Karasyov Gennady

Gennady Karasyov, from 2000 to 2008 the deputy chief engineer for information technologies in JSC Mazyr Oil Refinery, addressing the heads of IT divisions solving a problem of complex automation of the enterprise gives a number of practical recommendations.

What to begin with?

I suggest to begin with inventory, from scratch. Be configured for creative work, find time when nobody distracts you, and implement four clauses:

1. Create the list of systems used at your enterprise, subsystems, local tasks and the directions. Further for each position of the list answer the following questions:

• On what technology objects or in what structural divisions of management this system works?
• What are used technical and software tools?
• What number of service staff? Create the list of service staff, describe its education and knowledge domain.
• What number of users? Create the list of users, it is desirable to describe their education.
• What business operations or tasks are automated?
• What are problems, notes, wishes on operation or on functionality of a system?

Surely describe an interaction logic of systems, subsystems, local tasks and the directions from the point of view of used databases, interfaces, information flows, etc. Create plans (technical and budget) their development.

2. Describe infrastructure and a local computer network of the enterprise in the following foreshortening:

• Hardware list;
• Software list;
• the scheme of communications with indication of the speed of information flows;
• development plans for infrastructure (technical and budget);
• system of creation of information security.

3. Request documents from accounting and count the cost of costs for automation for the period by every year, for example for the last 5 years:

• external (on purchase, development and support);
• internal (the salary in a year of service staff);
• on operation (ZIP, supplies, etc.);
• determine total costs by each of systems, subsystems, local tasks and the directions.

4. In writing in a report type answer questions:

• Whether system approach is used in your structure of automation?
• What do you understand as system approach?
• What solutions implement system approach?
• Who and how at your enterprise performs functions of the system integrator?

If system approach is not applied, then describe how you see development of automation in your organization. I suggest to implement all four clauses completely!

Business plan of the project

Try to develop the business plan of the project for development of automation at your enterprise (samples of the business plan can be found in the Internet using any searcher).

Approximate contents of the business plan:

• project description of automation;
• means for implementation of the project (the premises, technical means, software tools, licenses, personnel, a documentary design, etc.);
• organizational chart of project management;
• technology of project implementation;
• quality control of the project;
• sources of emergence of risks, risk analysis;
• financial plan;
• the expected result.

And now answer a question: You are ready to make the proposal on development of automation of your enterprise to heads of functional divisions and the director? If "yes", then begin to act. If "no", then ask for the help the qualified business analysts and jointly perform this work.

Links

• Gennady Karasyov Practical advice to heads: IT in automation of domestic enterprises