Hi-Tech Gadgets Application in the Business Processes - Essay Example

Answer The recent years have seen an unprecedented advancement in technology that has affected every aspect of one’s life. Of all the hi-tech gadgets, the computer and its related fields have been able the ones that have totally redefined the lives of the masses. Its application in the business processes has greatly facilitated communication among various inter-related factors through the tacit manipulation of the informed choices by the organizational leadership. It has thus created a wider database of new opportunities in the real world and has become a necessary business tool with its wide range of applications in the ever expanding and competitive global environment. Data, information and knowledge are the three major elements of the informed choices that need to be effectively linked within the organizational goals and objectives to promote collective goals through shared vision. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand these factors so as to exploit them and gain leverage to improve and improvise performance outcome. The data can be broadly defined as the facts related to various issues and subject areas within the organizational paradigm. The information is the process of streamlining the data into certain specific format and order so that they acquire value addition by virtue of their arrangement in specified manner. Knowledge becomes the most important part of organizational functioning. Knowledge can be defined as the ideas, thoughts, opinion, observation, application of all these in our everyday life and categorizing them in some systematic format so that can be further used, modified or changed as per our need. The diversity in the area of knowledge is the most important aspect of it. In the context of the organization, knowledge primarily is the expertise of the workforce to exploit the information to improve performance outcome of the organization. Knowledge management through effective communication becomes important part of workplace (Raghuram, 1996). The knowledge worker through his expertise in the defined area becomes an intrinsic part of developing processes within and outside the organizational capabilities. The entities within the database can be broadly define as standalone information that are intrinsically linked to the wider domain of inter-related factors that significantly impact the organizational outcome. The huge scope of database through effective exploitation of information has not only improves and improvised the performance outcome but it has also opened a huge plethora of opportunities for the organizations. According to P.F.Drucker, ‘access to information represents the basic precondition for success of a firm’ (Drucker, 1998). Access to information is vital part of organizational management processes as it not only promotes efficiency and knowledge based discharge of duties by the employees but it a great tool for the management to exploit the available information to improve its performance. Information provides wide ranging knowledge about the existing and emerging paradigms of the business world which may have considerable impact on the organizational performance outcomes. Therefore all organizations strive to develop a comprehensive information system that would promote and accelerate the organizational aims and objectives in a manner that would help it to achieve higher level of efficiency and organizational growth which would offset a competitive advantage over their rivals. Information system development or ISD is the new methodology of storing and manipulating strategic business information that are designed to improve the overall business prospects. The application of ISD in the various spheres of the business including administration, management, productions, accounts and other areas which are intrinsically linked to produce the desired outcome of efficiency, quality and profits. The various new approaches to ISD like MIS (management information system), payroll, AIS (accounting information system), Networking through website development and internet etc, has not only smoothed the administration and management of the productions and other related processes but it has also helped to create a wider consumer base resulting in better revenue. Of all the technological marvels, internet has emerged as one of the most popular medium of communication with its wide range of applications in the ever expanding and highly competitive business environment. “The Internet with its low-cost entry and ease of use quickly changed how information was exchanged and removed the distance barriers for business partners. The idea of trading on the Internet has generated great interest especially among the smallest companies, formerly excluded from EDI1 usage (Gottardi et al. 2004). It has redefined the communication with its far reaching implications and has become one of the most important parts of any business strategy. Thus, e-commerce has become a critical factor of success in the contemporary times. The comprehensive and judicious use of information technology in the businesses, have facilitated a better communication among the various economic units that work within the given parameters. IT planning and acquisition has increasingly become vital part of business strategy in the contemporary times. The senior management of the organization is primarily responsible for introducing new technology and the project manager with IT skills is the person who normally undertakes the pre and post implementation of the technology within the organization. The wider implications of the system, incorporating modules of scope creep are essential inputs that make the system more effective in the changing business environment. Scope creep is the ‘change or growth of the project scope’ (Gurlen, 2003). Software development life cycle (SDLC) and software acquisition life cycle (SALC) are integral part of development of effective information system. SDLC process is an integral part of management information system serving as the centralized monitoring system. It coordinates and supports the rest of the functions and user requirements in order to help the organization to achieve all its strategic goals and objectives. It encompasses essential steps that identify the areas and after studying the feasibility of the project, help develop effective information system. The initial phase of feasibility study is the most important phase as it is the decisive factor that decides the appropriateness of the new technology for the organization and the specific areas where the new technology would significantly make a difference. The SALC, on the other hand, examines the existing systems and help identify the one that would suit the requirement of the organization. The rest of the processes of pilot running, implementation and training remain the same as that of SDLC. It can therefore, be emphatically concluded that the relations between entities in a database represent relations and opportunities in the real world. IT skills have become intrinsic part of management strategy and entire workforce needs to include IS within its work culture. The changing times have made it imperative to meet the challenges of the contemporary lifestyle that demands more innovative approach based on the latest technology. (1096) Reference Drucker, P.F. Next information revolution. Forbes, 24 August, 1998. Database: Academic Search Elite. Gottardi G., Bolisani, E. and M. Di Biagi. (2004). Electronic commerce and open communities: An assessment of Internet EDI. International Journal of Services Technology and Management. Volume5. pp.151-169. Gurlen, Stephanie. (2 December, 2003). Scope Creep. Available from: [Accessed 1 July, 2009]. Raghuram, S. (1996).  Knowledge creation in the telework context.  International Journal of Technology Management, 11, 859-870. Read More