Chapter 14:

Managing Technology Resources

The Technology Assets
Data

The physical
infrastructure

The applications
portfolio
The Data Resource

Data are now recognized as a major

organizational resource, to be managed
like other assets, such as facilities,
labor, and capital.
A key element in the effective
management of data is an overall map
for business data -- a data model.
Key Concepts in Managing Data
The permanence of data
The data pyramid -- transaction data
funneling into operational, managerial, and
strategic databases
Information processing and application
independence
The data to information cycle -- capture
applications, transfer applications, analysis
and presentation applications
Key Concepts in Managing Data
(continued)
Disposable systems
Capturing data once
Data standards,
including:
identifiers
naming

definition
integrity
rules
usage rights
The Data Management Process
Plan
Source Protect and secure
Acquire and maintain Account for use
Define/describe and Recover/restore and
inventory upgrade
Organize and make Determine retention
accessible and dispose
Quality control and Train and consult for
integrity effective use
Data Management Policies

Data ownership policies, including a

corporate information policy
Data administration policies, often
including an organizational unit called
data administration to lead the efforts
in data management
Roles in Data Administration
Database administrator (or DBA) -
person responsible for the management
of computerized databases
Data steward - a user-manager who, in
addition to his/her normal duties, is
responsible for and held accountable for
the quality and viability of a particular
data subject area
Tools for Managing Data
Data modeling:
enterprise modeling approach involves
describing the organization and its data
requirements at a very high level - the result
is a corporate data model
view integration approach starts with
reports, computer screens, forms, and
documents and combines them into a
comprehensive description
Tools for Managing Data (cont.)
Database
management
systems (DBMSs)

Data
dictionary/directory
(DD/D)
The Physical Infrastructure -
Management Issues
1. Location
2. The workstation
3. Supported operating systems
4. Redundancy
5. Supported communications
protocols
The Physical Infrastructure -
Management Issues (continued)
6. Bandwidth
7. Response time on the network
8. Security versus ease of access
9. Breadth of network access
10.Access to external data services
The Applications Portfolio - Must
be Managed as an Asset
Management issues include:
Who is the assumed user?
Where should applications be located?
Should applications development be
process-driven or data-driven?
What should the requirements be for
justifying new systems?
The Role of the User-Manager
Make your position clear on critical
infrastructure management issues.
Take an active role in data stewardship.
Take responsibility for operating in line
with the organizations policies on
information resources.
Be active in demanding quality asset
management by the IS organization.