Aqa info 3 - 12/06/2012
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Topic 11: Internal and External users training requirements
Different level of staff need to learn different functionality of systems to match job and role requirements.
Staff in large organisations perform clearly defined roles such as dealing with accounts ,porcessing customer orders, purchasing supplies, managing a department and so on. Staff using ICT systems will need to be trained and some of this training will relate to their specific role, while other training will be ofa more general nature.
Software is capable of being used by all levels of staff however lower down the software will be used for more day-today tasks such as dealing with orders, making payments, etc.
Higher in the organisations, the managers can use the management information system ot make decisions about the organisation of work in their department.
At the top of the organisations (senior managers/executuves) they will use systems to extract information to enable them to make decisions about the business (e.g. whether to expand a business).
How external users may require training:
People who do not work in the organisation will still need to use an organisations ICT system, e.g:
- Franchises who run their own business under a large organisation (e.g KFC)
- Car dealership that have an arrangement with car manufactueres to sell their cars.
- GP's use the NHS system to book hopsital appointments for patients.
The training of customersi s more dififcult than training of employees because they are located in different places and need to be brought together for training. There are a number of difficulties in training external users and these are:
- External users can be scattered all over the country
- It is hard to assess the amount of training needed by these, e.g. a person could have alot of knowledge and there may be no records for their training (so they'll still have to do it)
- It is hard to justify time out for training when they are not your employees.
- it is difficult to find a time for training that fits in with all users.
The problems above can be overcome by:
- Use methods such as CBT (computer-based training) for users who find it difficult to find the time for training or who are in remote locations.
- Use questionnaires (on-line or paper-based) to assess the skills and knowledge of users prior to training
- Collect info from the users about their function and role n their organisation so that you know what part of ICT to concentrate on for training.
Training of external users cna be achieved by:
- Sending staff on training courses in hotels, at the organisations HQ, etc.
- Sending staff from the organisation to the customer's premisis for hands-on training
- Training using videoconferencing equipment
- Training using distance learning materials such as DVD/CD-rom
Keywords:
External users: people who use an organisations ICT system but who not actually employed by the organisation (e.g a franchise)
Internal users: users of the ICT system belonging to an organisation who are employees of the organisation
There are a number of situations which will create a need for ICT training which are:
- The adoption of a new ICT system
- Changes to existing ICT system (increased functionality)
- Induction training for new employees
- Training to make employees aware of security issues (e.g. virus, attacks, hackers)
- Training to ensure employees who use ICT equipment adopt safe working practices
- Training to make employees aware of relevant existing and new legislation
- Ensuring employees understand the organisations ICT policies
- The adoption of new working practices
Training methods available:
Theres many methods but the one you choose depends on a number of factors which include:
- The cost of training
- The amount of training needed
- Whether its possible to allocate days out of work for training or whether the training is to completed in addition to the normal work
- The existing capabilities/skills of the employees
The training methods include:
- Instructor-based/Classroom training
- One-to-one training
- Cascade training
- Computer-based training (CBT)
- Distance learning
- Use of manuals/books/software guides
Different level of staff need to learn different functionality of systems to match job and role requirements.
Staff in large organisations perform clearly defined roles such as dealing with accounts ,porcessing customer orders, purchasing supplies, managing a department and so on. Staff using ICT systems will need to be trained and some of this training will relate to their specific role, while other training will be ofa more general nature.
Software is capable of being used by all levels of staff however lower down the software will be used for more day-today tasks such as dealing with orders, making payments, etc.
Higher in the organisations, the managers can use the management information system ot make decisions about the organisation of work in their department.
At the top of the organisations (senior managers/executuves) they will use systems to extract information to enable them to make decisions about the business (e.g. whether to expand a business).
How external users may require training:
People who do not work in the organisation will still need to use an organisations ICT system, e.g:
- Franchises who run their own business under a large organisation (e.g KFC)
- Car dealership that have an arrangement with car manufactueres to sell their cars.
- GP's use the NHS system to book hopsital appointments for patients.
