For the purposes of this training kit, an organization's business environment defines how it organizes and manages its nontechnical resources. Before you can begin planning your Active Directory infrastructure you must analyze the current state of your business environment. This lesson covers the items you need to consider when analyzing your business environment.
After this lesson, you will be able to
- Analyze your organization's products and customers
- Analyze your organization's business structure
- Analyze your organization's business processes
- Analyze the factors that influence your organization's business strategy
- Analyze your organization's information technology (IT) management organization
Estimated lesson time: 40 minutes
Analyzing the Current Business Environment
Your organization's business environment has a direct effect on your Active Directory infrastructure. To analyze the current business environment, you will need to analyze the following components of your organization:
- Products and customers
- Business structure
- Business processes
- Factors that influence company strategies
- Information technology (IT) management organization
To analyze each component thoroughly, you'll need to use your interviewing skills to gather information from various members of your design team. One of the best ways to gather information is to develop a worksheet that outlines what you need to know about each component and then use the worksheet to interview your team members.
NOTE
The Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM that accompanies this book contains blank copies of interview worksheets (\chapt02\worksheets) that you can use to conduct your own business environment analysis. The worksheets are only a starting point; you should modify them to meet your own analysis needs.
The result of your interviews and the completed worksheets will be a business environment analysis document that describes the current state of each business environment component. When complete, this document can be distributed to each member of the design team, providing a starting point for discussion and assessment of future needs. In this lesson, you will examine the completed worksheets that constitute the business environment analysis document for Hiabuv Toys, a fictitious toy company whose design team we viewed in the previous lesson.
You will use your business environment analysis document in conjunction with your business environment needs assessment to determine the location and function of components in your Active Directory infrastructure plan. You will learn to conduct needs assessments for your business environment as you learn and practice each stage of the infrastructure design process in Chapters 3–6.
Analyzing Products and Customers
Understanding your organization's products and customers is a starting point for analyzing your business environment. Products are sets of tangible or intangible attributes assembled to provide benefits to a customer and can include goods, services, places, persons, and ideas. Customers are the entities that purchase products. The completed Products and Customers Worksheet for Hiabuv Toys analyzes the organization's products and customers.
Hiabuv Toys Products and Customers Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about your organization's products and customers. - List and briefly describe the products or services provided by your organization.
Molded plastic action figures, molded plastic toys, molded plastic yard ornaments, plastic model vehicles, plastic plant and animal models. - Describe how new products or services are developed in your organization.
Potential new products are brought through the concept stage by members of senior management in the Marketing departments. The Engineering department develops a product prototype. The Testing department tests the prototype for market potential, safety, and durability. If the product is satisfactory, it is manufactured, distributed, and sold in the retail marketplace. - Identify and briefly describe the current stage of each product or service in its life cycle (introduction, growth, maturity, or decline). Note the current age (in years) of each product or service.
Molded plastic action figures and plastic model vehicles have been manufactured by Hiabuv Toys for only five years; these products are in the growth stage of their life cycle. Hiabuv Toys is known for the lifelike detail it uses to portray action figures. Its model vehicle line is regarded as a premium line and includes models of rare and one-of-a kind vehicles. Various molded plastic toys and yard ornaments have been manufactured by Hiabuv Toys for more than 20 years; these products are in the maturity stage of their life cycle. The designs and colors for toys and ornaments are changed periodically to keep up with current trends. Plastic plant and animal models have been manufactured by Hiabuv Toys for 20 years; these products are in the decline stage of their life cycle. At this time, computer technology is a more popular method for teaching students about plant and animal structures. - Describe how your organization's products or services are packaged.
Molded plastic action figures are blister-packed; molded plastic toys and yard ornaments are sold loose from a display carton; plastic model vehicles and plastic plant and animal models are sold in individual cartons. - Describe how your organization's products or services are priced.
