Development in the Field of Information Technology - Assignment Example

Enabling Enterprise Information Systems Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Part Short Answer Questions 3 Question 3 Question 2. 3 (a) 3 (b) 4 Question 3. 4 Question 4. 4 (a) 4 (b) 5 Question 5. 5 Part (2): Case Study Questions 6 6 Question 1: 6 Question 2: 6 Question 3: 7 References 8 Part (1): Short Answer Questions Question 1. The rapid development in the field of information technology (IT) has enhanced communication process and computing. IT development has diverse effects on different domains of a society which include economic productivity, privacy protection, information accessibility and intellectual property rights. Increased use of IT has affected societies in both positive as well as negative manner. The two positive societal effects of increased use of IT could be witnessed in the arena of education and sharing information. Education system with the implementation of IT is facilitated in providing education services to students in an effective way. Education instructors with the assistance of IT are facilitated in playing different roles of supervising as well as teaching students successfully. For instance, education instructors are able to motivate, evaluate and develop students with required study materials and online library support. Additionally, development of IT is also identified to enhance the communication process based on which individuals are able to communicate effectively with people globally. Subsequently, IT has minimised distance and accordingly, interaction and coordination has enhanced. For example, the development of social media technologies aids in communicating with people worldwide (Lee, n.d.). The two negative societal effects of the rapid development of IT includes privacy and intellectual property rights. Privacy is the major concern in a society for misuse of personal and other important data over a communication network. For example, leakage of personal information such as credit card number can cause a major harm to an individual’s wealth through inappropriate use. In the similar manner, infringement of intellectual property rights is another important societal effect recognised for increased distribution as well as duplication of information. For instance, development of duplicate products and/or services might adversely affect the copyright of intellectual property (Lee, n.d.). Question 2. (a) Porter’s value chain model comprises two activities that include primary activities and support activities. In this context, ‘Open Universities Australia’ (OUA), by conducting its operations in accordance with Porter’s value chain is facilitated in maintaining coordination in education service system along with policies. Subsequently, primary activities that include operations, marketing as well as sales and service assist OUA in providing educational services to students on the basis of their needs and learning requirements. In addition, OUA with the assistance of support activities comprising infrastructure, human resources management and technological development will be able to ensure that operations are conducted through appropriate infrastructure by incorporating required human resources as well as advanced technologies (Dagmar Recklies, 2001; Open Universities Australia, n.d.). (b) Porter’s competitive forces is a model with the assistance of which OUA will be facilitated in ascertaining the competitive environment in Australia. In this context, OUA by implementing Porter’s competitive forces model will be able to have a better strategic foresight based on which the university can ensure competitiveness and operational sustainability in the long run. In contrast, OUA with the assistance of Porter’s value chain model is able to provide products and/or services of better added value. Correspondingly, the benefits of the models differ on the basis of which OUA is required to conduct operations for meeting the needs of the students successfully (Porter, 2008; Dagmar Recklies, 2001; Open Universities Australia, n.d.). Question 3. Electronic commerce has developed in a rapid manner in the present business scenario owing to the development in the field of technology. The rapid development of e-commerce is associated with different legal issues for organisations that include infringement of privacy, intellectual property, trademark, copyright, evidential issues. Privacy issues are related to the misuse of personal information of individuals making online transactions. Privacy issues are identified as emerging issues in the present day context owing to enhanced use of technology in different spheres of life and business operations. In this respect, privacy issues are important legal issues for rise is misuse of personal information and credit card transactions among others. Intellectual property, copyright and trademark issues arise for duplication related to brands and company logos that have increased for the use of e-commerce immensely. Development in the field of e-commerce has provided different marketing opportunities to organisations to perform e-commerce activities in worldwide market segments. Contextually, e-commerce has raised the issue of exploitation and piracy, which in turn have adversity resulted in legal issues relating to infringement of intellectual property and copyright among others. Additionally, e-commerce is also identified to raise evidential issues, which signify that in online transactions organisations face the problem of inadequate information about transactions’ proof. E-commerce transactions are conducted with the assistance of magnetic materials