INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT
Today, solutions to environmental challenges are aided by an arsenal of information and knowledge systems that were unavailable for most of the last 30 years when environmental management was predicated on “command and control” mechanisms such as remediation of specific sites or compliance with, and enforcement of, end-of-pipe emissions requirements and standards. As knowledge about the causes of environmental ills has grown, so too has the number of options on how to handle them and the development of collaborations and partnerships aimed at harnessing the growing incentive-based approaches to environmental protection. As additional information technologies and knowledge management techniques evolve, environmental considerations will join other areas of strategic importance to industry.
Information technologies are unique not just because of their growing use in decision-making and knowledge management systems, important as that is. Their use has also yielded significant improvements in the efficiency of energy and materials use. This has contributed to economic expansion without the increases in environmental impacts that would have resulted had the efficiency improvements not occurred. Advances in information technology are likely to continue to provide opportunities for the development of improved and new products and services
An information environment can be characterized as the set of networks or online services that support publishing and use of information and learning resources. There probably isn’t a perfect information environment but we can only make use of these systems to their fullest potential.
An information systems environment is an area in which information systems professionals apply management systems and technology skills professionally in an organization. An environment does not and cannot constitute a single, focused knowledge area such as applications in mathematics, art, technology, law, statistics, or desktop publishing. Instead, an environment represents an ecosystem in which information systems are employed. The environment surrounds and impacts the systems and technologies that support it and whose inputs, processes or outputs are closely intertwined with their information system.
Since we are talking about information system environment, let me show some myths associating with information environment.
Myths of the IT Profession
1. IT professionals possess a complete disregard for business concerns.
2. Once you join the ranks of IT, you’ll work in solitary confinement for the rest of your life, living only for weekend sci fi movie or video/on-line game marathons.
3. You must have a computer science degree to get a job in IT.
4. If you don’t understand acronym-speak, don’t even think of conversing with an IT professional.
5. All IT professionals are techie gear-heads with little interest in anything outside of technology.
With these myths of IT profession, let’s throw it on through the role of IT professionals in these information environments.
Demystifying the Techie
1. IT is a challenge in organizing people, solving issues and problems through better process and organization.
2. The tech professionals role is hardly solitary nor is it confined to IT or submerged in a world of arcane acronyms. Emphasis is on business-focused problem solving.
3. The role entails tech professionals who are multifaceted, possessing a diversity of experience and skills.
4. The more one exercises both sides of the brain, the better positioned is the tech professional. Therefore, immersing in hobbies outside technology is ideal.
5. The ideal tech professional is one who can take abstract thoughts about what people are trying to achieve, where they want the business to go, and turn those thoughts into viable processes and solutions.
Probably, the most important characteristic of an information environment is interaction. An environment does not consist of only one being. It is an internetwork, an interweaving thread of digital resources. Therefore, this kind of environment should not be made rigid and one-sided. I think that an ideal information environment should be one that does not only allow the users to access and view digital information but also should allow them to modify the information. In my point of view, information or knowledge is not a stable thing.
Many changes and new discoveries are being made and an effective information environment should be able to address these changes and inform the users about them. For an environment to be interactive, it is necessary that it allows the users to share information via digital means. This process is similar to peer-to-peer communication or online file-sharing. Of course, it should be made sure that information exchanged is true and valid.
So the mere fact that interaction is such an important key in information environment, the categories of IT skills could be connected for a fact that having such capabilities is linked with interacting with different people.
These are some IT skill categories to be chosen from:
IT Skill Categories
1. BUSINESS OPERATIONS- providing strategy, policy, operational planning and execution of work processes for the company as it relates to IT.
2. DATABASE DEVELOPMENT and ADMINISTRATION – designing, maintaining, and using files to store customer and business information. It is generally working with a database management software, finding ways to organize and store information, setting up computer databases for companies, and finding ways to
3. DIGITAL MEDIA - managing digital projects from conception to delivery, including: preparing, costing and writing proposals for clients managing the pitch process to appoint an agency to undertake detailed specification, design, development and delivery proactively managing agencies and other stakeholders evaluating project outcomes.
4. PROGRAMMING/ SOFTWARE ENGINEERING designing, creating and maintaining software. It also involves analyzing,
designing, developing, testing and maintaining computer and Internet- based applications.
5. ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS and INTEGRATION- overseeing the installation of necessary software, programming of databases and configuration of networks to allow efficient and secure transactions among computer systems.
6. TECHNICAL WRITING- communicating technical (specialized) information in appropriate form to an appropriate audience. A few examples of the documents created by technical writers are technical manuals, detailed specifications, online help, web content, and training manuals.
7. SECURITY and COMPLIANCE ensuring that systems, services, processes and information are demonstrably secure and compliant to the satisfaction of the range of supervising entities to which the company is accountable
8. NETWORK DESIGN and ADMINISTRATION devising a plan that allows a business or organization to use a network to further its goals. It focuses on designing, installing, and supporting an organization's network and Internet capabilities,
daily on site support, maintaining network hardware and software, and developing network security.
