Identifying Potential Improvements For Information Computer Science Essay

In this subdivision we will look to place possible betterments for information direction within ULD. The implementing and maintaining of the betterments within each country will be discussed in the following subdivision.

This subdivision will place the current information direction System within ULD, expression at the manner the procedures are run, why they would necessitate bettering and what impact the current system is holding on the efficiency of procedures being completed. We will besides look at the impact it has on the budget available to the University.

Below are the countries that potentially need bettering:

Use of paper based information:

University of Leinster at Dublin ( ULD ) uses paper based information as their primary Information System. Examples of this where the University uses paper based information is in countries such as Student applications, Personal Records and Management of scrutinies.

This country could be improved by ULD exchanging their primary Information system from paper based to electronic in the signifier of Database systems, such that Student Records, Personal Records and Management Examinations can all be entered into the electronic Database system that could so be searched or updated, information deleted when necessary. This is of immense benefit to a University such every bit ULD as they have 1000s of Students so to maintain all pupil names on a paper based system and holding to update, hunt or add new pupils into the paper based Database requires immense sums of adult male power and extended sum of clip as employees will hold to seek through files separately unlike an electronic Database System which can easy seek, add, update, traverse mention information instantly with minimal work load.

Switch overing to an electronic Database system will salvage ULD money due to the cut down on paper based information as there will be a decrease in storage needed for the information as the bulk of information will be stored electronically in the database, clime control, fire control and the hazard of losing the information stored along with the informations unity is one of the primary grounds the University should exchange to an electronic Database system. The information in this database can so be secured through hallmark procedures and security steps alongside endorsing up the information through hard-drives and cloud calculating which means if in the event that the Database system goes down or gets corrupted the information will non be lost. This is non the same for paper based information as if the information gets lost or damaged there is no back-up for the University to utilize.

A paper based information system must be physically visited to acquire the information from nevertheless an electronic Database system allows distant entree from anyplace in the universe that has internet entree this provides the University with much more flexibleness as if the President of the University is in Galway and needs to entree a peculiar file he can non make it with the current Universities system nevertheless if the current system is updated to an electronic database the President would be able to entree the file whenever and wherever he is. This can be extended to staff and pupils, as files can be put up on a designated University note site such as Moodle so Students can entree Module notes which will salvage the University farther money as it will cut down on the cost of paper as the Lecturer will no longer hold to publish off notes for 100s of pupils each Semester.

Use of Local Databases:

Presently the University does non hold one centralised database, alternatively single sections have set up local databases for their section. The consequence of this on an single section degree is that efficiency is improved within the section but non on a University degree.

To repair this the Departments should acquire together with their informations and unify their local Databases and the information in them into one centralised Database system. This has many benefits as opposed to Local database systems. An illustration of these benefits would be:

Data Integrity: This is perchance the biggest benefit of centralizing informations as it reduces information redundancy due to the fact that between Local Databases informations may be entered in legion times between the databases. This does non go on in a centralized Database as no information is repeated, this happens every bit because there is one Database a pupil ‘s record for illustration can merely be updated/entered in one topographic point which means there ‘s merely one right version of his/her record. This is the opposite in Local Databases as the sections are separate to each other there can be multiple versions of the pupil records which may non be the same version so data unity is lost.

Training: With one centralised database system the staff of ULD will merely necessitate to larn the procedures of one system as opposed to legion systems under Local databases. In respects to the ULD budget this will salvage money as less preparation will be required for staff so less Training yearss may necessitate to be run by the University.

Support: When utilizing a centralized database system, the support is non spread over many databases it is merely focused on one which makes any issues to decide much easier and efficient than holding separate support protocols for each Local Database within the Departments. This would be a benefit to ULD as issues sing scrutinies for illustration could be resolved much quicker than issues between multiple databases.

Security: Keeping the security and unity is much easier to make in a centralized Database. Back-ups can be done in the 1 topographic point, formats of files are the same, Authentication and Security measures merely necessitate to be put onto the one Database. Restoring back-ups is convenient excessively.

Operation: Speed of operation such as turn uping consequences of all Second twelvemonth pupils is more efficient as the Staff member merely has to log into the one database to recover all the consequences.

Record of Systems:

ULD do non presently have a record of any systems developed or in usage. This will hold a negative impact on the University as they do non hold a record of Systems developed or in usage agencies that they may fight to happen records or information at critical times. ULD should follow a method of entering current and future systems being developed and in-use in the University.

