Information System of Fine Food Company - Essay Example

IS Introduction This research is about the detailed analysis of the new information technology based structures implementation at the business of theFine Food Company (FFC). Fine Food Company (FFC) business is a well known and well established business in the food industry. The main business administration setup is established at the Ashville. The business manufacturing setups are located at other sides of main head office. All business clients has products delivery source form the Ashville based warehouse. The main business of the Fine Food Company operates through the prepared and partly prepared food products. These products are obtained through the food products manufactures. Fine Food Company finishes and packages these products for resale. This research is based on the detailed analysis of the new technology support implementation at the different business divisions of the Fine Food Company. Here I will present the detailed analytical and technological analysis of the new business and information technology based systems implementation at Fine Food Company. This report will be composed of the different analysis regarding assessment of the feasibility of the new information technology implementation. This will also specify the some of the leading technology solutions for the business setup. Background The business of the Fine Food Company has obtained a steady growth in the business and organizational structure and offered a better business handling and operational support for the all departments. Despite of extensive enhancements the currently operational paper based working structure; the performance of the business is still lacking high performance. This makes the overall working structure less effective. The management of the business desired to implement a new technology based structure that offers the business enhanced performance and working capability. FFC management desired to implement the new information technology at four main departments or these are listed below: Sales and marketing Warehousing and distribution Manufacturing Finance Analysis and Objectives This section is about the detailed analysis of the Fine Food Company new technology implementation at different departments of the business area. Swot The SWOT analyses of the new technology system implimentatsaion will offer a detailed overview of main strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Strengths The main strength of the new technology based system implementation. This new technology based structure will standardise the overall business operations and management handling. These systems will automate the overall business operations and will offer the easy handling of business data recording and effective management. Weakness The main weakness behind this technology implementation is need for the effective human resource regarding the implementation of the new technology based platform. This will require the extensive investment in all areas. These can be human resource as well as physical resource (hardware, technology resource, new working platforms). This main weakness in this project is regarding the extensive business investment and long term infrastructure establishment. Opportunities The new technology implementation will offer the opportunity regarding the getting a better competitive edge in the overall business market. Through this technology infrastructure implementation business will gain more. Business management and operational management will be more effete and efficient. Threats The main threat regarding this technology implementation is regarding the successful completion and implementation of the new information technology implementation. In case of huge investment, implementation of the high quality resource and spending hundreds of man house project completion if project fails then the business will be in very critical condition regarding the business operational enhancement. Value chain Kotelnikov (2009) outliend about the value chain analysis that it offers the enhanced understand of the business activities through which a firm develops a competitive advantage as well as produces shareholder value, it is helpful to split the business structures into a sequence of value-generating tasks referred to like the value chain. The main intention of value chain analysis for the FFC business is assess the objective of these activities is to present the client a level of value that goes beyond the cost of the tasks, thus ensuing in a profit scope. In the value chain analysis regarding the FFC business we will have following activities (Kotelnikov, 2009): Inbound Logistics: This factor is about the receiving new business system and there implementation is business environment. In this scenario we need to analyze the all relating factors about the accruing new IT system and there contracting and implementation in business framework. Operations: After the implementation of the new IT and business system in the organization structure we need to assess the how main business information inputs are transformed into the finished effective business handling services. Outbound Logistics: the scenario of value chain analysis incorporates the detailed analysis of the management and handling of the warehousing and distribution of finished goods through the new information based system. Marketing & Sales: the recognition of customer requirements as well as the generation of sales is also a main factor of the new business system. The new system implementation needs to be effectively support and handle the marketing and sales setup. Service: The new technology based system information need to be effectively support and uphold the customers’ products and services those are sold to them. Figure 1- value chain Source; http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/value-chain/ Porters 5 forces 4.9- Porters Five Forces This section is about the Porters Five Forces analysis regarding the new IT based structure implementation at FFC business. Figure 1- Five Fource :Source[http://articles.bplans.com/business/porters-five-forces/119] Berry (2009) has stated about the Michael E. Porter five forces model. The explanation and its implementation to Fine Food Company business will offer us an enhanced business and operational management overviewed through the new technology implementation. The five force are given below (Berry, 2009): Existing competitive rivalry between suppliers In this scenario we can assess the present competition in present business originations in the market. Here we can more them by establishing a better strategy for handling them. Threat of new market entrants In the scenario it can assessed that we need to access a new market place and we require a better and enhanced business policy and effective business support through the new technology based structure implementation at Fine Food Company business. In this regard we need to analyze how business arrangement will be effective for handling and surviving in business market place. Bargaining power of buyers Buyers always require some bargaining for the business. In this scenario we need to establish goods cost at some appropriate cost as compared to business competitors. This can happen due to new business structure implementation that effectively reduce the cost of overall product development, delivery, better management and handling. In this way Fine Food Company business will be more capable to reduce the products cost and development delivery time that will offer the customer to have considerable less product cost. Power of suppliers We also need to view the supplier power regarding the business products manicuring and handling. In this way we be able to gain in a better way and also able to maintain an effective demand and production cycle. Threat of substitute products (including technology change) In implementation of new business system we need to analyze the overall competitive technology. Here we need to assess that if our business is offering a better business system as compared to market place.We need to develop our products