Suggested Improvements to the Information Strategy - Term Paper Example

 «Managing Information» Part 1: Introduction: In this section a critical analysis of the existing business strategy and the role of information for the organization under consideration is presented to the reader. The organization under consideration in this report is the chief state solicitors office, which is the constituent element of the attorney general’s office that provides advice on law, and legal opinion to the state with both drafting and legislation services. In this report the Management Information Framework for strategic use of information to accomplish Customer Relationship Marketing in the organization is presented to the reader. Existing Strategy The existing strategy of the office of the Attorney general can be identified effectively from reviewing the mission statement. Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes (2003)i argue that the mission statement of the organization is the element that reflects upon the core strategies of the organization itself. This makes it clear that the mission statement is the critical element for the successful evaluation of the existing strategies in an organization. In the light of the aforementioned arguments, the mission statement for the organization under scrutiny is presented below ‘The Mission of the Office of the Attorney General is to provide the highest standard of professional legal services to Government, Departments and Offices’ From the mission statement it is clear that the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitors office are predominantly involved in accomplishing effectiveness in legal services provided to the customers through gaining efficiency in performance. The mission statement also reveals that the quality of service is the critical element for the organization in both the external and internal customers scenario as mentioned in the strategy statement of the Office of the Attorney General. From the review of the strategy statement of the Office of the Attorney general it is clear that the organization is not only striving to accomplish effective customer service through improving quality but also increasingly focusing upon the development of the human resource as well as the overall organization status in the public. The presence of the Management Advisory Committee in the organization as the monitor ‘to ensure that all key strategic, business and management decisions for the Office are discussed collectively before any relevant issues are further developed in a partnership approach involving management, unions and staff’, further justifies that the strategic positioning of the organization through the effective deployment of the organizational set up is evident. Alongside, it is also clear that the Management Advisory Committee is the key player in the decision-making and influencing the control of the overall business process at the strategic level. This approach to the strategic positioning of the organization as argued by Richard Lynch (2003)ii is the key for effectiveness in performance within the organization. Hence from the review of the mission statement and the strategy statement it is clear that the core strategy of the organization is to provide quality service to its customers through effectiveness in their service and performance. This makes it clear that the core strategy is focused upon effective customer service. Role of Information: The statement of strategy also reveals that the information is increasingly a critical element in the effectiveness of the organization. This is naturally because of the fact that the organization is not only dependent upon the intellectual asset but its main trading product itself is the intellectual property which makes it clear that the information is the spine for the effectives of the organization. Furthermore, the investigation into the statement of strategy and the arguments of the Attorney General further justify that the information technology is a critical element in the efficiency of the organization and the company is increasingly dependant upon the information as the major ingredient to the business. Although the office of attorney general is linked with the government services, the fact that the law and the legal services provided target at a wider market makes it clear that effective Customer Relationship is essential achieving the core strategy of the organization. The existing information technology set up in the organization is predominantly focused upon providing efficient support to perform the day-to-day office activities that will increase the efficiency with which the staff members perform in the organization. The Financial management system and e-legislation solution are predominantly focused upon the internal efficiency of the organization that contributes to the effectiveness in the customer service. Hence the existing information strategy is focused upon the internal efficiency of the organization catering the administrative requirements for the staff members. Suggested improvements to the information strategy The existing information strategy although accomplishes the internal efficiency of the organization, the core strategy of customer service and quality of service is not served through the quantity of information that is electronically stored in the computer systems of the organization. The fact that the equality customer service is the Customer Relationship Marketing or CRM, as it is known is the key element for the efficiency of the organization in achieving its core strategy. The extra information in the form of customer statistics, satisfaction reports and above all an interactive system to serve the data requirements of the staff members quickly to increase in the speed of processing is one of the direct benefits of the system. John ward and Joe Peppard (2003)iii further argue that in order to accomplish the customer relationship effectively in any given organization, the efficiency of the organization internally through the knowledge of the customers and the market trends is the key element for the success in the business. Although the legal issues are not a