Business Information Systems - Essay Example

Embracing Technology Number Due EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION Information system is the hardwareand software programs that are developed and are used to assist and help in the management of different functions and operations. They can therefore be used in offices, manufacturing, producing companies and even services delivering companies in ensuring their clients and operation databases are in order. Depending on the scenario in which the information system is supposed to be used, there are different types. These are classified in order to ensure that there is not confusion or mix up when using an information system. After all they are meant and developed to ease and make work less complicated. Information systems and technological advancements are therefore inventions that greatly improve a company’s efficiency especially if there is a plan to expand and grow the company or organization. Advantages are there to encourage the use of information systems and they include, among others; they allow the central storage and access of information, hence confusion is reduced in a company (Rainer & Cegielski 2010). All information can be acquired about who has done what, what has been or has not been done and even purchases and sales; literally everything can be accessed as long as it was conducted within the system. This also ensures that there is backup in case something goes amiss. Human beings are prone to make mistakes and forget and as long as there is reference efficiency can still be achieved. Work within a company can therefore be boosted tenfold with the effective use and, management of information system within a company. This paper will therefore look at how information systems can help BMW perform at a greater level of production. Concerning the different departments within the organization and the duties that are delegated to them, it is very clear that there is need for an overhaul. The warehouse for example has very many important functions within the organization and is also a key player in the processes that are being carried out within the organization. Warehousing as observed and as stated in the company; accepts all deliveries from suppliers including raw materials (timber, steel, leather etc) and specialized equipment that the company purchase e.g. engines, gearboxes, heating units, navigational equipment etc. These are the materials that in one way or another are converted into the end products and therefore must be kept and guarded well. Some of these materials even require placement as untreated materials could perish (wood etc). These duties are however underperformed as also noted there is uncertainty of lead time for raw materials, in particular the exotic timber can be haphazard, especially as it may come from the Far East or South America. In addition quality is variable. The use of Transaction Processing System (TPS) in this case for example would really salvage the damages that are caused by these uncertainties. TPS is an information system that helps in ensuring that the transactions are of an organization are well; be it storage or any other are well in tandem with those of other departments (Morley & Parker 2009). It will provide the warehouse staff with the information from the orders placed about the raw materials they are receiving and know whether they are the perishable ones or not. This information will have been entered into the database by the responsible department. Transaction Processing System (TPS) helps in improving integrity the daily undertakings of an organization. Transactions are therefore easy to handle and make with minimum error and confusion when using this information system (Stair, Reynolds, & Reynolds 2009). These transactions may vary from, payment of bill, buying and selling of equipment, paying of the staff, salaries and many others. It is therefore advisable and well recommended for the many departments that transact on behalf of the company and find it difficult to inform all the concerned departments. This would be beneficial also not only to the warehouse department but to the others like; the finance and even the sales. They are departments within ‘BMW’ that conduct a lot of transactions on behalf of the company and transactions that are delicate as involving money. The finance department for one has been noticed to have misunderstandings and problems in handling some of their duties. Communication is poor between the staff and there have been a number of mistakes which could have been avoided if there was better sharing of information. There are high levels of knowledge and skills within HR and Finance, yet the company still fails to meet deadlines. Staffs complain of not receiving the required information or advice from colleagues and line management. Dispatch often hires vehicles and drivers at short notice which is expensive and stressful, when a longer lease is arranged, vehicles and drivers can sit around waiting for jobs or carry small payloads. These are issues that if not addressed and a better way of solving them found, then the company will end up losing a lot of money unnecessarily on duties undertaken and no clear accountability. The fact that Transaction Processing System is able to hold and store the database stable and effective is a plus and a positive attribute on its own (Rodiek 2007). The contents will remain maintained and stored even if the employees crash, erase or lose their individual computers and information. The fact that all the transactions are stored in one server also means that the issues of staffs complaining of not receiving the required information or advice from colleagues and line management. Anyone who needs information need not to disrupt others but access the main server to get the information then continue with the process of production and ensure that ‘BMW’ progresses. Thus one step towards taking advantage of the opportunity that has risen with the brand has recently received considerable media attention as a couple of high profile celebrities have purchased ‘BMW’ boats as status symbols. The finance department is a very vital and sensitive department in any organization. For one of the caliber of ‘BMW’ that is in dire need to maintain and protect its reputation and business opportunities, embracing technology is inevitable. ‘BMW’ need to keep track of any transaction be it small or big and account for every sent used be able to even asses the performance of the company effectively. Transactions that take place within a day are many and are conducted on behalf of the company by different employees who may find it difficult to keep tabs of all that they have done. A database is therefore necessary to help with record keeping and it must be an up to the task database like. The sales department on the other hand is also a core part of the company and its duties must be performed diligently. It is mandated to perform duties that are on a day to day basis and that in the end keep the company running. Some of these duties include but not limited to; the sale of the craft; due to the nature and price of the luxury craft clients expect high levels of attention and will discuss at length the potential features and options available. This duty is conducted by the Client Liaisons who are sometimes engaged in long conversations by the clients and so in the way may lose track of all the transactions made. They sometimes may not visit the office for days and so it would be better if there is a data base that they can use to record their transactions for the interested parties to access. This also applies to the (BDE -Business Development Executives) who are field based and are responsible for the sale of BMW’s high volume manufactured ancillaries and components to a range of national suppliers (chandlers, luxury stores etc). They then have to phone all the sales back to the office at the end of the transaction day to the administrative persons for recording. ‘BMW’ is a large company and therefore these sales may be tremendous to be followed and communicated on a daily basis through that process. This is because the administrative officers having worked the whole day when receiving information about the sales in