Rocky Mountain Outfitters Project Development - Assignment Example

RMO Project Report Step Definition of the project General feasibility, resource plan and budget Rocky Mountain Outfitters plansto integrate supply chain management system into its information system (Satzinger et al., 2009).“A supply chain management (SCM) system incorporates processes that seamlessly integrate product development, product acquisition, manufacturing, and inventory management” (Satzinger et al., 2009, p. 9). This definition encompasses four diverse systems and managements in which their integration and collective use are of higher importance as they generate, plan and provide important pieces of information to RMO’s strategic management for integrating this system into its computer information system. And, it is mentioned that the company uses different types of applications, such as COBOL along with VSAM files; however, after 2002, the company replaced the existing system with the use of C++, windows terminal services and DB2 (Satzinger et al., 2009). Despite migrating to the latest application, the company has failed to provide strong integration among those functions (Satzinger et al., 2009). In order to implement CSM, the company is required to include geographical, organizational and information system features in the system so as to obtain the strategic objectives related to this application. In this regard, it is important to highlight that SCM is not only restricted to the application of new or improved database instead it requires the integration and inclusive use of four different tasks which are inbuilt part of business structure of the company: product development, inventory management, product acquisition and manufacturing management. As a result, the company is required to include various business information units and other aspects for effectively implementing the CSM model. Step 2: Identification of system requirements Data requirements and desired outputs, constraints Integration among all constituent parts of CSM will be the main objective for implementing CSM. It has been mentioned that currently the firm has migrated to the new applications. However, this migration has not provided solid and enough support for integrating the four different business aspects of CSM. For example, through integrating four key elements of CSM, the firm will be in a better position to understand the expected and current level of demand of their product and goods in transit and good sold and type of demand and all those other aspects of product, which provide information about the current level of inventory in the warehouse; these are certain aspects which are highly essential for increasing competitiveness and effectively competing the national and international market as well. Aid to decision support system Aid to decision support system will be provided by the implementation of CSM model. Timing is very important for making cost effective business decisions. Currently, RMO’s decision support system is not being used effectively and efficiently as the CSM model has not been fully implemented in the system. As a result, the strategic management of the firm has not been given an opportunity to use the important data relating to products. In this regard, it is important to mention that all strategic and operational decisions are not taken and implemented without having fully and reasonable product related information. And most of the time, wrong strategic decisions have overarching effect on the company’s profitability, financial performance and other aspects of business. In order to avoid those ramifications of incorrect or inaccurate data and information, it is highly essential that the CSM should be enforced as it will generate and gather all relevant information which will be provided to the strategic management for understanding and evaluating the different business aspects of the firm and carry out strategic decision process by the using decision support system. Inventory, manufacturing product development and product acquisition CSM consists of these four areas. Each area has its own database requirements, source requirements and user requirements. For example, before going to manufacture clothing, it is highly essential that the factory manager should know the availability of raw material along with having full access to information pertaining to purchase orders from different clients. After knowing this information, the factory manager will become in a position to go ahead with the manufacturing activity. In other words, for making and implementing this manufacturing decision, it is highly vital that the factory manager should have access to the central database through a terminal access to all information pertaining to the inventory management. More importantly, data flow diagram can also be constructed to display the use and integration of CSM model in the main system. For example, warehouse manager will be required to regularly update the status of inventory in which inflow and outflow of inventory are mentioned. More clearly, the warehouse manager will be required to input the information in the CSM model whereas the strategic decision managers will be required to use that information and make more effective decisions. At the same time, purchase orders managers will also use that information by knowing the status of the available inventory and making orders about the new shipment from the seller of raw material. Step 3: Development of feasibility study Project risks and success probability, economic, organizational and technological aspects System integrity System integrity will be the main risk in implementing CSM. For example, currently many other subsystems are part of the single system in which all other systems working in the main server located in the central office of RMO. Mail order, phone order, retail store systems and web-based catalog and order system are the examples of subsystems working in the company (Standinger et al., 2009). Under this situation, it is possible that the integration of CSM and its inbuilt to the current system may increase pressure on the existing system and there would be chances that the main server might become dysfunctional at times. As a result, the integration of this new system may increase maintenance cost of technology, which is an economic aspect. In other words, the new system will require additional maintenance cost along with installation cost as mention in the book that the firm has not integrated the C++ and windows terminal services and DB2 which have been used only for implementing the CSM. At the same time, after implementing the integration process of CSM, the additional manpower will be required to carry out the tasks generated by the CSM application integration. For example, system maintenance officer will be required for maintaining the application and integration of new subsystem. And the main job description will be to routinely check and update the system so as to ensure faster working of all subsystem along with the main system. Additionally, there are higher chances of successful implementation of CSM integration. Currently, RMO has used different subsystems which have been successfully working and providing important support to the main system. All subsystems are working and generating the expected results. Considering this aspect in view, it can also be deduced that the integration of CSM will also be successfully implemented. Step 4: Project Schedule Requirements of specific resources In the final step, the firm will be required to arrange specific resources essential for integrating the CSM requirements. For example, the firm will be required to incorporate the CSM model in the system at the regional and central level. For example, every regional office will have a terminal access through which its operational staff will be required to provide CSM related information. In this regard, it is important to mention that the regional staff will be specifically told to include a particular type of information. For example, they will be asked to