Enterprise-Level Business Systems: Assessment
One of the most criticized aspects of modern business life has been the role of the chief executive. In the public's mind, the CEO is often an over-paid, over-privileged individual, feted with perks rather than required to perform to his or her maximum capacity as an employee. The watchword of corruption and ethics has caused the media and investors to view this individual in the corporate hierarchy with suspicion. In contrast, the CIO, or chief information officer often has the opposite problem -- he, or, increasingly she is viewed as someone of a specialty occupation, rather than a critical part of the developing business management infrastructure. (Surmacz, 2004)
The CIO has often viewed as a technocrat, rather than someone whom can contribute holistically to the overreaching vision of the business. This is not simply the company's fault, however. Rather, too many CIOs often judge implementations "by measuring the technical capacity of a project, instead of considering how it has improved their companies' business." (Schrage, 2004) The corporate structure thus must embrace the role of the CIO and the CIO must shift his or her role to accommodate the needs of modern business life, to create a vision rather than merely satisfy the requirements of a balance sheet on an annual basis.
II. Information-Gathering Methods
Johan Arleback and Tor Mesoy's recent article for CIO Online magazine "Four High Performance Opportunities for CIOs" makes it clear that there is a critical role for the CIO to play in today's changing business climate, particularly for companies with highly vested technological interests, (Mesoy & Arleback, 2004) According to their analysis, businesses must reevaluate the role of their CIOs in their management infrastructure. Companies, particularly technology companies, are under-using their CIOs. A recent survey of CIOs and CEOs found that most CIOs said their CEOs still do not actively invite them to meetings on the strategic planning of the business, but rather...
Mesoy & Arleback, 2004)
A. Discuss which information-gathering methods can be used in analyzing requirements
Through the use of questionnaires and company interviews, companies must critically reevaluate their leadership structure and utilization of the CIO's analysis. Does the CIO make a contribution to the organization as a whole? And are his or her contributions integrated into corporate long-term strategy?
III. Business Process Mapping Methods
A. Identify which business process mapping methods should be used in analysis activities.
Information technology is becoming an ever-larger part of the economy. This requires new long-term 'mapping' strategies to keep pace with the integration of technology to a business's success. "According to Eurostat, spending on information technology went from 3.9% of the combined gross domestic products of Japan, the European Union and the United States in 1992 to 4.5% for 2001, the latest year available." (Mesoy & Arleback, 2004).
It is important to recognize that such information mapping is not intrinsic to the business cycle. In other words, even in times of recession, new technologies are constantly being developed, and may 'peak' during times that are not financially convenient. Driving this trend of the increasing importance of technology development in times of economy growth and contraction is the increasing importance of managing information technology to ensure high performance across business cycles. "Companies delivering the highest total return to shareholders throughout a five-year period before, during and after the major recession in the early 1990s were the ones managing to retain profitable revenue growth rather than focusing purely on cost cutting," revenue growth generated by maintaining a healthy growth of their technical prowess. (Mesoy & Arleback, 2004) The ability of a CIO to highlight critical technical as well as financial aspects…