The training of customersi s more dififcult than training of employees because they are located in different places and need to be brought together for training. There are a number of difficulties in training external users and these are:
- External users can be scattered all over the country
- It is hard to assess the amount of training needed by these, e.g. a person could have alot of knowledge and there may be no records for their training (so they'll still have to do it)
- It is hard to justify time out for training when they are not your employees.
- it is difficult to find a time for training that fits in with all users.
The problems above can be overcome by:
- Use methods such as CBT (computer-based training) for users who find it difficult to find the time for training or who are in remote locations.
- Use questionnaires (on-line or paper-based) to assess the skills and knowledge of users prior to training
- Collect info from the users about their function and role n their organisation so that you know what part of ICT to concentrate on for training.
Training of external users cna be achieved by:
- Sending staff on training courses in hotels, at the organisations HQ, etc.
- Sending staff from the organisation to the customer's premisis for hands-on training
- Training using videoconferencing equipment
- Training using distance learning materials such as DVD/CD-rom
Keywords:
External users: people who use an organisations ICT system but who not actually employed by the organisation (e.g a franchise)
Internal users: users of the ICT system belonging to an organisation who are employees of the organisation
There are a number of situations which will create a need for ICT training which are:
- The adoption of a new ICT system
- Changes to existing ICT system (increased functionality)
- Induction training for new employees
- Training to make employees aware of security issues (e.g. virus, attacks, hackers)
- Training to ensure employees who use ICT equipment adopt safe working practices
- Training to make employees aware of relevant existing and new legislation
- Ensuring employees understand the organisations ICT policies
- The adoption of new working practices
Training methods available:
Theres many methods but the one you choose depends on a number of factors which include:
- The cost of training
- The amount of training needed
- Whether its possible to allocate days out of work for training or whether the training is to completed in addition to the normal work
- The existing capabilities/skills of the employees
The training methods include:
- Instructor-based/Classroom training
- One-to-one training
- Cascade training
- Computer-based training (CBT)
- Distance learning
- Use of manuals/books/software guides
Instructor-based/Classroom training
This is a popular method for training a large number of users at the same time, it involves an instructor delivering training material to an audience of employees. In many cases the training will include a computer workshop where the employees work through material for set tasks such as entering order details etc.
One-to-one training
For most people one-to-one training is the best training method whereby an instructor sits down and shows one user how to use the new system. The trainer can work at a pace which is perfect for each trainee and the trainee can ask any questions which crop-up.
The problem with this method is that it is very expensive as only one employee is trained at a time.
Cascade-Training
With cascade training one person is sent on a course or trained thoroughly on a one-to-one basis and this person then goes back to the organisation where they use their new skills and knowledge to train others. This saves the organisation money as only one person needs to be sent on the external training course.
Computer-based training (CBT)
CBT uses ICT systems for training the workplace usually by making use of PCs or portable devices. It is important to note that CBT is not just about training people to use computers, although it can be used for this. It is about using computers to train people to do different tasks and also to train them how to react in different situations. CBT can be used for:
- Health and safety training - to teach people how to spot dangers in work place
- How to perform a particular job i.e how to operate a piece of equipment
- Induction courses -used to introduce new employees to the company/business.
- Instruction on how to use a particular piece of software.
Features of CBT:
- It is highly interactive; users supply answers to questions and situations
- It makes use of multimedia features
- It is used for tutorials
- It uses models/simulations so that the user can experiment to see what happens in different situations
- It is used for revision (interactive activities)
- Games to help make learning fun
- Testing and assessment
Advantages of CBT:
- Employees have flexibility as to where and when they want to learn
- Materials are provided in lots of different ways such as text, voice, video, animations.
- The material can be accessed using a variety of different hardware such as a laptop, PDA, mobile phone with MP3 player, ipod, etc.
- You can learn in different enviornments e.g on the bus
Disadvantages of CBT:
- The software is often complex uses lots of animation and graphics which makes it expensive
- Students often need the interaction of their colleagues in order to learn.
