An Efficient and Speedy Activity Model for Information System Based Organizations

Table of contents

1. INTRODUCTION

nfinished and run-away projects, Workforce ignoring, Information overload, Employee mistrust, Security breaches all are the challenges of any IS based Work System due to poorly aligned with business executives. User requirements, the costs required to implement a new technology or update a technology dose not always realized by the C-level Executives because of communication and technology knowledge gap in organization. This paper addresses two aspects of the problem: 1) intangible and procedural gaps among different C-levels and 2) communication and knowledge gaps that blocks and degrade collaboration between business and IT professionals which also effects planning and Implementation in any business organization. E-Media which plays an important role in business organization can develop the relationship among C-level. The aim of this paper is to describe an activity model for describing, analyzing, and designing both corporate business system and IS together in a Work System. (Activity model are graphical representations of workflows of stepwise activities and actions with support for choice, iteration and concurrency. [1] In the Unified Modeling Language, activity model can be used to describe the business and operational step-by-step workflows of components in a system. An activity shows the overall flow of control that is conditional or parallel. For example, the activity flow from customer to Chief Marketing Officer after an action Request for a new/updated technology is performed by the customer then CMO could perform another action (Verify requests) in any Work system.) The activity model is a significant reformulation and extension of the work system framework, which has a number of limitations that the model addresses.

The rest of this paper is prepared as follows segment II shortly illustrates the Background, Segment III described literature review, Segment IV described Model requirements, Segment V includes work system framework, Segment VI includes proposed work system environment, Segment VII establishes an activity model, Segment VIII describes the elements of an activity model, Segment IX includes implementation phase and lastly Segment X concludes the paper.

2. II.

3. BACKGROUND

This segment provides background about the work system approach in general and the work system framework in particular. A work system approach assumes that the unit of analysis is a work system, a business system in which human participants and/or machines perform work (processes and activities) using information, technology, and other resources to produce specific products and/or services for specific internal or external customers. Work systems change over time through iterations of planned change (projects) and through incremental adaptations and innovations that may be unplanned. New technology, government regulations, agri-terrorism, and biological threats are forcing work system to change the way they face these better work flow model e.g., activity model, where collaboration is maintained between the business professionals and information executives to achieve goals within time frame.

4. III.

5. LITERATURE REVIEW

6. MODEL REQUIREMENTS

Using the Laudon & Laudon definition of information systems the core requirements of an information system exists to collect, process, store and distribute information that supports the decision making and control of an organization. This provided the first requirement of our model. Our model must be able to identify the mechanics necessary to gather, process, store, and distribute information. Second the model must also identify if the information gathered is processed to support management of the organizations. Establishing these criteria as a means for identifying the existence information systems requires that our model be two pronged. The first prong must be able to identify both the information processes and the reason for gathering information and the second prong must identify that the information decision making, coordination, and control in an organization. In addition to supporting being processed supports management before existence of an information system can be verified.

V.

7. WORK SYSTEM FRAMEWORK

Alter (2002) defines, a "work system is a system in which human participants and/or machines perform business processes using information, technologies, and other resources to produce products and/or services for internal or external customers". Alter's work system framework is developed from nine core elements as displayed in Fig. 1. The first four elements: information, participants, processes, and technologies, constitute the systems doing the work. These first four elements define what Alter refers to as a basic system within his framework. The work systems output are the products and services received by its customers. The remaining three elements: environment, strategies, and infrastructure influence the overall process to determine "if a work system can operate as intended and can accomplish its goals" (Alter, 2002). Alter's framework provides a two-step approach to explore the activities established in an organization. The first step, the work system, identifies the components of the systems doing the work. The second step identifies the interaction of the work system with the environment, strategies, and infrastructure. This second step provides data on how systems are used which brings us to the second prong of our model development. A. Business process. Consists of only one element instead of the nine elements of the work system framework. The work system approach has been called a business process approach, but it involves much more than just the detailed logic of the business process. 2010) metamodel. an integrated set of concepts can be described using its 31 elements that bridge the chasm between sociotechnical and technical views of systems in organizations . But approach is mechanistic, does not focus on process of change, work flows, triggering conditions, resource requirements, business rules, and post-conditions of specific activities.

8. VI. PROPOSED SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT

Alter argues for an IS as a special type of work system. A work system is a system in which humans and/or machines perform work using resources to produce specific products and/or services for customers. An IS is a work system whose activities are devoted to processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information [5]. The environment of any information based work system encompasses of input, processing and output. The work system environment is the "suprasystem" within which an organization operates and often determines how a system must function. As shown in Figure-2, the work system environment consisting of e-Governance (G2B), e-Media, e-Bank, Customers, Vendors, Other Competitive Work System, Economic Indicators, e-Learning will provide constraints and consequently, influence the actual performance of the work system can be described as follows:

A. e-Government (short for electronic government) here is a digital interactions between a government businesses/Commerce (G2B) B. e_Media (short of Electronic media) are in the form of digital media known as video recordings, audio recordings, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD-ROM and online content.

