guiding principles must be that of user orientation and main and predominant usage. This idea focuses and discusses about the layout and design and display options that should be in tune with our understanding of the target community. This will help in better recognition and comprehension of web designs.

Standardization and networking provide infrastructures are one of the basic principles that need to be considered. Infrastructures refers to the availability and use of advanced information services by means of a variety of high-capacity facilities especially computers and computers networks. In relation to the adopted information environment, having such upgraded infrastructure will help improve and provide abundant information at high capacities to the generic public.

Based on what their articles have imparted, there are three principles of knowledge organization. Such are as follows: knowledge needs to be organized for communities; in designing tools to support the organization of knowledge; guiding principle must be that of user orientation and predominant usage; and lastly, standardization and networking of infrastructure.

What are the challenges in performing the role? How these challenges and trials will be addressed?

Well, I don’t have finite or exact ideas and thoughts on what will I come to face relative to performing or executing the role that I have come to have aspired. But for certain, trials, problem or dilemmas won’t be missing out. Surely, difficulty and trouble will come across.

Nonetheless, I think I ought to somehow identify or enumerate few challenges with regards to the role from the information environment that I have chosen.

Relating to information system, there would be a need to update, revise or check any of the system. It is inevitable that system failure can occur. It may be due to corrupted file. Or it can have malfunction or hardware related problems. These problems can be instantly resolved if you are familiar and well-versed with your line of work.

Concerning customer call center agency, regarding with the working relationship with a group, I guess in leading a team, you don’t get to have a pleasant and good relationship with everyone under your supervision. Some would be very stubborn, others would be disrespect you. Well, that’s the least of your worries if so. There would always be various unprofessional colleagues. Now that would really be a headache. Wohoo!

In the field of leading and managing people, there is a need to interact and cope well with those in the upper positions as well as to your subordinates. It is one of the concerns of being in an association to relate and cooperate to everyone who you would get to work with. Professionalism should always be kept in mind. I guess this factor wouldn’t be much of a problem for the reason that interacting with different and unfamiliar people isn’t that new to us. We do get to interact and cope with our classmates in the first day of class, right?

Among the two I’ve mentioned, I think managing and interacting with the people in the organization would be the burdensome. Admit it. It’s not the easy and simple to get along straight away with people you merely know. That is if newbie. And maintaining and sustaining a healthy working relationship with your colleague is really tough.

Communication is as we say a means of connecting or it is a link that bonds or ties people together. It should be preserved, conserved and should be taken good care of to uphold a good relationship.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

outsource or insource?

What are the possible gains and benefits if we are to take the information systems functions of the school outsource?

Are these benefits better than having the information system be insource?

Prior to the subject matter, I think it is best to first define what do outsourcing and insourcing really imply. And why such measures are being considered.

Based on Wikipedia, outsourcing involves the transfer of the management execution of an entire business function to an external service provider. It is often made in the interest of lowering firm or making better use of time and energy costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particular business, or to make more efficient use of land, labor, capital, (information) technology and resources.

Insourcing is the opposite of outsourcing. It means contracting in and is often defined as the delegation of operations or jobs from production within a business to an internal entity that specializes in that operation. It is often made to maintain control of critical production or competencies.

As defined, we may conclude that outsourcing or insourcing is about management of some or the entire business operations.

I think it would be best that the school’s information system be outsource for it would bring greater advantages. Making deals with other businesses the school can create connections and allies. Through outsourcing, the school can have an access to a wider span of knowledge and experiences and intellectual property from them; access to operational best practice that would be too difficult or time consuming to develop in-house; and can access to a larger talent pool and a sustainable source of skills. It can save and would take less time, energy and cost.

It can’t be denied that outsourcing can be more advantageous than insourcing. Though insourcing can also be good for local talents and capabilities are being utilized and informations would be safer and secured having a faculty or a member handling it.

In the end, I think it’s up to the client’s abilities and resources to determine what action should be done best.