Keith Lawrence(BSAC)
25-03-2005, 11:49
Hi Tony (and others)
OK ? in Real Life(TM) this is exactly the type of thing that I actually do for a living. I?m a database specialist dealing with all kinds of corporate data, updating, distribution, remote access and stuff like that. As such it has long been my aim to provide exactly this type of functionality within the BSAC. The IT Team has been working towards infrastructure and systems that would enable us to this, it has been a long and involved task with scarce resources but we ARE getting there!
In order to do what you?re all asking for we would need to give you secure access direct into HQ, we would need to set up the communications links and create a separate area (DMZ) on our network complete with web servers and stuff like that. That is where we are now, all of that infrastructure is in now place. The final part of the infrastructure jigsaw was put in only a month or so ago and is currently undergoing testing.
But that?s only a small part of the story? the really difficult bit is the back office databases and software that we would need to overcome the myriad of problems such as security, integrity and synchronisation issues that surround remote access systems. So for the past year or so there has been a team at HQ undertaking detailed research into the availability of integrated membership/contact management systems to replace our aging and inadequate existing systems. Now this kind of thing is not cheap ? it is only within the past year or so that the club has had the resources to even contemplate this. I want to make sure that we get it RIGHT. I?m trying to put in systems at HQ that will last for many years, long beyond my term on Council, and bring the club and our electronic membership services smack bang up-to-date with the kind of facilities you quite rightly expect from a modern organisation.
The process of supplier selection for our new software systems is now nearing completion, I spent two days at HQ earlier this week attending presentations and having meetings about how we are going to progress this. It is a massive task putting systems like this into an organisation, we?re not just talking about a bit of software plonked onto a server here ? we?re talking about changes that affect the entire organisation, the way that it works and the way that our members interact with the organisation.
My next task is to report back to Council. I will be attending the May meeting with a formal paper and proposal (that will happen ? even if I?m not elected!) to progress this towards implementation. We?ve got a couple of stages to go in the procurement and implementation processes, but things are progressing. My target for all of this is in two phases : towards the end of this year the first phase will implement all of the back office systems and procedures and completely change the way that we hold and process membership information at HQ. We?ll then let things settle in before starting phase 2 in 2006 : this second phase will be to implement the remote access end user facilities linking into the back office systems ? it is this that will open up the HQ systems direct to our members ? all of you!
When all of this is complete, hopefully during 2006, you will all be able to access your own personal membership information at HQ. You will be able to change things, you will be able to request things, you will be able to view things like SDC?s and book directly onto them. For our branch officers you will be able to access your branch membership information directly, you will be able to update things like diver grades, you?ll be able to tell us about new members electronically. The capabilities of the type of systems that we want for you are immense, it?s my job as the IT Team Leader to make sure that you get the right systems and that we?re not painting ourselves into a corner for the future. That is why we are taking our time getting it RIGHT!
So? Why haven?t we done all of this before? Two reasons ? infrastructure and resources. When I took over IT HQ was in a dire state IT wise, due to neglect (because of the financial crisis) it was basically falling apart on the IT side. With very little money and resources I embarked upon a program of recovery ? first I stabilised it, then I upgraded it, then I started putting in the facilities that we would need for the future. As recent as a year or so ago we could not even contemplate the type of systems that we?re talking about, we just didn?t have the capabilities to run them. We can now - the IT Team have been working away in the background putting all of this in place.
Due to financial constraints I did look at replacing the back office systems piecemeal using primarily volunteer resources. We put in a lot of analysis and research which has put us in good stead for now, but this initiative failed dismally (as I suspected it would) due to the enormity and complexity of the task. It is only within the past year or so that we have had the money to even consider putting one of these commercial systems in, so that is exactly what we are doing.
It?s all very well people saying ?why don?t you? what we should be doing is??, the words are easy, it?s the actual doing that?s the difficult bit! But it is the actual doing that IS ALREADY going on, it has been for years. Myself, Council and HQ have had this vision of future electronic services for our members for many years ? but instead of just sitting around saying ?wouldn?t it be nice if?? we?ve actually been getting on and doing it. It is not a simple task, it is not a quick task, it is not a cheap task ? but it is something that we must do to run a modern club so we?ve just been getting on and doing it as time and resources allow.
