Applying

Computer and
Mobile Health
Technology
Lo2: Apply the functions of technology
 SELECTING NEW
TECHNOLOGY

• There is so much technology available

• Choose by evaluating the options and
determining what is most relevant for your
needs.
• THEN select the BEST specific products and
services for you
• New technology does not automatically
guarantee benefits for organization.
TRENDS and DIRECTIONS
• Information technology rapidly becoming More
powerful and cheaper computers. In the next
few years we can look forward to even
• Faster
• Greater processing speed
• Greater storage capacity
• advance in communication continue to be made as
cost decline
Communication is an integral part of IT as
computer to communicate with each other all
over the world.
 This means that we are now a truly global society
where it is just as easy to do business across the world
• And possible to predict exactly what
information technology application will occur
but the following are some to keep on eye on:
• Voice recognition: the ability of
computer to recognize and translate
speech.
• Expert system ad artificial
intelligence: these are system that
undertake complete decision making
tasks.
• Mobile computing: already exist to take
your office with you. E.g you can receive
email message by using mobile
• Video conference: ability to hold face to
 SOURCES of
INFORMATION
• How can you keep informed?
• Collect information from
• Consultant
• Supplier
• Contact
• Networked people
• Publication
• Trade show
 CONSULTANTS

• The experts in IT
• Research available and new solutions
• Research companies
 SUPPLIERS

• New Product shows

• Bill Gates, Microsoft
• Apple
• Adobe
• IBM
• Digital
• Mailing lists
 CONTACTS
• Other people
• Colleagues, past and present
• People you studied with
• People you’ve met at
• Suppliers presentations
• User group meetings
• Professional organizations – Microsoft
 PUBLICATIONS

• Get information on the latest

developments and future trends from
• IT specific publications
• Generic publications with IT articles
• Internet searching most companies have
websites
 TRADE SHOWS

• Exhibitors at IT trade shows are

suppliers showing their latest products
and services.
• By attending a trade show, you can find
out which of the latest developments
might be useful to you in your IT
strategy
 EVALUATING NEW
TECHNOLOGY
• The nature of industry such that there are
many new IT products and services on the
market at any time.
• But is it good/relevant/ for your organization?
And you have to decide which are worth more
detailed consideration
• To determine this go back to strategic plan?
• Does it fit in with the strategic plan?
 IT BUSINESS STRATEGY
The table shows Extract from an information technology strategy pla

Business Strategy Information

Technology
Develop closer Implement a
relationships with customer information
customers system
Make better Implement a decision
management support system
decisions
 NEW PRODUCT
CONSIDERATION
IT action Gener Custom Decisio Decisi Word
al er n on processing
ledger knowled suppor suppor Voice
syste ge base t t Recognitio
m system syste n system
A mB
Impleme
nt a
customer x  x
info
system
Impleme
nt a
decision x   x
support
system
 Evaluation shows that ….

• customer knowledge database

• decision support system A and decision
support system B are consistent with the IT
strategic plan and worth further
consideration
SELECTING NEW TECHNOLOGY

your evaluation technology identified

products and services that fit in with the IT
plan
So; select the right ones for your
organization
Some practical selection criteria you can
consider these criteria are
 Function, net benefit, security, growth, delivery
time, software hardware, support and risk
 FUNCTIONALITY
• what does it do? If you have a choice of
product there may be differences in the
feature provided
• how well does it do it?
• Comparisons
 COMPARE PRODUCTS

Functionality Product Product

A B
Reports by age groups  
Reports by geographical  
areas
Reports on spending  
patterns
Reports on product  
preferences
Reports by income  x
 NET BENEFITS
• Net benefit is the difference between the
benefit and the cost of the product or
service
• Benefit and cost can be categorized as
• tangible benefits
• Are gain for the organization that can be
measured in in terms of dollar/birr.
• Example: staff reduction and storage savings

• intangible benefits
• Positive change that results from the solution
but are difficult to measure.
• Example
• Better decision making
• Improved customer service
• Tangible costs
• What the organization gives up and can be measured usually
in terms of dollar/birr.