Molded plastic action figures are priced at $5; molded plastic toys and yard ornaments range from $4 to $10; plastic model vehicles range from $30 to $100; plastic plant and animal models range from $20 to $200. - Describe how your organization's products or services are manufactured or created.
All Hiabuv Toys products are created at its molded plastic manufacturing plant in Taipei, Taiwan. - Describe how your organization's products or services are distributed.
Hiabuv Toys products sold in North America are distributed to retail outlets through the Seattle distribution center. Hiabuv Toys products sold in Europe are distributed to retail outlets through the London distribution center. - Describe how your organization's products or services are promoted.
Molded plastic action figures and plastic model vehicles are advertised on television, in children's magazines, and on the Internet. Molded plastic toys and yard ornaments are not promoted. Plastic plant and animal models are advertised in publications that target educational institutions and teachers. - Describe the customers served by your organization's products or services.
Retail toy and discount stores purchase action figures, molded plastic toys, and yard ornaments for resale to children and adults in their outlets. High-end toy and hobby stores purchase the plastic model vehicles for resale to model vehicle enthusiasts in their outlets. Educational institutions and teachers purchase plant and animal models for use as presentation aids in elementary and secondary school classes. - Describe how customer interactions are handled by your organization.
Interactions with retail customers for all products are handled by the Sales department, typically by the retailer's sales representative. Interactions with end customers for molded plastic action figures, plastic model vehicles, and plastic plant and animal models are handled through a toll-free hotline. Safety issues concerning all products are expedited to Product Development management. - Describe how customers use your organization's products or services.
Molded plastic action figures and molded plastic toys are used for amusement by young children. Molded plastic yard ornaments and plastic model vehicles are used for decorative or display purposes by older children and adults. Plastic plant and animal models are used for educational purposes by schools and teachers. - Where are your customers located?
Both retail customers and end customers are located in North America and Europe. A new Hiabuv Toys Web site is generating limited sales to customers outside of these areas. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\Products&Customers).
Analyzing Current Business Structure
A business structure represents the daily operating structure of your organization. To determine the current business structure of your organization, you must under stand how your company conducts daily operations both administratively and geographically.
An organization's administrative structure represents the functions, divisions, departments, or positions within an organization and how they are related, including the organization's hierarchy and authority structure. The administrative structure reflects how your company is managed and how it conducts administrative operations. Special operations, such as the relationships an organization may have set up with vendors, partners, customers, or proposed acquisition entities may also be represented in the administrative structure. Such special operations may require representation in your Active Directory infrastructure.
An organization's geographical structure represents the physical locations of the functions, divisions, departments, or positions within an organization. It reflects how your company is organized geographically, whether regionally, nationally, or internationally.
The completed Business Structures Worksheet for Hiabuv Toys shows the organization's administrative and geographical structures.
Hiabuv Toys Business Structures Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about business structures in your organization. - Diagram the administrative structure of your organization.
 - List and briefly describe the purpose of each division or department in the administrative structure. To whom do these divisions report?
Senior Management division contains the management personnel for each division; it is the decision-making center for the entire organization. Marketing division contains North American and European Marketing departments. Product Development division contains the product Engineering, Testing, and Manufacturing departments. Sales and Distribution division contains North American and European Sales departments, also the Distribution department. Human Resources division contains the Hiring and Training departments. Finance division contains the Accounting, Purchasing, and Payroll departments. Information Technology division contains the System & Network Administration, Technical Support, and World Wide Web departments. All divisions report to Senior Management. - Indicate the number of network users in each division of the administrative structure and the total number of network users in the organization.
Approximate number of users by division: Senior Management (60); Marketing (200); Product Development (360); Sales & Distribution (600); Human Resources (130); Finance (200); Information Technology (200). Approximate total number of network users: 1,750. Approximate total number of employees: 2,385. - Diagram the geographical structure of your organization.
 - List each administrative division and describe where it is located in the geographical structure.