that include disks or tapes. It is a paperless transaction and in this context, the admissibility of online transaction data is seemed to be inadequate. Accordingly, e-commerce transactions are exempted from being considered as heresay rule in different instances and legislative bodies (Akomolede, 2008; Nasir, n.d.). Question 4. (a) In the present competitive business scenario, enterprises in the area of social shopping are required to scrutinise reviews, ratings and recommendations with the aim of having feedbacks of customers. Additionally, reviews, ratings and recommendations in social shopping aid in understanding requirements, perceptions and attitudes of customers towards products and/or services offered. Contextually, enterprises are required to adopt open innovation with the assistance of which inflows as well as outflows of knowledge relating to reviews, ratings and recommendations are adopted from other companies based on their intellectual property or inventions (University of California, 2014). (b) The article ‘Is Yelp a bully or just misunderstood’ (http://www.buzzfeed.com/sandraeallen/is-yelp-evil-or-just-misunderstood) by Sandra Allen signifies that Yelp has misused ratings, reviews and recommendations of customers with the aim of increasing market competition for small businesses (Allen, 2013). In this regard, it can be comprehended that reviews and ratings might pose risks for customers in different manners that include misunderstanding the perceptions of customers and loss through inappropriate products and/or services for misperception of customers’ recommendations. Additionally, there are risks of reviews, rating and recommendations for customers owing to the fact that customers with misinformation relating to products and/or services might not be able to accomplish their needs successfully. Additionally, reviews and ratings might negatively influence the conceptions of customers about certain products and/services offered (Allen, 2013). Question 5. The website link (http://www.epicor.com/Cloud/Pages/Cloud-ERP.aspx) provides information about cloud-based ERP system i.e. Epicor Express. Epicor Express is a cloud ERP solution with the assistance of which small as well as medium sized businesses are able to conduct their business operations with a better integrated system. In this respect, businesses with the assistance of Epicor Express are facilitated in managing their multifaceted operations successfully (Epicor Software Corporation, n.d.). Epicor Express assists businesses in performing a broad array of functions as the business operations integrate under a single system. Additionally, the cloud ERP system is also identified to ease businesses in conducting their operations with a better affordable price rates. Subsequently, the system is also recognised to possess a simple installation as well as upgrading process, which aid in mitigating barriers arsing during the implementation process. In addition, the system also ascertains that products and/or services offered by enterprises with Epicor Express are managed properly for minimising complexities significantly. Epicor Express is identified to possess certain risks on complete adoption for organisations which include security risk, decreased control and increased cost. The installation of the system over the long run might lead to data security risk owing to the fact the confidential as well as critical data are stored in Application Service Providers (ASPs). The system is also identified to pose the threat of decreased control in relation to deployment as well as infrastructure. Besides, in the long run, the system increases cost as the software is provided with minimum support (Jakovljevic, 2000). Part (2): Case Study Questions Question 1: The ‘Exploration and Production’ (EP) division of Shell has planned to implement portals with the aim of ensuring that the company is able to enhance the delivery mechanism for adopting changes in IT owing to globalisation in an effective manner. In this regard, the four non-financial factors to be used for evaluating the success of portals include strategic fit, information quality, corporate social responsibilities (CSRs) and facilitating factors (Nhung & Shtembari, 2009). The non-financial measures will aid Shell in having adequate information about operations enhancement with the assistance of portals. The company is identified to implement GeoPortal, EP-One Portal, Facility Services and Wells Portal. In this context, the strategic fit measure will facilitate in understanding the performance of the company after the implementation of the portals. Information quality ensures the flow of information within the company will also ascertain in building better collaboration amid employees and systems. Thus, increased sharing of information might lead to the success of the implementation of portals. Corporate social responsibilities (CSRs) would evaluate the relationship developed by the company with communities and societies. The CSRs measure will also ensure that the technologies used are safe and accordingly, safety as well as environmental factors are considered. The facilitating factors measure will aid the company in ascertaining that the wells of oil and gas are maintained effectively. The facilitating factors would also analyse that the information is shared successfully. Additionally, the measure will also ascertain that operations are conducted in an integrated manner. Correspondingly, the non-financial measures will assist the company in evaluating the success of the portals implemented (Nhung & Shtembari, 2009; Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). Question 