IT Architectural Considerations - Case Study Example

? Rock Martin (CEO) Director of Information Technology IT Architectural Considerations and Solutions Details for Proposed Technology Report Proposed Technology Solution The proposed technology solution that best fit the needs of SUH is one that will enable the corporation to successfully merge the financial information of the three business units – SUH, CarbonTech and MyRentals and facilitate the standardization of their inventory system. The EpicorVista system would satisfy the requirements of the corporation as a merged entity with three different business units. One of the business units – CarbonTech, currently utilizes that system and has been operating effectively. IT Architectural Considerations Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is most applicable for SUH’s three business units as it will allow for the integration of the financial systems of the three businesses. Themistocleous et al (n.d.) indicates that ERP systems were introduced in businesses as a means of solving different types of problems and integrating their IT infrastructure. The EpicorVista is especially suited for all kinds of businesses including manufacturing, retail and services. The solutions encompass all the requirements pointed out in the memorandum which was sent earlier. The company is involved in all three areas and putting a system in place that would facilitate the efficient and effective operations of the businesses would be worth the expenditure. This would reduce SUH’s operating cost. Instead of having three different information systems there will be only one. The number of license required could be reduced with the introduction and use of the internet as a part of the architecture. Therefore, instead of having a license for each branch of each business unit there would be a maximum of three licenses, incorporating the three business units. The diagram in the Appendix illustrates how the IT infrastructure will look. The Progress Database that is in use at CarbonTech could be considered for all three business units. According to Smart IT Consulting (2006) Progress RDBMS supports almost an infinite number of both users and transactions and requires little maintenance and administration. In addition to that it allows for flexibility and scalability of the system and has a lot more elements to recommend it. In fact, Laudon and Laudon (2006) indicate Relational DBMS offers more flexibility in that it facilitates various types of queries. It also combines information from a variety of sources, and allows for additional data to be included without causing disruptions (Laudon and Laudon 2006). Important IT Characteristics In arriving at a decision on the information system that is required certain characteristics are of paramount importance. The IT characteristics that are most important for the proposed solution at SUH are maintainability, portability, scalability and usability. These are discussed in detail as follows: i. Maintainability – The system has to be adequately maintained if it is to achieve the desired results. The business environment is changing and the system has to be capable of facilitating all the necessary changes that may be required. This has to be done quickly in order to facilitate timely reporting and decision making. Additionally, the company needs to see some improvements in its operations as a result of its implementation within a limited time period. ii. Portability – The system is capable of being used on various types of devices. It allows for use by sales staff that is in the field securing business. Internet connectivity will allow them to spend more time in the field instead of returning for updates. iii. Scalability – This is a major advantage of the EpicorVista software. It can be scaled upwards in order to facilitate increased business including additional users and transactions. Therefore, the success that CarbonTech has achieved with the use of this system can be achieved by the other business units which are much larger. iv. Usability – This is generally a major consideration in choosing an enterprise solution. If the system is not user friendly then users will have problems using it. This will result in errors in data input and therefore output. Time will have to be spent making corrections and this will defeat the purpose of introducing the system. The solution chosen should provide appropriate means such as the use of graphics to allow for ease in the input of data and in making queries. These four characteristics do not exhaust the considerations; however, they are four important elements that should be emphasized. Security and Other Issues A number of other issues are relevant to the implementation of any system. They include: authentication and authorization; prevention and resistance; and detection and response. i. Authentication and authorization - Security is a major element in the implementation of any system. Steps have to be taken to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to the system and that their use of it is limited to their specific responsibilities. This is normally facilitated with the use of passwords. Systems that allow for interconnectivity, such as the one being proposed for SUH are extremely vulnerable. However, O’Brien and Marakas (2011) indicates that another way in which control and security can be facilitated on the Internet as well as on other networks by using firewalls. Internet firewalls prevent unauthorized external access while