Administrative division locations Senior Management: Chicago. Marketing: North American Marketing—Chicago; European Marketing—London. Product Development: Engineering and Testing—Chicago; Manufacturing—Taipei. Sales: North American Sales—Chicago; North American Distribution—Seattle; European Sales and Distribution—London. Human Resources: North American Hiring—Chicago; European Hiring—London; Asian Hiring—Taipei; Training: Chicago. Finance: Accounting, Purchasing, North American Payroll—Chicago; European Payroll—London; Asian payroll—Taipei. Information Technology: North American System & Network Administration—Chicago; European System & Network Administration—London; Asian System & Network Administration—Taipei. - List the number of network users in each location.
Approximate number of users in each location: Taipei (240); Seattle (100); Chicago (1,030); London (380). Approximate total number of network users: 1,750. Approximate total number of employees: 2,385. - Describe how the network users in each department currently use the network.
Marketing: Users access the network using workstations assigned to them and their home PCs. About 15 laptops are available for remote access while traveling. Product Development: Users in Engineering, Testing, and management personnel in the Manufacturing department access the network using workstations assigned to them and their home PCs. About 20 laptops are available for remote access while traveling. Sales & Distribution: Users in North American and European Sales access the network using laptops through remote access and their home PCs. Management personnel in the Distribution department access the network using workstations assigned to them. Human Resources: Users in the North American, European, and Asian Hiring departments access the network using workstations assigned to them and their home PCs. Personnel in the Training department access the network using laptops through remote access and their home PCs. Finance: Users access the network using workstations assigned to them and their home PCs. About 25 laptops are available for remote access while traveling. Information Technology: Users access the network using workstations or servers assigned to them and their home PCs. About 20 laptops are available for remote access while traveling. - Add any special operations to your administrative structure diagram.
 Hiabuv Toys has recently acquired Mightyflight Toys, a small designer and manufacturer of nylon kites located in Miami. Mightyflight Toys is a small company, with only 135 employees and 85 users. In the partnership agreement, Mightyflight Toys can use resources in the Marketing, Sales, Distribution, and Information Technology departments at Hiabuv Toys. The rest of the Mightyflight Toys organization has been left intact to retain its quality products. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\BusinessStructures).
Analyzing Current Business Processes
A business process is a series of steps that must be taken to achieve a desired result within the organization. To determine the current business processes active in your organization, you must analyze your organization's
- Information flow
- Communication flow
- Decision-making processes
The business processes employed by your organization have a direct effect on your Active Directory infrastructure.
Information Flow
Information flow refers to the process by which data arrives at its destination. The completed Information Flow Worksheet analyzes the information flow in the Engineering department of Hiabuv Toys.
Engineering Department, Hiabuv Toys, Information Flow Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about information flow in each department in your organization. - List the information that your department currently stores and maintains on the network and note the location of this information.
The Engineering department currently stores the following items on the network: proposed, current, and retired product designs; product development documentation; end-user product documentation (for model vehicles and plant and animal models); a knowledge base; and administrative information for supervisory personnel. Designs are stored in the Design folder in the ProductDevel\ Engineering folder. Documentation is stored in the Docs folder in the ProductDevel\ Engineering folder. The knowledge base is stored in the Knowledge folder in the ProductDevel\ Engineering folder. Supervisory personnel store administrative information in the Admin folder in the ProductDevel\ Engineering folder. - List the users or groups of users who need access to the information that your department stores on the network. Briefly note the reason why the users need access to this information.
There are five groups of engineers: MPEngineers (molded products), AFEngineers (action figures), MVEngineers (model vehicles), PAEngineers (plant and animal models), and SupvEngineers (supervisory engineers). Within the Design folder in the ProductDevel\Engineering folder, each group needs access to only the folder that contains the product designs for their group, MoldedProducts, ActionFigures, ModelVehicles, or PAModels. Supervisory engineers need access to all of the design folders and the Admin folder in the ProductDevel\Engineering folder. - Note how the users currently access this information and whether there are any restrictions in place for accessing it.
