2. USAGE CONSIDERATIONS › 2.3 Use Within the Information Structure › 2.3.1 Introduction to the Information Structure

2.3.1 Introduction to the Information Structure

The information structure (Figure 2-13) provides the means
for identifying and organizing information about the
processes that comprise the business operations of an I/S
organization.  The information structure is hierarchical and
contains three distinct levels:
 
o  Management Areas
 
   Management areas are at the top level of the structure.
   Five broad areas of Information Systems (I/S)
   management concern make up this group:  service levels,
   installation environment, development, administration,
   and planning.
 
o  Activity Areas
 
   Activity areas, the second level, consist of the
   individual activities related to each of the five
   management areas.  For example, under the service level
   area, there are performance, throughput, availability,
   and effectiveness activities.
 
o  Responsibility Areas
 
   Responsibility areas are the third level of the
   structure, representing detailed subdivisions of the
   activity areas.  By separating activities into areas of
   common responsibility, these items identify the
   numerous management responsibilities in a definitive
   and manageable form.  Often, a responsibility area
   represents a service to the end-user (e.g., TSO Time
   Sharing Services) or a specific internal I/S management
   process (e.g., Vendor Contract Administration).
 
The information structure presented in this guide serves as
the method by which a multitude of management indicators are
reported for all levels of I/S management, and provides a
vital unifying role in establishing a common format for
information presentation to all levels of management.
 

                                           +------------------------------------------+
                                           |                                          |
                                           |             MVS  INSTALLATION            |
                                           |                                          |
                                           +------------------------------------------+
                                                                 |
                                                                 |
               +---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
               |                        |         I.  MANAGEMENT | AREAS                  |                        |
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
    |                     |  |    Installation     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    |   Service Levels    |  |                     |  |     Development     |  |   Administration    |  |      Planning       |
    |                     |  |     Environment     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
               |                        |          II.  ACTIVITY | AREAS                  |                        |
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    | Performance         |  | Reliability/        |  | Requirements        |  | Financial           |  | Strategic Planning  |
    | Throughput          |  |  Availability       |  |  Control            |  | Personnel           |  | Service Planning    |
    | Availability        |  | Change Control      |  | Project Management  |  | Contract            |  | Development         |
    | Effectiveness       |  | Problem Control     |  |                     |  |  Administration     |  |  Planning           |
    |                     |  | Capacity Management |  |                     |  | Documentation       |  | Resource Planning   |
    |                     |  | Performance         |  |                     |  | Security Program    |  | Management Planning |
    |                     |  |  Management         |  |                     |  | Disaster            |  | Constraint          |
    |                     |  | Storage Management  |  |                     |  |  Preparedness       |  |  Evaluation         |
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  | Audit Program       |  |                     |
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
               |                        |  III.  RESPONSIBILITY  | AREAS                  |                        |
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    |      21 AREAS       |  |      37 AREAS       |  |       7 AREAS       |  |      23 AREAS       |  |      20 AREAS       |
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
               |                        |        IV.  MANAGEMENT | INDICATORS             |                        |
               |                        |                        |                        |                        |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    |MANAGEMENT INDICATORS|  |MANAGEMENT INDICATORS|  |MANAGEMENT INDICATORS|  |MANAGEMENT INDICATORS|  |MANAGEMENT INDICATORS|
    |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |  |                     |
    +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+  +---------------------+

  Figure 2-13.  Information Structure