This document outlines the plan to develop an aspirational "to be" model of the student information management system at Swansea Metropolitan University. It will incorporate lessons learned from evaluating the current "as is" model to identify areas for improvement. The modeling process will use enterprise architecture techniques along with elements from soft systems and viable systems modeling. It aims to improve processes, increase consistency and accuracy of information, and enhance the student and staff experience of the system. Key aspects of the plan include developing subsystem models using mapping tools, assessing governance, and engaging stakeholders in an iterative process to design optimal systems.
Educational Information Management System (EIMS)Chetan Hireholi
A suite of Integrated Applications that can help in the overall management of an Education Institute, in other words an
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) designed for of an education institute.
Dimensions of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Success in Public and Priv...paperpublications3
Abstract: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been adopted and implemented in the Kenyan higher education sector, with their success being described in many ways that one. Empirical studies have identified Quality, use, and benefits dimensions as suitable descriptors of success of ERP systems. This study used the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in selected public and private universities in Kenya, coupled with theories and literature from existing Information System (IS) success models, to examine the effect of these dimensions on success of ERP systems. An understanding of ERP systems success dimensions will help to appreciate how each dimension fit in the higher education sector and provide a basis from which mitigation mechanisms can be employed to ensure success. There is need for universities to match their expectations on ERP systems with efficiency, assurance, accuracy, coupled with good support service by experienced professionals that will ensure the desired level quality is guaranteed. Engaging end-users during implementation and providing adequate training to employees have a direct impact on productive use of the ERP system. In addition, universities also need to define the strategic goals clearly before embarking on implementation, such that the process can always be steered towards the realization of benefits associated with the ERP system.
Keywords: ERP Success; Information Quality; Net Benefits; Service Quality; System Quality; Use.
Title: Dimensions of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Success in Public and Private Universities in Kenya
Author: Anthony Njina, Dr. Mike Iravo, Dr. Michael Kimwele
ISSN 2350-1049
International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS)
Paper Publications
E 5 development-of_a_data_management_system_for_studEdress Oryakhail
Abstract
With the advances of information technology nowadays, it is more than appropriate for an educational
institution to make use of the existing technology to ease the process of managing students’ data and grades.
One of the applications needed by the Information Systems department is a data management system for
student’s final year projects that can manage their grades and generate full reports.
This system will be developed as a web-based system, with access limited only to the university's local network.
To design this new system, analyses of the current final year project procedure, data and grade management will
be conducted. The results of the analyses will form the foundation of the design and development of a database
management system – the core support of the data management system. The interface of the system will be
designed and built on the principles of usability.
It is aimed that both the department's administration and the Head of Department can benefit from using this
system to input, manage and view students' final year projects and the respective grades.
Services Modeling based on SOA and BPM for Information System Flexibility Imp...IJECEIAES
The lack of identify services mechanism which is related to the development of information systems could be impact in wasting time, over budget and can not adapt to the changing environment. This phenomenon is happened by the belief that lack of capturing user requirement. This is due to consider the business environment is always running normally. In fact, the development of the system needs a way to anticipate the business environment that unpredictable changes.Therefore, the phenomenon on the need for modeling services can able to respond to the changing needs of users still have a chancein this study. It explores modeling services to synergize SOA and BPM.Several previous studies generally use a business driven approach, technical partially driven to develop the service modeling. This leads to the question of how a service should be modeled so that it can be applied in different contexts and business processes also. It is support user needs in diversity and heterogeneous system environments. This Conditions occurs in corporate university. The case studies in this research is a Learning Management System (LMS) in Academic Enterprise System (EAS). The research stages are: (1) Analysis of Synergy in SOA and BPM, (2) Analysis of User Experience in LMS Academic Enterprise System (L-EAS), (3) Analysis of Modeling Framework, (4) Proposed Framework that aligning SOA and BPM. The result of this study is proposed system framework based on services to increase the flexibility of information systems at LMS Academic Enterprise System (L-EAS).