This will convey legion benefits to the University such as:

Efficiency: If the Staff of ULD cognize what system to utilize to finish a certain undertaking or cognize what system holds certain information so efficiency of finishing that undertaking will be increased.

Productiveness: Like efficiency if the Staff cognize what system to lookup information on the sum of undertakings they complete in a certain clip period will increase dramatically.

Data Integrity: will non be compromised if all systems in usage in ULD are recorded as informations will non be entered into the incorrect system so data redundancy does non go on.

Implementing and keeping the betterments in Information Management:

Within this subdivision we will discourse how to implement the betterments discussed in the old subdivision and how to keep these alterations in Information Management to profit ULD in hiking staff morale while unfortunate staff cuts have to be made, cut downing the budget of the University and bettering the overall efficiency, productiveness and security of information to be increased.

Implement and keep an Electronic Database System:

Measure 1: Specify the range of the Database system.

The range will include all sections of the University, staff records, Student information and scrutiny records and information. We so must make up one’s mind on what applications to change over to the database and program for new applications to be integrated into it.

In our instance we want the Database to make all procedures for ULD such as hold Student Records, Student applications, procurance processs, personal records and direction of scrutinies amongst other undertakings.

Measure 2: Organize the Database Project.

Assign undertakings to the IT staff to plan the database. Designate a database decision maker to command the database in the event of system failure and to supervise future updates or alterations to the design of the Database system.

This will let ULD to hold a Database system that will be unafraid, updated when necessary and be informations redundancy free.

Measure 3: Develop Initial Implementation program and a agenda for aims.

In this measure we will hold to Identify files, applications, plans and informations formats that may necessitate to be converted and transferred to the new Database System.

A agenda will so necessitate to be developed to suit scheduling hours for transition of plans and applications being converted to the Database.

A agenda will besides hold to be drawn up for the execution of the new Database System so that specific aims are reached and the direction of ULD can see how the Database is come oning.

Measure 4: Design Database.

Draw up and complete detailed information demands. This will demo how the database will be formed and map. Identifying information demands is besides required at this phase. Determine the information construction of the database and finish the design specifications that were drawn up in the earlier stairss. Once the design specifications have been completed, guarantee that they are reviewed and approved.

Measure 5: Training.

Develop a preparation agenda for staff to larn how to utilize the database. Develop preparation demands that are the demands the staff demand at a lower limit to be able to utilize the Database to a high criterion.

Measure 6: Install and Test Database.

Get the IT staff and coders to prove the Database and its scheme, codification transition plans, generate the database. Test and debug the Database System.

Finally these trial consequences should be reviewed and amendments made to the Database system where necessary.

Measure 7: Release Database to ULD.

Once the database has been tested and debugged, files, applications and plans converted to it, it should so be released to ULD as its primary information direction system to replace the paper based information direction system ULD is presently utilizing.

To keep the new and improved information direction database system there should be a agenda drawn up to sporadically reexamine the Database public presentation. To reexamine organizational ends and information direction demands. Measure how successful the Database has been, where the criterions have slipped on to better these criterions and reappraisal once more after doing design alterations to the Database System.

Implement and keep a centralized Database System:

To implement and keep a centralized Database System, we must acquire the caput of the different sections together who have developed their ain local Database systems. Now that the Database system for ULD has been developed in the subdivision above, this allows the caputs of the Departments to verify the information that they have in each of their single local databases and what they want to be converted to the chief Database System which is being implemented. When unifying the local databases into the chief Database System the Department caputs, coders and IT staff must guarantee that no information gets repeated such as pupil records to guarantee informations unity is non compromised and that informations redundancy does non come in the chief Database System of ULD.

Once the information has been transferred the local databases should be closed down to guarantee the chief database is the lone database in usage to avoid multiple versions of files. The chief database system should be tested after the local databases information has been entered into it to guarantee no mistakes have occurred to the chief Database System of ULD.

To keep the Centralized Database System all information such as personal records within ULD should be entered into it and that Database merely, to guarantee multiple files do non acquire created and that staff know precisely where to look up information to maintain undertakings running expeditiously.

Implementing and keeping a Record of Systems:

To implement and keep a record of all Systems being developed and presently in usage by ULD the University needs to pull up a agenda for IT staff to analysis what systems are being developed within the University and what 1s are presently within usage.

