IT assignment help report on: Report writing on technology

1. Executive SUMMARY:

This review would help the managers to use Information technology to transform the organization and to create new lines of business and build new relationships with the other firms. This text stresses on how managers can use various tools of IT in order to have a competitive advantage. This review would also help the managers to know, how to exploit Information technology to enhance the production efficiency.

This literature review highlights the importance, role & some benefits organizations have earned by applying IT. It also communicates how Information Technology plays an important role in the up gradation of the organisation thereby, helping the strategic managers to accomplish their goals in the most effective & efficient manner.

This text stresses on how managers should use information technology in order to have a competitive advantage. This review would also help the managers to know, how to exploit Information technology to enhance the production efficiency (Suzanne, Benoit & Patry, 2004).2. INTRODUCTION:

Technology is constantly evolving, and it seems that there is a new application released every day that is meant to simplify doing business. This can be overwhelming if you do not stay current on the high-level trends of technology and their corresponding impact on business.

The information technology (IT) sector has become one of the most flourishing industries in the world. Information Technology, more than any economic facet or other industry, has an escalated productivity, mainly in the developed nation, & therefore plays a key role in the global economic growth.

In late years there has been a differential growth in information technology (IT) and its influence on our professional lives. In addition to the large number of classic publications, we currently have an increasing cluster of electronic sources of information (Allen & Morton, 1994).

In a complex working environment and in order to fulfil the goals in the most effective manner, Information technology provides managers with some powerful tools for bringing about a change in the organisation which would help in reduction the costs, effective decision making, etc.

The various tools of Information technology would help the managers of any organisation to perform their tasks with a click of a button.All the organizations should opt for the various IT tools available in the market in order to change the organisation structure thereby, increasing the effectiveness and the efficiency.

3. Importance of Information Technology:

Information Technology plays a vital role in any enterprise & the life of strategic managers too.  IT helps in operation, integration, maintenance, documentation & management of computing resources (Davis, 2007).

Information technology has had an enormous impact on the attitude of our professional lives. The Internet has transformed the speed of access to information with a click of a button. There are various aspects of information technology which are enhancing and changing our professional lives (Kara, 2010).

IT has been used in various disciplines ranging from academics, financial sector, retail industry, operation management, logistics and supply chain, etc. Everything is being done using technology as it helps the individuals to perform their job easily & minimizing the errors. Information technology is also known as the Backbone of any industry as, all the applications are done on the computers (Allen & Morton, 1994).The major role played by information technology is to help & support the strategic managers of the organization to share knowledge, codify knowledge, and distribute knowledge (Laudan, 2008).

Information Technology is implemented to provide enterprise with greater flexibility, allowing them to access & process more knowledge about the environment. This greater information processing enables decision makers to make better decisions regarding their environment.

Information Technology enables an enterprise to be both reactive & proactive in an environment (Ciborra, 1997). Information Technology helps to remain flexible in highly unpredictable environments.

In a competitive environment it is essential for the managers of any organization to take a proactive lead in accepting the upcoming technology trends and implement in their organization which would help the enterprise in free flow of work and take the business to great heights. The other the major importance of IT comes into picture when an important decision is to be made. There are various software discussed below which help the enterprise to take up all types of decisions in a click of a button.

4. Role of Information Technology in Management:Ikujiro Nonaka, 2008 claims- “In an economy where the only certainty is uncertainty, the one sure source of competitive advantage is knowledge”.

When competitors multiply, markets shift and products become obsolete outstanding               companies are those that constantly create new knowledge, declaring it widely throughout the company & quickly incorporate it. Such type of activities within the organization is done with the help of Information Technology. All these companies are known as “Knowledge Creating Company”.

Technology is rapidly changing the way that businesses communicate and function every day.

Knowledge management is one of the critical uses of information technology that helps an organization to have an edge over its competitors. Many organizations are     building knowledge management systems (KMS) to govern the business know how & organizational learning (Davis, 2007).

