Wireless Communication Technology at Unilever Business - Case Study Example

Wireless Communication Technology at Unilever Business How have Unilever executives wireless handhelds contributed to the company’s competitive position? How can Unilever use the concept of ‘secure systems’ to gain a competitive advantage in the industry? The worldwide financial decline has unhurried the development of the innovative wireless and mobile business. However, the precise value of wireless and mobile technologies particularly wireless broadband internet to the expansion of both the developing and developed countries, mobile is turning out to be one of the most leading technical and cost-effective powers on the earth at the moment. In case of Unilever business the business executives were offered the enhanced wireless technology based portables and handheld devices to augment their business production (Myhrer et al., 2010; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Executives’ efficiency increases when they are capable to make quicker and correct decisions. However, in order to take faster and more precise decisions, executives require quicker access to significant and its operational information of the business. Being prepared by means of wireless handhelds outlines that they could be present at everywhere in the world, to get and send email and other information to act in response to it rapidly. Their efficiency has consequently been augmented. At the moment a lot of present researches have shown that, a variety of diverse kinds of businesses struggling in the networked as well as mobile markets have their intrinsic forces which can be improved through the deployment and establishment of the modern technology based systems along with networks. All these technologies have facilitated the corporations to appear like a leading corporation besides marketplace strength. What these businesses are inquiring, so what they entail to perform to achieve a competitive benefit within the world of mobile and wireless technology applications, networks and services (Myhrer et al., 2010; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Well-organized business management especially business communication is very important to manage and control the enlargement and rising business achievements. At the moment, successful businesses all through the globe attain that competence by means of network supported data handling and communications systems and tools like that Web presence and e-mail based technology. Additionally, these technologies and tactics facilitate in managing the elevated levels of production and client hold up that provides enhanced business supports which increase businesses’ needs to fight in superior and more profitable marketplaces. A technology based powerful network facility will typically carry the innovative technologies and utilities which are essential to maintain long-term competitiveness (Cisco, 2006; Ray, 2004; Turban et al., 2005). A lot of rising businesses attain a time when their company processes are not capable enough to proficiently handle everyday tasks. Once this occurs, slight distresses like that irregular missed phone calls or errors in client orders written manually can rapidly turn into major troubles. These difficulties are competent to minimize client contentment as well as make it very difficult to fight successfully. On this key instant in a business’s progress, accomplishment relies on modernizing business procedures rapidly, in a method that upholds future development. Even businesses having extremely a small number of workers are capable to noticeably develop business events by means of network-based business management, data transfer and communications. A fundamental network arrangement is proficient to enhance Unilever output by allowing workers to simply allocate business as well as operational information as they are in the workplace, working distantly, or else roaming in any part of world. The same thing is done by the Unilever management for the enhanced business performance and productivity. Here Unilever business also realized the business effectiveness and augmented client satisfaction by providing a communications base that permit Unilever business to deal with client’s demands as well as needs rapidly and simply (Cisco, 2006) (Johnson, 1997; Turban et al., 2005; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). Unilever executive’s wireless handhelds contributed to the company by up-holding sales through giving prospective clients quick, simple accessibility to product data and business information. In order to produce the highest profit from the network savings, this fundamental network should bring into line by means of business preferences like that growing reaction to the customers or else producing better visibility for intended viewers. When the business communication network is in working condition, it turns out to be fairly simple to effectively make the business procedures modernized through introducing technologies like that wireless connectivity and unified voice as well as business data communications (Cisco, 2006; Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Myhrer et al., 2010). In case of competently assessing the idea, Unilever can utilize the concept of ‘secure systems’ to produce a competitive benefit in the industry. It is about the better security of business systems which can definitely lead to better business performance and productivity. In this situation the business executives were given wireless handheld systems and devices to augment productivity of the business. If the communication and network security actions are too precise for the executives to employ the devices proficiently, then they will not be utilized. A prime management issue to be taken into account is to make sure that business security policy should offer stability and need proposed for security as well as the company’s capability to carry out business activities. Additionally, the business factor which has to be considered is the lack of information. A number of executives can be extremely familiar with security issues and what safety procedures to engage; others cannot be responsive of the consequence and results of walking about by means of a device that offers direct admittance to a corporation business database. One of the primary things that should be made is to offer training to the executives concerning the suitable utilization of the wireless handheld systems, tools and device. A technological feature which entails to be measured is necessarily assessing the specifications of the wireless handheld systems and device. The specifications have to hit a balance among its security