This paper presents a five-year information systems (IS) plan for the Professional Development quickly corporation (PDQC). The plan contains two major sections. The first major section considers the threats and opportunities that the company likely will confront over the coming five years, together with other relevant issues and strategies. The second major section provides a year-by-year action plan that includes costs and benefits related to (1) hardware, (2) software, (3) networking and telecommunications, (4) data storage and retrieval, (5) security, and (6) IS staff training.
Discussion of Issues, Strategies, Threats, and Opportunities
Knowledge-based organizations such as PDQC enhance the utility of information technology (IT) when such organizations implement IT in network configurations because this approach allows the sharing of information and resources by all elements of an organization.
Knowledge-based organizations use two types of computerized networks most frequently. The first is the local area network (LAN). Knowledge-based organizations use LANs to connect functions within a single department, or, in the case of PDQC, within a single campus. The LAN allows all personnel to use and build a local database. The LAN also facilitates the use of standard forms for repetitive functions.
The second type of network widely used in by knowledge-based organizations is the wide area network (WAN). WANs typically are organizational-wide systems that connect all departments (or campuses in the case of PDQC) to a central computer. Such networks primarily manage organizational-level activity.
The information system requirements of knowledge-based organizations are different from the information system requirements of many other types of organizations. To be successful, the information system for PDQC must accomplish the following objectives:
1. The first objective is to establish a single standardized numb...