Indentify & assess differing systems applications to stor, retrive & analyse information - Essay Example

Identify & discuss the benefits & limitations of at least 2 different systems for improving business performance Numerous applications of IT to leverage business and step up its productivity have been designed, developed and deployed, someone has mentioned that many large organizations could last no longer than 24 hours without IT support. It has also been claimed by numerous researchers and practitioners that IT has become a key enabler in business but even today there are a significant number of organizations those yet do not have well defined processes to align IT with their business strategies.

Within the business organizations, initially the IT applications started as modalities for saving costs but today IT has attained a commanding position. Although IT has been adopted widely in various business organizations but still there exist a few shortcomings. In this assignment we have considered two leading IT applications (Hospital Information System & Enterprise Resource Planning) to project benefits and limitations of these two IT systems being used for improving business performance.1. Hospital Information System (HIS)Key advantages of HIS include:Easy access (from multiple locations simultaneously) to information Reliable information management, storage, retrieval and queryingEfficient monitoring and optimal utilization of resourcesSecured archival of otherwise sensitive informationShortcomings Lack of standardization of information has created information silos, hence two HIS cannot be mergedIt involves high implementation and maintenance costs.

Subsequently ROI takes numerous yearsSince it is a complex system, it needs trained manpower (as HIS administrators) to manage HIS. Even users too need to be computer literate.Implementation time is significant2. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)Key advantages of ERPERP can replace numerous smaller disparate software applications by one common system.Various processes can be maped into one large applicationCapable of dislodging legacy systemsThe data gets managed centrallyDisadvantagesERP is a very expensive system in terms of its cost, implementation and maintenanceERP being a complex system only large organizations can exploit all the advantages of an ERP system.

At times ERP could be cumbersome to useDecision to opt for a particular HOS ERP systems permit very little or no customization of the application is required