Information Technology for the 21st Century: Managing the Change

Changes affecting people at work and business organizations are now occuring at an increasing rate. In order to survive and prosper it is necessary to change the organizational structures, which have evolved through the industrial age, and adapt to the ways corresponding to the "Information Society" now arriving. This requires a complete reappraisal of organizational structures to respond to the pressures and requirements coming from different directions such as globalization of the economy, effective use of information, new technologies, competition and so on. Of particular relevance is the extraordinary impact resulting from the introduction and use of new information technologies. This text provides a down-to-earth analysis of how to develop the transition process from the traditional business structure to a more competitive one supported by an effective use of information. There is a need to implement emerging information architectures based on distributed information technology. Areas discussed include the process of change, how to organize and operate in the new environment, strategic planning, total quality management, network management, database conversion, systems integration, client/server computing, process re-engineering, poen systems architecture and human resources in the context of change. The book employs practical examples, collected from the analysis of numerous interviews with information system managers and executives from different organizations, to illustrate the subjects covered and the fundamental concepts concerning modern information processing and the process of change itself. This text aims to present an integrated view of all the techniques and technologies concerned. It should provide business executives with the ability to use information technology in the reorganization of the productive processes, and information executives with the basic business techniques required to put together information technology and business objectives.