MIS Major Paper Journal

June 29 –July 02 2009
Group decided to start on seeking for probable company to be adopted for this project.

July 03 2009
The group had decided to ask the permission to SSS if we can conduct study and to be our adopted company.

July 06 2009
Monday
We went to SSS and we were able to entertain by Mr. Jesulito Flores, one of the IT support staff of Regional Information System Support Department. He advised us to present a letter address to the branch manager, Mr. Manolito Tagalog.

July 07 2009
After we had drafted the clearance letter, we immediately signed it to our facilitator together with OSS Director and the Dean.
We went back to SSS and present the letter to Mr. Jess. He personally gave it to the branch manager. Unfortunately, Mr. Tagalog, branch manager was not there so, he told us to return in Monday.

July 13 2009
We returned to SSS to verify if our letter was approved by the branch manager. Fortunately, it was granted.

July 15-17 2009
Group Discussion
Planning for Information System Assessment Content
Tentative IS Assessment Content

Introduction
Purpose, Scope And Objective of the Study
Company Profile Definitions
Legislative History
Vision, Mission and Goal
Company Operation
SWOT Analysis
Finding and Observation
Parameters (IT Technology)
Process Work Diagram
Recommendation

July 20-28 2009

Group Activities:
Research - for references
Topics:
§ SWOT Analysis
§ Assessment Tool
§ Related on Hardware
§ Related on Software
Review of Modules
Formulations of Guide Questions
Aug 26 2009
The group had decided to present the formulated questionnaire to the RISS Department Head.
We were told they cannot accommodate us by this month because of the busy schedule they had. So, the group decided to leave the questionnaire for them to answer it in their vacant time for our initial data gathering.

Aug 29 2009
Company Background
Data Gathered:
Guide Book for SSS Members
Social Security Act of 1997
SSS Forms
Visits Web Site www.sss.gov.ph

Aug 30 2009
The group started the documentation of the company background:
Company / Legislative History
Vision, Mission and Goals
Organizational Chart
Read the given Company references:
Guide Book
SSS Booklet

Sept. 17 2009
We were able to conduct an interview to Mr. Jesulito Flores.
Here are the informations he imparted to us:
Regional Information Service Support (RISS) Department
-supports SSS with relates to IT problems
-total control of all systems in Regional Southern Mindanao Branches:
Davao
Toril
Digos
Kidapawan
Tagum
Gensan
Tacurong
Coronadal
Mati
-the first line of Defense
-ICT of Southern Mindanao
-Technical Support to ICT problems
Social Security System
-social support to private company
Service Systems:
-web sites : online inquiries
-Info Kiosk
-main office located in Manila
Network Operating Systems
-Windows Base, currently using XP version
Hardware maintenance
-twice a year
-warranty of hardware purchased
System Problems:
-Electrical Fault
-Internet Connection
Internet Service Provider
-Globe Tel. and PLDT
-RASS (Remote Access Service Search)
Software Proprietary
-SAP
-ORACLE
Departments in main office:
-ADM 1-3 (Application Dev. Management)
-SSA (System Software Administration)
-TRD (Technical Research Dev.)

Sept. 28 2009
This was our second interview with the RISS Department Head and Mr. Jesulito Flores , an IT support.

Sept 30 09
We went to PLDT & Smart Company at Ponciano St. Davao City. We had inquired about upgrading Internet Connection from T1 to T3.
We were entertained by Mr. Rolando R. Cadabas SME Area Sales Head of Mindanao together with his colleague who was a graduate of ECE of USEP. They gave us the idea about cost of upgrading internet connection and the probable cost for installation.

Information Environment: Virtual Library

The Virtual Library was the first index of content on the World Wide Web and still operates as a directory of e-texts and information sources on the web. It was started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of HTML and the Web itself, in 1991 at CERN in Geneva. Unlike commercial index sites, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "WWWVL", the "Virtual Library" or just "the VL".

Information resources or information services that are available over the Internet. At BMCC, the Virtual Library site provides access to a large number of library resources (indexes, journals, and reference materials, for example) and online reference service via the campus computer network. Students access these resources through a browser on a workstation anywhere on campus or remotely from home. A search aid that combines Internet technology with traditional library methods of cataloguing and assessing data.

The individual indices, or virtual libraries live on hundreds of different servers around the world. A set of index pages linking these individual libraries is maintained at http://vlib.org/, in Geneva only a few kilometres from where the VL began life. A mirror of this index is kept at East Anglia (UK). A VL specific search engine has operated for some years and is now (VLsearch) located on its own server at vlsearch.org.

The central affairs of the Virtual Library are co-ordinated by an elected Council. A central index (the 'Catalog') is maintained and joint services provided by the Council on behalf of the association.