Data mining, internet/intranet websites, on-line discussion groups & knowledge data bases are some of the technologies that are used by a Knowledge Management System. This software helps in knowledge creation & organizational learning.

Information technology helps the strategic managers to provide quick feedback to knowledge workers, improve business performance & encourage behavior changes by staff member. Knowledge Management System also helps in integration of the knowledge into enterprise business process services & products (Brien, 1999).

Information technology gives the companies an edge to compete amongst all other organizations. This task is accomplished when the strategic managers use information technology.

This Information Technology (IT) software will help the managers to connect people & have a competitive advantage. The managers should use all the basic principles in order to be benefitted in all the respects (Laudan, 2008).

One of the major roles played by Information Technology is to help the company to acquire a whooping amount both in terms of reducing costs & incurring profits (Longley et al, 1985).

4.1 Role of IT at Cisco: Cisco Company has changed its organization’s boundaries by creating two-way articulation structures between the organization and the consumer. CEO John Chambers’ objectives are to make the customer the focus of the strategy instead of conceding the top management team to take decisions in isolation of the customers (Byrne, 1998). For this strategy to be efficient & effective, an appropriate enterprise structure or form must be in place that can process the huge volumes of information generated from both external & internal sources.

These advancements were possible through the continuing advancements of information technology (IT).

Information Technology at Cisco also helped the company to reduce its risk and achieve great opportunities and success.

5. Tools used by managers:

Information technology gives the companies an edge to compete amongst all other organizations. This task is accomplished when the strategic managers use information technology (Laudan, 2008).

In addition to the Knowledge Management System discussed above there are various other tools of Information Technology which are used by the organization in order to be benefitted.

Some of the IT tools that are being used in any organization are as under:

• ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
• DSS (Decision Support System)
• CAD (Computer Aided design)
• CAM (Communication Management System)
• DMS (Document Management System)
• AMS (Attendance Management System)
• SMS (Security Management System)
• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

5.1 Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is software that helps in integration of        external and internal information across the entire enterprise, embracing manufacturing, accounting/finance, sales & service, etc. The basic purpose of ERP System is to simplify the flow of information between all the business verticals inside the boundaries of the company

 (Loh, et al 2004).

ERP systems usually include the following feature which will help the managers in order to accomplish their tasks. Installation of the ERP system does not requires any elaborate data/application integration by the Information Technology (IT) department. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System is Information Technology software which helps the managers to perform their task in an organization.

5.1.1 Application of ERP at TISCO:

 The ERP system helped the strategic managers of Tata Iron Steel Company (TISCO) in making the planning process more efficient & productive. This system enabled efficient integration of the various business activities. This particular system also had different modules with which they could send & receive data across departmental boundary (Loh, et al 2004).Implementation of this system improved the productivity & also reduced the response as well as the reaction time at TISCO.

The assignment which involved the allocation of two or more departments at TISCO, would take many days in a non-ERP enterprise whereas with proper automation & integration of the ERP System, the same work was being completed in a click of a second.

There are various business modules in ERP package which helped the managers of TISCO in order to complete their task on time in the various departments.

The finance program of the TISCO ERP system helped the managers of TISCO to take care of all the accounts. Before, the implementation of the ERP program managers at TISCO were not able to keep manage the ledgers, ascertain the amount of profits, risk management could not be done, etc (Loh, et al 2004).

After the installation of ERP system at their workplace, the various sub-systems    helped the TISCO managers to complete their task. Proper journals & ledgers could be maintained, thereby helping the managers to ascertain the amount of profit the    company has earned.

The Oracle ERP application was incorporated at Sun Microsystems. The Sun Microsystems experienced varied results after the implementation of Oracle ERP system.

