Executive Summary
This assignment is aimed to review a public University in Dubai, focusing on the ICT department. The University has been struggling to deliver quality education to its students this is the reason why it has focused on strengthening the ICT department to facilitate flow of information between the students and their lecturers as well as the students and the management. The ICT department has installed a management information system which has helped it achieve its goals of enhancing the flow of information in the institution. The functions of the ICT department will be discussed in this assignment.
Organizational Background
The mission Statement of the University in Dubai is the provision of the high quality education and development of the science. Originally, this process requires serious and properly adjusted data processing system. The values of the organization are the expansion of the scientific database, and storage of all the required data and information: personal data, methodic materials, research data and information, etc. The goals and objectives of the data processing system is the properly managed storage of the information and problem free routing and allocation of the information among the departments. The mission statement of the University Data Processing System is the following: “To offer quality teaching and, encourage scholarship, service, novelty and imagination and instill moral principles for sustainable personality as well as societal development” (Chamungu 2009, p.9)
Research Methodology
Internet sources, books, interviewed with the University ICT coordinator, and some of the junior staff in the department were used for the research and analysis of the department activity. As for the classification of the information, it should be stated that the primary sources for the research are the interviews and the books. Internet sources and journals are the secondary sources, as these are the theoretical basis of the research.
Information Management in Dubai University
Management of information about the customers and the suppliers is a very important aspect of business management and it can determine whether an organization will satisfy its vendors and clients or not.
Due to the competitive nature of the market, wrong management of such information can lead to the competitors taking advantage of the situation and having a competitive advantage over the firm. Consequently, the company will lose its customers base, its income, and competitive capacity.
Because of this, many firms spend millions to install and manage information systems that can enable them to serve their customers and vendors efficiently as well as making high-quality and informed decisions. Computerization is the most important business technology in this era and it has helped many businesses to cut down their operation costs, thus increasing their profits. Computerization has also increased the speed with which operations are executed, increased competition in the markets, and generally led to increased consumer satisfaction (Avilani 2006).
The organization we are going to study for is DANA University. It is a public university formed by legislation and its main purpose is to offer various degree courses.
The main clients are students and the organization provides various vendors including those providing stationeries, medical facilities, foodstuffs to various kitchens and hotels in the institution among other basic supplies needed for the smooth running of the organization. The department, which is studied in the paper, is the support department, as the services of this department are meant to make the activities of the organization run smoothly, by enhancing communication between different departments, that is, to enable free inflow and outflow of information within and without the organization.
The information that is shared, used, and stored in various departments:
Personal information on Students
- the name of the student
- degree course the student is pursuing
- the date of admission into the University
Family background information
- The home area of the student, the
- The parents
- The date the student was admitted to the institution
- The date the student will leave the University
- the contacts of the students.
Other information includes the financial information of the student
- the fees paid to this University
- the amount of fee paid
- the outstanding fee
- the date and the bank in which the fee was paid
- Transfers of fees from tuition to other departments like the catering and the accommodation department
- recreation facilities and the fee balance the student has.
Qualitative and quantitative data
The type of data generally defines the way of its communication and transmission. Originally, the division of the information on qualitative and quantitative is attributable to any organization, including universities.
The difference between qualitative and quantitative data is the way the data is defined: ‘quantitative is in arithmetic form and ‘qualitative’ is not numerical data. Qualitative data may be greater than just terms or text. Photographs, sound recordings, videos, and so on, may be able to be considered qualitative data (Aviani, 67).
IT and non-IT information
IT-based information is the kind of information that is repaired, stored, retrieved, transferred, and used using computers and other supporting hardware and software. On-IT-based information is that type of information, which is transferred, used, and stored in hardcopies without the use of computers.
Nowadays, the expression of information technology has swollen to encompass a lot of aspects of computing and expertise, and the phrase has become very identifiable. The IT sunshade can be quite huge, covering lots of fields. IT professionals in the university carry out a variety of responsibilities that vary from installing applications to scheming composite PC networks as well as information databases. Some of the duties that these IT professionals execute may include management of data, engineering computer hardware networking, database plus software designing an addition to the management and administration of whole systems. Information technology is a combination of computer and information technology (Brin 1998).
When the PC, as well as communications techniques, are put together, the result is information technology, which is a general phrase describing any facts that help in producing, storing, manipulating, communicating, as well as disseminating information. Presumably, when talking about IT as a whole, it is renowned that the use of computers and information are connected.
As for the organization in general, the information is very vital for the activity of the University of Dubai, as it helps the department managers in making correct decisions, and which are consistent in all the departments. This is because both the managers may make use of the same database to get the information they make use of in their decision-making. Thus, the university improves the quality of decisions made in the activity sphere in general. It also helps to improve the speed at which the information is acquired and transferred as the individuals would not have the need to go and inquire from different departments toneed get the required information (Aziana 2008).
Information Flow Diagram
The information used in the IT department in the institution is originated from diverse sources. Some of the sources include information obtained from the forms students-who are the major clients in the organization-fill while applying for different services in the organization.
Some of the services that the students apply for in the organization are:
- course registration where the students fill in their name
- the courses they have covered in a given time period
- their year of study
- the academic year
- the semester and so on.
They also fill such forms when they are registering with the institution and also when registering in different departments.
Information about the students can also be obtained from outside sources like :
The types of sources of data in the organization may be subdivided into secondary sources as well as primary data. The major sources of data include the forms which are used to obtain information from the students. It can also be called the source of first-hand information (Brian 1998).
The processing of the information in the University is much more frequent than assumed to be programmed and operating. Facts are most helpful when presented in a well as well as organized way and actually, this makes it more informative.