User participation in ERP Implementation: A Case-based StudyEditor IJCATR
Information Systems (IS), such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, are being developed and used in
organizations to achieve their business goals and to enhance organizational effectiveness. The effect of user participation on
successful systems development and implementation of ERP systems continues to be an area of interest to researchers. Common
understanding has been that extensive user participation is not only important, but absolutely essential to system success. Even with
this understanding of user participation as one of the critical factor in successful IS development and implementation, empirical studies
have been unable to conclusively link user participation to systems success. This paper uses a private university as a case study to
examine the role played by user participation in the implementation of an ERP system. In order to achieve its objective, this study
adopted a mixed method where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the collection of data. The results of the
study reveal that user participation has a positive impact on the likelihood of ERP system success, user participation by choice is the
best, user participation leads to better understanding of system requirements, the more participation the more the satisfied the users are,
and participation builds support for the system during implementation. From our results we conclude that user participation in ERP
system implementation is critical for successful implementation.
Information Management System for Higher Educational InstitutionsIJMREMJournal
Mobile technology has introduced a new environment among upcoming generations that can be used to improve
the management process. The proposed system will improve interactivity, accessibility, and convenience in the
college management process. It is a simple yet powerful integrated platform that connects the various entities. It
is a handy application that can be used by the students and the administrator to facilitate communication. The
main motive of the project is to provide full automation to the user. This IMS system can also be used in
academic institutes. This will help the institution to utilize its resources in an efficient manner. This system is
capable of greatly atomizing work. Since human memory cannot store too much data and is volatile there are
chances for errors but with the help of a system that can store huge amount of data systematically. IMS system
is capable of integrating different sections in an institution like general, fees, attendance, library, exam section.
The application is portable as it is used on a mobile device and improves connectivity between the students and
the institution, thus helping the institution to provide a more transparent system altogether. The application also
reduces a substantial amount of paperwork that is otherwise needed for the daily tasks in an institution.
Educational Information Management System (EIMS)Chetan Hireholi
A suite of Integrated Applications that can help in the overall management of an Education Institute, in other words an
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) designed for of an education institute.
Dimensions of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Success in Public and Priv...paperpublications3
Abstract: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been adopted and implemented in the Kenyan higher education sector, with their success being described in many ways that one. Empirical studies have identified Quality, use, and benefits dimensions as suitable descriptors of success of ERP systems. This study used the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in selected public and private universities in Kenya, coupled with theories and literature from existing Information System (IS) success models, to examine the effect of these dimensions on success of ERP systems. An understanding of ERP systems success dimensions will help to appreciate how each dimension fit in the higher education sector and provide a basis from which mitigation mechanisms can be employed to ensure success. There is need for universities to match their expectations on ERP systems with efficiency, assurance, accuracy, coupled with good support service by experienced professionals that will ensure the desired level quality is guaranteed. Engaging end-users during implementation and providing adequate training to employees have a direct impact on productive use of the ERP system. In addition, universities also need to define the strategic goals clearly before embarking on implementation, such that the process can always be steered towards the realization of benefits associated with the ERP system.
Keywords: ERP Success; Information Quality; Net Benefits; Service Quality; System Quality; Use.
Title: Dimensions of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Success in Public and Private Universities in Kenya
Author: Anthony Njina, Dr. Mike Iravo, Dr. Michael Kimwele
ISSN 2350-1049
International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS)
Paper Publications
E 5 development-of_a_data_management_system_for_studEdress Oryakhail
Abstract
With the advances of information technology nowadays, it is more than appropriate for an educational
institution to make use of the existing technology to ease the process of managing students’ data and grades.
One of the applications needed by the Information Systems department is a data management system for
student’s final year projects that can manage their grades and generate full reports.
This system will be developed as a web-based system, with access limited only to the university's local network.
To design this new system, analyses of the current final year project procedure, data and grade management will
be conducted. The results of the analyses will form the foundation of the design and development of a database
management system – the core support of the data management system. The interface of the system will be
designed and built on the principles of usability.
It is aimed that both the department's administration and the Head of Department can benefit from using this
system to input, manage and view students' final year projects and the respective grades.