Engineering department users currently access information from their workstations. If they are traveling they must be able to have the same access remotely from a laptop computer. There are no time restrictions on the Engineering department for accessing information. - List other information on the network that is used by each department but stored and maintained by another department. Include the name of the department that is responsible for storing and maintaining the information and note the location of this information.
The Engineering department uses source documents prepared by the North American and European Marketing departments in the SourceDocs folder in the Marketing\Specs folder. - List the users or groups of users who need access to information used by each department but stored and maintained by another department. Briefly note the reason why the users need access to this information.
All of the engineering groups need access to the Marketing\Specs\SourceDocs folder in order to view the most current requirements and specifications for new products they are designing. - Note how the users currently access this information and whether there are any restrictions in place for accessing it.
Engineering department users currently access marketing source documents from their workstations. If they are traveling they must be able to access these documents remotely from a laptop computer. There are no time restrictions on the Engineering department for accessing the marketing documents. - Specify entities responsible for administering information flow for your department.
The System & Network Administration department administers information flow for the Engineering department. - Note any known difficulties or problems encountered with the current flow of information in your department.
The ProductDevel\Engineering\Design folder does not always contain the most up-to-date designs. Also, when logging on remotely, users have access to designs produced by other engineering groups, which they should not have. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\InformationFlow).
Communication Flow
Communication flow refers to the process by which ideas, messages, or information arrive at their destination. The completed Communication Flow Worksheet analyzes the communication flow in the Engineering department of Hiabuv Toys.
Engineering Department, Hiabuv Toys, Communication Flow Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about communication flow in each department in your organization. - List the methods of communication currently used by your department that are maintained on the network.
E-mail, Microsoft NetMeeting - Note how these communication methods are accessed.
Engineering department users currently access e-mail and NetMeeting from their workstations. If they are traveling they must be able to access these services remotely from a laptop computer. - List the users or groups of users who use the methods of communication that are maintained on the network. Briefly note the reasons why the users need to use each method of communication.
MPEngineers (molded products), AFEngineers (action figures), MVEngineers (model vehicles), PAEngineers (plant and animal models), and SupvEngineers (supervisory engineers) need access to e-mail to send messages and files. These groups also need access to NetMeeting to participate in meetings with the European Marketing and Manufacturing departments, to collaborate in files, and to share information over the Internet or intranet. - Note any time restrictions currently in place for accessing each communication method.
The Engineering department has no time restrictions for accessing e-mail or NetMeeting. - Specify entities responsible for administering communication methods for your department.
The System & Network Administration department administers e-mail and NetMeeting for the Engineering department. - Note any known difficulties or problems encountered by your department with the current communication methods.
Users in the Engineering department cannot consistently access e-mail when logging on remotely from a laptop computer. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\CommunicationFlow).
Decision-Making Processes
Decision making is the process of identifying options and then selecting an action to solve a specified problem. How options are identified and actions are selected in your organization affects the business environment. Similarly the options identified by your design team and the actions taken by the infrastructure designers are the foundation of your Active Directory infrastructure design. It's important to learn about the decision-making processes used in your organization so that you can anticipate decisions that may affect the business environment and so that you can develop a decision-making process for your design team.
To identify your options, you must gather information about the problem and analyze it. For decisions that require you to choose one action from only two choices, you can list the pros and cons of each choice or even weight the pros and cons of each choice. For decisions that require you to choose a solution from more than two choices, you can set up a decision matrix. A decision matrix is a comparison of the criteria used to make a decision with the available options. First, research, define, and weight the criteria you'll use to make the decision. Then score each choice as to how well it meets the criteria. Table 2.1 is an example of a decision matrix Hiabuv Toys may have used to decide on the location of their manufacturing plant. The first number represents the weighted score. The number in parentheses represents the unweighted score.