A data processing system is a system that to need is used for the reception, classification, and storing of information. Data is viewed as a raw material, which is later transformed into information. Data is processed through several processes for being transformed into information. For the data to be processed by a Data-Processing-System, it needs first to be transformed into a machine-readable layout.
Once the information is in digital layout, various measures can also be applied to the figures to get helpful information.
Data management at the University
The data management is resorted to for the correct storage o the information and correct routing of the information flow among the department of the university. The data should also be classified accordingly, for instance, videos, audio files, and Word documents must be kept separately. Data warehousing refers to the safekeeping of data so that it is possible to access it and make use of it effectively.
There is great variability in the categories of data that is collected and kept by different departments but the common thing is that the organization similarly uses the data, that is, to improve the quality of the output of the decision-making process. Data warehousing is usually an activity, which is carried by the organization as a whole, but in large organizations-like the one we are studying- it is usually done by a single department, that is, the IT department (Bedward & Stredwick 2004).
Database administration is the other important of data component management. The database administrators are normally given the mandate to recover, ensure security, availability development, and testing support of the data. Recoverability involves installing back up system to assist in getting back the information, which is lost accidentally. The loss of the data may be due to unexpected interruptions like power blackout or system breakdown due to mechanical reasons. Availability of data refers to making sure that at any time the data is needed it can be accessed without any delays. The administrator is also concerned with developing and testing the database. This is to make sure that the weak areas of the systems are identified and rectified in time to minimize any delays that could be caused by such weaknesses (Chyalo 2007).
After evaluating the data that is being used in this organization it was found that the data was efficient, accurate, sufficient, true, and most current and secure. This can be attributed to the fact that the IT department is composed of qualified individuals and it is under the direct direction of the top management to avoid any underperformance. This is because the organization knows very well the impact of such inefficiency on the organization (Roensch 2008).
It should be stated that the customers’ base of the Data management system may be regarded as rather extensive. Thus, there are two types of data users: these are the internal users – the students, the administrative and technical staff, and the external users – other universities, potential employees, entrants, and graduates. The character of the information differs for the categories and sub-categories of the users. Thus, the external users will not get the information, which is addressed for the technical staff and vice versa.
The information which is exchanged between the departments is mainly of a technical and administrative character. The research information is not exchanged on the regular basis, as various departments are engaged in researches within various spheres.
The analysis of the IT system, represented in the paper, may help define the gaps in the data exchange and processing system. Originally, the largest gap in any data processing system is the issue of safety. It is stated that any system is subjected to virus attacks, independently in the safety measures, however, the safety measures are aimed to decrease the consequences of some harmful attack. Another gap is the simplicity of the data flow cycle. On the one hand, this cycle is free of spare parts, which makes the flow process easy and decreases the likelihood of delays. On the other hand, the simplicity of this process increases the possibility of information and data leakage.
Data Processing System Evaluation
Sufficiency
The sufficiency of the information is beyond any doubt. The fact is that all the information, which is routed through the system, entails all the data required. It signifies the fact that data losses are impossible, and the receivers of the information get all the information, which was addressed to them. It is also necessary to mention that data processing itself undermines the likelihood of losses, consequently, the issues of sufficiency are on the highest level.
Validity
Originally, it is difficult to estimate the validity of the information using the sources (both primary and secondary), however, all the information processed does not entail any insignificant facts. It should be stated that the very fact of reaching the recipients means that the information is valid and required, otherwise, the users would refuse from using the data processing system, and would claim for its restructuring
Currency
It has been already stated, that the simplicity of the data flow process undermines the likelihood of the data delay. Thus, it should be stated that all the information may be regarded as current and up-to-date, otherwise, the system could be subjected to restructuring
Authenticity
Originally, this criteria depends on the category of receivers. The external users are addressed the same information from year to year, as the rules and principles of the adoption of entrants are not subjected to changes. The internal information is authentic.
Accuracy
Accuracy of the information is the factor that is defined by the staff, engaged in the data processing system. Originally, the accuracy and validity of the information are rather close factors, consequently, the information may be regarded as accurate.
Security
It has been already emphasized, that security is the weakest link for any data processing system, nevertheless, the University of Dubai made everything possible for granting the highest security level.
Conclusion
Finally, in particular, the management that gives information about the consumers and the suppliers in any organization is very crucial for the success of the organization. This is so because it enables the organization to plan, execute and control its operations in an efficient manner and this will improve the relationship of the organization with its clients and vendors for the mutual benefit of all the concerned parties. This report will always enable the reader to understand the various parts of information management and the advantages of computerizing as any business to the owner as well to the suppliers and clients.
As for the data processing system, it is necessary to mention that this system may be regarded as up-to-date and properly adjusted. Thus, it should be stated that the users of this system do not have any reason to complain about the quality, accuracy, or validity of the information, as everything possible was made by the university for granting the highest security level and preventing information leakage.
References
Avilani, J 2006,Managing information in business context, 2nd Ed, Access printing press, London.
Aziana, K 2008, Information management in business, Alliance group of companies, New York.
Azul, T 2009, keeping your information safely, 3rd Ed, Jumbo printing press, Sydney.
Chamungu, P. 2009, Database management. Makerere university press, Kampala.
Chyalo, M. 2007, You and the security of your information.4th Ed, Kampala university press, Kampala.
English Gary 2004, Managing Information and Human Performance, Human Resource Development Press, Naples.
Bedward Diana & Stredwick John 2004, Managing Information: core management, Elsevier, London.
Roensch John 2008, Video Conferencing Outsourcing, “Outsourcing and measuring key functions is the best way to assure high performance,” Web.
Knowledge Horizon, “Cambridge International examination in Management, Professional Level,” University of Cambridge, 2009. Web.
Brin David 1998, EVERYONE IS LIVING IN A FISHBOWL, Archives, Web.
Appendix 1
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