Information Management: For-Profits Share Insights

For-profits with experience in computer technology have valuable insights to share with nonprofits. Both nonprofit and for-profit managers must respond to a rapidly changing information environment. Executives responsible for computer implementation must: 1. clarify the locus of management information systems (MIS) leadership, 2. respond to the "end-user" revolution, 3. manage capacity for online data systems, and 4. control the costs of software development. The common denominator behind all these issues is the importance of managing the information system environment. Many organizations buy computer systems without perceiving in advance the costs in management time to make the system work for the long term. Engineering management changes after a system is installed is more expensive than anticipating the need when the system is in the design phase. With appropriate internal management, the yield on resources invested will substantially improve, and many expensive and time-consuming mistakes will be avoided.