9. TECHNICAL SUPPORT – providing assistance with hardware or software operation and application problems. In general, technical support attempts to help the user solve specific problems with a product - rather than providing training, customization, or other support services.
10.WEB DEVELOPMENT and ADMINISTRATION developing a web site for the World Wide Web or an intranet. It usually refers only to the non-design aspects of building web sites such as writing markup and coding. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based Internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services.
As presented, among the IT skill categories, I should say that I would like to be on NETWORKING DESIGN and ADMINISTRATION. For we all know that in this generation technology is in fast paced. Thus, giving people the privileged to use the innovation brought by these new emerging technologies. So in this sense, working in such environment where I can design my own network and eventually devise a plan that will develop in an organization that could use a network and further its goals. Since it focuses on designing, installing,
and supporting an organization's network, my role with be essential in site support with the internet capabilities,
daily.
The network hardware and software should always be stable and maintained. Well, it is already mentioned that with these roles that I must performed surrounded with this environment, the network security should be dealt also. It is always an issue because in this kind of environment, processing large amount of data is always the matter. These data are such significant and confidential information that the surroundings that apportioned in an organization. Securing these information must not be disregarded.
My role with this upbringing will be very important for a reason that business and IT are two different fields that should go hand in hand together.
Upon working in a company, some things should be consider because I know for a fact that living in a real life situation is not living alone. Thus, it is always inside a group and dealing with them is much essential. Thinking that you are to deal with different people with unique personality and skills. We should find time to mingle with them in order to be a productive and efficient worker. In such time that I would face the real world, there are a lot of factors and challenges that I will be reflecting of. These are the things that could be a factor in our role to those information system environments. The principles of information organization and representation are one of the factors. I have to know all these things so that I can perform my role effectively.
There are many principles of information organization and I think it differs in every organization. But there are three common principles that I need to consider.
These three principles of knowledge organization that I have known are knowledge needs to be organized for communities. Designing tools to support the organization of knowledge, guiding principle must be that of user orientation and predominant usage.
And lastly, standardization and networking provide infrastructures, which facilitate effective and efficient access to information and documents. The notion of information representation and organization traditionally means creating catalogs and indexes for publications of any kind. It includes the description of the attributes of a document and the representation of its intellectual content. Today the library catalog is no longer a tool for its own collection for the library visitors; it has become a network node that users can visit from anywhere in the world via a computer connected to the Web information space that is being used for e-publishing, e-businesses, and e-commerce. These principles, if properly used will help me to become even more effective in my job. The knowledge needs to be organized for communities is essential because I have as what I've said, I have to get involve with people because I will not work with myself alone, I have to deal with managers, stockholders, business associates, and every individuals who compose the organization or company.
Designing tools to support the organization of knowledge and guiding principle must be also considered especially for the kind of job that I have, to design and develop company data analysis and report solutions. This includes the ability to design front ends and interfaces. I must possess a talent in doing so. I have to make sure that the design I made is acceptable to the user and every individual who will take a glance unto it will surely understand. And finally, the last principle talks about standardization and networking provide infrastructures, which facilitate effective and efficient access to information and document. This principle generally talks about the demonstration and sharing of expertise and perspectives in relation to the organization of knowledge. If one wants to associate these principles into just a few words, they can use communities, user orientation and standardization and networking, respectively. I do believe that these principles of information organization will help to fulfill my role so that I will become an effective business intelligence analyst.
However, I also believed that it is not an easy task. I mean, there a lot of challenges that I had to face in performing this role. And I know that this is just natural. I mean in our every action, challenges always accompany us, not to bring us down but to make us strong so that next time around, we will become more effective. First and for most is the competition. We are all aware that competition is one of the most common problems in a job knowing that everybody’s aiming to become the best.
Maybe I can address this by making sure that I am really competent. Even when I am a fresh graduate, I had a lot of learning’s because I already practice even before I graduated. Also, another problem is that technology is changing. I mean, what we had right now is nothing to what we are going to have in the following years.
Technology changes so fast I had to keep myself in touch. I mean, I have to be always updated so that I will not find it hard to deal with other competing companies. Another challenge is if there exist someone who can perform better than I do. Maybe in this case, I had to humbly accept this and realize that each is given different talents and ability. What makes sense is the fact that we use this talent and we help hand in hand for the benefit of the company. We had different strengths and limitations and it's all right as long as we are giving our best in everything we did. My inexperience can also influence on how am I going to perform my role yet I know this can be handled well if I am just willing to learn and improve myself.
There are countless numbers of information environments present in the world today. With the fast development of technology, various information environments have grown so big that they are able to span the whole world. We should not be outdated with the latest trend that being produce with the fast paced innovation fetch with this kind of generation.