Table 2.1. A Sample Decision Matrix
| Criterion | Weight (1-low to 5-high) | Taipei | Tokyo | Sydney |
| Property Cost | 2 | 3 (6) | 1 (2) | 3 (6) |
| Taxes | 4 | 3 (12) | 1 (4) | 3 (12) |
| Wage Cost | 5 | 3 (15) | 1 (5) | 2 (10) |
| Heating Costs | 4 | 5 (20) | 3 (12) | 4 (16) |
| AC Costs | 4 | 2 (8) | 4 (16) | 3 (12) |
| Access to Shipping Routes | 3 | 5 (15) | 5 (15) | 4 (12) |
| Shipping Time | 3 | 5 (15) | 4 (12) | 2 (6) |
| Total: Weighted (Unweighted) | Maximum: 35 (125) | 26 (91) | 19 (66) | 21 (74) |
After you've determined your options, the next step is to choose an action or make the decision that solves the problem. In an organization, there are five basic ways to choose an action, either by command, consultation, delegation, consensus, or voting. Command decisions are decisions made by one person. While one person can make the decision swiftly, the quality of a command decision can be low, since it is limited to the considerations of only one person. Consultative decisions are still made by one person, but only after that person gathers facts, ideas, and opinions from other people. This process involves a variety of people but still hinges on the analysis and judgment of one person. Delegated decisions are simply decisions that have been pushed down an organization's chain of command. The delegate must still choose a way to make the decision. Consensus decisions involve getting agreement from the entire group affected by the decision. Because the decision is not made until the entire group agrees, this method is the most time consuming and still does not guarantee that an effective decision will be made. Decisions made by voting are determined by the majority of the group affected by the decision. Voting is not an effective method of reaching a decision because no support is required from the group.
A good practice is to determine how infrastructure planning decisions will be made and let all design team members know. It's important that the team members understand whether they are making infrastructure design decisions or providing the recommendations for decisions. The completed Decision Making Worksheet analyzes the decision-making processes used at Hiabuv Toys.
Hiabuv Toys Decision Making Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about your organization's decision-making processes. - What decisions are made at the division level in your organization?
Decisions made at the division level must adhere to the company's business strategy and affect the direction of the company. For example, the Senior Management division may decide that it needs to gather information to decide whether it would be more efficient to make the Manufacturing department a separate division. - What decisions are made at the departmental level in your organization?
Decisions made at the departmental level must adhere to the company's business strategy and affect the direction of each particular department. For example, the Training department may need to gather information and decide whether it is feasible to offer online training for employees. - What decisions are made by staff members?
Decisions made by staff members must adhere to the company's business strategy and affect the direction of that individual's work or projects within his or her department. For example, a salesperson may need to gather information and decide whether a retailer serviced by a competitor may be a potential sales prospect. - What decision-making process will the Active Directory infrastructure design team use?
Within the design team, the infrastructure designers will make decisions that affect the infrastructure design. The decisions will be made by consensus, only after assembling all of the necessary information. If there are problems during this decision-making process, the causes of the problems will be determined and corrected. Decisions will be communicated to the staff and management repre-sentatives, who will have the opportunity to provide feedback. - Note any known difficulties or problems encountered with the decision-making processes in your organization.
The amount of time needed to make business decisions is often longer than necessary. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\DecisionMaking).
Analyzing Business Strategy Influences
A business strategy is the long-range plan for defining and achieving the objectives set up by an organization. Factors related to an organization's objectives, environment, and resources can influence its business strategies.
- Organizational objectives that may affect business strategy include company priorities, projected growth and growth strategy, and risk tolerance.
- Environmental factors that may affect business strategy include the state of the local, regional, national, and international economy; changing technology; social and cultural factors; laws and regulations; competitors; customers; suppliers; and government agencies.
- Resource factors that may affect business strategy include financial resources, including the total cost of operations; human resources; and technological resources.