Services Modeling based on SOA and BPM for Information System Flexibility Imp...IJECEIAES
The lack of identify services mechanism which is related to the development of information systems could be impact in wasting time, over budget and can not adapt to the changing environment. This phenomenon is happened by the belief that lack of capturing user requirement. This is due to consider the business environment is always running normally. In fact, the development of the system needs a way to anticipate the business environment that unpredictable changes.Therefore, the phenomenon on the need for modeling services can able to respond to the changing needs of users still have a chancein this study. It explores modeling services to synergize SOA and BPM.Several previous studies generally use a business driven approach, technical partially driven to develop the service modeling. This leads to the question of how a service should be modeled so that it can be applied in different contexts and business processes also. It is support user needs in diversity and heterogeneous system environments. This Conditions occurs in corporate university. The case studies in this research is a Learning Management System (LMS) in Academic Enterprise System (EAS). The research stages are: (1) Analysis of Synergy in SOA and BPM, (2) Analysis of User Experience in LMS Academic Enterprise System (L-EAS), (3) Analysis of Modeling Framework, (4) Proposed Framework that aligning SOA and BPM. The result of this study is proposed system framework based on services to increase the flexibility of information systems at LMS Academic Enterprise System (L-EAS).
User participation in ERP Implementation: A Case-based StudyEditor IJCATR
Information Systems (IS), such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, are being developed and used in
organizations to achieve their business goals and to enhance organizational effectiveness. The effect of user participation on
successful systems development and implementation of ERP systems continues to be an area of interest to researchers. Common
understanding has been that extensive user participation is not only important, but absolutely essential to system success. Even with
this understanding of user participation as one of the critical factor in successful IS development and implementation, empirical studies
have been unable to conclusively link user participation to systems success. This paper uses a private university as a case study to
examine the role played by user participation in the implementation of an ERP system. In order to achieve its objective, this study
adopted a mixed method where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the collection of data. The results of the
study reveal that user participation has a positive impact on the likelihood of ERP system success, user participation by choice is the
best, user participation leads to better understanding of system requirements, the more participation the more the satisfied the users are,
and participation builds support for the system during implementation. From our results we conclude that user participation in ERP
system implementation is critical for successful implementation.
Information Management System for Higher Educational InstitutionsIJMREMJournal
Mobile technology has introduced a new environment among upcoming generations that can be used to improve
the management process. The proposed system will improve interactivity, accessibility, and convenience in the
college management process. It is a simple yet powerful integrated platform that connects the various entities. It
is a handy application that can be used by the students and the administrator to facilitate communication. The
main motive of the project is to provide full automation to the user. This IMS system can also be used in
academic institutes. This will help the institution to utilize its resources in an efficient manner. This system is
capable of greatly atomizing work. Since human memory cannot store too much data and is volatile there are
chances for errors but with the help of a system that can store huge amount of data systematically. IMS system
is capable of integrating different sections in an institution like general, fees, attendance, library, exam section.
The application is portable as it is used on a mobile device and improves connectivity between the students and
the institution, thus helping the institution to provide a more transparent system altogether. The application also
reduces a substantial amount of paperwork that is otherwise needed for the daily tasks in an institution.
School management system project Report.pdfKamal Acharya
Education system forms the backbone of every nation. And hence it is important to provide a strong educational foundation to the young generation to ensure the development of open-minded global citizens securing the future for everyone. Advanced technology available today can play a crucial role in streamlining education-related processes to promote solidarity among students, teachers and the school staff. School Management System(SMS) consists of tasks such as registering students, attendance record keeping to control absentees, producing report cards, producing official transcript, preparing timetable and producing different reports for teachers, officials from Dr.Mohiuddin Education foundation and other stakeholders. Automation is the utilization of technology to replace human with a machine that can perform more quickly and more continuously. By automating SMS documents that took up many large storage rooms can be stored on few disks. Transcript images can be annotate. It reduces the time to retrieve old transcripts from hours to seconds.
A university management system is a software application designed to help universities manage their academic and administrative operations more efficiently. It provides a centralized platform for managing student records, course schedules, faculty information, financial transactions, and other important aspects of university operations.
With a university management system, administrators and faculty members can easily access and update student records, track course schedules and enrollment, and generate reports on academic performance and financial transactions. This system helps to streamline operations and reduce administrative burden, allowing faculty members to focus on teaching and research and students to focus on their studies.
School Management App in order to perform all the tasks in a controlled and s...uniprint
Every school has lots of tasks to perform. So in order to perform all the tasks in a controlled and systematic manner we need to automate and accomplish all the frantic and baffling work with the help of easy decision making system.
The foremost objective of this app is to provide a solution. to the problems faced by conventional school management solutions. Genius Public High School aims to reduce tedious paper works and makes the management of the school more systematic. We cover all aspects of school management including student enrolment, Student performance tracking, Timetable, Fees collection, Examination, Report generation etc. The system also works as an interactive medium of communication among administrators, teachers, students and parents.