provide inventory information and for this purpose a particular employee will be assigned to include this information to the subsystem. More specifically, this inclusion of information will be from the input side whereas purchase order departments will use this information from the output side of the information. In other words, each department will have their own objectives and based on those objectives, they will use the information and carry out their tasks as well. For them, additional resources in terms of technology, information input and information access will be required. And for them, additional financial resources will be needed. In this regard, it is important to mention that the integration of CSM will be based on trial and error basis in which geographically limited application will be implemented. This implementation will be for a period of one month in which performance of the main system and other subsystems will also be assessed. And if the implementation brings less errors and the system responds positively by highlighting a few running problems, this would be defined as integral part of the system. Reference Satzinger, J.W., Jackson, R.B., & Burd, S.D. (2009). Systems Analysis and Design in a Changing World. 5th ed. Boston: Course Technology. Project Report 2 Step 5: Collection and organization of data Data collection, organization, manipulation and presentation, system security and system integration In the initial step, data will be collected from all resources. Warehouses, factories, suppliers, vendors, and support service departments. In this process, they will be asked to provide the relevant data and information relating to product development, inventory management and manufacting as well. after this step, all the relevant data will be transferred to CSM database which will retain all information relating to the CSM. After collecting this information, this database will be integrated to the central main server where other subsystems are already working and performing their tasks as well. In this regard, it is important to mention that this system will only work for the employees who are directly or indirectly related to the CSM. Each subsystem and their individual operators will be authorized and given access rights to use the CSM information and use them as they consider appropriate. After collecting all data from resources, they will be organized as well. Organization of data will be of crucial importance as it directly attached and related to the efficient and effective use of data. Most of the time, data becomes meaningless as it fails to provides the important hints and directions essential for understanding and elaborating the different trends in buying, selling and transferring inventory from one place to another place. In order to identify trends, all the relevant information will be organization into a single database in which integration of all features, such as product development, inventory management and manufacturing management will be provided. In this regard, it is important to mention that the prime objective of data organization is to provide assistance and support to the strategic management so as to achieve long term objectives. System security will also be a key issue. In this regard, only authorized access will be given to all users. And at the same time, the users will be asked to routinely change password and login information as well. More clearly, the users will be asked to avoid sharing the password and login information with their colleagues. Additionally, in order to avoid hacking threat, the strong antivirus software will also be used. Additionally, the integrity of new system will also be protected. The system’s main objective is to provide important information and the same information will be protected through using backup files and databases which will be generated as soon as the primary data is included to the system. Subsequently, this backup file will be transferred to the main server with different identification file so as to ensure the data integrity. Step 6: System design and documentation ERP For example, separate subsystem will be integrated for each part of the CSM. For product development, individual database within CSM will be provided in which all products related information will be gathered and both primary users and end users will be asked to use them as they consider necessary. In this regard, it is important to mention that the primary users, who will be required to include information relating to the product development, will be required to routinely incorporate all those information that can be further processed and used for decision making not only for the managers but also for the strategic management as well. In this regard, the use of ERP will be crucial importance as it all those prominent features that can be used for CSM purpose. For example, it provides information relating to the status of inventory available at warehouse and inventory in-transit as well. At the same time, it also generates information about product acquisition as well in which placed orders and their information is also visible by the system. Step 7: Development of implementation approach Contingency approach Contingency approach refers to the application of that backup which can be used as an alternative to the primary information or strategy. For example, if CSM integration fails to generate the expected results or data is lost due to some technical issue, in that case, it will be highly essential that the coordination between factory managers, warehouse managers and strategic mangers will be crucial importance as it will enable them to share the relevant information and data till the rehabilitation of the system. In this regard, it is important to mention that the strategic management must ensure that the contingency approach strategy must be clearly provided and communicated to all related staff members as it will enable them to carry out their tasks more effectively. Moreover, Step 8: Development of training approach and schedule for end-users Training and development of staff will be crucial importance. Training of CSM integration and ERP implementation will enable the firm to understand the significance of this subsystem and its future and potential effects on the entire business of the company. For understanding and implementing the ERP, the staff will need a particular training course in which they will be provided the relevant training. However, the ERP has different internal aspects. For example, for inventory management, it has particular application whereas manufacturing and for other aspects, it will operate differently. Keeping these factors in mind, it is highly essential that the firm should select those staff members having the similar job description or those staff members who will have adequate expertise relating to CSM system and the ERP as well. Additionally, there will be two different users as far as the use and application of ERP and CSM systems are concerned. First users will be those who are required to understand both systems and sufficiently capable enough to operate them. And second users will be those who are required to further process the information from those both systems and use them so as to make more efficient and effective strategic decisions. In other words, both require different types of training. More specifically, the second users, who are also known as end-users, will be required to understand all business requirements, business climate, and all those internal and external factors that put effect on the performance and competition of RMO. This understanding is important as it provides an opportunity to make those strategic decisions which are properly supported by the decision support system and other resources. Even for this understanding, they will be required to increase their technical and non-technical skills as well. For technical skills, they need to know customer support system and other systems which enable them to process them in a way to generate the most useful information. Read More