Managing Computers in Large Organizations

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Managing Microcomputers in Large Organizations http://www.nap.edu/catalog/167.html About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the original work has been recomposed from XML files created from the original paper book, not from the original typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths, word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific formatting, however, cannot be retained, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution. MANAGING MICROCOMPUTERS IN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 117 mystique of computers has successfully evaded cost-benefit analyses and return on investment calculations. There is no reason for this. Computers are tools, and data processing centers are machine shops. The same economics apply. Data processing “experts” may attempt the standard technique of claiming independence from accountability due to technical complexity, but this is no excuse. As with every other capital and operating cost, line managers must be responsible for the costs associated with implementation and use of micros. It is only fair, however, to make sure that managers understand the true costs of microcomputers. Usually, the major cost of a microcomputer lies in the cost of the people who program and operate it. It is this consumption of personnel resource that is almost always underestimated, particularly if it involves any original programming. Functions that have been performed in traditional data processing applications are often completely ignored by people acquiring new microcomputers. As a result, those who attempt to write programs without systems planning, analysis, design, and data definition are doomed to commit the disastrous errors that plagued the early data processing industry. One can only hope these disasters will be on a smaller scale. The economics, then, are simple: equipment is cheap, people are expensive. Minimize people requirements. Eliminate programming by buying off-the-shelf software. Minimize training time by providing a helpful support staff. Standardize vendors, both hardware and software, for common applications. Provide centralized maintenance wherever possible. Provide an internal qualified consultant staff to answer the myriad questions on common micros and associated software that will arise from first-time users. In short, make micros easy to use. If they are easy to use they require less staff time, and that means less money. What have state and local governments done to facilitate the use of microcomputers? The answer is—many things. States' responses to the microcomputer onslaught have been as varied as their existing data processing organizational structures. Those with highly centralized data processing authorities and procurement agencies quickly developed new policies and procedures to cover micros. Authorization procedures tended to stress proof of beneficial use, as well as sources of funding and cost-benefit analyses. Those organizations that already had approval authority Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Managing Microcomputers in Large Organizations http://www.nap.edu/catalog/167.html About this PDF file: This new digital representation of the original work has been recomposed from XML files created from the original paper book, not from the original typesetting files. Page breaks are true to the original; line lengths, word breaks, heading styles, and other typesetting-specific formatting, however, cannot be retained, and some typographic errors may have been accidentally inserted. Please use the print version of this publication as the authoritative version for attribution. MANAGING MICROCOMPUTERS IN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 118 for data processing applications and equipment also exercised approval authority for microcomputers. Standardized forms for requesting micros have been implemented in many organizations. In a similar fashion, centralized purchasing authorities developed qualified vendor lists, negotiated volume discount agreements, and published procedures to be used to request microcomputer equipment. Some government agencies have modified their organizational structure to accommodate new demands. The state of Kentucky has created a new unit within its systems services branch called the Microcomputer Support Unit (MSU). This unit has been directed to establish policies concerning the evaluation and use of microcomputers by Kentucky state government, and to provide technical, financial, contractual, and management support for these policies. The unit has developed forms for mini-microcomputer needs assessments and cost-benefit analyses. These new forms, along with preexisting ones, provide a way to determine the suitability of a proposed microcomputer installation. The MSU also coordinates all activity with microcomputer vendors on behalf of the state; initiates all hardware and software purchases; and registers all software, whether developed in-house or purchased. Although the unit does not itself provide software development services, the MSU will coordinate with the information systems department to provide that service if custom software is needed. The Kentucky Microcomputer Support Unit has the additional responsibility of developing and implementing standards and guidelines for hardware and software acquisition. The MSU has established a recommended list of software packages, specific to the applications desired, and has set standard communications protocols for micros that communicate with mainframe computers. The unit is developing guidelines to make installation and operation of microcomputers easier, including suggestions on backup and recovery procedures. The MSU is also developing an internal “computer store.” This store will have an inventory of approved microcomputers, peripheral devices, and software in common use. This equipment may be borrowed by state agencies for short-term use and is available for demonstrations and tests. The store is expected to facilitate comparisons of various micros and software packages, and prospective purchasers will be able to solicit advice from objective, rather than sales-oriented, staff. Finally, Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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