Note: 136 tried and tested IT service management processes.
visit https://bit.ly/4cFTKHp
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
Instructions for Submissions thorugh G- Classroom.pptxJheel Barad
This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
1. SMUDIE: Planning The Student Information Management System 'To Be'
Model
1. Introduction
Phase one of the JISC Smudie project completed a wide range of stakeholder
interviews which explored the ‘as is’ status of student information management
processes and procedures at Swansea Metropolitan. A series of reports were
produced that described the outcomes of this process1,2,3. These reports detail the
different stakeholder viewpoints on the information management system and the
extent and nature of their engagement with it.
The second phase of the project will take the phase one outcomes, which represent
the ‘as is’ model of the system, and will use the lessons learned to develop a ‘to be’
model of the same system that incorporates a range of proposed improvements. The
resulting model will not be an implementation plan: rather, it will be an aspirational
blueprint for implementation planning. Given the current merger processes taking
place between the institutions in the region, the model will be designed to assist
conversations about future student information management systems in the newly
merged University.
The modelling process will use Enterprise Architecture modelling techniques
together with some elements from Soft Systems and Viable Systems modelling as
outlined below. It will also draw from lessons and techniques delivered by other JISC
projects and services.
The Smudie project deliverables required by JISC are a detailed case study outlining
the project achievements, together with a project blog that provides a narrative of the
project activities. The case study will be drawn from the ‘as is’ reports as well as from
this ‘to be’ modelling report. The project blog is already in place and is up to date. It
will continue to report on project activities and outcomes as they occur. It can be
viewed here4.
2. Context
To provide a context for this planning document, some examples from the first phase
of existing good practice and identified areas for improvement are presented.
2.1 Good Practice:
Student information management at Swansea Metropolitan was found to operate
well overall with a number of good features. Two aspects of the existing information
management system emerged from the evaluation exercise as evidence of
particularly effective practice: the first was strategic, the other operational.
The strategic approach was to provide the data owners with data input and
maintenance responsibility. The students self-enrol on the system and the academic
staff enter assessment and attendance data. In this way the data owners have
control over the information the system records, are accountable for the accuracy of
1
http://www.slideshare.net/ttoole/jisc-smudie-project-report-1
2
http://www.slideshare.net/ttoole/jisc-smudie-project-report-2
3
http://www.slideshare.net/ttoole/smudie-project-report-3
4
http://smudieprojectblog.blogspot.co.uk/
2. that data, and contribute to an efficient process of direct data entry and
management.
The IS Team at the University were responsible for the design and implementation of
the technical infrastructure that enabled this approach. The strategy separated the
technical systems from the data management processes, thus allowing the
stakeholders on each side to concentrate on their own areas of expertise and
responsibility.
The operational good practice, which may well be unique in UK Higher Education,
was in the establishment of the role of a Management Information Officer (MIO).
Each Faculty has an MIO who provides an interface between the Faculty and the
Academic Registry. The information management responsibilities and processes of
these two key parts of the organisation are different, but are based on the same sets
of data. The MIOs ensure that the needs of both are satisfied and they contribute
significantly to the quality assurance of the information management process.
The stakeholder interviews identified the MIO role as being the single most valued
component of the current student information management system. It was seen as
central to the maintenance of data quality, consistency and completeness. The MIOs
also had an important staff support role, helping academic staff successfully
negotiate the information management software systems and acting as a central
information help desk in the Faculties.
An additional feature of note is the regular weekly meeting between the MIOs
managed by the Head of Academic Services. This enables the development and
sharing of good practice and ensures quality and consistency across the institution.
2.2 Areas for Improvement
The student information management system at Swansea Metropolitan is complex
with many stakeholders inputting and retrieving data. There are several areas where
improvements can be made and a programme of continuous improvement would be
expected in any institution. However, where significant problems exist, remedial
action needs to be prioritised. Two key problem areas that emerged from the
stakeholder interviews, for example, were the usability of the information
management software systems and the consistency and accuracy of the student
attendance monitoring system.
A migration is currently underway between the original institutional FQS student
information system to the commercial Agresso QLS system. There have been
usability issues with the new software which have meant that FQS has been retained
to deliver certain levels of functionality that are not provided by the new system.
Beyond that issue, many staff have reported the QLS system to be non-intuitive and,
with data entry and editing, slow and non-user friendly.
