StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
From the paper "Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure", the new systems that have been created for IT infrastructure have become so easily created and maintained that small and large businesses, can use the technologies in order to increase their e-business presence…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.5% of users find it useful
Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure"

?Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure: Tesco Virtual Store Introduction The new systems that have been created for IT infrastructurehave become so easily created and maintained that small businesses as well as large businesses can use the technologies in order to increase their e-business presence. An example of this type of easily used technology is that of the QR code barcode system. Tesco has created technology that allows for the use of QR code technologies to be used to create a virtual grocery in which the consumer takes pictures of their purchases and they are delivered at a designated time after they have come home. In managing a system such as this, the primary side of the IT infrastructure is through the use of the barcode system as it is used to create orders. Fortunately, the technology is readily available, so easily gained that any person can go out on the internet and create a bar code for this type of use. In using a virtual store environment to increase sales and diversify locations without the investment of stock, the management of such a system is minimally necessary and highly dependent on the available external systems of bar code creation and reading. IT Management The good news with creating a bar code system for a virtual outlet concept is that the costs are low and the management of the system is primarily concerned with the calculation of orders and the distribution of product. The application that is used for the system is a free download from a variety of resources for the consumer and the creation of bar codes can be done by anyone who has accessed to the internet and to a system that allows for the complete functionality required. Horizontal service level agreements are created when a company uses an external resource for creating an integral part of their IT business model infrastructure. The problem that can come from a horizontal service agreement is that the service will be limited by the terms of the agreement and collaborative structures may not always be part of the agreed upon items that an external resource is willing to address (Beulan, Ribbers, and Roos. 2011). A company like Tesco uses internal resources in order to handle this side of the process. In creating a system in which sales and order calculations are integrated with inventory and distribution, the company is able to control their system and devote full attention to the issues that arise. On the other hand, a vertical agreement is made for application management. The service is offered on a per application basis is concerned with the whole process and is a much more amenable type of agreement (Beulan, Ribbers, and Roos. 2011). The nature of the agreements are made through this type of encompassing responsibility because an application will not work if the whole process is not attended, thus in this way, the external resources are using the same sort of theory that Tesco has designed, which is an internally controlled system that will work or will be worked on until it does work. This is good business as an application has no value if it does not work. In managing the IT infrastructure for a e-business model concept, a great number of pitfalls can occur. According to Sparrow (2003) the smartest way to manage IT infrastructure is to outsource the management of IT elements selectively. The management of specific parts of an IT system can be sold to different providers. Academic research has shown that the most successful businesses will have selective outsourcing strategies. Tactical outsourcing occurs when specific problems are beyond the capacity of internal resources to manage. Strategic sourcing occurs when a company looks for a designed package of resources from which to outsource their needs, creating the highest level of product for the lowest possible cost by using different sources for different aspects of the structure (Sparrow 2003). In sourcing is, however, almost universal as most businesses will retain some of their IT management in house. It is not always the most reasonable or sensible decision to try and support all aspects of IT management in house, but retaining some will provide for a system of control over all of the outsourced elements. Problems that can occur are concerned with a lack of understanding about what has been outsourced, too much dependency on outsourced elements, or not utilizing trustworthy systems that have been proven as successful (Breakfield and Burkey 2002). When managing relationships with outsourced management of IT elements, several key issues must be kept in mind: The use of key performance indicators and performance measures Monitoring of occupational health and safety and the environment Coordinating production Determining responsibility for costs; and Post-implementation reviews In order to effectively create management control of outsourced IT it is crucial to develop key performance indicators (KPI‘s). The most important factor in creating KPI’s is in defining the expectation with the control that the provider has in attending to that expectation. Case Study: Tesco Virtual Grocery A new innovation by Tesco provides a good example of how e-business is growing and integrating concepts in order to create new levels of service to their company. Tesco saw a market in Korea for their products and had quickly established themselves as the number two grocery in that country. In looking for a way to become number one, they decided to look for a solution which did not include building new stores. Instead, they have created virtual stores that are panels of lighted displays that provide pictures of food with a bar code. Customers can be down in the subway, the first place they tried the concept, take pictures of all the food they are interested in purchasing with their Smartphones, which pick up the bar code from an app, and have their order delivered to them shortly after they arrive home for the evening. According to Tesco, while they have not yet hit number one, this innovation is pushing them towards closing the gap. As a result of the virtual store concept, sales have increased by 130% (Anderson 2011). One of the interesting elements of this concept is that some responsibility for the technology is in the use of it by the consumer. While this is not unusual that a device is relevant to the overall experience, the consumer is responsible for taking the photo of the bar code in order to facilitate the purchase, which would create some difficulties in managing this type of e-business concept (Design Bloom 2011). The technology that is used is based upon the development of the QR code. QR code is designed to be used with I-nigma software. This software was designed and is owned by 3GVision and is a flexible barcode scanning system. This system is primarily useful with the QR code system in which barcodes are used for marketing, retail, or other uses that are yet to be imagined. This new technology has been utilized by Tesco for the purposes of their new shopping concept and is also going to be used in Best Buy, which was announced recently. In the last few years, a number of different barcode platforms have been introduced, but it appears that QR code systems has emerged as the front running system for this type of application (O’Sullivan 8 June 2011). 