Administrative Systems and Operation Support Systems – A Comparison of IT Governance Maturity

Industrial companies face a situation where information systems are increasingly integrated. The old distinction between administrative systems and operation support systems is slowly vanishing. A growing problem is how information and related technology should be governed when systems are merged. This paper uses the principles of IT governance to evaluate the governance maturity of administrative systems and operation support systems at an electric utility. The COBIT maturity model is used to assess the performance of ten IT processes. Results show that administrative systems are better documented and formalized, while operation support systems’ processes for information security, availability, and change management are generally more mature. Knowledge of these differences in IT governance maturity can serve as valuable support for decision-making regarding the integration of information systems and organizations.