- Can present an oppertunity for students to have a break rather than work on some CBT package
Distance learning
Distance learning is learning which takes place away from the confines of a traditional trainer in a room of teaching a group of employees. Instead the learning takes place away from the trainer. In many cases distance learning makes use of videoconferencing so that trainees can see the trainer and the trainer can see the trainees. Distance learning is ideal where the organisation cannot justify the expense of taking on a specialist trainer.
Distance learning can make use of all the latest ICT developments such as:
- Email trainees are free to e-mail their trainers with problems they are having with a topic.
- Chat rooms - students can chat in real time amost themselves or with their trainer in a group tutorial
- Videoconferencing allows a trainer to give a training session to trainees who may be located in different places
Use of manuals/books/guides
Highly motivated users may find that the best way to learn about a new ICT system is to sit down at the computer and look at the manuals to help them learn the new system. This is a hard method for many people who would prefer to be trained by a person, as with this method there is no-one to ask if you do not understand something.
This method is ideal for someone requiring knowledge in just a small area of the package - e.g. manager just wanting to know more advanced spreadsheet features such as pivot tables
This is a popular method for training a large number of users at the same time, it involves an instructor delivering training material to an audience of employees. In many cases the training will include a computer workshop where the employees work through material for set tasks such as entering order details etc.
One-to-one training
For most people one-to-one training is the best training method whereby an instructor sits down and shows one user how to use the new system. The trainer can work at a pace which is perfect for each trainee and the trainee can ask any questions which crop-up.
The problem with this method is that it is very expensive as only one employee is trained at a time.
Cascade-Training
With cascade training one person is sent on a course or trained thoroughly on a one-to-one basis and this person then goes back to the organisation where they use their new skills and knowledge to train others. This saves the organisation money as only one person needs to be sent on the external training course.
Computer-based training (CBT)
CBT uses ICT systems for training the workplace usually by making use of PCs or portable devices. It is important to note that CBT is not just about training people to use computers, although it can be used for this. It is about using computers to train people to do different tasks and also to train them how to react in different situations. CBT can be used for:
- Health and safety training - to teach people how to spot dangers in work place
- How to perform a particular job i.e how to operate a piece of equipment
- Induction courses -used to introduce new employees to the company/business.
- Instruction on how to use a particular piece of software.
Features of CBT:
- It is highly interactive; users supply answers to questions and situations
- It makes use of multimedia features
- It is used for tutorials
- It uses models/simulations so that the user can experiment to see what happens in different situations
- It is used for revision (interactive activities)
- Games to help make learning fun
- Testing and assessment
Advantages of CBT:
- Employees have flexibility as to where and when they want to learn
- Materials are provided in lots of different ways such as text, voice, video, animations.
- The material can be accessed using a variety of different hardware such as a laptop, PDA, mobile phone with MP3 player, ipod, etc.
- You can learn in different enviornments e.g on the bus
Disadvantages of CBT:
- The software is often complex uses lots of animation and graphics which makes it expensive
- Students often need the interaction of their colleagues in order to learn.
- Can present an oppertunity for students to have a break rather than work on some CBT package
Distance learning
Distance learning is learning which takes place away from the confines of a traditional trainer in a room of teaching a group of employees. Instead the learning takes place away from the trainer. In many cases distance learning makes use of videoconferencing so that trainees can see the trainer and the trainer can see the trainees. Distance learning is ideal where the organisation cannot justify the expense of taking on a specialist trainer.
Distance learning can make use of all the latest ICT developments such as:
- Email trainees are free to e-mail their trainers with problems they are having with a topic.
- Chat rooms - students can chat in real time amost themselves or with their trainer in a group tutorial
- Videoconferencing allows a trainer to give a training session to trainees who may be located in different places
Use of manuals/books/guides
Highly motivated users may find that the best way to learn about a new ICT system is to sit down at the computer and look at the manuals to help them learn the new system. This is a hard method for many people who would prefer to be trained by a person, as with this method there is no-one to ask if you do not understand something.
This method is ideal for someone requiring knowledge in just a small area of the package - e.g. manager just wanting to know more advanced spreadsheet features such as pivot tables
Support options available:
Problems will always occur when people use computers and these problems can often leave the user unable to use the facility.