3GVision is the company that provides the software that is being used for Tesco. According to their website, “3GVision's i-nigma is the industry's most comprehensive mobile barcode end-to-end solution comprising of a highly intuitive and simple barcode-creation, campaign management and reporting platform to fast-track consumers to the mobile internet” (3GVision 2011). The I-nigma software that is used for the QR code systems is downloadable on the web-site, and is therefore available outside of the specific retail outlet that is being targeted for shopping. The website also offers free software on the site through which the consumer can create a barcode that is a message or any number purposes. Imagine a wedding invitation that is sent via a barcode that will be displayed once the recipient scans it. Another use can be through messages and so forth. The barcode is merely an image and therefore can be put on merchandise such as t-shirts and merchandise in order to be scanned so that a message can be discovered by anyone with a phone ready to scan the code. QR Code As innovative as the Tesco grocery concept is, the barcode system through QR code and implemented through 3GVision has been fully developed and is a working application that has a strong infrastructure and history. QR, or Quick Response code is the creation of Denso Wave. The original code was designed for uses in “ultra-high-speed and omnidirectional reading” (Kato, Chai, and Keng 2010, p. 51). The QR code has features that include a high data capacity and density with levels of error correction capabilities. The uses of the code can be multi-dimensional, approaching a wide variety of purposes for marketing and sales (Weir 2010). One of the primary uses for bar codes is in sharing information. Once a bar code is scanned by a consumer it can be used to send that information contained within it to others through networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or simply through e-mail. The one who sends the code can share the code with all of their online contacts, thus creating a spreading viral marketing moment without a great deal of expense. Conclusion In managing an IT infrastructure, it is vital to make decisions about what part of the structure should be handled in-house and which should be handled by outsource providers. When examining the way in which these providers will service the overall system, the best way to approach the problem is through selective outsourcing strategies. In choosing the parts of the system that best would be held in house, outsourcing those parts that can be divided amongst others in order to create a whole supports higher levels of control. In assessing the way that outsourced managers are meeting expectations, KPI’s should be developed in order maintain even quality and control. Within the case study that has been done on Tesco, it can be seen that through the use of publicly available applications and software, many of the pitfalls that could have occurred in the concept grocery model have been avoided. The use of existing technology means less chance of problems in its use by consumers. Therefore, the main management issues reside in the technologies for calculating orders and in the distribution, which means a lateral move of those technologies from the physical stores to the virtual stores. In this way, the management of IT has been accomplished through using existing technologies in an innovative way. References 3GVision. 2011. [Online] available at http://www.i-nigma.com/hp.html Anderson, George. 6 July 2011. Tesco takes virtual store to subway riders in South Korea. RetailWire[Online] available at http://www.retailwire.co m/discuss ion/15360/tesco-takes-virtual-store-to-subway-riders-in-south- korea Beulan, Eric, Pieter Ribbers, and Jan Roos. 2011. Managing IT outsourcing. London: Tailor and Francis, Inc. Design Boom. 2011. Tesco virtual market in subway. Design Boom[Online] available at http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/16/view/15557/tesco- virtual- supermarket-in-a-subway-station.html Breakfield, Charles V., and Roxanne E. Burkey. 2002. Managing systems migrations and upgrades demystifying the technology puzzle. Amsterdam: Digital Press. O’Sullivan Cian. 8 June 2011. Mobile bar codes growing all over the world. GoMo News. [Online] available at http://www.gomonews.com/26242/ O’Sullivan, Cian. 27 June 2011. Tesco nails mobile shopping with QR code virtual store. GoMo News. [Online] available at http://www.gomonews.co m/ tesco-nails-mobile-shopping-with-qr-code-virtual-store/ Sparrow, Elizabeth. 2003. Successful IT outsourcing: from choosing a provider to managing the project. London: Springer. Kato, Hiroko, Douglas Chai, and Keng T. Tan. 2010. Barcodes for Mobile Devices. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Pr. Langfield-Smith, Kim, David Smith, and Carolyn Stringer. 2000. Managing the outsourcing relationship. Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press. Weir, Michael. 2010. Qr codes & mobile marketing for the small business owner: how to quantify your existing customer base and market to them directly using email and SMS texting. United States: M. Weir. Winter, Mick. 2011. Scan me: everybody's guide to the magical world of QR codes-- barcodes, mobile devices and hyperlinking the real to the virtual. Napa, Calif: Westsong Pub. (Design Bloom 2011) Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“RESEARCH AND CRITIQUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1427516-research-and-critique
(RESEARCH AND CRITIQUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1427516-research-and-critique.
“RESEARCH AND CRITIQUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1427516-research-and-critique.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Management for Efficient E-Business IT Infrastructure