features, how client friendly the device is plus its cost. In the end, Unilever business as well assessed that couple of BlackBerry models excellently suited their requirements. These issues that have been planned above are not wide-ranging. Every business will have diverse requirements as well as priorities. Management, business and technological factors that need to be taken into account will be based on those requirements plus priorities (Cisco, 2006; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). What management, organization and technology factors had been and should be addressed in developing securing policies and procedures to its mobile devices? Critically evaluate each of these factors when attempting to implement secure systems (with an emphasis on the ‘people’ issues). There is a variety of penalties and outcomes of security issues and breaches at Unilever business. The major and biggest issues are the pilfering of vital business data and information. Proprietary information may perhaps be stolen in the scenario of business security breach, that can outline the loss of business as well as corporate competitive benefit that these businesses consequently consider as a loss of future profits. Also, data theft produces an authorized liability for the businesses. They are as well responsible to secure workers as well as customers’ private details and failure to do so will involve them to go through a legitimate action. Another extra consequence is that the company’s information can be “demolished”. If a computer virus or else worm finds its way into the companies, it has the potential of demeaning their databases completely. All the valuable information will be omitted, i.e. spoiled. Like that an incident is capable to severely cripple the business’ capability to carry out, and can even force them out of company if they don’t have prepared and implemented a backup system. Normally speaking, it is not a high-class thought. Within its place of surrounding to keep track of one device that is packed with secret information, at this instant we have to check two devices. The additional devices a person has to check, the more the risks augment that one of them will be misplaced or else stolen. Though a cell phone cannot store the similar amount of information like the BlackBerry, yet it will have contact information that will be sufficient to produce a violation in the security if that cell phone is stolen (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Ray, 2004; Turban et al., 2005). After the complete assessment of all the issues and challenges that are outlined in case of business security and privacy, at the present we can describe and analyze some of the prime administration, organization and technology factors which need to be addressed in order to tackle and manage the increasing security policies and procedures to its mobile devices: Management factors: In case of management aspects the major issue is about the Unilever business management support for the business and corporate management. In this regard the main factor that we need to assess in case of security and privacy policy establishment is about the data accessibility rights and other business information handling factors. In scenario of business management access rights to business data there is need for definition of enhanced business security and access rights. In case of higher management we need to offer higher and effective information access facility while at the lower level these rights need to be restricted (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Ray, 2004; Turban et al., 2005). Organization factors: In case of security policy description and secure system establishment we need to take care of some of the prime organizational factors. One of the main organizational factors that need to be assessed is the ROI (return on investment) factor that needs to be tackled for enhanced business security policy establishment. Here if the cost of security procedures establishment is higher than the benefit then the overall process of technology based communication is a huge trouble for the business. On the other hand there are as well long-term security management expenditures that need to be dealt with for the enhanced policy definition (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Ray, 2004; Turban et al., 2005). Technology factors: Technology factor in undertaking and developing security policies and procedures for its mobile devices is also a major factor for the business. In case of a new security policy definition we need to proficiently implement some high level safety aspects regarding the business system protection. Now the main technology factor which requires concentration is about the boundaries of the system that is operational for the business communication. In this connection we need to effectively analyze and identify that the proposed technology based system is competent to handle all the new procedures in addition to diverse aspects that are defined for the protection and safety of the business system. Therefore we also need to evaluate that if the devices that we are going to utilize are capable to handle and manage all the security considerations that we have described for the business security and privacy management. This can involve the technology based system confines; market support for the technology based system development and effective support in case of any difficulty or else problem (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Ray, 2004; Turban et al., 2005). References Cisco, 2006. Increase Your Competitive Advantage with Business. [Online] Available at: http://504voip.com/connect_your_world_wp.pdf [Accessed 10 December 2010]. Johnson, D.B., 1997. Tutorial I: Internet Support for Wireless and Mobile Networking. In PODC '97: Proceedings of the sixteenth annual ACM symposium on Principles of distributed computing. Santa Barbara, California, United States, 1997. ACM New York, NY. Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P., 1999. Management Information Systems, Sixth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Myhrer, R.-M., Parmar, V. & Roy, H.G., 2010. Finding the Mobile Competitive Edge: Wining the Race to High Performance in the Wireless Technology and Services Industries. [Online] Available at: http://www.accenture.com/Global/Research_and_Insights/Outlook/FindingIndustries.htm [Accessed 10 December 2010]. Ray, R., 2004. Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses. New York: American Management Association (AMACOM). Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E. & Wetherbe, J., 2005. Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy. New York: Wiley. Read More