Integrating Information Technologies into Large Organizations

Abstract

NASA Langley Research Center’s product is aerospace research information. To this end, Langley uses information technology tools in three distinct ways. First, information technology tools are used in the production of information via computation, analysis, data collection and reduction. Second, information technology tools assist in streamlining business processes, particularly those that are primarily communication based. By applying these information tools to administrative activities, Langley spends fewer resources on managing itself and can allocate more resources for research. Third, Langley uses information technology tools to disseminate its aerospace research information, resulting in faster turn around time from the laboratory to the end-customer. This chapter describes how information technology tools are currently cutting cost and adding value for NASA Langley internal and external customers. Three components from a larger strategic WWW framework are highlighted: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Integrated Computing Environment (ICE), and LANTERN (Langley’s intranet). Based on experiences with these and related projects at Langley, we suggest that there are four pillars of information technology project success: training; provision of useful services; access to enabling tools; and advertising and advocacy.