Critical Success Factors (CSF): CSF vs. Key Performance Indicator, Centralized vs. Distributed Processing

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Information System (CS507)

LESSON 28

Critical Success Factors (CSF)

Critical Success Factor (CSF) is a business term for an element which is necessary for an organization or

project to achieve its mission. For example, for an international package delivery system, CSF's can be

identified such as safe transport of customer consignments, timely delivery of consignment, online status

confirmation system to inform customers and proper packaging and handling.

Critical Success Factors differ from organization to organization. While approving any project, the

management may evaluate the project on the basis of certain factors critical to the success or failure of the

project. For instance:

· Money factors: positive cash flow, revenue growth, and profit margins.

· Acquiring new customers and/or distributors

· Customer satisfaction No. of complaints, after sales service

· Quality Customer feed back on the product.

· Product / service development -- what's new that will increase business with existing customers

and attract new ones?

· Intellectual capital enhancing production techniques and acquiring knowledge relating to

advancement in hardware/machines, equipment, processes.

· Strategic relationships -- new sources of business, products and outside revenue, sub contracting.

· Employee development and retention

· Sustainability

· Corporate social responsibility

· Corporate Governance

27.1 Sources of Critical Success Factors

Critical Success Factors have to be analyzed and established. CSF's may be developed from various sources.

Generally four major sources of identifying CSF's are

· Industry CSFs resulting from specific industry characteristics;

· CSF's resulting from the chosen competitive strategy of the business e.g. quick and timely delivery

may be critical to courier service business

· Environmental CSFs resulting from economic or technological changes; and

· Temporal CSFs resulting from internal organizational needs and changes.

27.2 CSF vs. Key Performance Indicator

A critical success factor is not a key performance indicator or KPI. Critical Success Factors are elements

that are vital for a strategy to be successful. A KPI measures the achievements.

The following example will clarify the difference. A CSF for improved sales may be adopting a new sales

strategy through better and regularly arranged display of products in the shop windows. However, the KPI

identified would be the increased/decreased Average Revenue Per Customer as a result of the strategy.

Key Performance Indicators directly or indirectly measure the results of implementation of Critical Success

Factors. KPI's are measures that quantify objectives and enable the measurement of strategic performance.

Computing Environments

Availability of information to various users also depends on how the information is processed, at what

location the information is processed and where and to whom it is available after being processed. This

leads us to the issues like processing information at one location or different locations. Organizations work

with various computing environments for proper use of information system

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Information System (CS507)

Stand Alone Processing

Centralised Environment

Distributed Environment

Web Based Environment

Stand Alone Processing

Stand-alone, self-contained computer is usually a microcomputer that is not connected to a network of

computers and can be used in isolation from any other device. The processing activities undertaken on

such a computer are usually termed as stand-alone processing.

Stand alone environment may exist in some organization, but is not the generally followed practice in

today's business environment. Therefore we will not be discussing this environment.

27.3 Centralized vs. Distributed Processing

Centralized Processing is performed in one computer or in a cluster of coupled computers in a single

location. Centralized processing was the architecture that evolved from the very first computers; however,

user access was via dumb terminals that performed none of the primary processing. Today, centralized

computers are still widely used, but the terminals are mostly full-featured desktop computers.

Distributed processing refers to any of a variety of computer systems that use more than one computer, or

processor, to run an application. More often, however, distributed processing refers to local-area networks

(LANs) designed so that a single program can run simultaneously at various sites. Most distributed

processing systems contain sophisticated software that detects idle CPUs on the network and parcels out

programs to utilize them. Another form of distributed processing involves distributed databases, databases

in which the data is stored across two or more computer systems. The database system keeps track of where

the data is so that the distributed nature of the database is not apparent to users.

Distributed processing is a programming paradigm focusing on designing distributed, open, scalable,

transparent, fault tolerant systems. This paradigm is a natural result of the use of computers to form

networks. Distributed computing is decentralized and parallel computing, using two or more computers

communicating over a network to accomplish a common objective or task. The types of hardware,

programming languages, operating systems and other resources may vary drastically. It is similar to

computer clustering with the main difference being a wide geographic dispersion of the resources.

As the terms can explain, processing can be done at one location in case on centralized or at different

locations in case of distributed processing. The question arises is how both types of processing are different

from each other.

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Information System (CS507)

Aspect

Centralized

Distributed

Processing

Processing managed

On multiple machines

at one server

Computing

Low (since processing High (since more than one

Power

managed at one

machines are involved)

machine)

Data

Limited (Depends

Flexible (can be increased by

processing

upon the central

distributing the task on multiple

machine)

machines)

capability

System

Controls Integrated

Controls integrated but

Management

but limited to central

distributed to the various

server

servers

Security

High (Physical and

High (Physical and Logical

Logical Controls)

controls distributed to all

servers, therefore requiring

high level of security

management)

27.4 Web based Environment

The typically refers to the use of web, internet and browser based applications for transactions execution. In

Web based environment, clients connect to the application through Broad-band or base band/dial up

connection. Application is located on the enterprise server which is accessed by the client through the

internet connection. Access may be given to single application software or the entire operating system. Web

based environment can be combined with and applied to both centralized or decentralized to optimize the

performance.

Web based architecture can be used, either to give access to the company employees to the information

system e.g Virtual Private Networks (VPN) in case of banks or to give access to any body and every body to

company's information system.

Following example can explain the concept in a better fashion. Two users A & B present at remote

locations or we can say outside the organization may want to access the server located within the

organization. They may get connected with the internet and access the server located in the organization.

The server needs to be online as well so as to be accessed by A & B through any of the means (broad band,

base band, wi-fi, or satellite). Hence data can be transmitted and retrieved using the internet. Availability of

connection of proper bandwidth allowing appropriate internet connection speed is critical to both

transmission and retrieval. Due to this reason, companies have taken dedicated lines to enjoy uninterrupted

service.

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Information System (CS507)

Remote User A

Remote User B

27.5 Internet

An interconnected system of networks that connects computers around the world via the TCP/IP protocol.

Companies contact Internet service providers for availability of connection which allows them to be a part

of internet. An intranet is a private enterprise owned communication network that uses Internet Protocols,

network connectivity, and public telecommunication system to share organization's information or

operations with its employees, and to enable the employees to communicate with each other.

The Internet`s technological success depends on its principal communication tools, the Transmission

Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). They are referred to frequently as TCP/IP. A

protocol is an agreed-upon set of conventions that defines the rules of communication. TCP breaks down

and reassembles packets, whereas IP is responsible for ensuring that the packets are sent to the right

destination.

Data travels across the Internet through several levels of networks until it reaches its destination. E-mail

messages arrive at the mail server (similar to the local post office) from a remote personal computer

connected by a modem, or a node on a local-area network. From the server, the messages pass through a

router, a special-purpose computer ensuring that each message is sent to its correct destination. A message

may pass through several networks to reach its destination. Each network has its own router that

determines how best to move the message closer to its destination, taking into account the traffic on the

network. A message passes from one network to the next, until it arrives at the destination network, from

where it can be sent to the recipient, who has a mailbox on that network.

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