How to Improve Systems Development through Optimization - Essay Example

?WHAT DO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THROUGH JOINT OPTIMIZATION? WHY? What do information technology managers need to know about how to improve the systems development process through joint optimization? Why? Author Author Affiliation Date Though, business organizations have implemented a wide variety of tools and practices to deal with information systems development (ISD) and performance issues, however, the majority of these techniques pay attention on managing and increasing the confidence of the software development process. In addition, the research shows that the information systems development is an extremely knowledge-intensive process that necessitates the integration of particular stakeholder expertise and knowledge (Tiwana, 2006; McSweeney, 2010; Hagerup, 2010). This paper attempts to answer the question: what do information technology managers need to know about how to improve the systems development process through joint optimization? In this scenario, this a detailed research will be conducted to investigate a wide variety of aspects such as IT manager’s skills and expertise that need to improved for managing the IT projects development. This paper also shows how IT managers can improve the systems development process through joint optimization? A persistent statement about information technology (IT) is that “IT has no innate value”. In other words, possessing IT assets does not allow an organization to attain a competitive edge over other organizations, or to improve business processes or to reduce expenditures. On the other hand, IT plays a positive role only when corporate stakeholders direct information technology in the right direction to offer business value. In addition, these stakeholders comprise members of the Board of Directors, senior executives, business employees, business unit managers, project directors, IT managers, programmers, systems analysts, contractors, architects, advisors, external supplier staff, public officials, salespeople and policy makers. Additionally, these stakeholders normally do not have the similar schedules, prospects, or knowledge of IT. Hence, a persistent IT management dispute has been to support these different categories of stakeholders inside as well as across businesses to ensure adequate return from IT investments. In this scenario, general managers require to be concerned with information technology (IT); the merger of software, hardware, people, data and processes, for the reason that: The absolute degree of the budget spent on information technology has to be handled carefully in order to ensure business value (Lacity, 2012; Grudin, 1991). In addition, a lot of studies revealed that when business managers are involved in IT, it helps them build numerous business plans, like that attaining a competitive benefit, improving and modernizing business processes, expanding their business to international markets and even initiating new businesses. However, it is also the responsibility of senior managers to be familiar with how IT improvements can change industry arrangements, like that influence of information technology on the specific industry. In this scenario, many researchers have argued that when business managers are not concerned in IT development projects and design, such projects and systems developments fail, as a result a lot of investment is wasted, or even, businesses completely fail because of badly managed IT projects (Lacity, 2012; Grudin, 1991). Moreover, the information technology and IT projects management knowledge and skills are able to offer a capability to utilize IT resources (like that efficiency of applications similar to on-line resources, word processors or computer presentation systems) successfully and competently. However, IT projects managers should be able to build up their knowledge, capabilities, and responsibilities in using information technology, recognizing the function and influence of information technology as well as implementing responsible, ethical and legal standards in its usage. They should also recognize the growing needs of an organization and migrate to the rising emergence of technology as a part of lifelong knowledge. In this scenario, information technology skills and expertise for IT project managers necessitate the background of library skills and evaluating sources (Hagerup, 2010; Dillon, 2010; Sommerville, 2011; Grudin, 1991). Thus, in order to improve the systems development process through joint optimization, information technology managers need to know about a number areas and aspects such as skills and expertise of IT projects. In this scenario, one of the most important aspects that information technology managers need to know is about understanding their clients. In fact, the majority of project managers pay attention on offering the required product within budget and designated timeframe. On the other hand, the actual objective of a development project is not a product delivery on-time or within budget, however it is the client’s satisfaction which generates real business value. That’s what IT manager need to know in order to improve the systems development process. Moreover, recognizing the benefit of the project stakeholders as well as making sure all the stakeholders are pleased are some of the vital successful aspects usually missing from the work breakdown structure. As a result, IT managers pay less attention on the characteristics and purposes of our solution and pay more attention on the individuals for whom they designed the solution. Thus, IT managers cannot offer good service if they do not have knowledge of who they are serving, what they desire to attain, and why (Hagerup, 2010; Dillon, 2010; Sommerville, 2011; Grudin, 1991). A second main aspect that information technology managers need to know is to work on corporate and business relationships. They should know that their clients' objectives are significant; however getting to be familiar with them as natives is also significant. The simple method clients will call the project a success is if they distinguish the in general knowledge as positive. However, offering that positive experience necessitates a clever and smart touch as well as a motivation to actually listen and give significant importance to our client's knowledge and interests. In this scenario, they should search for shared benefits as a method of bringing people closer jointly to bridge diverse views. Additionally, they should discover the methods which allow them to spend more and more time with project stakeholders exclusive of our project meetings (Hagerup, 2010; Dillon, 2010; Sommerville, 2011; Grudin, 1991). Another main point that information technology managers should keep in mind is to grow their team. In fact, a high-quality team is not an engineering project. It is more similar to agriculture, which could be initiated with high-quality seeds, place them in productive soil, give them water and sunlight, with any luck obtain a good crop. The most excellent situation in that to produce a team is one that is open as well as requests team members to talk about concerns. In addition, IT managers should pay attention to training their staff, before dictating, to produce the most excellent possible team (Hagerup, 2010; Dillon, 2010; Sommerville, 2011; Grudin, 1991). There various things that information technology managers need to know for improving the systems development process through joint optimization. Thus, these skills and expertise need to be expanded and improved in order to make a project a success. References Dillon, A. (2010). Group dynamics meet cognition: combining socio-technical concepts and usability engineering in the design of information systems. Retrieved March 04, 2012, from http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~adillon/BookChapters/sociotechnical.html Grudin, J. (1991). The Development Of Interactive Systems: Bridging The Gaps Between Developers And Users. Retrieved March 04, 2012, from http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/jgrudin/past/Papers/IEEE91/IEEE91.html Hagerup, B. (2010). The Art of Project Management: 4 Tenets for Success. Retrieved March 05, 2012, from http://www.ouellette-online.com/enews/4tenets.html Lacity, M. C. (2012). Why General Managers Need to Actively Participate in Information Technology Decisions. Retrieved March 07, 2012, from http://www.umsl.edu/~lacitym/whymis.html McSweeney, A. (2010, March 23). Integrating It Frameworks, Methodologies And Best Practices Into It Delivery And Operation. Retrieved March 07, 2012, from http://www.slideshare.net/alanmcsweeney/integrating-it-frameworks-methodologies-and-best-practices-into-it-delivery-and-operation-3528481 Sommerville, I. (2011, January 12). Computer science education and the real world. Retrieved March 03, 2012, from http://se9book.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/computer-science-education-and-the-real-world/ Tiwana, A. (2006, September 22). Systems Development Process Improvement: A Knowledge Integration Perspective. 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