What the real role of the IT department should be. Does it change your belief system?

1. Main Role of the
IT Department
A company (or organisation) is a human-made managed socio-technical SYSTEM. It’s an open
system, a viable system, a living system, a complex adaptive system seeking prosperity and
longevity.
Matter Information
Industrial
Component
Human Organisation
(people)
Information
component
Resource
Executor
Nature of
Work
Highly
structured,
formalised
Highly
structured,
formalised
Partly structured and
formalised,
Easier to adapt and improvise
The ‘Information Component’ (IC) is the system defined by the whole arrangement of people,
processes, systems and all other means dealing with information within a company or
organisation.
It implements the ‘information capabilities’
INFORMATION COMPONENT
Information
Systems
Information
Processes
Information
“Warehouse”
Information
Competencies
Information
Management
Information /
Communication
Tools
Technological
Architecture
& Infrastructure
Software
Systems
Software
Applications
Information
Storage
Information
Product and
Services
Information
Innovation
Information
Architecture
SYSTEM INFORMATION
Valuable & Critical Resource
Used
• in operations
• to manage and guide the company
• to drive business
• to innovate
• As product or as service
Flows of
• Matter
• Information
• Energy
• Money
Information is used across the company by different users, in different ways, for different purposes at
different times.
Information has a variable value and a life cycle
Information Exploitation: maximise value and usage  organise, manage, preserve information.…
SYSTEM ACTIVITIES
performs
Goal GoalPurpose
Components
Interactions
Relations
Environment
Boundaries
Capabilities
Architecture
Functions
≠
An Information System (IS) is an organized (designed and formalised) system having a specific
purpose and performing one or more functions related to information and consisting of people,
procedures, processes, information storage media, software systems, computers, communication
tools and its documentation.
SCSTEE0505SCSTEE0505
Information System 1 IS 2
SCSTEE0505
Software
applications
Organisational
Units
Industrial
machinery
COMPANY
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
SYSTEM ACTIVITY
SYSTEM’s
GOAL
ACTIVITY’s
GOAL
COMPANY’s
GOALS
BUSINESS’s
GOALS
Company
Environment
Business
Environment
System
Env.
Information
Componentdeliver
uses /
Architects,
Engineers,
Analysts,
Developers
Business
person
engineer
and
is part of
Requires a work environment, resources, working methods, equipment, competencies and
engineering capabilities appropriate to perform engineering activities
IT DEPARTMENT
• The IT department has to contribute the prosperity and longevity of the company by
strengthening the company and supporting and driving business in the areas of
information, information capabilities, information component and information systems
engineering.
• Information: The IT department has to provide systemic capabilities and guidance for
gathering of information resource; for increase and preservation of the information’s value
as long as it is beneficial and for maximising its exploitation. It has to innovate through
information.
• Information Capabilities: The IT department has to determine, conceive, develop,
implement and follow up the required information capabilities
• Information Component: The IT department conceives, builds, implements, tests,
maintains and manages the information component. Alignment and integration is realised
through collaboration with other engineering disciplines. It has to create an infrastructure
and operational environment for the computerised part of the information component.
• Engineering Capabilities: The IT department has to equip itself with the necessary
means, organise and manage itself and develop the required competencies and
capabilities to perform the tasks mentioned here above.
Axel Vanhooren
Freelance Consultant
Business Informatics
Extract and inspired from
ISEDMAM: IS Engineering Discipline Maturity Awareness Model
This mission must inspire the activities, tactics, approaches, methodologies and
decisions. It is the main driver for the whole IT community in the department.
The stronger the system, the better
it is able to keep perform activities
effectively in the long run.