My Role in virtual library is Systems Administrator. A system administrator, systems administrator, or sysadmin, is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or network. System administrators may be members of an information technology department. The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging, and vary widely from one organization to another. Sysadmins are usually charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining servers or other computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages and other problems. Other duties may include scripting or light programming, project management for systems-related projects, supervising or training computer operators, and being the consultant for computer problems beyond the knowledge of technical support staff. A System Administrator must demonstrate a blend of technical skills and responsibility.

The challenges facing me in performing the role of systems administrator are:

1. Operating Systems and Applications Challenge – I can address this challenge by maintaining a database system, and handling the responsibility for the integrity of the data and the efficiency and performance of the system. I will make sure that the network infrastructure such as switches and routers, and diagnoses problems with these or with the behavior of network-attached computers. I can confront this challenge by analyzing system logs and identifying potential issues with computer systems, introducing and integrating new technologies into existing data center environments, and performing routine audits of systems and software and backups. I can also meet this challenge by applying operating system updates, patches, and configuration changes and performing system performance tuning

2. Problem Solving and Troubleshooting Challenge- I can address this challenge by responding to individual users' difficulties with computer systems, provide instructions and sometimes training, and diagnose and solve common problems. I will perform routine maintenance and upkeep, such as changing backup tapes or replacing failed drives in a RAID. Such tasks usually require physical presence in the room with the computer; and while less skilled than sysadmin tasks require a similar level of trust, since the operator has access to possibly sensitive data. I am also ready and to be on the call when a computer system goes down or malfunctions, and must be able to quickly and correctly diagnose what is wrong and how best to fix it.

3. Software Engineering or Developing Challenge– I will face this challenge by maintaining web server services (such as Apache or IIS) that allow for internal or external access to web sites. Tasks include managing multiple sites, administering security, and configuring necessary components and software. Responsibilities may also include software change management. I must understand the behavior of software in order to deploy it and to troubleshoot problems, and generally know several programming languages used for scripting or automation of routine tasks.

4. Computer Security Challenge– I will dare this challenge by engaging into a study and training to make a specialist in computer and network security, including the administration of security devices such as firewalls, as well as consulting on general security measures. Particularly when dealing with Internet-facing or business-critical systems, I must challenge myself to have a strong grasp of computer security. This includes not merely deploying software patches, but also preventing break-ins and other security problems with preventive measures. Computer security administration is also my role that is responsible for overall security and the upkeep of firewalls and intrusion detection systems, but all I must be generally responsible for the security of the systems in their keep.

Reference:
www.wikipedia.org

Barriers in IS/IT Implementation in SSS Davao

Barrier in Information Systems/Information Technology means a factor that had a direct or indirect negative impact on the implementation processes. Based on my adopted company SSS, the barriers in their IS/IT implementations are:

1. Exceeded budget – This barrier is based on the interviews with the SSS IT personnel that the buys any IT hardware assets that is popular in the market like the Cisco Router. The regional offices of SSS have limited recommendation power in the purchasing of IT equipment due to the centralized management of information systems. I would suggest that the regional offices of SSS must have price and cost monitoring program and department of the hardware purchasing. I believe that this department will save the public money and this savings will go to the benefits its members.

2. Lack of specialized personnel. This barrier is come up from of the interviewee that he trained only once in his 5-year work residency is SSS as an IT Support Staff. I recommend that SSS must have a regular training program for their IT personnel. No technology implementation can be successful without proper training, and many people in today’s workforce are very adept at using the technology at hand and seem to derive much more value from the training they receive because of their high comfort level. Yet there are still those who experience high anxiety at the thought of learning a new application or system, but given the necessary encouragement and support, SSS Information Systems end-users can become productive end-users

3. Use of inexperienced staff.- This barrier is risen from the conversations with the SSS IT personnel that there are information systems end-users who are old enough and ready to retire from the service. These people are difficult to teach the new technology and new innovations of information systems of SSS. I would suggest to SSS to hire young professionals to use the functions and features of its information systems. I would also recommend to extend IT education to current SSS employees and Information Systems end-users. To adapt the competence of the personnel to changing demands, two alternative strategies may be applied. One strategy implies that the existing personnel may receive additional training and education in order to improve their own competence and skills. The other strategy means that new personnel categories are hired, complementing the competence profile of the existing personnel.

4. Opposition from leftist group to the new information particularly to the unified ID system – This barrier is taken from the excerpts of journals of interviews with the IT staff from SSS. The unified ID system aims to consolidate the different ID system of SSS, Pag-ibig, LTO and Philhealth. The leftist group opposes to this information system proposal because they believe that this project can interfere with the privacy of individual members of these government institutions. And they also think that this government project points to the surveillance of activities of leftist group. I would suggest to SSS officials to conduct a public forum for them to explain the advantages of the unified id system. Also, the public will know that this project has a great purpose in their transactions with these institutions and to avoid bad humors to this unified id system.