Week 7 IT Discussion Questions



Week 7 IT Discussion QuestionsAmy TomanSiena Heights UniversityInformation Systems ManagementLDR620Barry Schoenbart, MDOctober 09, 2013Week 7 IT Discussion QuestionsIdentify some process improvement frameworks that are applicable to an IM/IT department. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?Process improvement frameworks that are applicable to an IM/IT department are the capability maturity model (CMM), control objects for information technology (CobiT), ISO 9000, and information technology infrastructure library (ITIL). The capability maturity model is a process improvement framework that is based off of maturity levels and it pertains to application development and maintenance domains. The advantage of this process improvement is that it “describes what characterizes an organization at each level but does not describe how to get there” (Glandon, Smaltz, & Slovensky, 2008, p. 172). Control objects for information technology is a process audit framework that incorporates planning and organization, acquisition and implementation, delivery and support, and monitoring. Included in this process improvement framework is information and resources. This is a more comprehensive process improvement framework that encompasses an organization however, it too fails to describe the “how to”. ISO 9000 is a process improvement framework that provides an organization a way to become accredited or registered. The advantage of ISO 9000 is that it increases a customers confidence as it shows that the organization meets certain standards. The disadvantage is that it does not meet the needs of a healthcare organization as it relates to vendor applications. Information technology infrastructure library is a process improvement framework that focuses on service delivery, service support, communication technology, infrastructure management, planning, application management, and security management. The advantage of this framework is that it provides a “high level how to guidance via its many generic ITIL process flow diagrams and description” (Glandon et al., 2008, p. 173). However, this system works best if the organization has a CIO or IM/IT leader running the programs.Describe the five IM/IT service support processes and how they are interrelated.The five IM/IT service support processes are incident management, problem management, change management, release management, and configuration management. When an associate has an IT/IM issue they usually call the help desk to provide a resolution. Incident management is usually the first step. In this service support, the goal is to restore function back to normal as quickly as possible. There are 3 levels of support whereas the problem becomes escalated to the next level as needed. In problem management focuses on fixing a more globalized issue that affects the entire organization. The end goal is to fix the issue and restore function. The problem management team often conducts root-cause analysis to determine the cause of the problem and develop ways to prevent the same issues from occurring. When an organization has a formal problem management team, there are usually less incidents over time than organizations that do not have this team in place. Change management is a team that works to “manage upcoming changes” within the IT/IM infrastructure (Glandon et al., 2008, p. 184). These changes may occur from a problem that was identified by one of the other departments or as part of organizational changes. Release management is a team in which the primary responsibility is to manage new software or programs in such a way that there is little effect to the end user. They ensure that new upgrades work with current systems and often times are able to prevent any negative impact to those who use the system. Configuration management “is the process by which the computing environment is documented, typically in a configuration management database”(Glandon et al., 2008, p. 177).All of these systems are inner related as the end result is a seamless IM/IT system that is functional and does not have noticeable problems to the end user. When an issue or problem occurs, it can come from any place in the organization. For example, a call comes into the service desk and it is determined through incident management that this problem effects the entire organization, the problem management team works to solve the issue. It may be determined that a change needs to occur and the change management team needs to work on a fix. The release management team then coordinates the effort to make sure the change will work and will then release the new program or fix. Then the configuration management team assures the compliance. This interrelatedness is evident at every level of the process. Describe the five IM/IT service delivery processes and how are they interrelated.The five IM/IT service delivery processes are service level management, capacity management, availability management, financial management, and service continuity management. Service level management is process in which the department looks at the services that are delivered to determine the value to the customer. Capacity management is “the process of monitoring, analyzing, and planning the effective use of computer resources” (Glandon et al., 2008, p. 189). It looks at the entire organization and identifies its needs in order to provide the needed services. Availability management consists of five components: availability, reliability, maintainability, serviceability, and security. All components ensure that resources are available to support those that need it. The focus is to identify and work toward making improvements in the system. The focus of financial service management is to manage the business end of the IT/IM team. It determines the budget of the department. Some other department functions are maintaining the budget, ensuring purchases are within budget, working with venders to ensure pricing and ensures compliance with anti-fraud policies and procedures. Service continuity management focuses on restoration of normal functioning after a disaster. All of these services are dependent upon each other in order to maintain a functional IM/IT department where the focus is a seamless, uninterrupted, transmission of data. What is an SLA, and why is it an important component of IM/IT service delivery?A Service level agreement (SLA) is basically a contract between the service delivery department and the customers that they serve. In the contract, it outlines the services provided, hours of operation, response and resolution times, service availability, security, and business continuity expectations, customer responsibilities, and articulation of critical business periods and exceptions (Glandon et al., 2008, p. 187).SLAs provide a context in which the IM/IT department is to meet the needs of the organization. It spells out how the work is going to be completed and the time line in which the work will be done. It is important for both sides to have this understanding of expectations so the focus of the work it creation and maintenance of a good working relationship between all departments involved. ReferencesGlandon, G., Smaltz, D., & Slovensky, D. (2008). Information systems for healthcare management (7th ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press. ................
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