With appropriate and proper training, the number of problems that can easily be solved by the user increases and this leaves only the occasinal, more technical problems to be resolved.
During the introduction of new hardware, software or operating systems, the number of problems encountered by the users increases, and for this reasons many companies do not respond to every slight change in hardware or software the way that home usres might.
There are many ways in which an organisation can deal with the problems encountered by users and organisations use either one or a combinaton of the following methods:
Existing user base
If you are working in an office with other more experienced users and you encounter a problem with a paritcular piece of software, ten it may be prudent to ask someone you work with for help before approaching someone else. It is reckoned that about 80% of ICT problems are solved by non-ICT staff. If the problem cannot be solvedi n this way then you can make a telephone call to a help desk that may be in-house (within the company) or provided externally by the company who supplied the hardware or software.
Help-desks
In most large organisations user support is provided through the use of help-desks. Help-desks are usually manned by someone from the ICT department, although with the growth of outsourcing, the help-desk could be outside the organisation. Their purpose is to give expert advice to users regarding any software and hardware problems they might have.
By logging each call to the help-desk it is possible firstly to assess the performance of the help-desk and secondly to look at the frequency of user problems. For example, one particular problem might crop up and time again and rather than just deal with these calls as they arise, it might be better to resolve them through changes in the operating procedures or by more training of the users.
Some companies have made use of intranets to go through knowledge base and therefor seek the answers to simple problems themselves without the need to consult a member of staff on the help-desk.
Methods to contact help-desk
- Telephone
- Voicemail
- E-mail
- Company intranet
- Internet
Problems will always occur when people use computers and these problems can often leave the user unable to use the facility.
With appropriate and proper training, the number of problems that can easily be solved by the user increases and this leaves only the occasinal, more technical problems to be resolved.
During the introduction of new hardware, software or operating systems, the number of problems encountered by the users increases, and for this reasons many companies do not respond to every slight change in hardware or software the way that home usres might.
There are many ways in which an organisation can deal with the problems encountered by users and organisations use either one or a combinaton of the following methods:
Existing user base
If you are working in an office with other more experienced users and you encounter a problem with a paritcular piece of software, ten it may be prudent to ask someone you work with for help before approaching someone else. It is reckoned that about 80% of ICT problems are solved by non-ICT staff. If the problem cannot be solvedi n this way then you can make a telephone call to a help desk that may be in-house (within the company) or provided externally by the company who supplied the hardware or software.
Help-desks
In most large organisations user support is provided through the use of help-desks. Help-desks are usually manned by someone from the ICT department, although with the growth of outsourcing, the help-desk could be outside the organisation. Their purpose is to give expert advice to users regarding any software and hardware problems they might have.
By logging each call to the help-desk it is possible firstly to assess the performance of the help-desk and secondly to look at the frequency of user problems. For example, one particular problem might crop up and time again and rather than just deal with these calls as they arise, it might be better to resolve them through changes in the operating procedures or by more training of the users.
Some companies have made use of intranets to go through knowledge base and therefor seek the answers to simple problems themselves without the need to consult a member of staff on the help-desk.
Methods to contact help-desk
- Telephone
- Voicemail
- Company intranet
- Internet
Original post by xMaGic
.
You are an absolute gem, thank you
Hey I made some decent notes on the pre-release
just try reading it and tell me if it makes sense or needs something added
I added other topics that don't relate to the pre-release just for section B at the bottom
just try reading it and tell me if it makes sense or needs something added
I added other topics that don't relate to the pre-release just for section B at the bottom
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by JongKey
You are an absolute gem, thank you
Hope I helped, I'll do some more soon.
Original post by networkplus
Thanks, is there an S8 for training and support?
Ive attached the first half of the paper 1 mark scheme, and the full version of paper 1.
Ive attached the first half of the paper 1 mark scheme, and the full version of paper 1.
Can you kindly attach the full version of mark scheme?
Regards
Whats the difference between system testing, functional testing and module testing?
Original post by Indyy
Can someone explain this please:
''Backing up strategies (full, incremental, differential)- Backing up storage devices/ locations- UPS''
This is in relation to the Pre Release.
