I.T. in the Office
Ramon Ochoa
CIS/ 207
July 14, 2014
Professor Christopher Juman

I.T. in the Office
Information plays a key role in every organization, what makes it pivotal is that it can range in any type of importance. Which means it can start as a sticky note reminder of something, to a government top secret file which could lead to the next world war. This is why it is important to know how information should properly flow through a work place environment.
Before we can get to the actual flow of information, one must take a look at the how of the make-up of information. It all begins with an individual having an idea or message that they would like to express to others. Then they must choose the format in which they will deliver their message which can be as simple as in a meeting by word of mouth or by data transfer in an encrypted file through a server. This means generally through an organization, information travels first as an input of data, and then there is a process of some sort in between which in turn is ended with an output of data.
“From disconnected bits to the broader organizational pain of "Organizations must get the right information to the right person at the time required to make the right decision," how an organization shepherds information through its life cycle can quickly determine the impact both of their IC/IP and the retention of that information. The critical factors that apply are the relevance of the information, the validity of the source, and the proximity of the information. This allows us to move through the IC/IP life cycle, taking us from the disconnected bits of intellectual capital that "might be a good idea" to the applied solution of intellectual property that has worked time and again to solve a specific problem. We see how information can flow in the organization, starting by improving existing IP, or by a wholly new idea that will affect the business.” (Anderson & Mandich, 2014). Within this statement there is a very strong point which unfortunately not all companies adhere to; this is to ensure that the correct information is delivered to the correct individuals at a precise time in order to make the proper decision on a matter. Failing to do so generally leads to more human error in a system which leads to more problems that will branch from one miniscule blunder.
Within the organization that I currently work for information plays a pivotal role in my everyday tasks. I am a field service engineer and therefore work alone at various job sites. Whenever a question or problem arises I turn to my information sources. We have a very well placed F.S.E. website on the company VPN where there are publications or questions asked by other F.S.E.'s that have been answered almost like a typical company with a FAQ format. As far as when a call gets completed or parts are ordered we use the common site know as salesforce which has all of our company’s data as far as equipment and locations. When an F.S.E. inputs a new update on a work ticket the information gets sent to our helpdesk. From There district managers get emails with the updates as well. The customers also get a courtesy copy email of the updates. When the customer needs a new service call they contact our helpdesk and it is the helpdesk that opens a new call. The information is updated in salesforce and the F.S.E. gets an email for the new work ticket. The process starts all over again until the closure of the work ticket.
It is highly important for the flow of information to remain constant or if this were not the case then as previously stated various problems can occur which can truly hurt the company. The flow of information is just as important as the security of it. If a company cannot have information stored or moved securely then the entity is sure to crumble sooner or later. Employees need information constantly to make informed decisions on a day to day basis, if there are problems with the flow or security then that means decisions will be altered and will lead to loss in revenue. All in all leading to a big snowball effect to the point where it will either take too much more of an investment to fix the situation or just at that point shutting down.
In the end, information is the key to a company’s success. People can’t work without it, results can’t be seen, and companies will succeed if they can get the processes correct. Money must be invested into the flow process yet the payout for this will be great in the long run. Information is what runs the world, with the correct funds one may get it and without proper procedures to distribute information one may lose all of their funds.

References
Anderson, S., & Mandich, L. (2014). Information Life Cycle. Retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288451.aspx#infolife_topic2
Turban, E., Volonino, L., & Wood, G. R. (2013). Information Technology for Management Advancing Sustainable, Profitable. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.