C. e-Banking Online banking (or Internet banking) allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or virtual bank, credit union or building society. D. Other Work System is mentioned here a competitor who analysis provides both an offensive and defensive strategic context to identify opportunities and threats. E. Economic Indicators (or business indicator) here is a statistic about the economy who allows analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance of a work system. F. e-Learning covers a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computerbased learning, virtual meeting, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio-and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, and CD-ROM.

Fig. 2 : The work System Environment Kay's (Kay & Edwards, 1999) functions of Work System can be expressed as a cycle where information is used to navigate and move through each of the functions: planning, implementation, and control. This cycle is also illustrated in Fig. 2.

Planning is the first function also referred to as the strategic decision stage to identify problems or strategic direction occurs. The Business Process Management must identify the problem or opportunity and choose to act or not. The second function is implementation which is selecting and acting on a plan. Once a plan is identified and approved, resources and infrastructures are put into place with the technical side.

Progress is verified on a routine basis to determine if the actions put into place are moving the Business Process Management towards the intended goals. Control or monitoring the progress of an action plan is the last function. If the progress is not acceptable, that is the invented technology does not follow the standard of a disqualified product then the overall process in work may be terminated by the Business Process Management.

9. VII. ESTABLISHING AN ACTIVITY MODEL

FOR WORK SYSTEM Fig. 3. is an activity model for the analysis, design and implementation of new or updated technology in information system based organization. Actual work flow from worker to different C-level executives and related necessary actions done by the business process management is easily understandable from the figure. As earlier mentioned most of the work system consists of Kay's (Kay & Edwards, 1999) functions like planning, implementation and control. So we divide the work system into three phases according to Kay's function. Then activity flow among the phases is easily understandable by subdividing the phases.

In planning phase, Customer plays an important role as because most requests e.g., new or updated technology in an organization comes from customer. All sorts of requests are gathered and noted by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) who has investigated primarily on the market demand. Then the requests are sending to the corporate officers (CEO, COO) to take necessary actions to fulfill the customer demand. A meeting will be called to collaborate with all C-level officers to gather different ideas, methodologies, related necessary technologies, budget to build a plan. The plan may be discarded by the Corporate Offers if it will fail the budget or fall in time limit exceed. By the end of this phase the budget is passed for the request to implement otherwise.

In the implementation phase, the Corporate Officer will asked the Technical Officer (CTO, CIO) to implement IS/IT strategies. Emerging all resources e.g. IT-Participants, Non-IT-Participants, Software, Technological Entity, Hardware with all Infrastructure e.g., Human Infrastructure, IT Researcher/IT Specialists, Project Manger, Programmer, Technical and Information develop a new or updated technology to fulfill the user requests. In this stage a primary verification is done on the new born or updated technology. Circular verification is done by changing parameters like resources, infrastructure, methodologies, ideas, tools and techniques if is does not fulfill user requirements. In this phase IT-Participants can share their acceptance or demand with the existing technologies to the Technical Officers. Implementation phase will turn off if the technology verification is okay. A note for the qualified product is maintained for future learning in this phase. Then the product is returned to the business process management. Then again planning if fails the corporate level satisfaction or stop planning is corporate officers accept and order the CMO to deliver the new/updated technology or product. Thus a qualified product or technology goes to the customer for examining their requirements level.

10. MODEL IMPLEMENTATION

Through the use of the model illustrated in Figure-3 it was determined that each work system implemented the mechanics of their system in a unique fashion to achieve their individual business process management goals. The complexity of any work system can easily be optimized by importing and applying the activity model in any information system based organization. The activity model proved successful in determining the activity flow in the work system in passing some action state and three phases like planning, implementation and control. By completing a cycle of the activity model a new or refined technology or product will outcome.

X.

11. CONCLUSION

The activity model of Unified Modeling Language is used in teaching and research, helping corporate executives to learn information technology, to maintain collaboration among C-levels, to give value of technological ideas and work, to distribute work flow among different levels, to monitor overall work. The activity model spells out the shortcomings of the all work system framework. The research is going on, so activity model is a standard for any work system that always integrates information system to their business process to reveal, enlarge and enriches the work system with technologies.