• Software
• Hadware
• labour to implement technology
• Intangible costs
• Can not be measured but can be significant factor.
• decreased staff morale
• lower productivity
 SECURITY

• Does the system including the data need to

be controlled? You should consider security
feature.
• user log-in codes and passwords
• selective access
• data encryption
• password-protected screensavers
 GROWTH

• The rate the business at which is growing is

a consideration.
• can the new technology keep up with your
company’s expected growth?
for example, if you expect to
• increase customers by 10% each year
• increase sales orders by 15% each year this
growth must be taken into account when selecting
a question
 DELIVERY TIME

• Is the time frame achievable?

• For example:
Strategic plan calls for one-year
SOFTWARE and
implementation, but two years to complete

HARDWARE
does the new technology fit with existing infrastructure?
 SUPPORT

• Training
• Documentation
• help desk support
• time frames – if computer breaks down,
expected maintenance time?
 RISK

• What is the chance of success?

• What level of risk are you willing to accept?
• HIGH RISK – greater chance of problems, more
possibility of failure
• Failure may be high if its new and untried
• Rewards may be high if you have gained a
business advantage over others
• LOW RISK – greater chance of success but for
less reward.
Selecting New Technology

• Choosing he new technology require you to

consider the above criteria and make a
decision on that basis.
• Sometimes a standout solution and decision
is easy. Often it is not straightforward.
• For example: one product may lead in the
functionality criteria but another may
provide a greater net benefit. Another may
have low risk and so on……
 SELECTING the TECHNOLOGY
Comparison of similar products
Criteria Product A Product B
Functionality Satisfies all requirements Satisfies all requirements
except providing details of
customer’s income
Net benefits Expected to save $50,000 Expected to save $45,000
per year per year
Security Adequate Adequate
Growth Will satisfy expected Will satisfy expected growth
growth for the next 5 for the next 5 years
years
Software & Needs an upgrade of Runs on existing hardware
hardware hardware
environment
Support Training, documentation Training, documentation and
and help desk support help desk support provided
provided
Risk New product from an Existing product used by
 MEASUREMENT CRITERIA

• After the implementation of the new

technology you should be able to loop
back and determine wheatear the new
technology has been successful.
• After implementation – compare your
business goal and planned action to
see if the new technology has
achieved success/not.
Business Goal Planned action
Reduce costs by Automate a labour-
$10,000 a year intensive function

Increase efficiency by Implement a more

increasing production efficient production
by 10% with current control system
staffing levels
• Have costs been reduced by $10,000 per year ?
• Has production increased by 10% ?
 Activity 7.5
• Think of an IT related goal for the first
and second business goals in table that
could be used to measure the
effectiveness of the new technology
Business Goal Planned Action
Increase quality by Increase the number of
reducing the number inspections of products
of defects by 10% during production
Increase customer Identify profitable clients
service by and their requirements
developing a special
relationship[ with
profitable clients
•The End of
Lo-2
 FOR SECTION A

Part I: Write true if the statement is correct and false if it wrong

1) New technology does automatically guarantee benefits for

organization. [False] does not automatically
2) Information technology rapidly becoming More powerful
and cheaper computers.[True]
3) Expert system ad artificial intelligence the ability of
computer to recognize and translate speech. [False] Voice
recognition
4) The selecting new technology criteria can consider
Function, net benefit, security, growth, delivery time,
software hardware, support and risk [True]
5) Voice recognition are system that undertake complete
decision making tasks.[False] Expert system ad
artificial intelligence
 PART-II: MATCHING

B
A
1) Consultants [B] A), are suppliers showing their latest products
2) Suppliers[D] and services
3) Contact [F]
B) The experts in IT
4) Network people [E]
5) Publications [C] C) Internet searching most companies have
6) Trade show [A] websites

D) New Product shows

E) to share information and experiences

F) People you’ve met at User group meetings

 FOR SECTION B

Part I: Write true if the statement is correct and false if it wrong

1) Video conference already exist to take your office with you.
E.g you can receive email message by using mobile.[FALSE
Mobile computing ]
2) Mobile computing ability to hold face to face meeting over
a long distance. [FALSE Video conference]
3) IT trade shows are suppliers showing their latest products
and services. [TRUE]
4) evaluating technology is used to identified products and
services that fit in with the IT plan So select the right ones
for your organization.[TRUE]
5) Choosing the new technology NOT require you to consider
the criteria and make a decision on that basis. [FALSE]
 PART-II: SHORT ANSWER

Write the sources of information ?

11. ______________[Consultants ]
12. ______________[Suppliers]
13._______________[Contact ]
14._______________[Network people]
15._______________[Publications]
16._______________[Trade show ]