Information System Stakeholders, Vendors and Consultants | SAD

Information System Stakeholders, Vendors, and Consultants

Information System Stakeholders

A stakeholder is any person who has an interest in an existing or proposed information system. She/he may be technical or non-technical and internal or external workers. Stakeholders are also called information workers. An information worker involves in creating, collecting, processing, distributing, and using information.

There are six groups of stakeholders and each group has a different role in the same information system. But in practice, any individual person may play more than one role. For example, a system analyst may also work as a system designer. The six groups are: system owners, system users, system designers, system builders, system analysts and project managers, and information technology vendors and consultants.

System owners

System owners are the information system’s sponsors and chief advocates. They are usually responsible for funding the project of development, operation, and maintain the information system. They are interested with how much will the system cost? And how much value or what benefit will the system return to the business?

Every information system has one or more system owners. They usually come from the ranks of managers to supervisors.

System Users

These are the people who use or are affected by the information system on a regular basis. They are concerned with the system’s functionality related to their jobs and the system’s ease of learning and use. A system user may capture, validate, enter, respond, store and exchange data and information. System users are also called clients. To know business requirements, discussions with most users need to be kept.

System Designers

These are technology specialists who translate system users’ business requirements and constraints into technical solutions. These are interested in information technology choices and the design of systems within the constraints of the chosen technology. They design the computer database, inputs, outputs, screens, networks, and programs that will meet the system users’ requirements. These designs guide the construction of the final system.

System Builders

These are also technology specialists who construct information systems and components based on the design specifications generated by the system designer.

Systems Analysts and Project Managers

Systems Analyst: Although, many people in organizations are responsible for systems analysis and design, in most organizations the systems analyst has the primary responsibility. The primary role of a systems analyst is to study the problems and needs of an organization in order to determine how people, methods, and information technology can best be combined to bring about improvements in the organization. System analysts identify and validate problems and needs and ensure that the technical solution fulfills these problems and needs. Systems analysts study the system and identify and validate its problems and needs for system owners and users and ensure that the technical solution fulfills the

business needs.

Project Manager: To build a good information system and applications all the stakeholders must work together as a team. Teams require leadership. For this reason, usually one or more of these stakeholders takes on the role of the project manager to ensure that systems are developed on time, within budget, and with acceptable quality. So, the project manager is responsible for planning, monitoring, and controlling projects with respect to schedule, budget, deliverables, customer satisfaction, technical standards, and system quality.

Information Technology Vendors and Consultants

Most information systems are dependent on information technology that must be selected, installed, and customized, integrated into the business, and technically supported. This technology is developed, sold, and supported by IT vendors. Similarly, many businesses rely on external consultants to help them develop or acquire information systems and technology. The use of consultants may be driven by the need for specialized knowledge or skills or by an immediate need to complete a project.