Mit6e Ch13 by Firli

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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 1

Managing Information Technology

6th Edition

CHAPTER 13

SUPPORTING COMPUTER USERS




Supporting Computer Users

� In todays organizations, computer users andapplications vary widely

� One of the main responsibilities of the ISorganization providing support services tousers both on- and off-site

� Additionally, some non-IT users may be

developing applications and IS organizationsmay provide support and policies for this userapplication development (UAD)




History of User Application

Development� Some history of user application development

� During the 1970s most IS managers did not

expect PCs to be used in a corporate setting ± In fact, many PCs were purchased by business

managers without the IS organizations knowledge

� Over time, increases in computer literacy led

to an increasing number of spreadsheets and

small applications developed by end users




User Application Development

� Advantages

± Users do not have to explain their information

requirements to an analyst who is not familiar

with the business context

± Users do not have to wait for IS resources to be

assigned to work on their project

± Business managers gain control over developmentcosts





� Disadvantages

± Loss of application controls (security, data quality)

± Loss of opportunities for IT integration� User developed applications are more likely to

reinvent functionality found in other applications and

miss opportunities to share data across applications

± Increased operational risks due to developerturnover






Types of Spreadsheet Errors

Mechanical errors

Typing errors,pointing errorsor other simple

slips Have a high

chance of beingcaught

Logic errors

Incorrectformulas due tochoosing the

wrong algorithmor creating thewrong formulato implementthe algorithm

Eureka errorsrefer to easy-to-

proof errors Cassandra errors

are difficult-to-proof

Omission errors

Things left outof the modelthat should be

there These are

difficult errors todetect

Qualitative errors

Flaws that donot produceimmediate

quantitativeerrors, but canlead toquantitativeerrors later




Magnitude of Spreadsheet Errors

� Fidelity's Magellan fund experienced an

embarrassment due to a spreadsheet error

"During the estimating process, a tax accountant is required to transcribe the netrealized gain or loss from the fund's financial records (which were correct at alltimes) to a separate spreadsheet, where additional calculations are performed.The error occurred when the accountant omitted the minus sign on a net capitalloss of $1.3 billion and incorrectly treated it as a net capital gain on this separate

spreadsheet. This meant that the dividend estimate spreadsheet was off by $2.6billion....

- J. Gary Burkhead





� The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has created

additional complexity for user application

development

� Spreadsheets and applications that use

financial information are subject to audit and

must be protected by the proper controls

� This increases the risk of UAD for many

organizations




Assessing the Risks from UAD

� Understanding the risks from UAD can help

managers understand whether an application

is suitable for UAD

� Three types of risk factors should be

considered:

1. Application characteristics

2. Tool characteristics

3. Developer characteristics





1. Application characteristics ± Scope (personal, departmental, organizational)

± Criticality/Impact (risk exposure)

± Size and usage (one-time, periodic, ongoing) ± Business problem complexity (commonality of task,

problem structure)

2. Tool characteristics ± Tool sophistication/complexity

3. Developer characteristics ± User developer skills, experience, and availability

± IS specialist skills, experience, and availability





Application characteristics

Scope (personal,departmental,organizational)

Criticality/Impact (riskexposure)

Size and usage (one-time,periodic, ongoing)

Business problemcomplexity (commonalityof task, problemstructure)

Tool characteristics

Toolsophistication/complexity

Interconnectedness

Developer characteristics

User developer skills,experience, andavailability

IS specialist skills,experience, andavailability




Guidelines for User Developers

� IS professionals use developmentmethodologies appropriate to the applicationthey are creating

� Similarly, user developers should select anappropriate methodology based on three of the application characteristics:

1. Scope2. Size

3. Complexity of the business problem





� Not all applications require a strict adherence

to a formal SDLC methodology

� Panko recommends the followingmethodologies depending on the application

characteristics: Figure 13.3





� User developers commonly underestimate the effortrequired to define a systems requirements

� Asking important questions during the definition andconstruction phases can guide user developers

Figure 13.4





� User developers often learn many lessons during

the course of application development

� Here are a few lessons other users have shared:

± Stay in touch with end users

± Development is time consuming

± Intricate, hard-to-find bugs often show up at end of

development ± Managing user expectations is crucial

± The prototyping methodology has value




Common UAD Pitfalls

� Even if users developers utilize an appropriate

development methodology, they often fall

victim to two common problems:

1. Not doing enough testing� Thoroughly testing an application can take extensive

time and effort

2. Not providing sufficient documentation

� Multi-user applications are likely to require relatively

detailed documentation




Desktop Support

� One of the primary responsibilities of the ISorganization is providing desktop support

� Virtually all users rely on IS specialists for

desktop support� A critical success factor is the staffing of the

support unit

± In the early 1990s, the typical staffing ratio was 1support member for each 100 PCs




Framework for Designing User Support

� An overall framework for the design of user

support can be useful to organizations

� The Brancheau and Brown framework takesinto account the relationships among:

± Organizational context

± Organizational-level factors

± Individual-level factors




Framework for Designing User Support

� Brancheau and Brown Framework for

Designing User SupportFigure 13.5

(Brancheau & Brown, 1993)




Strategies for User Computing

� Many organizations have developed specificstrategies for user computing

� One useful way to characterize these strategies is

along two dimensions: ± Level of control established and enforced by theorganization

