Standards New Zealand has started a new programme of work to deliver the first phase of the organisation's Information Systems Strategic Plan (ISSP) by mid 2010. The ISSP outlines the way we will develop and implement the information systems that will be needed to meet our future business needs.
Our ISSP team is aiming to deliver an updated finance system, a new desktop and server environment, and a modified webshop over the coming two to three years.
Assessing what is available in the market to meet our needs
'The current version of our main operating system expires next year. As our finance system won't run on an updated version of this operating system, we also need to change our finance system,' says Alison Holt, ISSP Programme Director. 'We about to issue a request for information (RFI) to see what is available, following the latest government procurement guidelines on the Government electronic tenders service website http://www.gets.govt.nz/default.aspx?show=HomePage. One of our key objectives is to gain greater functionality for forecasting and enabling the business.'
'The way Standards New Zealand uses information systems has changed considerably since we implemented our systems in the mid 1990s. We need better business information and improved business processes. We are a small and quite complex operation that runs four very different business parts… we're a shop, we do research and development, we're a publishing house, and we're an information provider. Our systems need to meet all these differing business needs and be flexible and adaptable. We're also very mindful of ensuring we enhance and improve usability for any customer-facing applications, such as our webshop.'
'We are looking for innovative and agile solutions, which give us better information, business intelligence, and value for money. As a not-for-profit Crown-owned entity, it's vital we get the very best value possible for every dollar we spend. We'll be keeping our customers and stakeholders informed about progress in coming issues of Touchstone, and seeking pilot customers to gain their input at different times.'
Work streams
A number of work streams come under the ISSP programme – these will be managed by Jas Singh, Business Integration Manager as follows.
- RFI process including high-level business requirements
- Request for proposal (RFP) process including the detailed, agreed business requirements
- Securing vendors to provide the proposed system solutions.
- Creating, assessing, and testing a 'proof of concept' (a mock up of the proposed system solutions)
- Implementing the agreed 'proof of concept' with the contracted vendors
- Transitioning existing data, training, and support for the change over
A diverse group of Standards New Zealand subject matter experts is acting as a virtual team to assist the ISSP programme. Detailed business requirements are being gathered through workshops to ensure the functionality for current systems and desired new systems is captured and documented comprehensively.
For more information about the ISSP programme, email alison.holt@standards.co.nz or call 04 498 3989.
Alison Holt is an internationally acclaimed expert in IT governance and sustainability management, and represents New Zealand on the international Standards stage. She recently led an international IT governance study group including representatives from 17 nations that developed ISO/IEC 38500:2008 Corporate governance of information technology, published in June 2008 and since translated into many languages, including Portugese, Korean, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Slovakian, French, and Japanese.
Standards in action
The Standards New Zealand ISSP programme is using the guidance of a number of Standards, including:
→ AS/NZS ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.
→ ISO/IEC 38500:2008 Corporate governance of information technology
Our ISSP plan was written in line with ISO/IEC 38500.
→ AS/NZS 4360:2004 Risk management.
→ ISO/IEC 27000:2009 Information technology – Security techniques – Information security management systems – Overview and vocabulary.