Introduction to Information System - Report Example

INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEM By Student’s Name Course Name Professor’s Name University Name City, State Date Report Number 1 A. Enterprise resource planning systems involves business management software that permits some organizations to utilize a system of integrated applications to administer the business. The system of software integrates all sides of an operation, including sales and marketing, manufacturing and development. The system usually involves some term for the wide set of activities that enable the business to manage the most significant sections of the business. The detail of information that is made available through the system of ERP helps in the provision of visibility for the crucial performance indicators that the organizations require for meeting their objectives. In essence, such an IT system is designed to integrate all the organization’s department and activities; hence, nearly all the employees in units of the organization can use such software effectively. However, the software does not necessarily mean that it will answer all the needs of all the personnel; it, however, answers some expectations and needs. Therefore, each department contains its own optimized system for some operations and tasks (O'leary, 2000). Enterprise resource planning system can have some significant value that can easily bring to the manufacturing firm like Solaricot. First, the integrated system can yield some vast return to the firm. This is quite possible if the software is installed quite correctly. Solaricot manufacturing firm deals with marketing mostly, hence, when some customer make some order, the process will have to start with some paper document, then it circulates to the whole company, in which case it is entered into the different computer systems. The whole procedure may lead to some delays, lost orders or even various errors, in which case it is connected with the activity of entering the document into eh various systems. Nobody will know the status of the order since it is quite impossible to monitor the process. Therefore, the various departments will have to phone each other if the document is already with them (Nah, 2002). The other value of ERP unto Solaricot manufacturing firm is the fact that, it will provide some foundation to investigate the alignment of whether and how the system will iron out the problems. It will allow Solaricot to investigate between the needs of the company and what the system of ERP can do. The other benefit of ERP in Solaricot is that it will set some expectations for the other ERP implementations, in which case it is it will provide some benchmark for other firms ERP implementations. The system also will help the company in establishing whether it has attained some expectation they wanted from the implementation of ERP. The other value is that the ERP system will help in the replacement of the old autonomous systems, especially with the department of the finance system, the human resources, and the warehouse. Instead, there will be a single system that are divided into various software modules, in which case it will assume control of all responsibilities of the former Solaricot IT solutions (Rainer & Cegielski, 2011). In essence, the enterprise resource planning system will provide flexible solutions, in which case it will help the Solaricot firm in various values. Such a system will operate in real time without even relying on the periodic updates. Because of its common database, there will be the support of all applications. Therefore, such a system will be quite significant for Solaricot, and this is so only if the system is quite installed correctly. B. Some things went wrong with the new system at Solaricot. According to the traditional systems development life cycle methodologies, there are some stages of analysis and designs. All the stages are quite significant, in which case, the methodology used is remarkably extensive. Therefore, the right application of the technique is a guarantee for some thriving project. The traditional approaches incorporate the building phase, which follows the step of design, in which case most of the decisions are made. The design stage requires highly creative activity, which is quite difficult to predict and also requires high qualification. The other stage involving the building might be some to predict and do not require some high qualification. Embarking on Solaricot wrongs, the manufacturing firm implemented the SiME without the customization by the Solaricot IT support staff, in which its aim was to replace the unreliable and inefficient manual system that was in operation for over a decade. Customization involves the design stage and hence, there must be enough consultation widely concerning the installation of ERP at Solaricot. If the management of Solaricot had implemented the SiME with the customization by the Solaricot support staff, then there may be no problem because the IT staff could have made some concrete decision that will have change a lot in the implementation of ERP. The design stage involves creative activity, and it is not a single-person affair as it involves various stakeholders. It also needs some high qualification personnel; hence, the firm should have brought highly skilled experts to add up to the already present IT staff (Rainer & Cegielski, 2011). The new system also had poor source of energy rather the source of energy that was present was quite under-controlled throughout the manufacturing, storage, and transportation. Because the whole project was unusually large with a high level of risk, the firm should have made sure they produce some other alternate source of energy, for instance, nuclear, geothermal, water among other sources. The source of energy should also have enough personnel who are skillful and have enough experience. Such personnel should be fully equipped with the skills and the vast knowledge of SiME. It also requires the full support both financially and technically in all aspects. This is quite essential because the system incorporates the storage of highly crucial data that involve the relevant sales and even the financial data. According to the traditional methodologies of software development, it is quite significant in the building of the software product. The other wrong the manufacturing did involves the employment of unqualified and few full-time IT support staff. The two IT support staff was even unable to detect any technical problem that may have had to occur with the system. The traditional systems development life cycle methodology requires that there is the production of high quality system. In addition, it ensures there is the meeting of the expectations of the customers. The systems are quite complex; hence, they require enough and highly skilled personnel to control them. The two IT staff that the firm did provided was not enough, and it may have made the two not to identify any technical problem that may have had to raise (Shelly and Rosenblatt, 2010). Therefore, if Solaricot could have put in place enough skilled IT staff, provided the right source of energy and ensure there is the allowing of customization by the Solaricot IT support staff, then the whole project could have been a success. The firm should consider the three mistakes that caused the poor implementation of the new system. C. Solaricot manufacturing system should not do away with the SiME. This is because from the case study, some external consultant had to audit the technical aspects of the system and they found that the system was sound and robust. This implies that the system was quite in good condition, and it only required to be implemented