1. The Purpose, Scope and Objectives of the System
The Purpose of the System:Company Y has always had a “progressive” view on the use of Information Technology. The establishment desires to develop a company- wide system that would essentially and drastically change not only the warehouse department’s classic card based warehouse stock system but the whole Manufacturing, Accounting and Production Information Control Systems. A system that would address the financial planning and operational planning in units, improving not only the transaction process of the department but also the way they would respond to these processes to bring the costs down, allowing them to be more competent in the field.
The Scope:The system is to be used by the accounts department to continually automate repetitive manual processes such as Payroll, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Financial Modeling and Standard Costing. It is also to benefit the Warehouse department, changing the usual card stock system, and the whole company even to have common database, thus determining same and accurate inventory counts. Also enabling them to gain more benefits with the following system functions (how it should and can operate).
First, the Master production schedule (MPS), then the Item master data (technical data), Bill of materials (BOM) (technical data), Production resources data (manufacturing technical data), Inventories and orders (inventory control), Purchasing management, Material requirements planning (MRP), Shop floor control (SFC), Capacity planning or capacity requirements planning (CRP), Standard costing (cost control), Cost reporting / management (cost control)
Objectives:
Plan the system thorougly enabling it:Ø To have accurate inventory records
Ø To have a better control of inventories, thus reducing the working capital for inventory, maintaining the lowest possible.
Ø To have an improved scheduling, being able to plan manufacturing activities, delivery schedules and purchasing activities.
Ø To plan the resources more effectively, even maximize the utilization of the human resources.
Ø To gain productive relationships with suppliers and clients, making sure that products are available for delivery to customers.
Ø To have an improved design control
Ø To have better quality and quantity control, ensuring materials are available for production and that the company would only manufacture those which are needed.
Ø To have improved cash flow through quicker deliveries
The Purpose of the System:Company Y has always had a “progressive” view on the use of Information Technology. The establishment desires to develop a company- wide system that would essentially and drastically change not only the warehouse department’s classic card based warehouse stock system but the whole Manufacturing, Accounting and Production Information Control Systems. A system that would address the financial planning and operational planning in units, improving not only the transaction process of the department but also the way they would respond to these processes to bring the costs down, allowing them to be more competent in the field.
The Scope:The system is to be used by the accounts department to continually automate repetitive manual processes such as Payroll, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Financial Modeling and Standard Costing. It is also to benefit the Warehouse department, changing the usual card stock system, and the whole company even to have common database, thus determining same and accurate inventory counts. Also enabling them to gain more benefits with the following system functions (how it should and can operate).
First, the Master production schedule (MPS), then the Item master data (technical data), Bill of materials (BOM) (technical data), Production resources data (manufacturing technical data), Inventories and orders (inventory control), Purchasing management, Material requirements planning (MRP), Shop floor control (SFC), Capacity planning or capacity requirements planning (CRP), Standard costing (cost control), Cost reporting / management (cost control)
Objectives:
Plan the system thorougly enabling it:Ø To have accurate inventory records
Ø To have a better control of inventories, thus reducing the working capital for inventory, maintaining the lowest possible.
Ø To have an improved scheduling, being able to plan manufacturing activities, delivery schedules and purchasing activities.
Ø To plan the resources more effectively, even maximize the utilization of the human resources.
Ø To gain productive relationships with suppliers and clients, making sure that products are available for delivery to customers.
Ø To have an improved design control
Ø To have better quality and quantity control, ensuring materials are available for production and that the company would only manufacture those which are needed.
Ø To have improved cash flow through quicker deliveries
Discuss the information System Development, purpose, object, and give your own opinion.
Information technology departments in larger organizations tend to strongly influence information technology development, use, and application in the organizations, which may be a business or corporation. A series of methods and processes can be used in order to develop and use an information system. An Information system can be developed in house (within the organization) or outsourced. This can be accomplished by outsourcing certain components or the entire system.
Give your own reflections on the ethical issues relating to the given IS planning and implementation.
Own reflections on the interview with Mr. Mike Trainer
The interview with the purchasing director, Mr. Mike Trainer was actually all about the impact of the system to the workers, middle managers and the company as a whole that was expected to have. The questions focus was about the advantages and benefits that the system would provide the information they wanted and that it would release time for the workers to do more things. Thus it was stated in the interview that the system has really helped them but not to the extent that it met their expectations. It was nice because on the positive side when he is asked about the advantages of the system, he was not looking forward of going to have many difficulties even if they have lots of problems encountered .One of the things he stated was the slow machine response, problem with stock accuracy and their inventory balances weren’t accurate. He also explained further that the system was not designed to loose the people but rather to make them more efficient and live in a new environment but not displaced by the system. He even said about the difficulty of forming teams and teamwork, as a company they put a lot of effort even if they did not achieve what they wanted but still he manage it very well. His interview was stated very precise and understandable; even I could not skip one of his brilliant answers.