IIS Networking Infrastructure Design

The corporation does not have consolidated network infrastructure due to gradual business expansion and most of the locations have heterogeneous network provisions.... Networks have recently got enormous stake in organizational success, rather more accurately we can say, “Organizations have become highly dependent of their network infrastructure.... The business operations of IIS are presently supported by loosely integrated heterogeneous network infrastructure....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

E-Government Network Infrastructure for the State of Kuwait

9 Pages (2250 words) Term Paper

The Gap in Irelands Infrastructure and What Is Done to Close It

Yet Ireland's infrastructure and social provision are far below the EU average.... This poor infrastructure, especially as it concerns transport impacts heavily on several sectors of the country and most importantly on the increasing poor population (A Little Done, 2005).... This paper therefore intends to look at the problem of infrastructure in Ireland; how bad it is and what the government is doing to remedy the situation.... good way to start the assessment of the infrastructural problems of the country is to attempt a pragmatic definition of the term 'infrastructure'....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Providing the Competitive Advantages in Companys Core Business

Cutting-edge technology with state-of-the-art infrastructure is intended to be used with further implementation of the project by registering and issuing ID cards to all the citizens.... his initiative by the government is in line with its efforts to strategically upgrade the country's infrastructure to implement and support further development in all spheres of its functioning (Shelter Offshore, 2009).... AE has first identified EIDA to carry out this massive project of registering and issue of ID cards after the initial stage of project planning and also obtain the required infrastructure needed for implementing the same towards enabling a sustainable development (Headline Abu Dhabi, 2009)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Global transportation issues and challenges

nvestment in infrastructure is fundamental for ensuring effective transportation systems.... Nations must be considerate of such infrastructure dynamics as parking lots, traffic lights, roadway networks, and ports (to name only a few).... Control, investment and management of traffic improves productive use of transport infrastructures and, as one relevant example, traffic lights in an urban region which are allowed to become malfunctioning increases traffic congestion and creates...
8 Pages (2000 words) Thesis

Hardware Infrastructure in Any Big Business or Federal Organization

Renew the it infrastructure with an organizations budget... The paper "Hardware infrastructure in Any Big Business or Federal Organization" investigates several needs encountered during the process of managing information and Technology infrastructure basing on several factors.... Determine the challenges of changing old/Obsolete Information Technology hardware infrastructure ... Project Objective: The project's objective involves the identification of several needs and difficulties encountered during the process of managing information and Technology infrastructure basing on several factors....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Building Green Infrastructure

The following discussion "Building Green infrastructure" focuses on the concept of green infrastructure and its implications on the current global community.... Green infrastructure has evolved as a topic of worldwide significance for the last decade.... Interest in green infrastructure as a topic of urban importance has brought up the need to dig deeper into the real importance and the negativities that are brought forth by such terminology....
8 Pages (2000 words) Term Paper

Role of Infrastructure in the Development of Latin America

This literature review "Role of infrastructure in the Development of Latin America" presents infrastructure that entails permanent engineering equipment, structures, and physical facilities which are the base for the provision of sanitation, and transport services to productive households and sectors.... infrastructure along with the services that it provides has a considerable impact on the economies of Latin America and the quality of living of the people residing in the region....
7 Pages (1750 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us