A training program for information technology organizations transitioning to enterprise-wide client/server computing

Abstract

Islands of information are still common place in many organizations. Yet, the growth of electronic-business and the increased use of enterprise resource planning software suggest the transition to enterprise-wide information systems will be one of the most important challenges facing information technology organizations during this millenium.Facing a major "year 2000" software rewrite during the beginning of 1990, the organization in this case study decided to revamp their information systems using client/server technologies and establish a new way of doing business (PCISS Board Minutes, 1995). Their plan was to share data and software across organizational boundaries in an effort to reduce software development costs and increase data quality (PCTTP, 1995).Transitioning to this new paradigm required rethinking how the information technology organization was organized and managed. It also required updating the employee's skills (Lee, Trauth, & Farwell, 1995) and the building of team-based structures (DeSanctis & Jackson, 1994). This case study discusses the training program used to transition the employees to an enterprise-wide client/server computing model, a strategy that supports adult learning issues and fosters the creation of cross-functional teams.