again. However, how, considering the fact that the first implementation had seen the system crashing. In the meantime, the manufacturing firm has to continue with the manual system, although such a system is quite unreliable and inefficient. The Solaricot should give a try by implementing the SiME by ensuring they implement it with customization by Solaricot IT support staff. The staff will be of immense beneficial in providing support and the way to go in the implementation, especially for the transition from the manual system to the new system involving high technology. The traditional systems development life cycle methodology requires creative activity, especially at the design stage. This stage involves the need to have high qualification personnel that are why it is so challenging to predict. Though it seems a smll issue in the whole process, it can easily make some significance. Therefore, the manufacturing firm has to plan and involve all the IT support staff, in which case they should be personnel with a high level of creativity (Rainer and Cegielski, 2011). The Solaricot also has to employ other personnel to work in the in the IT department. This is quite of significance to the firm as enough personnel will ensure there is efficiency and any technical problem will make them realize the problem in the shortest time possible. The other thing is that the firm should use the most appropriate source of energy. This will improve in the implementation of the new system in the firm. In conclusion, the manufacturing firm should continue, in the mean time, with the manual system because the system contains the personnel who in the case study, they claim to have some competence. All these will help in the full installation and implementation of the new system in the firm. Report Number 2 Understanding of value is quite crucial for an IT/IS graduate. This is because there have been so many emergences of the digital firms, the global economy, and the transformation of business enterprises among other emergence enables the information systems to be crucial in business in the modern world. The understanding of values by the IT/IS graduates will make them know and have the ability to achieve the strategic goals of the organizational business. IT/IS graduates will know the foundation for the coeducation of business in today’s world. Therefore, when IT / IS student understands the values, they tend to realize such objectives as the operational excellence, competitive advantage, and customer intimacy improved decision-making and the day-to-day survival (Plant & Murrell, 2007). When IT/IS graduates understand various values, their efficiency is improved including the businesses that they operate. This will help them also in achieving a higher profitability. In fact, information systems are quite immensely valuable tools, and the IT / IS graduates ought to have the necessary values for them to attain higher levels of efficiency and productivity in IT/IS operations. For instance, in the case study above, James could have incorporated or rather customized well valued IT/IS support staff for operational excellence (Plant & Murrell, 2007). The other reason involves the customer intimacy. When the IT/ IS graduates know their values, they can serve heir customers quite remarkably well. The customers will, on the other hand, responds by coming back and purchasing for more products. In the case study, the supplier of the new system should have been so intimate with the firm since it was its customer. The supplier could have ensured all the necessary support, logistics and technicalities are in place before leaving the firm. James should have also been intimate with the IT/IS support staffs in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the new system (Reynolds, 2010). The understanding of the values by the IT/IS graduates will help in improving decisions making. Many IT/IS graduates should operate in an information systems bank, and have the right details at the opportune times in order to make informed decisions. Information technology and systems make it capable of graduates to use real time data from the marketplace whenever they are making decisions. Reflecting on the case study, James should have made the right decision ensure he employs the qualified and skilled IT/IS personnel who can be able to detect any technicality and be able to control such. Therefore, James to some extent lacked the understandings of some values (Reynolds, 2010). The other reason that boosts the IT/IS graduates in understanding the values involves them earning the competitive advantage. When the graduates have some values, there is an excellent chance of them being competitive. They might do their things that concern the IT/IS and computer systems better that their competitors, and sometimes they can even charge less for the superior products and also respond exceptionally well to the customers. In the case study, the IT/IS personnel ought to have the best understanding of values, as this will help them gain some competitive advantage. The last reason involves the survival. IT/IS graduates should know that information systems and technology are part of their careers as they have invested a lot and also it will make them survive. The necessities are driven by the various level changes. James and her wife had to introduce the new system in order to make them survive, “the future of us depends on it.” In conclusion, the information systems are the main basis for carrying out the business in the current world. In many industries, the existence and the survival with no utilization of technology are inconceivable, and IT/IS involves a crucial and critical responsibility in increasing productivity. Therefore, the IT/IS graduates ought to uphold the values in order to gain the competitive advantage from the industries, including their survival, improvement of decision making among others. Even though, the information technology has become some commodity, when it is enjoined with harmonizing changes in eh management and organization, it helps in providing the basis for fresh services, products and methods of carrying out business, in which case it enables firms get some strategic advantage. Reference List: NAH, F. F.-H. (2002). Enterprise resource planning solutions and management. Hershey, PA, IRM Press. O'LEARY, D. E. (2000). Enterprise resource planning systems: systems, life cycle, electronic commerce, and risk. New York, Cambridge University Press. PLANT, R. T., & MURRELL, S. (2007). An executive's guide to information technology principles, business models, and terminology. Cambridge [England], Cambridge University Press. http://www.books24x7.com/marc.asp?isbn=9780521853361. RAINER, R. K., & CEGIELSKI, C. G. (2011). Introduction to information systems. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. REYNOLDS, G. W. (2010). Information technology for managers. Boston, MA, Course Technology, Cengage Learning. SATZINGER, J. W., JACKSON, R. B., & BURD, S. D. (2008). Systems analysis and design in a changing world. Cambridge Mass, Course Technology. SHELLY, G. B., & ROSENBLATT, H. J. (2010). Systems analysis and design. Boston, Mass, Thomson Course Technology. VIDGEN, R., AVISON, D., & WOOD, B. (2002). Developing Web Information Systems from Strategy to Implementation. Burlington, Elsevier. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=369472. YETTON, P., HENNINGSSON, S., & BJORN-ANDERSEN, N. (2013). Ready to Acquire: The IT Resources Required for a Growth-by-Acquisition Business Strategy. Open Journal Systems GREY, P, SAWY, O ASPER, G & THORDARSON. (2013). Realizing Strategic Value through Center-Edge Digital Transformation in Consumer-Centric Industries. Open Journal Systems Read More