the evening may overlook some information that in the end may turn out to be very vital. Sales problems like lack of direction from the sales force where orders can be a “surprise” to the manufacturing department causing panic can be avoided with an effective TPS. Transaction Processing System is therefore a transaction tool that connects and joins many business transactions and makes it easier to perform interdepartmentally (Bidgoli 2011). “In addition to looking after the orders, sales admin gathers weekly spreadsheet of the BDE’s activity (how many customers seen and where)”. These are activities that can be done efficiently with the presence of a database where all the BDEs need to do is enter or log their activities of the day or week and alert the administration. Transaction processing System is therefore an information system that ‘BMW’ should invest in to ensure that their operations run smoothly. With the opportunity of expanding their market already available through the exposure to the media, they should embrace the use of information systems with two hands. Timely production and delivery objective will therefore be majorly boosted and efficiency in the process of production enhanced (Stair & Reynolds 2011). The company will therefore be in a position to asure their clients of quality production and timely delivery. These are part of the business that if well maintained will attract more consumers. Consumers are part of the whole process of production and the most important ones for that matter. They expect goods and services to be delivered not only at a fair price but also in good condition and in time (British Standards Institution 2013). The marketing and distribution departments as well can benefit by employing this system. The support staff that is also part of the company should also have and feel like they are working in fair and conducive environments. This is a basic requirement of any company to ensure that its entire staff, no matter what level are well satisfies. Employee satisfaction is very mandatory to be sure that they will work with and in collaboration with the management. A well developed TPS for one will make work easier for the support staffs at the reception that have a desk diary and visitor book. These help in logging in visitors but when reference is needed as to who visited the company maybe sometime in a distant future then it gets tough for then. The company also stands to lose especially when the information needed was supposed to help correct a transaction that might have cost a lot of money. Support staffs like the receptionists also are the face of company especially to the visitors who first meet them and through the services they get are in a position to make conclusion on the customer relations of the government. The design team whose duties include; Work on new designs across the product range. The team consists of many contract designers and boat architects (globally based) employed as and when required. They have their duties well cut out such that all current, old, and failed designs are stored at head office in filing cabinets and made available when requested; though finding designs can be a challenge. It is therefore necessary that an information system be employed that will helping quick and good decision making for the purposes of selecting a design. In designing products especially for special clients like the celebrities, utmost care should always be taken since they always tend to prefer nothing but the best. A little help from an information system in such situations would greatly suffice. Decision support systems in this case would be the best option for the design department. Decision support system (DSS) is specifically designed to help management make decisions in situations where there is uncertainty about the possible outcomes of those decisions (Riley 2012). Designing products for clients who are very specific in their need and must have their products with all the details followed to the latter can be cumbersome. The business that comes with them is also tremendous and therefore if such an opportunity avails itself then a company should be able to grab and handle it. Quick and inch perfect decision making is therefore necessary and with the help of Decision Support system it gets easier. ‘BMW’ is a company that is in need of expansion and is already in the limelight through the media exposure. It is therefore and obligation to ensure that any job done especially to a high profile client is a recommendable one. They design team will therefore be able to have a little help from the system that will go a long way in reducing the burden of having to design a product all from scratch. All these information systems will enable Bognor Marine Watercraft (BMW) achieve its goals of expanding into the larger markets. Production will be improved from all the departments and therefore realization of set objectives be they long term or long term. The administration will also benefit from this system since its mandated to them to have the final say and blame in every decision the company makes. A good and prosperous decision on the part of the design team will in effect have positive implication of the administration and in the long run the company as a whole. Apart from employing staff and systems to perform duties within the company, other factors are also very vital and necessary to consider. The company should be well structured and organized with every employee well aware of their responsibilities and obligations. Every employee should know who they are answerable to within the organization therefore outlining the structure and making it clear to everyone within the organization. This will help in the sense that even with the systems employed to ease the production process; the chain of command should remain. Updates to the systems and databases so developed must therefore be followed with confirmation to the stakeholders and superiors. Information system therefore “lends a hand” to the human resource and the man power part of production that is mostly the conducting the company’s thinking. BMW therefore would follow this structure: Executive support system- Management Information System and Decision support system- Transaction Processing System. The Executive support system is the system that is used and applied by the administration. It helps the management to oversee and manage the operations of the company while at the same time keeping updates on how the progress is. The Management Information System and Decision support system are at the middle level of the company’s ranking. They in effect help those delegated with duties of management maybe departmental management. They are the information system used to help and guide in deciding on the way a process should take and the design that best suits the consumers. Transaction processing system on the other hand is the most used for the case of Bognor Marine Watercraft (BMW). This is because most of the departments will incorporate the information system to help in their interdepartmental information sharing and exchange. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bidgoli, H. 2011. MIS2. Melbourne : Cengage Learning. British-Standards-Institution. 2013. Talking Business Continuity. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.talkingbusinesscontinuity.com/starting/what-is-business-continuity-management.aspx Morley, ,. D., & Parker, C. S. 2009. Understanding Computers 2009: Today and Tomorrow. Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Rainer, R. K., & Cegielski, C. G. 2010. Introduction to Information Systems: Enabling and Transforming Business. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons. Riley, J. 2012. ICT - types of information system. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.tutor2u.net/business/ict/intro_information_system_types.htm Rodiek, C. 2007. Problems and Solutions to Transaction Processing Systems. Santa Cruz, CA: GRIN Verlag. Stair, ,. R., Reynolds, ,. G., & Reynolds, G. W. 2009. Principios de sistemas de información: un enfoque administrativo. Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. 2011. Principles of Information Systems. Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Read More