The Impact of ICT on Information Management

THE IMPACT OF ICT ON Information MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION

Over 25 % of a hundred years previously, Ben Russak (1975) known that traditional models of scholarly communication would be undermined by the photocopy machine and the computer. His prediction has kept: the advancement of new information systems which have completely and irrevocably changed the ways that materials are created, structured, stored, transmitted, distributed, communicated, and utilized, have similarly altered the means and modes of clinical communication.

During the past decade, global marketing communications have changed greatly, consequently of the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). ICTs have become necessary if countries are to remain competitive on a global scale.

Oliver (1999) considers ICT as the knowledge that investigates the properties and behaviour of information, the power governing the movement of information and the means of producing information for perfect accessibility and usability. In the past couple of years Information Communication Technology (ICT) has disperse through the whole world in a huge way. Computers are finding their way into classes and higher learning corporations, government and the private sector, and other organisations. Oftentimes, ICT has penetrated work and learning surroundings unplanned. Many government authorities and users acknowledge the potential of ICT and the opportunities it provides, particularly for economical and social development where distances and traditional systems have tended to hamper progress. ICT also presents opportunities for recordkeeping in expanding countries. Bamiro and Liverpool (2002 in Akwegwu et al 2011) discover that the computer (ICT) has already invaded and dominated universities in the developed world. It has also been widely acknowledged that ICTs have the potential to play an instantaneous role in the search for lasting and equitable development in UNDER-DEVELOPED countries.

In Ghana, within the last few years there have been attempts by government authorities past and show improve Ghana's information highways due to realization of the utilization of ICT as an instrument for ecological development, which is indeed significant. This has resulted in some advancements in ICT infrastructure though there continues to be room for even more improvement. The private sector in addition has been very instrumental in trends in this sector, building some form of infrastructure on their own with great success.

Records management as a field of work and as a means of ensuring efficiency is not given the required attention which it deserves in Ghana until just lately when both general public and private organizations have began to pay attention to good data management systems and methods. Although International Standard for the management of business data (ISO 15489) stresses the need once and for all records management as a highly effective way for countries and organizations to fulfil their responsibilities and meet objectives of the stakeholders, this need has suffered a significant backlash in Ghana.

Records and record keeping constitute the life wire of organizations (Egwunyenga, 2006). It would be very hard to plan and administer any organization like the institution effectively if data are not maintained and supervised properly. School details are documents, literature, diskettes and data which contain home elevators what goes on in the school (academic and non-academic activities), school personnel, students and also other school resources such as instructional materials (Olagboye, 2004).

Record keeping and management ought to be used as a vital responsibility by school authorities due to indispensable role data play in the effective day-to-day jogging of the institution. However, most institution authorities don't have a good culture of record keeping. The few details that are maintained are usually not properly stored, thus creating the situation of retrieval to users when needed.

The few school authorities that have adopted the digital record-keeping practice in the record management system of these institutions have increased above such problems of safe-keeping and retrieval, as ICT affords the opportunity to have a quick and easy view of all the records on school activities. Technological growth had contributed to the effective safe-keeping and management of university records.

ICT and record management have a strong degree of commonality and many complementary skills. ICT and record management are both concerned with the creation, storage space, ease of access and security of digital information. The ultimate goal of both record management and ICT is to aid, protect and allow the business of the company in a cost-effective manner now and in the future. Information and Communication Technology is the major change identified in the world of record management.

However, where ICT technical engineers and maintains systems to control an organisation's information investments, the target of record management is on safeguarding, classifying and preserving the authenticity of records, so they continue to be accessible and function as evidence of the business enterprise conducted for as long as they are required to be held.

With Information and Communication Technology, Record Management should be simple in comparison with the complexness of traditional record keeping. The usage of ICT for university record keeping and management provides a synopsis of the amount of students that signed up, accurate home elevators students' fees repayment status, and a comprehensive database of staff, students and instructors with just a click. However in most of the tertiary establishments in Ghana the truth differs where their data and record management are done manually and Ho Polytechnic is no exception.

1. 2Problem Statement Problem Statement

In recent years Information Communication Technology (ICT) has spread through the Pacific region in a big way. Computers are finding their way into universities and higher learning corporations, government the private sector, and other organisations. In many cases, ICT' has penetrated work and learning surroundings unplanned (Setareki Story and Opeta Alefaio, National Archives of Fiji 2005). Example, in the past years, typing was finished with typewriters, then there is a transformation to the use of computer systems, now, not only are pcs used to type, but one can programme it for taking dictations of notes and type them. However, Ho Polytechnic since its inception is currently seeing some level of ICT innovations where a program called topas was released to generate students' record. This is causing problem of updating students' records by itself and type in data cannot be evolved. Lecturers and students are not comfortable with the program, so new programs are being released but you may still find lapses in the record keeping and management systems which have to be addressed.

Retrieving or getting information or documents on students, staff and folks in polytechnic community is difficult. In the overall Office, you may still find bulky files which are presumed to be records of the polytechnic and the use of computers; should it mean that filing is done both manually and with personal computers? Also students Transcripts, attestation and results requires a long time before they get them. How come it take such a long time a time? Taking a look at the population of about a thousand and above, students still queue for a number of number of days to own their enrollment done per at once paper.

