Key factors for successful management information systems operations

¶ … Successful MIS Operation

The outcome of an MIS operation depends on how well the development and implementation processes were planned and structured before a system is launched for complete operation. It is from these factors that the success and failure of an MIS can be pre-determined during operation. While the capacity of an MIS during an actual operation is more important than the pre-determined capacity based on the carefully planned development and implementation, the success of an MIS operation also depends on the capabilities of human resources that maintain it.

There are other several factors that can establish the success of an MIS operation. From Cisco online, the following are some of the success factors that are applicable to an MIS operation.

Sound and efficient systems planning good system plan facilitates the development of a system because most of the stages that a system goes through are based from a system plan. These stages include the development stage, user-acceptance test stage, implementation stage, and live-operation stage.

Core business focus

In the whole lifecycle of a system, the MIS being developed must always be in focus to the core function it is being developed for.

Sound and Efficient Systems Planning

Before the development of a system starts, it is always the planning process that comes first. Development of a system is impossible without having a plan. Even the most basic preparation for systems development is considered as a plan. However, ideally, the process of systems planning should cover all stages relevant to the system, from the development stage up to the stage where the system is already in operation.

Sometimes, an organized planning process is taken for granted by the team tasked to develop a system. Because a system is made up of programs and codes (those done in programming platforms and languages such as.Net, C++, Assembly, etc.), the stage that usually holds much attention from an IT project team is the development stage where coding and programming is involved. This approach, however, makes a system prone to error. Since a system is a collection of processes that in one way or another are linked to each other, having dependencies to other process, it is vital to have a sound systems plan where the definition of each process and the relationship of every process is identified, as well as where a detailed plan on the flow of a system is developed.

Moreover, aside from a plan on the development stage of a system, an efficient systems plan should also include detailed information of the other stages a system undergoes, such as how to test a system, how to certify the system as an error-free one, how to implement a system, and how to manage and maintain a system during its operation.

In today's rapid emergence of different computer technology, it is very important to have a well-planned system. A good system must not only meet the current trends in computers, but must also anticipate how it will function in future computer technology. Richard Carey, in his Planning Success: The Importance of a Sound Change Management Plan, supports similar concept by stating that The introduction of new information technologies is usually disruptive to the status quo in companies or workgroups. This is especially important to consider when planning Information Management solutions."

Planning helps eliminate possible barriers to the success of an MIS operation. With a well-defined plan, identification of possible problems is facilitated during the stages before implementation. For instance, in a project discussion, problems in the different areas of a system (such as systems process flow, implementation, maintenance, etc.) that is currently being developed can be easily identified if the systems plan is properly laid-out to every member of a team.

Another advantage of a sound and efficient systems plan is that it helps resolve system problems quickly. For instance, a good systems plan may have a scenario planning that contains a list of the possible problems that the system may encounter and a list of the corresponding possible solutions. In summary, a sound and efficient systems plan acts as a pre-development, present development, and post-development guide to every aspect of a system.