''Backing up strategies (full, incremental, differential)- Backing up storage devices/ locations- UPS''
This is in relation to the Pre Release.
From my understanding from INFO2, full would be like archiving the whole system AND all of the data within it, so you have the actual system backed up this would be done on magnetic tape or something so that it is safe.
Incremental and differential are similar it's just backing up after a certain period of time to update the data within the system e.g. customer transactions or supplier orders. So that records aren't lost.
Full backups take longer than incremental which take longer than differential.
*I THINK*
Does anyone regret taking IT as an A Level, in my opinion, i would rather have taken horse culture rather than IT due to it's pettiness.
thanksOffshoring; the transfer of business processes (e.g. programming, website design, backup, help-desk, etc) to another country
Outsourcing - the movement of internal business processes to an external organisation
Outsourcing: Outsourcing means subcontracting some or all ICT services to another company. Many organisations prefer to outsource their ICT equipment so that they can concentrate on their business.
Outsourcing has the following advantages:
- It makes the best use of resources such as labour and capital
- Other service providers often have more knowledge and expertise in the area being outsourced.
- It leaves the managers of the organisation free to concentrate on business ideas
- The organisation does not have to worry about finding suitably qualified ICT staff
- The organisation doesnt have to worry about complying with the legislation because the outsourcing company takes care of that
- In some cases the company doesnt have to purchase expensive hardware and software. They simple pay a fixed amount per month for the service by the outsource company.
Disadvantages of outsourcing:
- Outsourcing means people loose their job in you're organisation (ICT staff
- The quality of the outsource service may not meet you're standards
- The organisation has no control over the employees of the outsource company
- There is a risk of loss of data/theft/privacy and security of data
Offshoring is transfering parts/all of the ICT system to another country.
Most commonly its transferred to India, where the wage cost is slow and plenty of the people can speak english and are qualified.
Offshoring can refer to the situation where part of the ICT facilities e.g. helpdesk is transferred to india. (hence when you usually call you're mobile operator, their indians)
There are two ways in which offshoring can be done
- Where staff in the other country are still employees of the original organisation
- Where an outsourcing company in a different country is used. This this case the staff are not emplyoed by the original oraganisation.
Advantages of offshoring:
- Lower costs; wages are lower in countries where ICT work is undertaken offshore
- Suitably qualified people; its hard to recruit experienced staff in ICT roles. Other countries often have alot of qualified people.
- Employment oppertunities; it gives people jobs in poorer countries
Disadvantages of offshoring:
- Language barriers; therefore communication problems
- We're basically taking advantage of the lower paid workers; this is immoral as we are exploiting them.
Outsourcing - the movement of internal business processes to an external organisation
Outsourcing: Outsourcing means subcontracting some or all ICT services to another company. Many organisations prefer to outsource their ICT equipment so that they can concentrate on their business.
Outsourcing has the following advantages:
- It makes the best use of resources such as labour and capital
- Other service providers often have more knowledge and expertise in the area being outsourced.
- It leaves the managers of the organisation free to concentrate on business ideas
- The organisation does not have to worry about finding suitably qualified ICT staff
- The organisation doesnt have to worry about complying with the legislation because the outsourcing company takes care of that
- In some cases the company doesnt have to purchase expensive hardware and software. They simple pay a fixed amount per month for the service by the outsource company.
Disadvantages of outsourcing:
- Outsourcing means people loose their job in you're organisation (ICT staff
- The quality of the outsource service may not meet you're standards
- The organisation has no control over the employees of the outsource company
- There is a risk of loss of data/theft/privacy and security of data
Offshoring is transfering parts/all of the ICT system to another country.
Most commonly its transferred to India, where the wage cost is slow and plenty of the people can speak english and are qualified.
Offshoring can refer to the situation where part of the ICT facilities e.g. helpdesk is transferred to india. (hence when you usually call you're mobile operator, their indians)
There are two ways in which offshoring can be done
- Where staff in the other country are still employees of the original organisation
- Where an outsourcing company in a different country is used. This this case the staff are not emplyoed by the original oraganisation.
