Albay, Jeremy James G.

BSA-3A
Assignment 1: Managing IT governance

1. Define an objective, a policy, a standard, and a procedure.  Give 3 set of examples to

explain them further.

Objective is defined as the specific and measurable results companies hope to maintain as
their organization grows, this is basically the result businesses aim to achieve. Meanwhile, a
policy relates to a decision of the governing body of an organization. A policy is typically an
internal organizational decision that aids how it functions. A policy is a formal statement of a
principle that should be followed by its intended audience. Standards on the other hand are
uniform uses of specific technologies or configurations, a level of quality, used as a measure,
norm, or model in comparative evaluations. Lastly, a procedure provides detailed mandatory
steps, like a checklist, someone needs to follow to achieve a recurring task or comply with a
policy. These procedures can include step by step instructions or statements telling you what
exactly to do.
These 4 terms work together and helps a business achieve its objectives. They are related
to each other in a way that the objective is the general main idea, or the aim of the business while
next to it would be the policies where it supports the objective, wherein these sets of decision or
policies are made to achieve the said objective. Next, the standards support the policies as it is
the specific measure or norm that the business are using to again aid the policies defined and
lastly, the procedures are in turn supporting the standards wherein it specifies more what are the
steps to be done to achieve the said standards and policies.
Objectives > Policies > Standards > Procedures
(General to Specific)
Below are 3 sets of examples of how objective, policy, standards and procedures are
differentiated at the same time shows how they are related and works to each other.

Health care/Hospital
Objective:  To be a leading provider of health care services by delivering high quality outcomes
for patients.
Policy: Dress code Policy: During business hours employees are expected to present a
professional, business-like appearance and to dress according to the requirements of their
positions.
Standard: List of appropriate attire:
  White uniforms
 White skirts or pants
 White shoes
 Colored tops with white over garment / lab coat
Procedure: ID badges should be worn in a visible place above the waist at all times so patients
can differentiate between staff and the public.
Fit and length of clothing should look professional and be appropriate for the physical
requirements of the employee’s position.

Fast Food Industry

Objective: To provide a satisfying customer experience that includes serving enjoyable food in
fast-paced manner and a relaxing atmosphere.
Policy: Cleanliness Policy: Employees are expected to keep the restaurant clean, free of
contaminates, and without any negative odors at all times.
Standards: The following should be cleaned from the Dining Area: (when used, these will be
cleaned after usage, if not, should be cleaned every hour.)
 Tables
 Chairs
 Trays
 Door and Windows
 Carpet and Tiles
Procedures:
 Use a white towel from the utility bucket and wring out excess sanitizer solution.
 Spray clean the table top.
 Place all trash on one serving tray and stack the trays, avoid spilling from the trays.

Salon & Spa Service

Objectives: To provide a variety of services for the purpose of improving health, beauty and
relaxation through personal care treatments.
Policy: Time Management Policy: Treatments should be performed in a manner which is under
the business’ time standards for the profitability of the salon.
Standards:
Treatment/Service Minimum and Maximum Times
Make-up service 45 minutes
Relaxation Massage 60 minutes
 Underarm Wax 15 minutes

Procedures:
 Perform service staying within the guidelines for treatment times.
 When booking clients, the relevant time must be marked out in the appointment software
system for the appropriate therapist/hairdresser, with an extra 10 minutes added for
cleaning duties after treatment.

2. In your own words, define governance. You may cite examples.

Governance for me is the act of governing or overseeing a group of people or an

organization. It is a system of rules, processes or methods on how to control or guide an
organization to the right path or direction. It is commonly related to politics, as a leader or
president of a country, he/she uses governance to control and manage its nation, commonly with
the goal of making a good place for its people. Another example would be in a family where the
parents sets rules and certain practices where all of the family members should obey so that they
would work in peace and harmony. For me that is governance, it is initiated or let’s say mainly
influenced by the leader, in a country the president and for the family’s case, the parents. But for
the context of a business, governance or corporate governance is the structure of rules, practices,
and processes used to direct and manage a company or firm. It balances the interests of its
members and drives the firm in achieving its goals or objectives.

3. Why is it important that there is IT alignment with organizational objectives?

There are numerous advantages to integrating your company's IT strategy with its
business objectives, but they may be divided into three categories. It's important to integrate
organizational objectives and IT: (1) in order to stay competitive; (2) ensure that all stakeholders
are working toward the same goals; (3) and get the most value out of limited resources. The
actual power of IT in the business will be found if IT is offering technical leadership and
aligning with the organization's goals.
Businesses of all sizes and industries appear to be moving their focus to data in the
future. Making informed decisions with business data is a relatively new phenomenon. Managers
may now gather, store, organize, and use information from a variety of sources to improve
organizational agility and performance, where they previously relied on 'gut feel' to chart their
course. So, in essence, there is no competitive advantage in simply "using" technology these
days; rather, there is a competitive advantage in strategically aligning technology with overall
business goals.
 Another benefit of aligning IT with organizational goals is to focus the stakeholders on
the objectives of the business. Aligning IT strategy with organizational objectives aids decision-
making by ensuring that everyone is working toward the same objectives and is on the same
page. IT systems that are chosen and executed in accordance with a company's strategic plan are
more likely to be useful and widely used. If a team understands how the IT systems fit into the
business objectives, they are more likely to support the implementation and training on the new
technology.
Because resources are always limited, especially in smaller firms, aligning IT with
organizational objectives ensures that resources are used most effectively. By utilizing
technology that is aligned with company objectives, efficiencies can be gained, and expenses can
be kept to a minimum. There will also be places where you will not want to invest in new
technologies owing to high risks, prices, or even data or system fragmentation. When IT goals
are aligned with business goals, the company can be proactive and strategic with IT spending,
reducing unnecessary expenses.