The CIO is responsible for integrating computers and MIS into the business function, for ongoing MIS operations, and for the planning and implementation of the corporation's MIS strategies. The analysts work closely with people in the user areas to design information svstems that meet the users' data processing and information needs. Programmers design the logic, then code, debug, test, and document the programs. Programmers write programs for a certain application, such as market analysis or inventory management. To do this, they must exhibit logical thinking and overlook nothing.
Some companies distinguish between detelopment and maintenance programmers.
Development programmers create new svstems. Maintenance programmers enhance existing svstems bv modifting existing programs to meet changing information processing needs. At a typical companv, about 50 percent of the applications programming tasks are related to maintenance and 50 percent to new development. This involves selecting and installing appropriate hardware, such as modems, data PBX's, and front end processors, as well as selecting the transmission media. Data communications specialists also develop and implement the software that controls the flow of data between computing devices.