The factors that influence your business strategy can have a direct effect on your Active Directory infrastructure. The completed Business Strategy Influences Worksheet analyzes the factors that may influence the business strategy of Hiabuv Toys.
Hiabuv Toys Business Strategy Influences Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for analyzing the factors that may influence your organization's business strategies. - Identify the priorities of your organization.
Three priorities for Hiabuv Toys are creating new products, retaining employees, and cost-effective manufacturing. - What is the projected growth of your organization? Describe your organization's growth strategy.
Hiabuv Toys is projected to grow by 20 percent in the next three years. Several new products are in concept stage and projected to increase revenues. Hiabuv Toys sees growth in new products and concentrates its efforts in the Marketing and Product Development divisions. Because the plastic plant and animal models are in the declining stage of their life cycle, resources previously devoted to this product line will be gradually reallocated to new products. - Describe your organization's tolerance for risk.
Hiabuv Toys has a low tolerance for risk; all new policies, processes, and systems are implemented in stages and only with complete assurances that a return to the previous state is possible if problems are encountered. - What events in the local, regional, national, and international economy are relevant to your organization?
Political, economic, and trade events that affect Asia, and more specifically Taiwan, North America, and more specifically the United States, the European Union, and more specifically the United Kingdom are relevant to Hiabuv Toys. - What technologies are relevant to each division in your organization?
Marketing: communications technologies and Internet marketing capabilities. Product Development: plastic manufacturing and plastic recycling technologies, environmentally friendly packaging, computer-assisted design and manufacturing, and robotics. Sales: communications technologies, Internet sales capabilities, order tracking. Human Resources: Internet hiring, intranet-based training. Finance: communications technologies, Internet purchasing. Information Technology: company-wide operating system, applications used throughout the company, computer-assisted support, Internet technologies used throughout the company. - What social and cultural factors are relevant to your organization?
(1) Business norms in Taiwan, North America, and the European Union must be tolerated and observed. (2) The fact that a majority of Hiabuv Toys products are geared toward children and the assumption that the number of children in the target countries is declining is kept in mind when planning new products. - What government agencies, laws, and regulations are relevant to your organization?
Hiabuv Toys is subject to the government agencies and laws in its operations in Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Hiabuv Toys is subject to the trade rules established for the United States and the United Kingdom. Therefore, products may not be shipped to countries under embargo, and so on. Hiabuv Toys products must meet safety regulations established in countries in North America and the European Union. - Who are your organization's competitors?
Hiabuv Toys has two main competitors in the action figure and model vehicle product line. One competitor is twice the size of Hiabuv Toys with international distribution and the second competitor is smaller with distribution only in Australia. There is one competitor in the plant and animal model product line, about the same size as Hiabuv Toys but also offering simulated rocks, minerals, and gemstones. There is one competitor in molded products, a larger company with international distribution that also produces children's outdoor play equipment. - What is the total cost of operations for each product? (Compute the sum of your fixed costs, such as rent, salaries, and property taxes, and your variable costs, such as labor and materials, for a specific amount of products or services produced.)
The total cost of operations for each product line is as follows: Molded plastic action figures are $1.11 each; molded plastic toys and molded plastic yard ornaments range from $1.22 to $5.02 each; plastic model vehicles range from $13.40 to $55.66 each; plastic plant and animal models range from $11.50 to $102.00 each. - What human resources are available to your organization?
Due to a tight labor market, the professional labor currently available for depart-ments in the Chicago area is extremely limited. Plastics engineers are especially scarce, as well as World Wide Web programmers. Labor for manufacturing in Taiwan is available at present but shows signs of tightening as the workforce shifts its skills to computer-based jobs. Labor for distribution in Seattle also shows signs of tightening. A moderate labor market in the London area provides adequate professional and distribution personnel. Retaining the current personnel worldwide is a major priority for Hiabuv Toys. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\BusinessStrategy).