intranet firewalls prevent internal unauthorized access. ii. Prevention and Resistance – it has been pointed out that CarbonTech is closely managed and that changes may be resisted. This is the only business that is making a profit and its systems appear to be working well. However, in order to integrate the systems a few changes may be required. It is important that it is handled in such a way that it is accepted. The fact that the company is profitable means that they are doing something right and any progress made by them should not be derailed. Therefore, change should not be thrust upon them but should be carefully negotiated and discussed. Change normally results in downsizing and this may be necessary after successful integration. iii. Detection and Response – If breaches to the system are detected it should be investigated as a matter of urgency and the necessary steps be taken to ensure that there is no reoccurrence. However, Grossman (cited in O’Brien and Marakas 2011) indicates that firewalls and SSL encryption do not prevent hackers from gaining access to e-commerce Web sites. The reason for this is that most of these attacks make use of bugs that may be present in Web applications. There are companies that are available to deal with any such vulnerability whenever they are detected. Technical Components of this Solution The technical components of this solution are described in the table below. Technical Components Components Description Uses Hardware The hardware is the physical components of the information system. They include the computer monitors, laptops, tablets, web servers, database servers, and Storage database, printers Hardware is used to enable users to view the output, to print information, and store data. Software EpicorVista Program software The software provides instructions indicating what should be done and how it ought to be done Network A Virtual Private Network (VPN) consisting of the intranet for all three companies, intranet for all three businesses, extranet, servers, routers, internet and firewall. The network consist of various components that facilitate the proper function of the system Database The database has all the necessary data (transactions and other information) that is input on a daily basis. It stores data for later usage. This data is processed into useful information. These include regular and ad hoc reports Components of Proposed Solution The components of the proposed solution are the people who work in the organizations; hardware; software; data; and network. i. The people are important as they represent the users and managers (Database Administrator) of the system. The users are required to input invoices, payments, receipts and orders. They are the ones who will be able to operate the system effectively. ii. Hardware was discussed previously. iii. Software – Contains instructions for the EpicorVista enterprise solution. iv. Data – This is the information that is input to the system. This is stored in the database. SUH will have data consisting of amounts billed (invoices), payments, receipts from customers, and materials ordered from suppliers. The database administrator checks data occasionally to determine whether is redundant v. Network – A network is a system of parts working together. IT includes all computer hardware – things that can be touched. The diagram in the Appendix provides an illustration of the situation. The activities that are carried out by the system includes: input; processing; output; storage; and control. The data is input to the system from users in various departments in each business unit – both internally and externally. The computer processes this information using the EpicorVista Software and it becomes available in some form as output on the computer screen or ready to be printed. The information is also stored for later retrieval. Controls are put in place to ensure that no problems occur and that the output is accurate. Some of the information relate to transactions relating to the requisition and purchase of inventory items and subsequent payments. Others relate to the sale of goods and services and the subsequent receipt of funds. These can be illustrated by way of a transaction processing cycle. The illustration in the Appendix shows that computers are used to facilitate the input processing and output of transactions along with the intranet server to facilitate internal communication. The extranet server and router facilitate communication of information via the internet. The company only requires 3 licenses for EpicorVista and at least one has already been purchased. This is because the internet provides opportunities for sharing the solution at various locations and so although MyRentals have 14 satellite branches only one license is required. References Laudon, K.C and Laudon, J.P. (2006). Managing Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm. 10th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall O'Brien, J and Marakas, G. (2011).Management Information Systems. 10th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill Irwin Smart IT Consulting. (2006). Progress® Relational Database Management System (RDBMS). Retrieved from: http://www.smart-it-consulting.com/catindex.htm?node=46. (Accessed 13 July 2012) Themistocleous, M., Irani, Z., O’Keefe, R.M and Paul, R. (n.d.). ERP Problems and Application Integration Issues: An Empirical Survey. Retrieved from: http://www.hicss.hawaii.edu/HICSS_34/PDFs/ST2EA03.pdf. (Accessed 13 July 2012) Appendix Read More