A New Role for IS Professionals

A new phenomenon is occurring in the corporate workplace. Information systems professionals, like high-tech missionaries, are departing the cloistered confines of the IS department to live amongst the users, imparting their computer wisdom. And like missionaries, they're armed with their tools of conversion -- some programming skills, productivity software, and dedication to the cause of disseminating information to the masses.

The seeds for this phenomenon were planted back in the '80s and early '90s, when the technology gains experienced by most American companies brought with them increased productivity and efficiency. Managers became accustomed to having large amounts of readily-digestible data available to them. And the hunger for even more information grew accordingly. The result seems to be an upwardly spiralling demand for information, driven by innovations in technology and greater reliance on that technology.

Blurring the Boundaries of the IS Department

Despite advances in data processing, corporate frustrations have been mounting because the oft-prophesied era of a backlog-free world never seems to arrive. So, some companies are trying a different approach by taking advantage of a more technologically sophisticated human resources pool. They're hiring non-IS employees with computer backgrounds to assume IS-like positions within operational departments. As a result, IS professionals are being relieved of their more mundane, yet time consuming development responsibilities. And end users are able to more quickly obtain mission-critical data. Everyone seems to be a winner.

Nippondenso Manufacturing USA, Inc. is a case in point. Established in 1984, this Battle Creek, Michigan manufacturer builds heat exchange components (radiators, condensers, etc.) for major automakers worldwide. Sales topped $490 million in 1993.

Parnell LaLonde has an associates degree in computer information systems. But he's not working in Nippondenso's IS department -- his official title is Human Resources Assistant. His computer expertise has been reserved for the sole use of the human resources department.

LaLonde explains the department's need for his services: "At the time I was hired, a good number of people needed more information from the system. There was a tremendous backlog. IS had enough problems without having to try and meet all of the end users' needs. The users didn't know who they could go to for assistance. And IS was so busy, they really didn't have the time to help, anyway. Consequently, a lot of people here would not even put in requests. Instead they'd attempt to look up information manually." So LaLonde was hired to be the HR department's technical point-person. "They wanted to better utilize the computerized systems they had, and to implement new ones. They figured they could accomplish this if they had someone with some computer background."

Surprisingly, having someone within the department to produce the information took some getting used to. "I first had to drum up business for myself. These people never had anybody available to them that could actually respond to their requests within an acceptable timeframe."

Word spread quickly, however, that a valuable information resource was available. "Once people knew they could come to me and request a report or get data from me, it was like we opened the floodgates. Before they couldn't begin to get an answer. Now it's all the time. It never stops. They've grown to expect having access to all the information in the system. And demand keeps growing as more people figure out that they don't have to get the information by hand -- they can let the computer do the work. I've produced over five hundred reports and applications already!"

The Tools Make the Difference

LaLonde's ability to respond so swiftly to user requests is due in large part to the productivity tools made available to him. Nippondenso's IS department had been using a Fourth Generation Language/CASE tool for the IBM AS/400 called the mrc-Productivity Series, developed by Lombard, Illinois-based michaels, ross & cole, ltd. LaLonde was expected to learn the tool and use it to eliminate the backlog. "When I started, there was no one here to help me. They basically said, 'Here it is. Here are some old reports IS developed with it.' Luckily it was pretty straight forward. I learned a great deal of it on my own, just between the manual and online help text. And eventually I took mrc's training course. I had a lot of success."

LaLonde's accomplishments were felt immediately within the department. For instance, he created a job posting eligibilities application for employees looking to change positions within the plant. "It pulls together a wide array of different information such as length of service, performance appraisals, past and current attendance history, and other things like that. I created a summary file for each type of data I needed. Then I built a retrieval application around my summary files. I was able to pull all the information onto one screen by using the SmartLinks program linking feature." SmartLinks enables users to link together separate but logically related programs into one comprehensive application.

Amassing the needed job eligibility information had been unnecessarily cumbersome before LaLonde automated the process. "Before, someone wanting this information would have to retrieve the data from many different applications. For instance, to see when a person was hired, you'd have to go into each employee's master file. To look at attendance information, you couldn't even retrieve it on the screen. You had to use a separate program to go out and find the employee's attendance information, then print it out. It was a waste of time -- and paper.

"Now, with the application I built, you go right in and call up 90% of the information on the first screen. This screen is really a composite of five different summary files. Then all you have to do is hit a command key to 'SmartLink' out to the attendance history file for the remaining information. That file will then immediately pop-up on screen. You don't have to exit out of the application."

LaLonde built the application in one working day -- a significant time savings compared to IS' turnaround schedule. "I built the application in eight hours. It would have taken Information Systems as long as six months even to acknowledge the request and then ask me questions about it. From there you couldn't even guess how much longer it would be once they found out how involved it was. It was a pretty sophisticated application."

With results like this, managers in the human resources department have begun taking notice. LaLonde recalls, "Frequently a manager or vice president will say, 'I need to know the total number of associates by summary breakdown,' or something like that. Previously, they couldn't even begin to get an answer. IS wouldn't be able to help them. Now, with the mrc-Productivity Series, I'll say, 'Give me a half an hour.' Then I'll go off and pull something together, get the data and give them a report they can use."

Nippondenso's strategy of putting a computer-savvy professional within the human resources department seems to be paying off. 98% of all data requests, which formerly would be directed to IS, now are funneled to LaLonde. "Our production area is going to start using the mrc-Productivity Series next. They are in the same position we were. Users need applications, but IS is so busy they don't have the time to deliver with a quick turnaround. We can usually produce a report and have it back to them in the same day. Sometimes even a half day. And they're amazed that I can get the information to them in such a short time."