Those staff that use the system every day find usability less of a problem (though
there are a number of areas for improvement). However, academic staff who use the
V4 interface only at set times in the year to enter assessment data and prepare for
exam boards, need an interface that is intuitive to use. They are also confused by
the fact that there is more than one student information management system in use,
particularly those who have experience of other institutions where a single system is
in place.
3. The recording and management of student attendance information is not
institutionally managed at Swansea Metropolitan. All programmes and Faculties
monitor student attendance, but they all have different systems of doing so; some
more consistent and reliable than others. The requirements of UKBA for international
students and, increasingly, the SLC for attendance information has highlighted this
as an issue. The fact that attendance monitoring is also central to the student
support system as an indicator of problems, shows the importance of consistency in
both monitoring and subsequent remedial procedures.
The ‘as is’ models reported in the first phase of the Smudie project show the
variations in the attendance monitoring processes and give a clear indication of how
some fairly straightforward changes in procedure and practice can deliver
improvements.
3. A Records Management Checklist
One of the primary goals of the student information management system in any
institution is to facilitate the creation of auditable records. Records have been
described by JIS Infonet5 as: information created, received, and maintained as
evidence and information by an organization or person, in pursuance of legal
obligations or in the transaction of business.
For that purpose the records must possess:
Content (information or data)
Context (purpose, ownership and intended users)
Structure (consistent, intuitive, interpretable)
They must also be:
Authentic (evidence of provenance, authorship and authorisation)
Reliable (accurate and validated information)
Managed (planned and monitored process of completion)
Records are either in active use, archived or deleted depending on their purpose and
the point in their lifecycle.
When records are active, processes must be in place to:
Manage version control and the master copy
Maintain the audit trail
Ensure document security and backup
This is, of course, largely self-evident. However, it is appropriate to articulate the
definition as it provides a checklist of essential features against which the
completeness of any revised information management process or plan can be
assessed.
4. The Modelling Approach
The modelling approach will be to identify the major information management
subsystems within the organisation and to use Enterprise Architecture mapping tools
5
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/records-management/creation/what-is-a-record
4. to create a visual representation of an aspirational to be model for each. The aim will
be to deliver the potential process improvements identified during the evaluation of
the present (as is) information management systems.
Key features of this approach would include:
The development of a high level, lightweight model of a student information
management system to advance conversations about improvements and
changing key processes6;
The creation of a business case for change based on time-efficiency and
costing metrics. Such a requirement emphasises the need to have convincing
assessments of the existing and planned workflows;
Enhancement of the student experience through efficient student records
management and communications; improvements in the efficiency of staff
workflows that reduce effort and cost; and a reduction in process variety
across the newly merged multi-campus institution to ensure consistency and
accuracy of information management and reporting;
The intention would be that the model should aim for technology
independence so that it can be applied regardless of the IT system(s)
employed. The expectation is that the information management system
processes would determine the IT system functionality required rather than
the other way round;
It also intends to avoid process silos where changes in one part of the system
delivers the benefits there, but have unintended and detrimental effects
elsewhere;
The final key feature will be an assessment of process governance7. The
current changes in the University structure mean that the redesign of formal
mechanisms to deliver consistency and collaboration may be easier to
negotiate and agree in this change environment.
The basic objectives are to:
Introduce business process improvements to identify and remove any
duplicate, inconsistent and non-value-added information management
processes. Key deliverables would include: increased consistency, reliability
and accuracy of student information management, communications and
reporting; a better defined IM business model leading to greater cost-
effectiveness and a positive impact on institutional finances;
Improve both the student and staff experience by making interaction with the
information management system as efficient, intuitive and user friendly as
possible. Key deliverables would include: qualitative measures of the system
usability and user friendliness derived from semi-structured interviews; a
quantitative assessment of the time overheads of system based processes
and their variability across the institution; and an optimisation plan based on
these assessments;
6
https://jiscinfonetcasestudies.pbworks.com/w/page/47395241/Lightweight Enterprise Architecture
7
https://jiscinfonetcasestudies.pbworks.com/w/page/46434437/EA - Staffordshire University
5. Identify, agree and apply established good practice in all areas where there
are reported delays, bottlenecks and acknowledged process inefficiencies.
