 Information
and communications technology (ICT) solutions
Our clients benefit from sound strategic advice and
simple to use, fast, efficient and secure ICT solutions
that support key activities and processes of their
businesses and allow the best use of information.
Solutions that enable businesses to realise their
objectives, while enjoying cost and time savings through
the smart production and management of information,
utilisation of existing and new technologies, effective
use of mobile technologies and improved performance.
“the future
of business will be determined by its use of information”
Businesses see information as a valuable asset and
seek to make the best use of information to support
their business activities. The use of information
is driven by the needs of the business and is supported
by systems and technology. The hierarchy of information
strategy is as follows:
- Business strategy: sets the direction of
the business and is supported by the Information
Systems (IS) strategy
- IS strategy: identifies the requirement
/ needs and priorities for information in the business
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
strategy: identifies the infrastructure and services
to deliver the IS strategy
The UK Academy of Information Systems (UKAIS) defines
IS as “the means by which people and organisations,
utilising technology, gather, process, store, use
and disseminate information”.
ICT acknowledges the convergence of traditional
information technology and telecommunications and
refers to hardware, software and telecommunications
technology.
Applications can be developed that use ICT to enable
the best use of information, as well as supporting
key business activities and processes.
“information
– the most valuable asset of the 21st century
– managed!”
At Kristal Oak, we understand the links between the
business, IS and ICT and provide ICT related services
that enable our clients businesses to make the best
use of their information. We also develop applications
to support key business activities and processes. The strategic ICT Solutions services offered by Kristal
Oak include:
- IS / IT strategy
- Information management
- Communications
How we can help
With a reputation for quality and reliability and
a track record of successful delivery and high customer
satisfaction, Kristal Oak is best placed to provide
innovative and creative solutions to support Information
Systems (IS) / Information Technology (IT) strategies. We appreciate the importance of technology as an enabler
for the successful delivery of business objectives
in a changing business environment and therefore
provide tailored solutions to support our clients’
business and IS strategies. The services we offer
to support IS / IT strategies and the development
lifecycle include:
- strategy and development
- procurement of systems and services
- implementation,
- validation
Strategy and development
Our understanding of business and the environment
in which our clients operate helps us produce clearly
defined business benefits, information requirements
and technology specifications. We help:
- clearly identify and structure the required
business benefits
- plan benefits realisation and create a change
management plan covering business changes and enabling
changes
- perform feasibility studies
- engage stakeholders and perform a thorough
stakeholder analysis
- produce a robust business case for the IS
/ IT investment
- design and develop the approved system
Procurement of systems and services
Having defined the strategic requirement, successful
IT procurement requires effective engagement of vendors,
with an appropriate procurement vehicle and form of
contract. We provide procurement support services
(including bid process management and bid evaluation)
in line with the business and regulatory requirements
that enable the delivery of the business benefits
sought by our clients. Specialist costing and legal
support for this area is provided by our economists,
economic research unit and legal department.
Implementation
Kristal Oak provides its clients with highly experienced
implementation professionals to relieve the burden
of system development on their operational staff. We provide resources for project management e.g. Prince2
Practitioners, configuration management (e.g. SSADM
competent), acceptance testing, training and application
support.
As part of this service, we can perform benefits management
and support the review and evaluate of results. At
the end of implementation we can also help explore
the potential for further business benefits as a result
of the implemented system.
Validation
Because we understand the environment in which an
information system is to operate, we are able to validate
developing systems against business and regulatory
requirements.
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