2. Comment on the relationship of the Information System and the organization.
Information is the lifeblood of any organization. Damaged or lost data can cause disruptions in normal business activities leading to financial losses, law suits, and a lot more. Information systems which comprise hardware, software, data, applications, communication and people, help an organization to better manage and secure its critical corporate, customer and employee data. Information systems also improve integration and work processes and the benefits still goes on and on. An information system is also a system but differs from other kinds of systems because its objective is to monitor and document the operations of other systems. An information system owes its existence to the target system. For example, production activities would be the target system for a production scheduling information system, human resources would be the target system of a human resource information system, and so on. We could say that every reactive system may have a subsystem that can be considered as an information system whose objective is to monitor and control such a system. The main functions of an information system may be input, processing, output, storage and control at work place.
It is surprising facts that there are many more companies still do no not use the Internet. It is even more suprising that some of them are still using their twenty year old computer information system. Company information system is a set of interrelated component that collect managerial team in decision making, coordinating, controlling, and analyzing.
It is surprising facts that there are many more companies still do no not use the Internet. It is even more suprising that some of them are still using their twenty year old computer information system. Company information system is a set of interrelated component that collect managerial team in decision making, coordinating, controlling, and analyzing.
Upgrading the computer information system is not an option in this technology-driven area. It is a requirement. Companies that use an up to date information system to gather, assimilate, and evaluate internal as well as external information are gaining competitive advantage over other firms. Management is quicker to cater customer's needs and complaints. With the growth of communication networks, there are almost no barriers between the firm's management, employees, customers, and suppliers.. Networked computing systems have made new modes of possible.
A sophisticated computer information system enables companies to monitor employees, to keep managers and employees informed, to coordinate activities among divisions, or even to sell their prodeucts to customers via the internet. Moreover, in the era of information technology like this. information has become valuable organizational asset just like human resources and inventories
Furthermore, a good information system can facilitate direct communication between firm and suppliers, manufacturers, dealers, and marketers. Together they can create a value chain as though theyb were in one organization.
In the meantime, the widespread use of information freeway is inviting unwelcome threats. Today, companies are plagued by hackers, competitors, thieves, spies, hired agents, or even from disgruntled employees. Therefore, firms have taken measures to safeguard their system such as installing complex computer firewalls to detect hackers or purchasing expensive and advance encryption software.
More and more people are working from their homes nowadays. Information technology has become so sophisticated it allows people to choose work from home. Teleconferencing and video conferencing enable employees to beam in whenever needed. In addition to that, information technology can allow a firm to reduce costs.
In conclusion, information system enables companies to react, respond, cater, store, retrieve, disseminate, and control their new valuable asset that is information. In the years to come, a good information system within a company will be no longer an option, it will become a compulsory in determining success.
3. The impact of Information Technology and give your own reflection:
An information system is there to empower its users. A database simply provides data, but an information system is all about providing the best information the user needs to do their task more effectively. It also takes into account that different users doing their own specific tasks may need to see their information presented in differing ways. The impact of an information system follows when the user can quickly access, understand and respond correctly to that information.
Information systems do not need to be a real-time to qualify for this definition. The emphasis is more on providing useful information rather than raw data from a database that still needs processing or analyzing to become meaningful.
Sometimes how an information system may benefit you are not initially clear. Often information systems evolve as the business grows. We may start with a simple database and as we identify areas where better information may provide economic benefits, add to base system. Information systems are rarely out-of-the-box solutions; they are something that grows within. It is therefore very important that your systems technology allows you to have this path to build upon. We must be able to control the technology and not be locked into a standard boxed solution that only its manufacturers control. You get no assurance that their upgrades will be in line with your business needs of the future.
In summary, to get the greatest impact from an information system, consider it an adaptable tool that can progress as the business progresses. Don’t get locked into inflexible technology, grow a system that delivers on what we really need most today, knowing that when tomorrow’s new challenges come, the system will have the flexibility to adapt. This is where custom software development delivers strongly.
4. Elaborate all the impacts Of the Information System and the organization and give your justified suggestions or recommendations such that it can be reduced or avoided.
The information System
With the organization they are having a problem in the production area. They were not thinking that the level of their workers was not of what they achieved, thus they were not aware of what the organization is doing. They don’t understand what the system is all about they don’t understand what the organization wants to do with the system. This was not working in that area, and that’s causing problems at the interface with other departments. One of the impacts they stated was that main problem they think has a great impact on them was the supervisor and manager level. They didn’t bring people at the lower levels on board enough
For me I guess the managers and supervisors of the organization should focus on educating their workers about the system. Training them alone would not be enough they got to do the right sort of training. I know it would take so much time and effort to the part of the workers as well as the supervisors and managers of the different departments of the organization because of the background of their workers. It would not be that easy to get things done and understood very fast. In the first place if they decided to use that information system, they have to take in consideration the background whether their workers graduated with a degree or not. If they only knew simple things as that they would not meet such problems. If I were to compare the knowledge level of a worker from the one who graduated with a degree it would be advantageous to the degree holder person because it would be easier for him to understand.