Analyzing the Information Technology Management Organization
Information technology (IT) is the application of technology to the management and processing of information. In an organization, IT management refers to the management of the computing environment, usually performed by the IT, IS (information services) or MIS (management information services) departments. The IT management organization and the processes it employs can affect your Active Directory infrastructure.
To analyze your current IT management organization, you must gather information about its administrative structure, either centralized, decentralized, or some combination of both. In centralized administration structures, one team provides service and network administration. In decentralized structures, a number of teams, often divided by location or business function, provide services. Some structures provide both centralized and decentralized services depending on business needs. It is also helpful to recognize how your IT management organization is funded and how it handles decision making and changes in the organization. The completed IT Management Organization Worksheet analyzes the IT division at Hiabuv Toys.
Hiabuv Toys IT Management Organization Worksheet |
| Use this worksheet as a guide for gathering data about your company's information technology management organization. - Diagram the administrative structure of your IT organization.
 - Is the administrative structure centralized, decentralized, or a combination of both?
Because IT services are provided by a number of teams based on business function and location, the IT management organization at Hiabuv Toys provides a decentralized administrative structure. - Who is responsible for constructing the budget? Who approves the budget?
The North America System & Network Administration, North America Technical Support, and WWW department managers construct the departmental budget. The Information Technology senior managers approve the departmental budget. - In what month is the budget established? When does your organization's fiscal year begin?
The information technology division establishes its budget for the next fiscal year in July. The fiscal year begins on September 1. - What budget issues will affect your Active Directory infrastructure planning?
Resources for new server hardware will be scarce; a limited amount of resources will be available for improved network links. - List each IT service that is outsourced and the vendors who perform the service.
Some minimal software development is performed by the A. Datum Corporation. Cabling services are provided by ProElectron, Inc. Equipment moving services are provided by Costoso, Ltd. - Describe how decisions are made in your IT management organization.
Decisions made by IT senior managers that affect the direction of the company are made after consulting with others in the organization. For example, IT senior managers may decide to upgrade the company-wide operating system or change the e-mail system used company-wide. Decisions made by department managers affect the individual departments and are made by consensus of department members. For example, the System & Network Administration department may decide to physically move a server for the convenience of its users. Decisions made by staff members in the IT organization affect the direction of that individual's work or projects within the department. For example, a member of the Tech Support department may design a list of FAQs to be distributed throughout the organization to address typical support issues. - How are IT changes handled by the IT management organization?
First, the department must recognize when an IT-related change is necessary by monitoring how IT functions are meeting the needs of the organization. If needs are not being met, and a change is required, the department gathers data for possible solutions and selects a solution. An implementation plan for the change is developed. The plan is tested by implementing the change in a test environment. Modifications are made until the change is implemented satisfactorily in the test environment. When the plan and the change are satisfactory, the change is implemented in a small sector of the organization. The change is monitored; if the results are satisfactory, the change is implemented in stages throughout the remainder of the organization. - Note any known difficulties or problems encountered in your company's IT management organization.
It is often unclear as to who is responsible for system administration tasks in the North American System & Network Administration department. The European Tech Support department is often overwhelmed with support issues. |
NOTE
A blank copy of this worksheet is located on the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM (\chapt02\worksheets\ITManagement).
Lesson Summary
In this lesson you learned to analyze each component of your business environment, including the current products and customers, business structures, business processes, factors that influence company strategies, and your IT management organization. An organization's business environment defines how it organizes and manages its nontechnical resources. Your organization's business environment has a direct effect on your Active Directory infrastructure.
You also learned to create a document, the business environment analysis document, that describes the current state of each business environment component in your organization. The business environment analysis document includes the completed Products and Customers, Business Structures, Information Flow, Communication Flow, Decision Making, Business Strategy Influences, and IT Management Organization worksheets. When complete, this document can be distributed to each member of the design team, providing a starting point for discussion and needs assessment.
