IT fulfils an important role in the operation of organisations with modern and complex processes, for example in the day-to-day operations of the organisation, the carrying out of back office tasks and the supporting of general business activities. As such, how efficiently IT supports operations work and helps the realisation of business goals is a very important issue. Based on our experiences with our clients, our belief is that IT that operates on an entrenched basis will only be able to partly (or with difficulty) support an organisation’s operations. As a result, we feel it is important to regularly examine whether current IT tools, resources and processes are optimal, or if it is necessary to change or modify them. Our company helps with handling this issue by carrying out an IT assessment procedure, and working out subsequent strategies to help improve IT efficiency.
Our specialists carry out IT assessment so that organisations can receive objective feedback regarding their IT operations. The aim of the assessment is to provide answers to the organisation’s management (including IT representatives) concerning the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of the organisation’s IT operations. As part of this assessment process, our specialist examine relevant IT subdivisions, and can carry out a complete IT survey. The results of this process are usually presented in a detailed analytical report that contains a thorough description of current IT operations, as well as developmental recommendations including short-term error correction steps.
IT systems can only be successful if it has been made clear what is required from them in the long term. The demands and requirements on IT may come from external sources (legislation, directives) or from internal sources (business strategy, organisational goals); taking this into account, an organisation’s IT strategy, adapted to different circumstances, provides the answer to the question how (subservient vs. innovative) and by means of which tools IT can support the realisation of business goals in the medium and long term. Based on the results of the assessment process carried out by our specialist, IT strategy projects implemented by RacioNet Zrt. typically define an organisation’s IT vision, IT policy and IT strategy for the following three to five years.
Although the majority of organisations are aware of the importance of the processes supporting day-to-day operations, in reality we often find that they do not have either administrative or IT process descriptions. In the absence of these it is difficult to control and develop organisational operations.
Our IT processes service was created to help eliminate the above issue. We review the main IT operation processes within organisation, and break them down into sub-processes to examine the activities, and input and output elements (resource, subservient IT tools, systems) serving them. We then carry out a modelling of these processes utilising modern tools (e.g. ARIS, MEGA). By rewiewing out the actual situation within the organisation, we are able to implement measures in order to improve processes (including new process descriptions and regulations).Surprisingly, many preparatory stages have to be successfully completed before the actual implementation of a project can take place. During a project’s preparatory stages, the following issues are addressed:
Defining the goals and extent of the project;
Defining success criteria, hypotheses and barriers;
Noting the primary and most important requirements of the project;
Outlining the planned implementation of the project in detail, and identifying relevant milestones;
Listing risks and dependencies;
Calculating budget for project implementation;
Determining the sponsor and project manager.
As the result of our many successful project implementations we have a substantial amount of experience in dealing with the above-mentioned issues effectively. When taking part in project preparation our experts participate as coaches or prepare decisions themselves, and they also help with the creation of regulatory and project launch documents (e.g. a Project Charter).
In terms of project processes, we have created a system selection support service with the aim of assisting these activities. Taking into account a project’s goals and demands, we review and record the IT system’s functional and non-functional requirements. We also prepare the procurement documentation necessary for selecting a system. In the system selection process, as an external, independent party we prioritise and concentrate on the selection of a suitable solution, and a supplier or offer that reflects current market trends, but which at the same time is also the most appropriate to the needs of the organisation.