Dates should be set for when this analysis needs to be completed. Once the analysis is complete there should be a Record of Systems set up on the chief database in usage by ULD. This will let the IT staff to enter in the information they have gained from the analysis. The Systems within ULD have now been recorded.

To keep the Record of Systems in the University, each clip a System is set up or being developed it should be recorded into the chief database instantly where possible. Sporadically the systems should be checked and the database should be updated when necessary.

How the Information Management alterations will impact ULD:

Within this subdivision I will discourse the impacts to ULD and its staff if the betterments to information direction stated above are implemented.

Impacts may be in countries such as hiking staff morale, doing information more secure, doing the procedures in ULD more efficient such as updating and recovering files.

Each country that had the possible to be improved will be discussed below:

Impact of Switch overing from paper based information direction to an Electronic Database System:

Speed of operation:

With a computerised Database System ULD Staff will see a ample betterment in velocity of operation as entrance, updating, canceling records can now be done in a affair of seconds once the database system has been implemented.

Security:

ULD sensitive information would be safe and secure on an electronic Database system as hallmark steps and Security can be applied to single countries if required. The information can besides be backed up to hard thrusts or cloud calculating on a periodic footing.

Entree:

With an electronic Database system in topographic point staff and Students in ULD can entree the information that their hallmark degree allows anyplace they want. They would n’t hold to be on the University ‘s evidences which has obvious advantages and flexiblenesss.

Money:

This will salvage ULD money and aid cut down their budget by 3 % over the five old ages due to the decrease in information that will be stored on paper. Savingss will be made by non holding to purchase as much paper, physically hive awaying the information and maintaining the storage country hazard of harm free.

Impact of Implementing a centralized Database System:

Data Integrity:

Data unity will non be compromised in a centralized Database System. This is chiefly due to no information redundancy come ining the system as for each record there is merely one version of the file unlike multiple versions spread across legion local databases. This reduces the opportunity of mistakes being made by the staff of ULD.

Speed of operation:

Speed of operation is increased with a centralized database as updated, adding and recovering files is much more efficient as the staff merely have to log into the 1 system as opposed to many local 1s.

Training:

Decrease in costs for ULD will be spent on preparation as staff when working with a centralized Database system merely necessitate to acquire to cognize the procedures of that one system unlike local databases which may work otherwise.

Security:

Security and Authentication steps are easy implemented and maintained for a centralized Database System. Security merely has to be implemented on the one Database system where as on local databases it has to be set up separately which is clip devouring. Back up of the database merely needs to be made in one topographic point and reconstructing informations merely needs to be done one time.

Impact of Implementing the Recording of systems:

Efficiency and productiveness:

Efficiency and Productivity will be dramatically increased by the Staff of ULD as if they know what system has what information they will finish the undertakings much more expeditiously. Productivity will be increased as if staff know the system that is required to look up certain information the figure of undertakings completed in a certain clip period will be increased.

Data Integrity:

Will non be compromised as information redundancy will non come in the system as staff will cognize what system certain information is meant to be entered into as they have been recorded in the chief database system.

Decision:

My recommendations for the countries that could potentially be improved, these countries include exchanging the University ‘s primary information system to electronic in the signifier of a Database system, implementing a centralized Database system and maintaining record of systems being developed and presently in usage by ULD.

If the direction of ULD take the information direction scheme I have provided to implement these information direction alterations, they will derive enormously as a University overall. The staff morale will be boosted as procedures will go more productive and efficient, particularly during economically disputing times. This will be a encouragement to the University direction as they have to do the unfortunate staff cuts during these times. These information direction alterations will be cost salvaging to the administration and aid cut down the budget by 3 % over the following 5 old ages. ULD will go organized due to the recording of all systems within the University this will profit staff as they will pass less clip looking for the information and pass more clip finishing the undertakings, which makes ULD more productive and efficient. Man power for pull offing information will no longer be as extended seeking to update, add, cancel or recover information as it will no longer be paper based for most of the information as it will easy be able to be retrieved or edited on the Database system.

If the Management of ULD make up one’s mind to implement the findings of this study by Dublin concern information direction Ltd they will see benefits of efficiency, productiveness and cost economy steps while increasing the high criterions of the University and its repute will increase.