pleasant element for everyone to discuss in person, the fact that the organization pioneers in this segment of the business with the aim of providing efficient service to the customers both external and internal makes it clear that a management information system providing the information on the target market (i.e.) the customer base and the services offered by the office. This approach should not only include the electronic implementation of the management information system internally but also implement the information system to accomplish effective customer service. This can be accomplished through the implementation of the electronic management information system at the customer service to increase the efficiency of processing the customer requests and queries. Gaps in the System identified The information gaps are described as the potential pitfalls for an organization’s strive to accomplish its core strategy as argued by John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003). Alongside it is also imperative to note that the policy compliance and data protection should be complied with which obviously restricts the provision of information in the system. The gaps in the CRM system suggested for the organization at a strategic level is the lack of access to historic information which is in the traditional format and due to the volume of the data, it is not viable to dedicate human resource to migrate the data into the system. Alongside, the fact that the access to critical information is restricted and the customer service can be effectively accomplished only through the quick access to the information makes it clear that the information gap is a potential lagging element to reduce the speed of processing customer queries. Although the migration of the information completely is not viable, it is thus recommended to transfer key information into the system in order to effectively accomplish the core strategy of the organization. This is clear from the arguments of Henley Notes Although the aforementioned gap is a strategic element, the fact that the office has effectively developed an IT strategy to be deployed across the courts offices and its consultants, it is clear that the aforementioned gap is not a critical element to the business process as it will effectively cater the information requirements to deploy the CRM system. The arguments of John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003) that the collection of information is the critical element in the deployment of the CRM system at a strategic level of any organization is justified in the aforementioned statement. (Henley Notes if you want) Part 2: System Requirements The existing IT strategy of computerising the filing process and the day-to-day proceedings will cater the information requirement or the raw data required for the CRM system. As the courts are not integrated or in other words the IT systems are not connected through the network, the major requirement for the CRM system proposed is the need for a network implementation to store the information at a centralised location in a server. The development in data warehousing and the use of data mining and information integration technologies, make if clear that the CRM system can be implemented effectively with the a centralised data warehouse to store the information which can be manipulated to accomplish CRM strategy for the office. From the aforementioned it is clear that the data storage is one of the critical elements to accomplish the CRM system implementation in the Office of the Attorney general. The fact that the information so stored in the database can make sense only through the effective implementation of the business logic as argued by Efrium Turban et al (2004). The arguments of John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003) that the implementation of an information system to support the organization strategy makes it clear that the information collected by the organization can be useful only when effective business logic is implemented. In the light of the aforementioned arguments it is clear that a front-end software system is essential to accomplish the business logic implementation. This front-end system can also eliminate the direct access to sensitive information by unauthorised users making it clear that the access control can also be implemented effectively using the front-end system. In the light of the aforementioned arguments addressing the CRM strategy proposed we could derive that the information system should not alter the contents i.e. the quality of the information should not be changed. In other words the CRM system should only be able to read the information and not to edit the information contained in the databases. Henley Notes (2 lines). The arguments of Frances Brassington and Stephen Pettit (2003)iv on the customer relationship makes it clear that the information requirements to cater customer relationship is predominantly the method of implementing the strategy information system as interactive as possible with the ability to customize the services required by the customer. In the case under analysis, the aforementioned can be implemented through the use of an effective method of analysing the services offered by the organization against the customer requirements to derive upon an optimum service package that is both cost effective as well as efficient in nature. This makes it clear that the information system to cater the CRM requirements should not only implement the business logic to correlate the information and mine the inherent information to meet the customer requirements. From the aforementioned arguments, the three essential requirements viz., centralised data storage, business logic and efficient front-end system, a proposed technology to deploy the system is the .NET framework. The technical specifications proposed under the .Net framework is listed below 1. Database server using SQL Server 2005 2. Business Logic implementation using Internet Information Server 3. Front Deployment using Visual Basic .Net The use of .Net framework for implementing the CRM system will not only cater the efficient and quick information