CMGT 445
April 28, 2014
Information Systems Managerial Issues
Most successful businesses have at least one, if not more information systems in use. These information systems could be used for anything from tracking personnel to tracking supplies. These information systems present potential problems to the information technology staff. Information systems can be complex and difficult to manage or rather simple to use and maintain. One thing is for sure, all information systems pose their own unique set of issues for those managing them.
Configuration maintenance TechTarget (2010), defines configuration management as the detailed recording and updating of information that describes an enterprise’s hardware and software. The information included in these recordings can include IP addresses, latest software updates, and version of the software. Maintaining an efficient and accurate configuration maintenance program can be the difference in the information systems lasting or having catastrophic failures and needing to be replaced prematurely.
Preventative maintenance Preventative maintenance is an important fundamental that should not be overlooked for the successful operational state of an information system. For the preventative maintenance plan to be effective, preventative maintenance checks should be done daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. At each interval, there should be a different set of checks to be completed, much like the preventative maintenance that is done on an automobile. For information systems, care should be given to ensure that equipment is clean and is staying in operational shelf life.
Industry standards for configuration management and control Each organization should implement their set of technical standards for configuration management and control. There are established guideline templates for different sets of configuration management already on the market. One such set of industry standards
References: ISO. (2003). Quality management systems - Guidelines for configuration management. Retrieved from http://thuvienkhcn.vinhlong.gov.vn/tailieukhcn/data/TieuChuantoanvan/ISO/ISO_10007_2003.pdf TechTarget. (2010). configuration management (CM). Retrieved from http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/configuration-management-CM Valacich, J., & Schneider, C. (2012). Information Systems Today: Managing In the Digital World (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.