Figure 1. Fig. 1 :
1Fig.1 : Alter's Work System Possible alternative frameworks. The work system framework was developed over time to guide its users to develop a basic understanding of an IT-reliant work system in an organization. However alternative frameworks are:A. Business process. Consists of only one element instead of the nine elements of the work system framework. The work system approach has been called a business process approach, but it involves
Figure 2. Fig. 3 :
3Fig.3 : Activity Model for IS based Work System
Figure 3.
IX.
A. Work systems functioning: The proposed work
systems can be functioned by three phases like
planning, implementation and control to execute its
goal.
B. Infrastructure. Includes relevant human, information,
and technical resources that are used by the work
system but are managed outside of it and are
shared with other work systems.
C. Customers. Are requester of the work system'
technology and recipients of products and services
for purposes other than performing work activities
within the work system.
D. Marketing Officer. To whom demand of new or
updated technology request arises according to
market demand.
E. Corporate Officer. Who makes decision and execute
a plan, permit to implement and finally controlled or
monitor the overall work system.
F. Strategies. Are relevant to a work system include
enterprise strategy, organization strategy, and work
system strategy. In general, they are the business
policies to achieve the work system's goal. Here
business strategies and IS/IT strategies differ from
the point of technology related.
G. Finance Officer. Permit budget according to higher
authority.
H. Technical Officer. A brief knowledge about all
technical, operational and informational gather
together to implement and verify permitted plan
according to very fast upcoming technology.
I. Resource. Are needed to implement work system's
plan including Participants, Software, Technological
Entity and Hardware. Participants are people who
perform working within the work system, including
both IT-Participants and Non-IT Participants. IT-
Participants can share their expectations from
technology to the technical officers.
J. Infrastructure. Include Human, IT Researcher/IT
Specialists, Project Manger, Programmer, Technical
and Information. Here Human plays a minor role like
clerical work in the work system and Information is
what we used, created, captured, transmitted,
stored, retrieved, manipulated, updated, displayed,
and/or deleted by a specific activity in the activity
model.
K. Quality Assurance Engineer. Measure the quality of
a product by composing some sub-activity like
Requirements Definition, Change Management,
Configuration Management, Quality Testing Factors,
1
2011
2011
4
5
6

Appendix A

  1. , Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology XI p. 2011. (Issue XXII Version I)
  2. An Efficient and Speedy Activity Model for Information System Based Organizations ©. Global Journals Inc 2011. US.
  3. CEO Compensation and Information Technology. Heekyung Kim , H Brynjolfsson , Erik . ICIS 2009 Proceedings, 2009. (Paper 38)
  4. Applied organisational change in industry: structural, technological, and humanistic approaches. H J Leavitt . Handbook of organizations, J G March (ed.) (Chicago
    ) 1965. Rand McNally.
  5. The GRITIKA Ontology for Modeling e-Service Applications: Formal Specification and Illustration. H Zhang , R Kishore , R Ramesh , R Sharman . Proceedings of the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, (the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences) 2004.
  6. , Jan Leimeister , Marco .
  7. The Zachman FrameworkTM: The Official Concise Definition. J A Zachman . http://www.zachmaninternational.com/index.php/home-article/13#maincol Zachman International enterprise architecture 2008.
  8. Establishing a Model to Identify Information Systems in Nontraditional Organizations. Jean S Adams . Information Systems Education Journal 2009. (7) .
  9. , Markus ; Böhm , Nominacher , ; Bastian , Fähling . Jens.
  10. Decision support systems: an organizational perspective, P G W Keen . 1978. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.
  11. Philip ; Yetton , Helmut Krcmar . IT CHALLENGES IN M&A TRANSACTIONS -THE IT CARVE-OUT VIEW ON DIVESTMENTS, 2010. (ICIS 2010 Proceedings. Paper 105)
  12. R D Kay , W M Edwards . Farm Management, (Boston
    ) 1999. McGraw-Hill. (4th ed)
  13. The Work System Method: Connecting People, Processes, and IT for Business Results, S Alter . CA: Works System Press.
  14. The work system method for understanding information systems and information system research. S Alter . Communications of the Association for Information Systems 2002. 9 p. .
  15. BRIDGING THE CHASM BETWEEN SOCIOTECHNICAL AND TECHNICAL VIEWS OF SYSTEMS IN ORGANIZATIONS. Steven Alter . ICIS 2010 Proceedings, 2010. (Paper 54)
Notes
1
© 2011 Global Journals Inc. (US) Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology Volume XI Issue XXII Version I
2011.
December ? ? challenges. As a result, work system and going towards with information technology in the same alignment. So a
2011.
December
4
© 2011 Global Journals Inc. (US) Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology Volume XI Issue XXII Version I 55 2011 December
5
© 2011 Global Journals Inc. (US)
6
December
Date: 2011-12-12