retrieval and management but also provides the flexibility to integrate the IT systems in the courts to the central data warehouse making it clear that the integration or networking of the computers at the courts can be accomplished effectively. The use of the .Net framework also allows the ability implement a three-tier architecture with the ability to extend it to n-tiers as per the business requirements. This makes it clear that the efficiency in the interoperability and extensibility of the system to accomplish complex business solutions beyond the CRM strategy is palpable. (Write 2 lines of Henley notes) A schematic representation of the proposed system is represented in fig 1 below From the figure above it is clear that the implementation of the complex business logic can be accomplished by introducing additional tiers in between the database server and the front end. This process has two major advantages from the technical perspective as mentioned below 1. The implementation in the form of tiers ensures data integrity thus eliminating the need to change the database design or the front end whilst introducing changes in the business logic. This is because of the fact that the standardisation of the system will ensure that there is no duplication of the variables and also allows the streamlining of the information system. Alongside, the introduction of additional business logic need not necessarily affect the existing business logic tier thus making it clear that the extensibility of the system is palpable without major changes. 2. Furthermore, the implementation of the tier-based system will enhance the performance of the overall system by eliminating the unauthorised access to the system. This process of encapsulating the database from the users also enables the efficient implementation of the access control in the system thus adhering to the information security policies of the organization. It is further interesting to note that the implementation of the three tier architecture can also accomplish the ability to increase the scope of the IS strategy to accomplish the core strategy of the organization not only at the existing set up but also in the future. The fact that the critical success factors for the organization, which evolve in the organization. The aforementioned justifies that the CRM strategy although the proposed one for the given situation in the organization structure, is not the only system that will be implemented and this apparently depends upon the changes that the organization might undergo in future. John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003) further argue that the implementation of an information system in an organization should focus on accomplishing the core strategy of the organization and above all reflect upon the critical success factors of the organization. (Henley notes about 3 lines) The hardware requirements for the aforementioned software architecture include the following 1. Server: A server to store the database is an essential hardware component. The server design should accommodate the ability to extend the memory modules in case of increase in the data flow and also provide the effective session management in case of intense traffic on the network (i.e.) more number of users accessing the server. The fact that the connection to the server means that the end user has access to the server resources making the chances of hacking the server bright in case of prolonged connection makes it clear that the server connection should be restricted to a limited time of inactivity. This can be accomplished through the sessions where the session life determines the duration of the effective connection to the server. Since there are many commercial vendors to provide the hardware requirements, a specific hardware is not mentioned in this paper as the organization can chose the cost effective option from the available vendors. 2. Nodes and network: An effective method of networking like that of CISCO systems should be implemented within the organization to enable access to the server whilst the server should be connected to the nodes both within the organization and across the courts offices to populate the database server. The end user nodes in the office can be deployed as desktop PCs or laptop computers as per the budgeting allocated by the organization. Part 3: Implementation Strategy The implementation of an Information System organization wide is as critical as the effective development of the system as argued by john Ward and Joe Peppard (2003). The major factors involved in the implementation of an information system are identified below 1. The infrastructure requirements to ensure the availability of the appropriate facilities like the technical specifications of the computers required for the implementation of the system effectively. This is because of the fact that the compatibility of the computers to the system created is essential for the efficient use of the system to accomplish the desired goals. 2. Apart from the infrastructure requirements, the major element that should be accomplished is the training of the staff members or the end users to use the system. This is not only because of the obvious reason that training is necessary for the efficient performance of the staff members but also due to the need for effective use of the CRM system to accomplish quality customer service. 