IS Consulting Process (IS 6005)

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IS Consulting Process (IS 6005)

• Masters in Business Information Systems
• 2009 / 2010

Fergal Carton Business Information Systems
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Last week

• High level view of IS
• Why is planning important?
• Questions 4-6 from 2007 exam paper

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This week

• What do consultants do / not do?
• Contribution of consultant
• Basic flows of information
• A framework for integration
• Degrees of integration
• Integration examples

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Why look to consultants?

• Experience lacking internally
• Unable to resolve an issue
• Havent got the resources
• Need an unbiased opinion
• Organisational gridlock

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Do you know more than the client?

• No, youre not in their business
• Organisations are large and complex
• In discovery phase, you are unique
• Cross functional focus
• Up to date
• Neutral
• Actual process (not Head Office version)
• Internalise what you are hearing
• Dealing with the What do you think trap

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What do consultants do?

• Tell you what you already know?
• Guarantee project completion?
• Take ownership of issues?
• Energise an existing project team?
• Cost you a lot of money?

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What do consultants not do?

• Give the answer up front
• Give their services for free
• Make a client look bad
• Replace clients own staff
• Get involved in politics

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Know-how that you bring to the table

• Frameworks to prioritise requirements
• Trading off requirements you cant do it all
• Awareness of best practice
• Project management skills
• Communication skills

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Basic flows
Sales
Finance
Manufacturing
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Basic flows
Sales
Finance
Manufacturing
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Inventory common denominator
Sales
Finance
Manufacturing
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ERP integration demand supply
X
Production
Sales
Distribution
X
X
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A framework for integration
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Degrees of integration

• Integration is a matter of organisational design
  as well as procedure
• first degree people talk to one another
  (informal)
• Second degree exchange of documents
• Third degree integrated systems shared by
  several functional areas
• Fourth degree single integrated system shared by
  the whole firm
• Substantial preliminary work is required for
  setting this up

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Integration example UCC

• Registration
• Student records
• Blackboard
• Student services
• Library
• Exam records
• Fees
• Payroll
• Alumni records
• Research

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Cork City Council Emergency Response

• In response to recent events
• Flooding
• Water shortage
• Snow and ice
• Electricity cuts
• City council asks you to think up a strategy for
  the provision of emergency services
• How do you go about addressing the issue?