Information systems do not need to be a real-time to qualify for this definition. The emphasis is more on providing useful information rather than raw data from a database that still needs processing or analyzing to become meaningful.
Sometimes how an information system may benefit you are not initially clear. Often information systems evolve as the business grows. We may start with a simple database and as we identify areas where better information may provide economic benefits, add to base system. Information systems are rarely out-of-the-box solutions; they are something that grows within. It is therefore very important that your systems technology allows you to have this path to build upon. We must be able to control the technology and not be locked into a standard boxed solution that only its manufacturers control. You get no assurance that their upgrades will be in line with your business needs of the future.
In summary, to get the greatest impact from an information system, consider it an adaptable tool that can progress as the business progresses. Don’t get locked into inflexible technology, grow a system that delivers on what we really need most today, knowing that when tomorrow’s new challenges come, the system will have the flexibility to adapt. This is where custom software development delivers strongly.
4. Elaborate all the impacts Of the Information System and the organization and give your justified suggestions or recommendations such that it can be reduced or avoided.
The information System
With the organization they are having a problem in the production area. They were not thinking that the level of their workers was not of what they achieved, thus they were not aware of what the organization is doing. They don’t understand what the system is all about they don’t understand what the organization wants to do with the system. This was not working in that area, and that’s causing problems at the interface with other departments. One of the impacts they stated was that main problem they think has a great impact on them was the supervisor and manager level. They didn’t bring people at the lower levels on board enough
For me I guess the managers and supervisors of the organization should focus on educating their workers about the system. Training them alone would not be enough they got to do the right sort of training. I know it would take so much time and effort to the part of the workers as well as the supervisors and managers of the different departments of the organization because of the background of their workers. It would not be that easy to get things done and understood very fast. In the first place if they decided to use that information system, they have to take in consideration the background whether their workers graduated with a degree or not. If they only knew simple things as that they would not meet such problems. If I were to compare the knowledge level of a worker from the one who graduated with a degree it would be advantageous to the degree holder person because it would be easier for him to understand.
4. Describe the impact of the Information System and give your own reflections.
Elaborate all the impacts Of the Information System and the organization and give your justified suggestions or recommendations such that it can be reduced or avoided.
With the organization they are having a problem in the production area. They were not thinking that the level of their workers was not of what they achieved, thus they were not aware of what the organization is doing. They don’t understand what the system is all about they don’t understand what the organization wants to do with the system. He explained further on the problem of the production area, he stated that history and culture has become the law of their workers. This was not working in that area, and that’s causing problems at the interface with other departments. One of the impacts they stated was that main problem they think has a great impact on them was the supervisor and manager level. They didn’t bring people at the lower levels on board enough
For me I guess the managers and supervisors of the organization should focus on educating their workers about the system. Training them alone would not be enough they got to do the right sort of training. I know it would take so much time and effort to the part of the workers as well as the supervisors and managers of the different departments of the organization because of the background of their workers. It would not be that easy to get things done and understood very fast. to avoid this kind of problem in the first place if they decided to use that information system, they have to take in consideration the background whether their workers graduated with a degree or not. If they only knew simple things as that they would not meet such problems. If I were to compare the knowledge level of a worker from the one who graduated with a degree it would be advantageous to the degree holder person because it would be easier for him to understand.
As an organization they have to cater all the problems they have whether on the system or on its employee. Based on what their organization experienced in order for them to do a better job using the system, they need to introduce the system to thier members/workers. But introducing alone is not enough, they need to train them about the use of the system, and make them aware that the system is for their benefit and not to make things worse.
Reflection on Dr. Church’s interview:
Dr. Church is responsible for the inventory levels in the company, setting inventory budget, for achievement inventory budget, for monitoring all aspects of inventory, age of inventory, for setting policy ctock levels, and all those sort of aspects. The main things he uses the system are for inventory management. But to understand what inventory they have , where they have it, he tend not to use the system itself directly. For him, most of the reports it generates have got far too much information and are far too general. Dr. Church also realized that he’s beginning to think that part of their implementation was probably done incorrectly because what they did was they took the way they used to plan it manually and computerised it. The problem they see is in the production area. The production area don’t understand what the system is about, they don’t understand what they want to do with the system and because of that the system doen’t work on that area and that causes the problems at the interface with other departments. The main problem he thinks that, is at the supervisor and manager level. They didn’t bring people at thelower levels on board enough. Anothet problem that he have is, they need to get MIS under control, pull the reins in on some of the works that’s going on in there.