3. Technical Support is another essential element in the implementation of any new IT system as argued by John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003) which is obviously because of the need to eliminate delays due to technical faults like a crashed desktop pc which is rather common in an office environment. The hardware and software requirements of the system although accomplished whilst deploying the infrastructure analysis, should also be accounted for under this category. This will enable the technical support staff to effectively accomplish the recovery or servicing of the system. The aforementioned should be accounted for as part of the implementation or the deployment of the CRM system across the organization whilst the risks associated with the aforementioned implementation are discussed below. (Add 2 lines of Henley notes on information risk) 1. Un-authorised Access: The access to information is predominantly based upon the level of access or authorisation for a given user to access information in the database or the central data warehouse. The fact that the access control depends upon the role of the user and his level of requirement to perform his/her day-to-day role makes it clear that any errors in the access control for the users have potential effects over the business. This may either be the loss of sensitive information due to unauthorised access or the lack in efficiency of customer service due to non-availability of the required information at the right time. In either case this s a potential risk to the business process of the organization. The mitigation suggested for this risk so identified is to conduct an access control survey to capture the access requirements for the users in the organization prior to implementing the system so that their access rights can be effectively mapped to the new system without potential loss. 2. Loss of information: The next potential risk is the loss of information due to technical faults whilst migrating the data. This normally happens whilst integrating the systems in different location through the network, which has drastic effects on the business process, as the loss of sensitive data without the possibility of retrieval is a potential risk to the organization. This makes it clear that the risk of information loss is more intense which should be addressed for smooth transition and implementation of the new CRM system across the organization. This risk can be mitigated through performing backup of the information regularly in order to have the last up-to-date information available for operation in case of loss of data. 3. Business Continuity Issues: The increase in the terrorism and the threat of loss of primary operating location in case of a terrorist attack or a disaster makes it clear that this should be captured as a potential risk and mitigated. Since the disaster recovery involves location as well as the recovery of the data, this can be mitigated through implementing the CRM system as part of the business continuity strategy itself. This will eliminate the risk f loss of the CRM system in case of a business continuity requirement. The backup of the main database server as part of the overall IT backup and recovery strategy will help recover the lost data and accomplish a near smooth operation of the business. Apart from the aforementioned risks and the implementation necessities, one of the critical elements with the implementation of an Information System in an organization as argued by John Ward and Joe Peppard (2003) is the need to effectively accomplish the business process re-engineering as it is a well known fact that the implementation of any new system organization wide is accompanied by the business process re-engineering. The fact that the business process in the organization under debate not only includes the internal business but also affects many external entities makes it clear that this must be implemented in a procedural manner to avoid any potential risks. Part 4: Business Justification An insight into the critical success factors of the organization reveals that the business process is focused on achieving efficiency in the operation and accomplish effective knowledge management as stated in ‘formulate and implement an improved knowledge management strategy, which will support effective knowledge sharing across the Office’. This makes it clear that the implementation of the CRM system will provide the knowledge and ability to effectively accomplish the core strategy of quality customer service. Alongside, the deployment of the CRM system will not only enable the effective use of the information but also increase the proactiveness of the organization in responding to a specific query from the customer both external and internal. This also eliminates the delays involved in the search for relevant information. The aforementioned increases the strength of the organization at a strategic level thus making it an efficient service provider in the legal environment of Ireland. Anthony’s Triangle analysis for the system Fig 2: Anthony’s Triangle At the operational level, the advantage of the deployment of the system is the ability of the quick retrieval of the information and the efficiency in populating the information in a streamlined manner to accomplish effective business processing. This makes it clear that the operational excellence in the form of effective data entry of the customer related query information into the system apart from the elimination of the errors in the process of the information through eliminating the direct access to the database and an interactive system. The information so accumulated at the operational level caters the knowledge requirements upon the target market and the customers in the market whom the organization can target upon. The knowledge management strategy which is a critical success factor for the organization should not only include the internal information and knowledge upon the business but also the knowledge of the customer and the market base in order to effectively deploy the skill set of the lawyers in the organization. The above-mentioned knowledge and operational elements combine to achieve the tactical efficiency of the organization where the customer service of the organization can answer the queries of the customers effectively. The efficient information processing and answering of the organization at the tactical front is the key element to gain a potential customer to the organization. The above-mentioned statements make it clear that the efficient business processing at the tactical level through the CRM system will help accomplish the strategic objectives of the organization. Furthermore, the fact that the CRM system also serves the purpose of decision-making in cases of dedicating resources for a specific purpose makes it clear that the system is an essential element for the organization both at the strategic and tactical levels. Read More