SYSTEMSASSESSMENTMODELExecutiveInformationTechnologySpecialistsHardwareSoftwareBusinessStrategyPolicy,Practice,ProcedureInformationSystemsStrategyMiddlewareUserCommunitySAMCategoryDescriptionsUsethefollowingtogainanunderstandingofthetypeofinformationtobecollectedintheinterviewsorafacilitatedsession.·Technology.TechnologyinformationonbothsoftwareapplicationsandthesupportingtechnicalinfrastructurecanbeobtainedthroughtheSystemsInventoryMatrix.Thistoolincludes3templateswhichcanbeusedtogatherinformationontheapplicationspresentlyinstalled,thehardwareavailable,thevolumeoftransactionsprocessedandthenumberofterminals/printers/users.-Hardware-Providesenoughcomputingpower,storage,andphysicaldevicestoenterandaccessinformation;user-friendly.Goodgrowthcapability,flexibility,vendorservice.-Software-Reliable,expandable,functional;80%+ofuserneedsmet.Datacapturedatsource,atrightlevelofdetail.Dataisusermaintainedandaccessiblebyothers.-CustomSystemsInterfaces-Qualityman/machineinterface.Varietyoftoolsavailabletohelpaccessinformationandgainunderstandingofdata.Naturaltousers’workingstylesandneeds.·People.Otherpeople-relatedinformationcanbeobtainedpriortointerviews.Inparticular,“noMISmanager”or“generaldissatisfactionwithresponsetimes”maybeself-evidentasSAMdataisgathered.-Executive-LeadsISP,awareofrole/needsofkeybusinessfunctionsandwayinformationaffectsstrategy.Personaluseofinformationsetsexampleforotherstofollow.-Users-Userstakeactivepartindesign,development,operationandmaintenanceofsystem.Useinformationtoaddvalueandtosupportthebusinessstrategy.-InformationTechnologySpecialists-Strongserviceethic,providehighimpact,fastresponse(HIFR)qualityservicetousers.Appreciatedashigh-valuecorporateresource.Sufficientinvestmentforsystemstool/techniques.·Communications.CommunicationsintheSAMcontextreferstothemeansbywhichthecompanycommunicatesbusinessplans,systemsplans,policiesandprocedurestothepeopleintheorganization.Youshouldbeabletoobtain,inwrittenform,acopyofthebusinessplanandthesystemsplan.Policiesandproceduresmayspanmanydepartmentsandalsoincludeinformalprocedures.Again,writtenproceduresshouldbeobtainedfromallareas.Whereinformalorunwrittenproceduresexist,theseshouldbedocumented.Alackofacommunicationselement,suchasasystemsplan,ismeaningfulinitselfandshouldbedocumentedfortheSAM.-BusinessStrategy-Simple,clearpictureofcorporatedirectionandphilosophy.Usersinharmonytoachievegoals;sharecommitmenttoorganization’svision/purposewithexecutive.-InformationSystemsPlan-Definestheinformationandassociatedtechnologiesrequiredtoachievethebusinessstrategies.-Policy,Practices,Procedures-Widespreaduseofinformationandtechnologypromotesefficientandeffectiveprocessingandcommunication.Highreturnoninformationtechnologyinvestments.
