Plan of Implementing the Windows 8 Upgrade in Crescent Manufacturing Inc - Case Study Example

Company Wide Migration to Windows 8 Introduction The business environment is to various external factors. One of themajor external forces affecting any business is technological change. The technology revolution is sweeping across all industries including the traditional manufacturing and the new service industries (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 2000). The adoption and use of the latest technologies is now a major source of competitive advantage and forms a strategic area in the organizational environment. It is on this basis that Crescent Manufacturing Inc. (CMI) is considering updating its current Windows 7 operating system to Windows 8. Although such technical upgrades are important, it is also important to note that they can be so challenging and cause major problems to the business. It is important to establish all relevant issues and concerns as well as the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company before undertaking the technical upgrade. The purpose of this report is to do exactly that and present a detailed plan of implementing the Windows 8 upgrade in CMI. Current Issues of Concern A technical upgrade is part of the broader concept of organizational change. Technological upgrades or changes have far reaching implications on the organization and the people involved (Khosrwopour, 2006, p. 5). Just like in other forms of organizational change, technical changes are bound to raise issues from the different stakeholders. This is evident in CMI’s plan to upgrade the current operating system to Windows 8. The main issues of concern include: Non-standard Company Applications – the CIO (Chief Information Officer) has concerns regarding the installation and upgrading on non-standard company applications on company devices used by the employees both at work and at home. Apparently, the CIO wants the IT staff to be the only people to update the Windows Store apps used by the company. Old systems – CMI’s computer systems at the Maryland location are old having being used for over five years now. The company, through its IT department, has upgraded the computer systems in the other two locations in Texas and Nebraska. These upgraded systems are able to run the Windows 8 operating system. However, the computer systems at the Maryland location cannot run the new operating system. Security of company laptops and tablets – CMI is also concerned about the security of its laptops and tablets that are used by the sales team. Apparently, the sales team uses these devices in the field for most of the time, which exposes them to a higher risk of theft or loss. Compatibility issues – the senior management is concerned about the new system compatibility with the company’s critical applications. The previous systems upgrade to Windows 7 had compatibility problems, which led to additional expenditures beyond the budgeted cost. Time – the issue of time is also a source of concern for the senior management. The management is concerned about how long it will take to have the new system fully operational. This is because of the issues of employee training and migrating applications and user settings to Windows 8 system. Outcomes – the potential implications of the technical upgrade is also a major issue for CMI. Specifically, the management is concerned about the overall impact that the new system will have on the company, the impact on the daily operations, and on the organization’s help desk that is current staffed with three people. All these concerns need to be addressed before embarking in the upgrade. Addressing the concerns will provide the decision making organs of the company including the CFO (Chief Financial Officer), and CIO, and the senior management the relevant information they need to decide whether to approve the project. In addressing these concerns, it is important to first consider the viability of the company for the upgrade. This will entail conducting an in-depth SWOT analysis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the company as well as the risks and opportunities available. Viability of Upgrading to Windows 8 The SWOT analysis is a model for assessing the internal and external environments of an organization or project. Specifically, the model identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the company in the internal analysis and the opportunities and threats in the external analysis (Bonham, 2008, pp. 84-85). Since the technical upgrade targets the company, the SWOT analysis should be based on the company but with link to the new system upgrade. Figure 1 below presents a summary of CMI’s SWOT analysis. Figure 1: CMI SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS Successful system upgrade to Windows 7 Upgraded system hardware at Texas and Nebraska locations Trained IT staff WEAKNESSES Outdated system at Maryland location Untrained employees OPPORTUNITIES Upgrading to Windows 8 Upgrading systems at Maryland location THREATS Windows 8 incompatibility with critical applications Disruption of daily operations Strengths From the SWOT grid above, CMI has two main internal strengths with regard to the intended system upgrade. First, the company has undertaken a similar system upgrade before when it installed the Windows 7 platform that is currently in use. This means that the company has unique experiences and lessons from the previous system upgrade project that can be used in the planned project. Additionally, the windows 7 operating system is the predecessor of Windows 8. This means that it will be easier for the company to migrate to Windows 8 considering that the new Windows version borrows some key features of its predecessor. Second, the company has already upgraded its computer hardware system in two of its locations in Texas and Nebraska. The upgraded systems can support the new Windows 8. This means that the company is partially prepared for the upgrade. Finally, the company has an IT staff that is well conversant with the new operating system. The 10 member IT staff has already received training on the new system, which means that they are ready to use it. Weaknesses The greatest weakness in the company with regard to the imminent upgrade project is the outdated computer systems at the Maryland location. The company intends to upgrade its entire systems into Windows 8, which means it will have to upgrade the systems in Maryland first. The outdated systems may not support the new operating systems, which will lead to failure of the project. Apart from the outdated systems, majority of CMI employees are not conversant with Windows 8. They have not been trained on how the new system works. This means that they are not prepared to use Windows 8 effectively. Opportunities Upgrading the Windows 8 is a great opportunity for CMI to increase efficiency and effectiveness of its operations. The new operating system will enable the company to integrated different departments and facilities better, which will enhance coordination and reduce losses. Compared to Windows 7, Windows 8 is more secure, less prone to crashing, and faster (Bayon, 2013). Additionally, the new upgrading project will provide impetus for the company to upgrade the outdated computer hardware at the Maryland location. The company will need to upgrade the system to ensure that it supports the new operating system. Threats The Windows 8 project could present several risks to CMI. First, the new operating system could be incompatible with the company’s critical applications. If this happens, the company operations will be disrupted leading to major losses. It is important to note that the Windows 8 system is almost an overhaul of the previous Windows versions (Gilbert, 2012). This could mean that the new system may be incompatible with the company’s critical