Advantages of offshoring:
- Lower costs; wages are lower in countries where ICT work is undertaken offshore
- Suitably qualified people; its hard to recruit experienced staff in ICT roles. Other countries often have alot of qualified people.
- Employment oppertunities; it gives people jobs in poorer countries
Disadvantages of offshoring:
- Language barriers; therefore communication problems
- We're basically taking advantage of the lower paid workers; this is immoral as we are exploiting them.
Original post by networkplus
Does anyone regret taking IT as an A Level, in my opinion, i would rather have taken horse culture rather than IT due to it's pettiness.
THIS.
It's all bull**** and I'm learning most of it in one night.
Contracting: This is where you purchase a service or equipment and you sign a document agreed by both the supplier and the customer outlining the goods or the services provided. In the case of equipment such as computers, once payment has been made, the good belong to the customer.
Contracts normally specify:
- What the support companies expect of the customers and viceversa
- When the contract starts and ends, payment frequency and what happens in the even either party wishes to terminate the contract
In some cases, an outside organisation may supply all the ICT facilities to an organisation, so the only involvement the organisation has with ICT is as users of the facilities. All the hardware, software, communications ,installations, maintenance, network configuration, backups, disaster recovery, users supportetc, are provided by the contracting organisation.
Leasing: This is similar to renting in that you pay the company a monthly amount for the use of a service. The contract usually lastts between two and ten years depending on the useful life of the item being leased.
The main advantages of leasing are:
- No need to pay large amounts of money upfront
- Easy to lease; if you cant borrow the money to buy, you can suually lease because the leasing organisation still owns the hardware and software as security.
- Budgeting is easier; the same amount is paid each month for a fixed period, so it is much easier to budget.
- Tax advantages; the rentals can usually be deducted from profits as expenses.
The main disadvantages are:
- No ownership of the products
- Works out expensive in the long run
Contracts normally specify:
- What the support companies expect of the customers and viceversa
- When the contract starts and ends, payment frequency and what happens in the even either party wishes to terminate the contract
In some cases, an outside organisation may supply all the ICT facilities to an organisation, so the only involvement the organisation has with ICT is as users of the facilities. All the hardware, software, communications ,installations, maintenance, network configuration, backups, disaster recovery, users supportetc, are provided by the contracting organisation.
Leasing: This is similar to renting in that you pay the company a monthly amount for the use of a service. The contract usually lastts between two and ten years depending on the useful life of the item being leased.
The main advantages of leasing are:
- No need to pay large amounts of money upfront
- Easy to lease; if you cant borrow the money to buy, you can suually lease because the leasing organisation still owns the hardware and software as security.
- Budgeting is easier; the same amount is paid each month for a fixed period, so it is much easier to budget.
- Tax advantages; the rentals can usually be deducted from profits as expenses.
The main disadvantages are:
- No ownership of the products
- Works out expensive in the long run
Planning the management and control of hardware resources:
Organisations can have huge amounts of money invested in hardware resources such as laptops, servers, communication devices, etc.
It is important for organisations to know exactly what specifications every computer in an organisation has. For example, the organisation may want to upgrade to the latest operating system and they will need to determine how many computers will run the new software without being upgraded and how many will need upgrading. The information can be used to determine what upgrading needs to be done and how much the cost will be.
Planning the management and control of software:
Most organisations use networks, so it is possible for a network manager to keep track, using the network operating system, of the software users are actually using or have isntalled on their machine.
Careful management and control of software is needed because:
- Software licenses are expensive, so organisations do not want to pay for more than they need
- They need to ensure that they are using more than their allowed to, this is illegal and they could be fined.
- They need to know exactly what software is stored on each computer to ensure there is no illegal activity/illegal software being used.
- Software will need to be upgraded so its important to know the details of what is being used by each user
- Some specialist software (e.g. software to extract management information, project management software, budgeting software, etc) is only used by certain staff, so they need to ensure users have certain privilages, restrict access to employees lower down.
Planning the management and control of communication resources
As more computers and users are added to a network, the response time goes down until there comes a point when the network needs to be reconfigured.
