Chapter 9

The People in Information Systems

Learning ObjectivesUpon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to:• Describe each of the different roles that people play in the

design, development, and use of information systems• Understand the different career paths available to those who

work with information systems• Explain the importance of where the information systems

function is placed in an organization• Describe the different types of users of

information systems

People• People are involved in every aspect of information systems:

– Creators of Information Systems• Systems Analyst• Programmer• Computer Engineer

– Information Systems Operations and Administration – involved in the day-to-day operations• Computer Operator• Database Administrator• Help-Desk/Support Analyst• Trainer

People continued• Managing Information Systems– Chief Information Officer (CIO)– Functional Manager– ERP Management– Project Managers– Information Security Officer

• Emerging Roles

Systems Analyst• Bridge between the non-technical (end users) and the very technical (programmers)• Need very good oral communication skills• Must have knowledge of the business, business processes involved, and be able to

document it well• Gathers business requirements and designs an information system to support them• Design document is then used by programmers to actually create the information

system• Usually start as programmers which helps when

designing – If the design is complex, the program code will also

be complex

Programmer• Use the design document created by the Systems

Analyst• Develops the programming code to meet the

proposed design• Work independently but usually part of a team where

their work is integrated into one information system• Usually know several programming

languages

Computer Engineer• Design the computing devices we use:

– Hardware engineer – Designs hardware components and the software to operate them

– Software engineer – Create new programming languages and operating systems

– Systems engineer – integrates all the individual hardware components to create a working device to meet the customers’ needs

– Network engineer – determines the hardware and software needs to connect (network) the devices

Computer Operator• Operates the large mainframe computers in a data

center• Also responsible for maintaining systems– Software up to date– Adequate storage space– Equipment protection

• Physically• Environmentally

Database Administrator• Person who manages the databases for an

organization• Creates and maintains databases usually

connected to applications or data warehouses• Works with systems analysts and

programmers

Help Desk/Support Analyst• First line of support for end users• Try to resolve problems being experienced by end users• Entry level position• Very thankless job• Need:

– Hardware and software skills– Excellent communication skills– Good documentation skills– Good follow-up

Trainer• Conducts classes for people using the information

system• Need:– Excellent oral communication skills– Excellent IT skills– Patience– Excellent written communication skills

to develop training materials

Chief Information Officer (CIO)• Senior level position responsible for information systems• Aligns IS strategic plan with the overall organization

strategic plan• Not technical position• Communicates with other senior level management• May also be known as the Vice President of Information

Systems or Director of Information Systems

Functional Manager• Typically report to CIO or similar title

mentioned in the previous slide• Responsible for an IS functional group – For example, computer operators

• Blend of technical, project management, and communication skills are needed for this position

ERP Management• Responsible to ensure that:– The ERP is up to date– Implementing needed changes/improvements to the ERP– Various user departments are consulted on their needs

• Reports• Data extracts• Data entry screens

Project Managers• Responsible for keeping projects on time and on budget• Reports to stakeholders of the project

– Senior management– End users

• Keeps the team organized and stakeholders informed on progress

• More of a facilitator by coordinating schedules and resources to maximize project outcomes

• Highly organized and excellent communicator

Information Security Officer (ISO)• Establishes and enforces information security policy for the organization

– CPP BroncoDirect password example:• Your BroncoPassword must meet the following requirements:• A minimum of 8 characters.• At least three of the following four types of characters:

– Upper-case letters, ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ– Lower-case letters, abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz– Numbers, 1234567890– Special characters, <space> and .,?!:;()[]{}<>/|\+-=*@#$%&_~`^"

• Cannot contain your BroncoName (user name)• Because your BroncoPassword must be changed once

every 365 days (every 90 days if you have access to confidential data), you cannot reuse an old BroncoPassword

• Responsible for security over all systems

Emerging IS Roles• Big data impact

– Data Scientists – Data Analysts– Business Intelligence Specialists

• Social media experts• Mobile technology specialists• Cloud computing • Virtual machines

IS Certifications• Most certifications indicate a mastery of the subject matter• Not all IS positions require certifications• Some require passing a test and others require a test with

work experience– We encourage CIS students to pass those certifications valued for

their specialty area• Where there is no well recognized

certification, related work experience is more important

Organizing the IS Function• Typically reports to the CIO who reports to the CEO• ERP systems impacted the role IS has in an organization

– More integral to the success of the overall organization– Support function to all business processes

• Outsourcing – contractors perform IS services (usually programming) for a limited period of time– Can be temporary– Can be permanent to allow a company to

manage an IS function (such as the Help Desk) for a fee• Allows the organization to focus on their core

business and the outsource company manages the function

Types of Users• Largest and most critical percentage of people involved• Information systems need to meet the needs of users

– If needs are not met, the system is a failure• Innovators – first to adopt new technology and take risk• Early adopters – adopt after a technology has been proven• Early majority – slower in the adoption process and not opinion

leaders• Late majority – adopt after average members of

society and tend to be skeptics• Laggards – last to adopt and are adverse to change

Summary• Described each of the different roles that people play in the

design, development, and use of information systems• Now understand the different career paths available to those

who work with information systems• Explained the importance of where the information systems

function is placed in an organization• Described the different types of users of information systems