Information technology (IT) plays a fundamental role in the contemporary business. It is important for an organization to have the right systems and to develop the necessary capabilities that will enable it to operate optimally and efficiently. Therefore, the management of IT resources will often involve the use of configuration management and process modeling, and each has differing applications.
Configuration Management
Effective data configuration is central to the success of any organization. Configuration management (CM) is concerned with having up-to- date information that describes both the hardware and software in the organization (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). The data in this case is meant to depict the entity’s programming and equipment. The data in question includes versions and updates that may be applied to the software packages that the organization has installed. CM can be considered as a sort of inventory management for the organization’s IT resources. Therefore, one needs to first ascertain what the entity in case the system requires an upgrade, whether hardware or software (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). The technician in charge of the process is able to make an informed decision because sees what is installed in the configuration management program and the database and then identifies the gap.
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CM can be seen as a means through which an organization documents the status of its systems and programs. It not only provides a 360- degree view of a product’s present configuration but it also provides an update of its capabilities both physically and functionally (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). Documentation is at the heart of a well- functioning CM protocol. It seeks to manage the products and processes in the organization through the proper handling of data, documents, and data. For example, all the people involved in the execution of a project should be in a position to access and use accurate information throughout its life cycle. Implementing a good CM system enables an organization to develop an understanding of its IT infrastructure and capabilities. It helps in improving an entity’s control over its IT assets while providing useful insights on the same (Morris, 2007). In the long term, the business is able to save a lot of money as a result of having a good CM system.
Process Modeling
Process Modeling, also known as business process modeling is used to analytically present or illustrate the business processes in an organization on an as- is basis. Its origins can be traced from classical software engineering methods (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). It serves the purpose of laying the foundations for future process improvements as well as designing future to- be processes. in a model, similar processes are usually grouped together. Process modeling as well as business process discovery is a critical part of business process improvement (BPM) that is used by firms to take stock of the processes that they use in their operations (Morris, 2007). While it may be an IT function, process modeling is applied across a host of business functions and it is important for all the people in the organization to understand it. Therefore, the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a standard that is applied across the board when illustrating processes. It includes flow- chart diagrams that are easy to understand for everyone.
Process modeling has its use in systems development. It focuses only on the process part and is an anticipation of what will happen while the actual work takes place in the development phase. A model is simply a depiction of reality (Morris, 2007). It can be used to better understand existing systems or to document business requirement as well as technical designs for a new system. Two broad types of models exist. Logical models simply show what a system is or what it does. The depiction they give of a system is not dependent on its implementation because it is implementation- independent (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). On the other hand, physical models go beyond just what a system is or it does to also include its physical and technical implementation.
The flow of work as well as the functions that a system performs is depicted by a data flow diagram (DFD). The DFD relies on symbols for diagrammatic representation on various processes (Bider & Schmidt, 2014). The diagrammatic aspect is useful as it helps in the analysis and modeling of component parts. It also helps the analyst to communicate better with the user especially since there is a barrier between the technical and the non- technical persons in the organization.
Comparison
Undoubtedly, both configuration management and process modeling have important applications in any organization. However, process modeling will have more applications in the entity’s processes and systems. While configuration is all about taking stock of what the organization has at the moment, process modeling not only considers and documents what it is in existence but also new processes and systems that the entity intends to develop. Therefore, it has more scope for application across a wide range of situations (Morris, 2007). However, it is worth noting that both have a wide range of uses and come in handy in assisting the organization to have the right IT resources and assets.
References
Bider, I., & Schmidt, R. (2014). Enterprise, business-process and information systems modeling : Berlin: Springer.
Morris, P., & Pinto, J. (Eds.),. (2007). The Wiley guide to project technology, supply chain & procurement management: Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