It is necessary to carefully control what users do using the networked ocmputers.
Planning the management and control of consumables:
Consumables are those items that get used up by the course of the organisation's business activities and that need constnat monitoring and replenishment. THey include items such as paper, envelopes, printer toner cartidges, newmovable magnetic and optical media and stationary.
It is important to manage and control these items as staff are likely to use many of them at home amy see it as a perk of the job to take some items home with them. It is also important to have a stock control system so that items are automatically reordered when low. It is best to have the minimum amount of stock, but an efficient stock control system means that items never run out when needed.
Planning the management and control of facilities and power:
Power is an expensive resource and needs to be used wisely. Computer equipment contributes to greenhouse emissions when manufactured and when used so it is necessary to make sure that equipment is not used longer than its needed.
Most organisations are environmentally aware and seek to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy usage and will make purchases with this in mind
Planning the management and control of people (human resources)
People are the most valuable resource in any organisatin and the ability to get the most out of each employee is a goal of all organisations.
ICT systems (called human resource systems) are used to maintain all the information held about employees so all managers can make use of the information it can provide.
HR systems can be used for:
- Identifying the skills and knowledge required for each job
- Storing information about actual skills and knowledge for each member of staff
- Identifying staff who need training in certain aspects of their job
- Setting up appropriate training
- Managing the training given
ICT systems are used by managers to manage the staff under their control, for working out staff rotas, project management, budgeting, identifying, etc.
Organisations can have huge amounts of money invested in hardware resources such as laptops, servers, communication devices, etc.
It is important for organisations to know exactly what specifications every computer in an organisation has. For example, the organisation may want to upgrade to the latest operating system and they will need to determine how many computers will run the new software without being upgraded and how many will need upgrading. The information can be used to determine what upgrading needs to be done and how much the cost will be.
Planning the management and control of software:
Most organisations use networks, so it is possible for a network manager to keep track, using the network operating system, of the software users are actually using or have isntalled on their machine.
Careful management and control of software is needed because:
- Software licenses are expensive, so organisations do not want to pay for more than they need
- They need to ensure that they are using more than their allowed to, this is illegal and they could be fined.
- They need to know exactly what software is stored on each computer to ensure there is no illegal activity/illegal software being used.
- Software will need to be upgraded so its important to know the details of what is being used by each user
- Some specialist software (e.g. software to extract management information, project management software, budgeting software, etc) is only used by certain staff, so they need to ensure users have certain privilages, restrict access to employees lower down.
Planning the management and control of communication resources
As more computers and users are added to a network, the response time goes down until there comes a point when the network needs to be reconfigured.
It is necessary to carefully control what users do using the networked ocmputers.
Planning the management and control of consumables:
Consumables are those items that get used up by the course of the organisation's business activities and that need constnat monitoring and replenishment. THey include items such as paper, envelopes, printer toner cartidges, newmovable magnetic and optical media and stationary.
It is important to manage and control these items as staff are likely to use many of them at home amy see it as a perk of the job to take some items home with them. It is also important to have a stock control system so that items are automatically reordered when low. It is best to have the minimum amount of stock, but an efficient stock control system means that items never run out when needed.
Planning the management and control of facilities and power:
Power is an expensive resource and needs to be used wisely. Computer equipment contributes to greenhouse emissions when manufactured and when used so it is necessary to make sure that equipment is not used longer than its needed.
Most organisations are environmentally aware and seek to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy usage and will make purchases with this in mind
Planning the management and control of people (human resources)
People are the most valuable resource in any organisatin and the ability to get the most out of each employee is a goal of all organisations.
ICT systems (called human resource systems) are used to maintain all the information held about employees so all managers can make use of the information it can provide.
HR systems can be used for:
- Identifying the skills and knowledge required for each job
- Storing information about actual skills and knowledge for each member of staff
- Identifying staff who need training in certain aspects of their job
- Setting up appropriate training
- Managing the training given
ICT systems are used by managers to manage the staff under their control, for working out staff rotas, project management, budgeting, identifying, etc.
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