So there you go ? that?s where we are now, that?s where we?re heading. We?re not just talking about it, we?re actually doing it. Anybody who thinks that ?the management? of the club is not even aware of such things and is doing nothing about them is just a little wide of the mark IMHO :-)
HTH
Keith Lawrence
BSAC Council Member
BSAC IT Team Leader
OK ? in Real Life(TM) this is exactly the type of thing that I actually do for a living. I?m a database specialist dealing with all kinds of corporate data, updating, distribution, remote access and stuff like that. As such it has long been my aim to provide exactly this type of functionality within the BSAC. The IT Team has been working towards infrastructure and systems that would enable us to this, it has been a long and involved task with scarce resources but we ARE getting there!
In order to do what you?re all asking for we would need to give you secure access direct into HQ, we would need to set up the communications links and create a separate area (DMZ) on our network complete with web servers and stuff like that. That is where we are now, all of that infrastructure is in now place. The final part of the infrastructure jigsaw was put in only a month or so ago and is currently undergoing testing.
But that?s only a small part of the story? the really difficult bit is the back office databases and software that we would need to overcome the myriad of problems such as security, integrity and synchronisation issues that surround remote access systems. So for the past year or so there has been a team at HQ undertaking detailed research into the availability of integrated membership/contact management systems to replace our aging and inadequate existing systems. Now this kind of thing is not cheap ? it is only within the past year or so that the club has had the resources to even contemplate this. I want to make sure that we get it RIGHT. I?m trying to put in systems at HQ that will last for many years, long beyond my term on Council, and bring the club and our electronic membership services smack bang up-to-date with the kind of facilities you quite rightly expect from a modern organisation.
The process of supplier selection for our new software systems is now nearing completion, I spent two days at HQ earlier this week attending presentations and having meetings about how we are going to progress this. It is a massive task putting systems like this into an organisation, we?re not just talking about a bit of software plonked onto a server here ? we?re talking about changes that affect the entire organisation, the way that it works and the way that our members interact with the organisation.
My next task is to report back to Council. I will be attending the May meeting with a formal paper and proposal (that will happen ? even if I?m not elected!) to progress this towards implementation. We?ve got a couple of stages to go in the procurement and implementation processes, but things are progressing. My target for all of this is in two phases : towards the end of this year the first phase will implement all of the back office systems and procedures and completely change the way that we hold and process membership information at HQ. We?ll then let things settle in before starting phase 2 in 2006 : this second phase will be to implement the remote access end user facilities linking into the back office systems ? it is this that will open up the HQ systems direct to our members ? all of you!
When all of this is complete, hopefully during 2006, you will all be able to access your own personal membership information at HQ. You will be able to change things, you will be able to request things, you will be able to view things like SDC?s and book directly onto them. For our branch officers you will be able to access your branch membership information directly, you will be able to update things like diver grades, you?ll be able to tell us about new members electronically. The capabilities of the type of systems that we want for you are immense, it?s my job as the IT Team Leader to make sure that you get the right systems and that we?re not painting ourselves into a corner for the future. That is why we are taking our time getting it RIGHT!
So? Why haven?t we done all of this before? Two reasons ? infrastructure and resources. When I took over IT HQ was in a dire state IT wise, due to neglect (because of the financial crisis) it was basically falling apart on the IT side. With very little money and resources I embarked upon a program of recovery ? first I stabilised it, then I upgraded it, then I started putting in the facilities that we would need for the future. As recent as a year or so ago we could not even contemplate the type of systems that we?re talking about, we just didn?t have the capabilities to run them. We can now - the IT Team have been working away in the background putting all of this in place.
Due to financial constraints I did look at replacing the back office systems piecemeal using primarily volunteer resources. We put in a lot of analysis and research which has put us in good stead for now, but this initiative failed dismally (as I suspected it would) due to the enormity and complexity of the task. It is only within the past year or so that we have had the money to even consider putting one of these commercial systems in, so that is exactly what we are doing.
It?s all very well people saying ?why don?t you? what we should be doing is??, the words are easy, it?s the actual doing that?s the difficult bit! But it is the actual doing that IS ALREADY going on, it has been for years. Myself, Council and HQ have had this vision of future electronic services for our members for many years ? but instead of just sitting around saying ?wouldn?t it be nice if?? we?ve actually been getting on and doing it. It is not a simple task, it is not a quick task, it is not a cheap task ? but it is something that we must do to run a modern club so we?ve just been getting on and doing it as time and resources allow.
So there you go ? that?s where we are now, that?s where we?re heading. We?re not just talking about it, we?re actually doing it. Anybody who thinks that ?the management? of the club is not even aware of such things and is doing nothing about them is just a little wide of the mark IMHO :-)
HTH
Keith Lawrence
BSAC Council Member
BSAC IT Team Leader