applications. Second, the implementation of the project could lead to interruption of normal operations because the company relies on the computer systems to run its operations. This disruption could last longer if the implementation process takes a long period. From the SWOT analysis, it has emerged that CMI is not fully viable for the Windows upgrade mainly due to the outdated computer hardware in Maryland and lack of training of the company employees on the new system. However, the company has made some strides to ensure viability in some areas such as upgrading the computer hardware in its main facility in Texas and the one in Nebraska. The company can begin implementing the project. Upgrade Plan Systems Replacement Before implementing the company-wide migration to Windows 8, the company should first upgrade the computer hardware in the Maryland location. Since the computer systems are over five years old, it is highly likely that they may not support the new operating system. Even if they do, they may not do it effectively. Therefore, the company needs to upgrade the system to increase its capacity to support the new system. The may include adding more hard disk space and RAM (Random Access Memory). Phased in Approach or Flash-cut Approach Considering the current unpreparedness for company wide implementation of Windows 8 upgrade, CMI should use the phased in approach in the implementation. This should entail a systematic process that targets certain sections of the company first. Specifically, the company should implement the Windows 8 upgrade starting with the Texas location, then Maryland, and finally Nebraska. Texas should be the first target because it already has an upgraded computer hardware that can support Windows 8. More importantly, Texas should be the first location to receive the upgrade because of its strategic importance in the company. The Texas location is not only the company headquarters but also hosts most of the company’s critical departments including IT support, finance, marketing, administration, and operations. The Maryland location should be the next focus of implementation considering that it is larger than Nebraska and hosts the critical HR department. Apart from the above considerations, the phased in approach will reduce the risk of the system failure on the company. As noted in the company analysis, one of the major risks is the potential disruption of business operations. By focusing on each location at a time, this risk is reduced in that in case the system fails, it will only affect operations in one location. Implementation Time Frame and Issues The time frame for the project implementation will be influenced by several factors. First, the availability of resources to implement the project will determine its progress. If resources are limited, the process may take longer than expected. Second, the upgrading of the Maryland hardware system will also determine the progress of migration to Windows 8. A delay in upgrading the system will also cause a delay in the implementation. Finally, the implementation process could be delayed by potential failures in the process such as system incompatibilities. Considering all these factors, the entire project may take between four to six months to complete. Testing Critical Applications To ensure a thorough testing of business critical applications, the IT department should consider migrating low risk systems before the higher risks systems. This approach will act like a bottom-up approach where the testing process will begin from the basic level, which will support the testing of all other progressive levels. This systematic approach will reduce the possibility of poor testing that is quite common when testing the critical systems randomly. Best Practices for Securing Company Laptops and Tablets To secure the laptops and tablets used by the sales team after the upgrade, CMI can consider the following three strategies. Backup – the company needs to backup the data in the laptops and tablets in an external and secure environment. A good place would be on cloud environment. That way, when the laptop of tablet is lost or stole, the data can be retrieved from the backup storage. Encryption–data encryption is one of the most effective ways of protecting company data. CMI should identify good data encryption solutions such as Microsoft BitLocker and use that to encrypt all the data in the laptops and tablets. This will prevent unauthorized people from accessing sensitive company data and information. Passwords – it is also important to ensure that all the sales staff uses strong passwords, which should be shared with the CIO. Using strong passwords will prevent unauthorized access to the data and information stored in the devices. Pros and Cons of Configuring AppLocker to Standardize Software Configuring AppLocker to standardize the software used by employees across the company will address the concerns raised by the CIO regarding the use non-standard company applications. The system administrators will be able to control what applications the employees install in their devices. This will prevent malware attacks on the company systems as well as reduce the need for help desk assistance. This is particularly important to the company because it does not want to increase the current help desk staff. Despite the pros of using AppLocker, there are potential cons. The greatest risk to the company will be employees feeling that the company does not trust them. This will affect employee motivation and levels of satisfaction. Additionally, AppLocker may not be completely effective in certain circumstances. For example, the AppLocker cannot block 16-bit programs, cannot control .WSF (Windows Script File), or may not control all the virtual systems (Tulloch, 2012). Managing Application Installations and Updates via Windows Store Apart from using Microsoft AppLocker to manage application installations from Windows Store, the company can also use Group Policy settings. Group Policy settings allow the administrators (in this case the IT staff) to control who can access the company’s computer systems or what applications can be actually installed in the company’s computer systems. The IT staff can actually block unauthorized apps from being installed into the company’s computer systems. Conclusion The intended company-wide migration to Windows 8 is achievable within CMI. However, the company will need to address several things such as upgrading the remaining computer hardware to support the new system and train the remaining lot of employees on using Windows 8. The concerns raised by different entities regarding the system upgrading project should be addressed adequately before embarking on the project. This report provides the answers to these concerns and recommendations for effective implementation. References Bayon, D. (2013). Windows 7 vs Windows 8: What’s the best upgrade from XP? PC Advisor. Retrieved from http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/buying-advice/software/3490112/windows-7-vs-windows-8/?pn=2 Bonham, S., S. (2008). Actionable strategies through integrated performance, process, project, and risk management. Artech House. Brynjolfsson, E., & Hitt, L. M. (2000). Beyond computation: Information technology, organizational transformation and business performance. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 23-48. Gilbert, J. (2012). Windows 8 release date set for October 26: Microsoft. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/windows-8-release-date-october-26_n_1684216.html Khosrwopour, M. (2006). Cases on information technology and business process reengineering. Idea Group Inc (IGI). Tulloch, M. (2012). Windows AppLocker’s lockdown limitations. BizTech. Retrieved from http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article/2012/03/windows-applockers-lockdown-limitations Read More