± Level of support resources provided by theorganization

� Organizations that move along the controldimension from low control to high control mayexperience resistance from users





Acceleration Controlled Growth

Laissez-faire Containment

STRATEGIES FOR

USER COMPUTING

Control

Resources

for Support

(Adapted from Munro et al., 1987-

1988; Brancheau and Amoroso, 1990)





� Laissez-faire

± This hands off approach is characterized by low

levels of control and few resources for support

± This strategy was common in the 1980s as PCs

were first introduced into corporations

± Now it is com more commonly used when

introducing new technologies





� Acceleration

± This growth approach is characterized by low

levels of formal controls and procedures and

heavy investments in support resources

± The goal is to enable users to acquire and learn

computer tools and possibly develop their own

applications ± Used for more established technologies





� Containment

± This approach is characterized by high levels of

formal controls and procedures and minimal

support resources

± This risk adverse approach slowly brings in user

technologies after policies are established

± Strict guidelines for tool usage and security areenforced





� Controlled growth

± This approach combines high levels of formal

controls and procedures with extensive

investments in support resources

± The approach is considered the most mature and

is common in organizations today

± Many organizations initially begin with a differentstrategy and then migrate to controlled growth





Acceleration Controlled Growth

Laissez-faire Containment

ST TE IES F

SE TI

Control

Resources

for Support

(Adapted from Munro et al., 1987-

1988; Brancheau and Amoroso, 1990)




Service Level Agreements

� The development of Service Level Agreements

(SLAs) is important for successfully supporting

users

� These metrics are typically established in

consultation with business managersFigure 13.7




Support Services

� IS organizations provide many different

services as part of desktop support

Figure 13.8




Support Services

� Many organizations have outsourced their

customer service support to organizations that

can easily support customers in different time

zones at a lower cost

� Similarly, help desks are commonly

outsourced

� Help-desk staff typically follow scripts when

helping to diagnose problems




Support Services

� Another important service that IS

organizations offer is user training

� Training may be in general computer literacyor in specific tools or applications

� Many organizations have established learning

portalsWeb sites that provide self-paced

training methodsor other e-learning

initiatives




Support Services

� Email Inbox Training

± One example of common training topic for users is

how to best manage email

± As corporate email use increases, training in the

best management of productivity tools such as

email applications has has become common




Control policies and procedures

� Control policies and procedures can reducethe risks involved with user computing

� The policies are usually developed and

enforced by the IS organization

Figure 13.9





� Software Licensing

± The licensing of application software is another

responsibility of IS managers

± The piracy of software is a worldwide problem

that costs the commercial software industry over

$7 billion dollars a year




Software Licensing

� Software Licensing

± To deter software piracy, many of the large U.S.

software companies created the Business

Software Alliance (BSA)

� The BSA has power of attorney to enforce copyright

claims of its members

� The organization uses incentives and advertisements to

encourage whistleblowers

� In addition to paying the licensing fees, companies who

are caught are subject to steep fines





� Some of the greatest increases in costs for

desktop computing are related to security

Issues

� In 2003, the worldwide economic damage

from viruses, worms, and other attacks was

estimated at $120 billion

� Control policies and procedures should be

continually modified to address new threats




� Gartner has estimated that more than 80

million workers worldwide worked from home

at least one day per month in 2005

� The number of telecommuters has increased,

but not at the rate that was expected

� Not all jobs are suitable for telecommuting

Supporting TelecommutersSpecial Case




� Telecommuting is enabled by advances in

technology

± Mobile devices and high speed network

connections make telecommuting possible

± Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and remote

access technologies allow location-independent

access to company data resources





� Advantages for workers

± Flexibility

± Work-life balance

± Easier to communicate with others in differenttime zones

± Infrequent or eliminated commute

�Advantages for Businesses

± Possible savings from decreased office space

± Tax incentives





� Disadvantages for workers

± Feelings of isolation

± Potentially decreased opportunities for

advancement� Disadvantages for Businesses

± Difficult to support telecommuters

± May need to change performance appraisalsystems

± More difficult to secure data





� Obstacles to telecommuting

± Technical

� Equipment

� Bandwidth

� Support

± Managerial and behavioral

� Performance metrics� Missing social interactions

� Securing sensitive data





� Technical obstacles are becoming lessproblematic as new technologies are introduced

� Ways to overcome managerial and behavioral

obstacles ± Regular meetings can reduce feelings of isolation

± Performance evaluation systems can be revised toreflect better metrics for telecommuters

± Training programs can help telecommuters feel

included and decrease concerns about a lack of advancement opportunities

± Data security policies should be enforced to preventdata loss







Managing IntranetsSpecial Case

� Intranets often have problems with dataaccuracy and currency

� Different strategies for user computing have

been applied to the implementation of intranets

± Some used acceleration strategy (e.g., Boeing)

± Others used containment

± Generally most of these eventually moved tocontrolled growth strategies




� Many organizations are integrating collaborationtools common to the Internet into their corporateintranet ± Employee blogs

� Successful blogs have two important characteristics ± Blogger must have something important to say

± Blogger needs to share opinions uncensored

± Wikis

± Video

� A supportive culture is crucial for success

Managing IntranetsSpecial Case




All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written

permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America.

Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.Publishing as Prentice Hall

Mit6e Ch13 by Firli

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