Key deliverables would include: a good practice guide for information
management in each of the main information processing areas and in the use
of the information system applications; the continuation of the established
operational level information management working group and a re-
examination of its remit and modus operandi.
5. The Practicalities of Management Modelling:
Enterprise Architecture modelling of management processes8 has a similar overall
purpose to other modelling systems such as Checkland's Soft Systems
Methodology9 and Beer's Viable Systems Model10,11. They use their own (typically)
visual languages to map and describe management systems and processes with the
common purpose of aiding conversations about improvement and optimisation.
A brief examination of the similarities and differences between these three Human
Activity modelling systems is worthwhile as it sets the context for the use of
Enterprise Architecture in this particular exercise and indicates how EA modelling
can be enriched by drawing in features from the SSM and VSM approaches.
The fundamental commonality is the recognition that they are all attempting to model
human activity systems and that they will be fuzzy descriptors as a result. There is
no attempt by any to eliminate the human variability factor, only to accommodate it
and to exploit its strengths.
The relationships between each of the institutional information management
subsystems can be examined using some of the principles of Viable Systems
Modelling to explore issues of control and communications capacity. VSM directly
addresses the system inadequacies that lead to undesirable outcomes such as
process bottlenecks.
A further feature that VSM brings to the consideration of management systems is
their recursive nature: smaller systems exist within larger systems, but each has a
similar control and communications profile. All institutions are agglomerations of self
managing units within units.
The Soft Systems Methodology encourages constant reflection on how things
happen in real world situations. It doesn’t so much describe how the information
management system actually works, but how the stakeholders think it works, how
they think it should work and how they would personally like it to work. This exactly
describes the nature of the qualitative messages that came from the stakeholder
interviews carried out in the first phase of the Smudie project.
What SSM and VSM both bring to EA is what Checkland calls the world view and
Beer calls the environment. It is easy with EA to concentrate just on the enterprise
and its systems and miss the impact of the outside world when planning.
It is also important to recognise that the fact that de-facto self managing systems will
emerge to fill gaps in the management infrastructure that institutional senior
8
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/ea/index_html
9
Checkland, Peter B. & Poulter, J. (2006) Learning for Action: A short definitive account of Soft Systems
Methodology and its use for Practitioners, teachers and Students, Wiley, Chichester.
10
1972, Stafford Beer, Brain of the Firm; Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, London, Herder and Herder, USA.
11
1989, Ed. Espejo and Harnden The Viable System Model; John Wiley, London and New York.
6. management are likely to have no knowledge of. The current student attendance
monitoring processes at the University provide several examples of such invisible
localised management arrangements.
6. The Modelling Plan
The key features of a To Be Enterprise Architecture model design include:
A top level representation of the business processes needed to optimally
achieve the organisational information management goals. At this level,
achievability is assumed, both in terms of management change and, where
appropriate, technical capacity;
A business process level representation of each information management
workflow. The goal would be a high level of business process integration but
with variable levels of business process standardisation to reflect the different
needs and operational cultures across the institution;
An application layer that provides the services to support the information
management workflows. The to be model is aspirational and specifies the
service levels that the applications chosen will be required to deliver;
A technical layer that hosts the applications and supports the data capture,
communications, information processing and user interface requirements of
the planned system.
In its first iteration, the model will be predominantly aspirational and, though based
on existing practice, will present idealised information management systems,
processes and workflows. The objective at this stage is to stimulate and inform
discussions that will lead to further iterations with the ultimate goal of developing
systems that are optimal within the constraints of the environment in which they
operate.
It is not difficult to see how the key features listed above can be applied at different
management levels within the institution. The top level representation, for example,
could refer to academic information systems at institutional, faculty, programme or
course level. It could also refer to functional systems in registry, IS, finance and
elsewhere. This illustrates the recursive nature of the approach and indicates how
consistency in information management at each level would naturally contribute to
overall institutional consistency.
The conversations between stakeholders in this iterative process will include the soft
systems considerations outlined above and will ensure that a healthy dose of realism
underpins the final solution(s). The communications and control evaluation
contributed by VSM will also add to the operational viability of the systems design.
The JISC-Cetis developed Archi application12 will be used to develop the EA
representations of the ‘to be’ models and will be adapted to include the SSM and
VSM components. The outcomes will be used in the case study deliverable from the
Smudie project and presented in the project blog.
Tony Toole
November 2012
12
http://archi.cetis.ac.uk/