2: Being in the position of Knowledge Manager as held by Elder van Schagen, EP-One portal is currently implemented by the company with the aim of improving the overall business operations. The company by implementing the portal would be facilitated with the opportunity of managing its internal as well as external operations successfully. In this regard, the company is required to adopt certain extensions for enhancing its operational effectiveness. The three extensions that are to be considered in the portal are training and development services, expertise advice and linking global operations of Shell’s EP department (Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). The aforementioned extensions are required to be based on certain prerequisites. Correspondingly, training and development services should be provided by Shell in relation to innovative technologies and technical requirements. Respectively, training and development services on the basis of present market scenario aid in ensuring that the employees of the company are able to conduct their operations efficiently (Frederick & Hegarty, 2006; Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). A designated Knowledge Manager should also ensure that the current portal implemented is also supported with adequate IT experts and expertise advice in order to ascertain that the portal equipped with latest technologies is operated successfully. Expertise advice will be of immense importance for the company to provide adequate knowledge about technical skills with the aim of ascertaining that the employees are able to conduct their operations competently (Frederick & Hegarty, 2006; Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). Additionally, the Knowledge Manager is also required to ensure that the global operations of the company are connected with a common server so that information flows in an appropriate manner. Linking global operations of the company will ensure that activities are conducted with better collaboration (Frederick & Hegarty, 2006; Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). Question 3: The EP department of Shell implementing EP-One portal will be facilitated with the opportunity of ascertaining that employees are able to communicate effectively. Additionally, the portal will also ease the company in ascertaining better accessibility to information. In this context, the company with the assistance of the portal will assist every employee in sharing information effectively. Subsequently, the employees on a global context with the assistance of the portal are able to have a better understanding about the objectives as well as requirements of the company based on which operations should be conducted. The employees possessing the required knowledge will be able to conduct their daily operations in accordance with desired goals of the company. Moreover, the employees would also be able to conduct their operations collaboratively. In this respect, the employees would be able to ensure that the business processes followed are intact globally (Pijpers & Jelassi, 2004). References Akomolede, T., 2008. Contemporary Legal Issues in Electronic Commerce in Nigeria. PER, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 2-25. Allen, S., 2013. Is Yelp A Bully Or Just Misunderstood? Buzz Feed Newz. [Online] Available at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/sandraeallen/is-yelp-evil-or-just-misunderstood [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Dagmar Recklies, 2001. The Value Chain. Recklies Management Project GmbH. [Online] Available at: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/fisheries/docs/ValueChain.pdf [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Epicor Software Corporation, No Date. Cloud ERP. Cloud. [Online] Available at: http://www.epicor.com/Cloud/Pages/Cloud-ERP.aspx [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Frederick, H. & Hegarty, C., 2006. Sources of Funding for Irelands Entrepreneurs. Lulu.com. Jakovljevic, P., 2000. Essential ERP - Current Market Trends - Part II. Articles. [Online] Available at: http://www.technologyevaluation.com/research/article/Essential-ERP-Current-Market-Trends-Part-II.html [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Nasir, M. A., No Date. Legal Issues Involved in E-Commerce. ACM Digital Library. [Online] Available at: http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/990000/985607/v4i49_nasir.pdf?ip=117.249.66.230&id=985607&acc=OPEN&key=4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E6D218144511F3437&CFID=405690176&CFTOKEN=26155503&__acm__=1408275643_bdfa7a2091d7cc5ebaf78b16c9e2f1f6 [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Nhung, N. C. & Shtembari, E., 2009. Key criteria in Project Evaluation. A study of New Service Development, pp. 1-86. Open Universities Australia, No Date. About Us. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.open.edu.au/about-us/ [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Pijpers, G. & Jelassi, T., 2004. The Exploration and Production Enterprise portal of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. Case Study, pp. 437-450. Lee, K. R., No Date. Impacts of Information Technology on Society in the new Century. News. [Online] Available at: http://www.zurich.ibm.com/pdf/news/Konsbruck.pdf [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Porter, M. E., 2008. The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, pp. 24-41. University of California, 2014. Program in Open Innovation. What is Open Innovation? [Online] Available at: http://openinnovation.berkeley.edu/what_is_oi.html [Accessed August 12, 2014]. Read More