with state of the art technology that offer better services and effective working as compared to business competitor. Objectives The main objective of the new technology system implementation at business of the Fine Food Company is having following advantages. The advantages are presented in department based approach; Sales Offers the better order status Better order tracking Better ordering system Effective customer management Easy customer ordering arrangement Assigning priorities to warehousing orders On time delivery structure Warehousing and distribution Effective shelf management for each product Effective rotating of the stock products Better stock recording Offering stock priorities Finance Effective account handling Effective credit control procedures Recording each business transaction Customer record management Developing accurate information from other departments Wages recording and management Manufacturing Better raw martial and stock management Tracking each new order On time delivery of all orders Priority based product manufacturing Company structure Current Organogram Changed Organogram Information System now and redesigned The information systems have turned out to be a vital part of each business and organization. An information system consists of hardware, software, people (staff and clients), data, and actions or operations that work collectively to develop valuable information (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 620). According to (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 7), an information system can be described as a collection of interconnected elements or components that gather, perform operations, store, and distribute information to help decision making and running the business. And the information system engineering is the process of developing information system. As definitions show the importance of information system for an organization so they must be developed using marvelous resources. Current situation The present systems of the Fine Food Company business management is paper based. All the departments are operational through the paper based working structures. Objectives The main object of new information system implementation is to enhance and make better each working area of the business operations. The intention is to offer a better working environment for each of area of the business setup. Strengths The main strength of new information system implementation is to enhance the overall business revenue and make the overall working of the business more better and easer. Weakness The huge investment and need for the new specialized human resource is main weakness of this project. In case of less effective human resource the overall system operations and business management can be garbled. New system Here I have outlined some of the new technologies for the each of department of business; The Sales Department Order Processing Order processing system Warehousing and Distribution Supply chain management system Marketing CRM (customer relation management system), online website Manufacturing CAM system- Computer added manufacturing system Finance ERP system (Enterprise resource planning system) Management MSS (management support system) Advantages The advantages of new system implementation is present a better working structure that offers a enhanced business operational tasks management and handling. Problems Here we have some of the problems regarding the new technology development implementation and adoption. In a number of cases we need to redesign the overall working structure and operational environment. This makes some old working staff to feel less flexible in working in a new technological environment. Information S1ystem and database structure This section is about the detailed analysis of the information system and business databases structures analysis. Database In the development of the new business information system we need to implement a centralized business database. This business database need to be developed in way to accommodate the all business customer, sales, orders, client, deals and other related information. This centralized business data base will store and handle the whole business data and information and will offer a centralized platform for the all system regarding the storage of business and corporate information. Different components This centralized database will combine the all business information systems data and will effectively process the all operational details of the system. This will be composed of the following components of business information. Customer record Orders record Employee’s record Products information Finical details Raw material data Marketing detailed New promotions Data storage The data storage will be done on the physical hard disks. These will be located at the central business database. Management reports The new system will also offer the detailed and periodical management reports those will facilitate the management to intelligently take business and dealing decision. Executive system There will be an executive decision support system that is aimed to offer the overall business management a better support regarding the taking on time and effective business decision. Suppliers This new technology based system will also a more effective regarding the handling and management of the supplier record. This will offer them to effectively main and updated the supplier related information to the business. Customers The biggest concern in every business is effective management and handling of the customer information. In the business of FFC we need to effectively manage and handle the customer information. Hardware, software, networking What hardware and for which department and why The Sales Department Printer Pentium IV computer Main data server Telephone Internet link Network link In sales department we need printer for printing of sales invoice and computer for entering customer and product information, internet and telephone for taking product orders form both ways. Network link for all departments coloration. Warehousing and Distribution Printer Pentium IV computer Main data server Network link Computer for entering and retrieving business data. Servers for main storage of products information. Network link for all departments’ coloration. Marketing Pentium IV computer Main data server Network link Internet link Printer Computer for entering and retrieving business data. Servers for main storage of products information. Network link for all departments’ coloration. Manufacturing Special machines attached to computer for developing, controlling and handling production process. Finance Pentium IV computer Main data server Network link Internet link Printer Management Centralized data bases system Central data servers Pentium IV computer Network link Internet link Printer Which types of software, CRM,HR, MSS, CRM CRM Software:- Microsoft Dynamics CRM The access the software go to below link http://www.2020software.com/products/Microsoft_Dynamics_CRM_Microsoft_Dynamics_CRM_Services_Solution.asp HR Software:- Sage ABRA HRMS The access the software go to below link http://www.2020software.com/compare-software/category/6/HR-Software/ MSS Software:- SPSS Inc The access the software go to below link http://www.2020software.com/products/SPSS_Inc.asp ERP Software:- Epicor The access the software go to below link http://www.2020software.com/products/Epicor.asp Acquisition strategy For implementation of these software products we will establish the contract with each of business firm. In this scenario the business firm will manage, customer and implement the system and also offer the after deployment services to business information and management systems. Planning, Project Management, Change Give importance to how you will implement What the problems will be How the project will be managed What effect this management will have Gantt chart Ethics and training Security ethics, training Conclusion risks and rewards, meet objectives How will what you are designing achieve your objectives? What are the risks? How have you minimised them? Read More