MIS, MSORMAN, and IBM

Last Saturday, I was so excited to attend to our MSORMAN class. It’s been already 10 years when I graduated from AMA Computer University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering. I’m longing for advance studies because I want to learn more about Information Technology, but this time I want to focus and learn more on IT management rather than technical skills.

I believe that technical skills can be acquired through experience, since I’m an employee of IBM, and my current designation is Systems Administrator. Technical skills can also be learned through online trainings, and training videos like CBT Nuggets, and Train Signal. I’m a Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 and Enterprise Administrator on Windows Server 2008, and a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist in Windows Server Virtualization, and since I’m a COE graduate, I have preferred to take Master in Information Systems as my advance course.

I’m very grateful to IBM for giving me this opportunity. We all know that Asia Pacific College is a joint venture of SM and IBM Philippines. I’m very thankful that I availed a 25% tuition fee discount.

I’m honored because I belong to a class of IT professionals with different roles and expertise. From teacher, technical consultant, IT auditors, to managers, our class has a very good blend of IT professionals. I started to make friends with them, and because I want to learn from their experiences, especially my classmate JC, who is a Technical Consultant from HP. I was surprised because I had a classmate who doesn’t have any industry experience because she only graduated last March of this year. For me, it will be difficult for her to relate with the topics that we will be discussing in the course. 

When we began with the discussion of our first topic for the subject, our professor gave a quotation presentation slide stated that “If your mind is EMPTY, It is always READY for ANYTHING; It is OPEN to EVERYTHING. In the BEGINNERS’ mind, there are MANY possibilities, In the EXPERTS’ mind there are FEW.” This is true, especially to a student like me who is new to the subject, and there’s a burst of motivation and eagerness to learn more. For a beginner like me, I believe that there are a lot of possibilities and wonderful opportunities ahead of me. I’m aiming to become an IT Service Delivery Manager or an IT Project Manager. I hope that I will achieve this goal, and MIS course makes me qualify to be in the position.

In IBM, I have two managers, one from IBM Solutions Delivery (ISD), and one from IBM Global Process Services (GPS). We call our manager in ISD as People Manager, and our manager in GPS as Client Manager. Our ISD Manager defines our objectives and goals for the whole year.  He always coordinates with our GPS Manager regarding on SLAs and Projects. Our GPS manager is responsible on planning our future projects, especially our Project MOVE that we will be implementing this year. MOVE in a sense that we will be moving our infrastructure from PBCOM Makati to Nuvali, Laguna. This is a very big project, and I will anticipate that it will cause me a lot of sleepless nights, and a bunch of overtime.

Usually, IT Managers are responsible in project planning, organizing, leading and controlling their team. However, in my case, by which I have two managers, my GPS Manager is more visible. Unlike with the other one which is working in the background. All functional areas of an organization are present in IBM: Finance, Admin and Logistics, Production, Sales and Distribution, and Marketing. 

Finance – It is a duty of finance department of company to make the budget before actual providing money to any department. It will be helpful to fulfill each department with minimum cost. Finance department can take the past records from respective department. It will be useful for making better budget.

Admin and Logistics – Maintain complete and accurate records at all times to ensure a more efficient emergency response and recovery.

Productions – This is the operations. In IBM, we have 16 production accounts, and plus the support group.

Sales and Distribution – Responsible for ensuring that sales policies, programs, plans and activities are implemented. The department is accountable for monitoring and evaluating business performance based on set objectives and generating reports that evidence the level of performance and compliance.

Marketing – studies the market and the target customers, decides the best way to reach these customers, and works with the rest of the company to help determine the new product needs of the market.

Our professor also explains to us the “Levels of Organization”. In IBM, I’m part of the operational group, because of my technical expertise. The mid-level group comprises of our department managers, and the top-level group is the IBM executives (CEO, CIO, COO, and etc.). I do believe in the saying that the more you got promoted the lesser you become technical/knowledgeable in operations but, the more you become effective in interpersonal skills.

IBM is an emerging organization. IBM cares about their employees. IBM promotes work and life integration from which an employee can work at home. IBM has a sleeping area/facility for call center agents, which is very beneficial to those employees who rendered a night-shift work or overtime. They can take a nap during their breaks and after their shift schedule. IBM offers a lot of training programs to educate and nurture their employees; both technical and soft skill trainings are being offered for free. Another is that, we also have a Clinic per site that offers medical services. Over the years, IBM evolves into a great company of innovation, and expertise that makes me proud to be an IBMer.

At the end of our session, another quote was shared to us by our professor:  “Every transition begins with an ending.  We have to let go of the old before we can pick up the new, not just outwardly but inwardly.” I can relate this quotation to a principle of “Adapting to Change”.  Change is everywhere. The quicker you let go of old, the sooner you find new. We can learn a lot of things through change.  All we need to do is to accept that nothing is permanent in life. We all need to grow as an individual; professionally, and mentally. We have to let go of the old ways and learn to accept the new emerging technologies and innovative ways.