Results of students need to be processed as quickly as possible that's the reason there is the need for the use of ICT to increase the process of retrieving data files when needed. This problem must be checked prior to the institution lose its customers (students) because there are other institutions out there that have a well-planned record management systems and students information are retrieved promptly. It looks disturbing that a big company like the Ho Polytechnic seems to have problems with record management in this era of ICT. This research looks for to outline the necessity of the authorities of the organization to migrate by any means to the utilization of the ICT and the many benefits which comes along with it, which will go a long way to ease the work of the administration and the college student body all together. Thereby answering the question when will we ever stop spending days and nights in a queue to register at the start of each semester.

1. 3 Justification

Since the penetration of ICT in to the under-developed countries, there have been several studies on the impact of ICT on record management, education systems and the development of Ghana all together. (Adebi, Teye Emmanual, 2012; George Amanortsu et al, 2013; Albert Kwansah et al, 2012). Adebi, 2012, in his research on the examination of ICT in senior high schools, discovered that lack of training, knowledge about personal computers and experience in the use of computers are the factors affecting the utilization of ICT in classrooms. George et al 2013, conducted a report on the gain access to and consumption of ICT in the Polytechnics, reveal that experience of introducing more and various ICTs in classrooms and other educational adjustments suggest the full realization of the educational advantages of ICT. Albert et al, 2012 researched in to the use of ICT in the front office operation of chain hotels in Ghana. It had been discovered that ICT has positive impact on the front office of string hotels by lowering queues to the hardly negligible. However there has been no extensive research on the impact of ICT on record management in institutions in Ghana. Ghana's populace is increasing and for that matter the increase in student human population in tertiary institutions which means more administrative activities making retrieving or getting information or information on students, staff and folks in polytechnic community difficult so the need for better plus more strict way of record keeping and management.

1. 4 Research Questions

In view of the objectives set for the study, the analysis is guided by the following questions:-

What is the value of documents management in Ho Polytechnic?
How and what method will be followed for ICT to truly have a positive effect on Record Management?
What form of data foundation management system does Ho Polytechnic utilise?
Is Ho Polytechnic system of record keeping programmed or manual?
What ways would ICT be used to improve documents management system.

1. 5 Objectives of Study

The main target of the study is to research how ICT has added to the enlargement of data management in Ho Polytechnic.

To determine the importance of Documents Management in Ho Polytechnic.
To determine the result of ICT on record Management
To find out if Ho Polytechnic has a data platform management system.
To find out if record system is programmed or manual.
To determine ways to improve record management systems using ICT

1. 6. Need for the Study

This review is expected to provide a basis for extensive information on information and communication technology and its own impact on record management in institutions in Ghana. The study will established the prevailing gaps in the adoption of information and communication technology in the record management of Ho polytechnic in the Volta region of Ghana.

The consequence of the study has the potential to add immensely to the strategic decision making of the top management of Ho Polytechnic. This will enable them to give much focus on files management using ICT and automate most of their process such as scholar registrations, cost pay and consequence among others for effective and successful management of the establishment. The analysis would also be good for policy decision designers for taking concrete decision on how the tertiary system in Ghana should be ran as well as how to keep information for quick and timely decision making by using ICT.

Also the result of the study would help individuals especially entrepreneurs, managers, business organizations who are yet to enter into business to consider all the relevance of ICT in data management associated with an organisation. The analysis would also provide as a reference point material for even more inspection by interested researchers who might want to learn about the impact of Information and Communication Technology on details management

1. 7 Scope of the Study

This analysis will focus on issues bordering on usage of and use of ICT in institutions record management. The target of this research will be on the extent to which usage of and use of ICT by management, staffs and department as whole in an institution's record management and the impact they have made on the record management. The scope of the analysis is limited to Ho Polytechnic, as it will be easier for the experts to attain their content.

Ideally, it could have been appropriate to include other tertiary institutions in the study to become in a position to compare access and use of ICT in various establishments record management since this is an issue in most tertiary companies in Ghana. However, the cost involved in such endeavor and enough time available for the research has not made this possible.

1. 8Limitation of the Study

As it is with any research that will need findings, the research will be limited by variety of factors which include: time, finances and usage of information on the topic. Time is a constraint due to the fact that the time allocated for the study is short to permit adequate collection of information on the analysis. Finances pay a significant role in researches of the kind. This is so because the researches need to buy materials, printing documents and happen to be the area of data collection. Without funding the study will not portray the true picture it supposes to produce.

The primary unwillingness of the school administrators in allowing the experts to work with their establishment for the study research and the provision of requested information. The unwillingness of a few of the respondents to come back the questionnaires is another constraint to the study. It really is anticipated that some respondent won't cooperate during research data collection. Others will only tick the responses without complete reading and knowledge of the questions well.

Organization of Study

The research has been divided into five chapters.

Chapter one (1) describes the intro of the study, the problem statement, justification targets, research questions, need for the study, opportunity, limitation and business of the analysis. Chapter two (2) includes the literature overview of the study, places the theoretical foot of the research and to set the current research perspective showing the condition of the artwork and it is the reviewing of supplementary data. Section three (3) includes the techniques of data or information gathering. It includes this is of the study area, , its populace, research design, test size, the sampling techniques, the mode of data collection and examination. Chapter four(4) deals with data demonstration and analysis. Chapter five (5) addresses synopsis of the major conclusions this is the conclusion and recommendation.

The Impact of ICT on Data Management