Rapid Freight Communications Refresh - Report Example

Rapid Freight Communications Refresh Rapid Freight Communications Refresh Rapid Freight is one of the global logistics providers which offers fully integrated supply chain and freight services via managed domestic, warehousing and international freight forwarding. Rapid Freight International works with their clients to provide the best benefit through their custom logistical solution provision (Rapid Freight International L.L.C., 2012). This Company also provides an integrated and innovative supply chain that meets the requirements of their clients at a reasonable fee. In fact, the vision of the company is to ensure stipulation of the best customer service to maintain customer satisfaction and improve company value. This paper will identify several requirements in Rapid Freight and provide an analysis of the requirements. This essay will also provide a proposal regarding a converged network solution which solves the identified requirements from a cost-benefit perspective. As stated above, Rapid Freight hopes to excel in providing logistics services and efficient transport facilities to the clients. However, there are several challenges that are closely related to the business structure. This asserts that Rapid Freight has several requirements as a freight forwarder. According to the case study, it is quite evident that Rapid Freight requires an improved transport system. Rapid Freight operates in a highly competitive environment, therefore; the company requires an improved transport system to cope with the growing number of clients. An improved transport system will ensure that Rapid Freight has an on-time delivery schedule. The improved transport system can also involve video conferencing in order to reduce travel-related issues (White, 2011). Rapid Freight also needs to upgrade its telephone system. Currently, Rapid Freight uses the ISDN telephone system that is quite outdated. Research asserts that the company has been avoiding upgrades due to the high cost involved. The ISDN telephone system has significantly hindered Rapid Freight from optimal performance (White, 2011). In addition, the ISDN service provider has turned out to be extremely costly to Rapid Freight International. This affirms that the company should invest in an upgraded telephone system that will significantly lower costs and ensure maximum consumer protection. Rapid Freight should improve their overall communication system to ensure customer satisfaction. A robust communication system allows clients to communicate effectively with the representatives of the company in regard to freight services. According to the case study, the voice mail system belonging to Rapid Freight is overloaded due to the high influx of messages sent by clients (White, 2011). Although the mobile workforce of the company has also grown rapidly, the company can enhance the mode of technology used by the drivers. Introducing new technology among the drivers will ensure that the drivers are able to scan consignments and later sync them through a GPRS link to the headquarters of the company, whereby the consignments are usually tracked. In addition, Rapid Freight can also upgrade their web-based systems which are used by clients to execute various tasks. Some of the tasks include generating reports and creating freight communication. This upgrade will ensure that Rapid Freight can curb the growing number of clients in its wide area network (WAN) (White, 2011). Various sources claim that Rapid Freight has a vision of increasing their bandwidth in most of the offices, especially those located in the United States. Through this, the company will avail a reliable and secure network. Hence, this will ensure that network outages and unscheduled downtime are avoided entirely. The web-based technologies will also assist the company substantially when tracking freight, communicating with the customer, ensuring on-time deliveries and differentiating the services offered by the company. Rapid Freight can also enhance their EDI interface to improve the transfer of payments and invoices into the company. This enhancement is cost effective and saves time effectively as compared to the old form of payment. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) should employ several strategies to address the requirements of Rapid Freight. The first requirement in this assignment involves the provision of a better transport system. To address this issue, the CIO, can work on enhancing the transport system of the company by using the video conferencing technology to limit movement. Rapid Freight is also supposed to provide an increased bandwidth between its stations. This forces the company to advance to Gigabit Ethernet. This advancement will improve the speed of the internet hence ensuring higher performance, low acquisition and ownership charges, full-duplex capacity that doubles the bandwidth, enhanced ability to transfer data across the network efficiently and eradication of bottlenecks (White, 2011). The Gigabit Ethernet performance provides an increased bandwidth file sharing which also boosts the employee productivity. This is achieved by ensuring faster access to the company’s database and messaging applications. These applications are also attuned with the current network thus eradicating expenses of running new wiring. The speed of the network can also be enhanced by leveraging the standards of the current network system to improve the effectiveness of the network (White, 2011). This technology provides a total data rate ranging between 270-280Mbps from the main station. This range is enough to support several businesses and homes with the T1/E1-type and DSL-type connectivity in business locations and homesteads respectively. The connection of the three metropolitan areas can include a satellite microwave connection. This is the most efficient connection to employ since the locations are far away from each other. This technology uses signals that travel from one ground station to another via a satellite (White, 2011). Rapid Freight also desires to upgrade their network systems to accommodate its growth. This upgrade can be achieved by the Gigabit Ethernet, satellite microwave technology and the WIMAX technology through the help of the CIO. This asserts that Rapid Freight does not have to invest in other forms of technology in the future (White, 2011). However, the acquired network can supplement the three technologies mentioned in the above analysis. Figure 1. What does a Converged Network look like? This figure illustrates a Converged Network System (Blackman, 2005). The challenges facing Rapid Freight can be addressed by migration into a converged network. Converged networks superimpose data and voice attributes on a single communication platform. Rapid freight will access both data and voice services on one network. When a single structure is used, it cuts costs of implementing or upgrading each system individually. A single structure also attracts reduced maintenance cost. In addition, the IT team will only have one network to deal with in terms of operation. This increases the flexibility of the staff since they only require training on one platform. Different networks pose challenges due to the difference in operating software and may incur additional costs to train or hire IT experts for the different structures. If Rapid freight gets an excellent provider for the converged network, it will be easier to upgrade to higher bandwidths after assessing the success of the migration. This will propel the company towards their goal of using real time video conferencing to hold meetings. In turn, this will reduce the expenses incurred in travelling from one area to the other (Miller, 2004). Rapid Freight will require an overhaul of its communication systems if it is to enjoy the benefits of a Converged Network. Most of the existing structures such as the ISDN telephone can no longer support high speed data connections. Currently, network providers are using advanced fiber optics technology, which are capable of transmitting large volumes of data and voice within microseconds. Fiber optics technology is more advanced than the traditional transfer of voice or data via copper wires. Though the initial cost of implementation will be high, Rapid freight will enjoy the benefits of high connection speeds for data and voice as well as low ongoing maintenance costs. Addition or removal of users to the system will be easy since it only requires plugging in to a work station or converse. This contrasts the rewiring that would be required on the traditional ISDN platform. It will also be easier for Rapid Freight to monitor its data and voice services when all are run on a single network, in contrast to multiple networks. This will impose control over data, thus enhancing security. Troubleshooting on one network is also easy. A converged Network provides the possibility of using VoIP applications. This would enable the establishment of a Customer-relationship Management system and thus, boost customer satisfaction. Currently, staffs are using PDA’s. These gadgets support use of internet protocol and, therefore, will not require replacement. This will cut the cost of implementation (Miller, 2004). References Blackman, J. (2005). What Does a Converged Network Look Like? [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.pcmech.com/article/introduction-to-voip-technology/ Miller, M. A. (2004). Internet technology handbook: Optimizing the IP network. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience. Rapid Freight International L.L.C. (2012). Welcome to our company. Ret rieved from http://www.rapidfreightintl.com/ Seidman, L., & Hoogervorst, H. (2012). Joint update note from the IASB and FASB on accounting convergence. Retrieved from http://www.financialstabilityboard.org/publications/r_120420d.pdf White, M. (2011). Conducted and wireless media in m. c. white, data communications and computer networks. Mason: Cengage Learning Press. Read More