ERP helped the Sun Microsystems to save in costs. Sun Microsystems initially was unable to make use of the Information Technology facilities cost effectively. Even though they were producing good results but the cost incurred was expensive and time consuming. This problem was discarded by oracle ERP System. Oracle ERP helped in faster transmission at the Sun Microsystems. It also helped in speeding up of the business process slowly. The amount of money invested on It operations went down. It not only lowered the money invested but, also lowered down the time spent on the same (Allen & Morton, 1994).
Before the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning, the Servers were not combined. Whereas, after implementing the Oracle ERP the servers were consolidated & outsourced. The consolidation of the servers helped the Sun Microsystems’s to bring down the costs.

The ERP system, market is a very fast growing & a competitive market. The implementation of the ERP system at Sun Microsystems’s & TISCO has helped the managers to use the resources available in the most effective & efficient manner (Loh, et al 2004).

ERP outcrier is expanding their market presence by introducing some new versions such as CRM, SCM, sales force automation etc (Loh, et al 2004). Majority of the organizations is opting for the new versions of ERP available in the market. The organizations have come up with outstanding results.

The usage of the ERP Software is growing annually at a rate of 40% (approx.). This percentage gives the indication that majority of the organizations are opting for the ERP software in order to upgrade their system which would help them in future in order to lower down the cost.

 5.2 The next software that has helped many organizations in order to take appropriate decisions is the Decision Support System (DSS). The Decision Support System is a system that helps the strategic managers to identify the problematic area.

5.2.1Application of the DSS at Jada Precisions Plastics Co.:

This system helped the managers of Jada Precisions Plastics Co. to make decisions & also helped in evaluation of performance. It is a type of system which helped & supported the managers during the decision making process (Henry, 2008).

There are various types of Decision Support System used by Jada Precisions Plastics Co. which helped the managers to take decisions depending upon the organizations needs & requirements. Data Analysis System is a system that helped the managers at the Jada Precisions Plastics Co. to analyze all the information that is being inserted into the computer.

The outcomes based on this system were comparative in nature & formulas are also being used in order to come at a verified conclusion. Accounting System was being used by the company & also show cased brilliant results. This system took into account the major aspects of the business (Tax & Hunter, 2007).

In such a competitive world, the managers would not be able to keep the track of all the money that comes in or goes out of the organization, therefore, this software was installed at Jada Precisions Plastics Ltd to assist the managers to organize all the cash related transactions & keep a track of it as and when required. Before, the installation of this system at the Jada Precisions Plastics Co. the cash was being manipulated whereas after the installation of this software money/cash was kept in a well organized manner. Everything was kept at place; the managers had a clear idea as to how much cash is available with the company.

One of the major advantages which the managers got out of this software was with the presence of information analysis system. This system helped the managers to analyze all the information that is currently available with them.

The Status Inquiry System helped the managers at Jada Precious Plastics Ltd. to keep a track of all the equipments which were currently available within the organization. Whenever, the managers wanted to know what is available and in how many quantities this system was taken into consideration. The installation of this system helped to keep into account the critical aspects of the organization. All the decisions made with the help of such software’s are consistent, reliable, etc.

5.3 EDI (Electronic Data Interchange):- ERP along with various other support systems, help manage work independently. It provides inputs to ERP. EDI (Electronic Data Interchange for Commerce, Communication & Action) assists ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning System) in associating the two systems electronically. Jamcracker Software Technology has been using this system (Clemons & Kimborough, 1986). It acts as a gateway & helps the strategic managers to interact with the customer, vendor & other organizations. EDI technology at Jamcracker Software Technology helped building and accounting functions, to assure collateral functions, and inspect financial accounts.

5.4 CAD / CAM / CAE (Computer Aided Design, Manufacturing, and Engineering):- These systems are installed in an organization in order to assist the managers regarding Manufacturing, Designing, & Engineering functions. This particular system collectively with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning System) software provides design & drawing engineering information to the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning System) for, purchase, manufacturing & inspection functions. This software is implemented with database management facilities & the database inserted by the manager acts as an alternate support to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning System). CAD is a system that majorly helps the architectural enterprises to prepare designs, drafting and documentation. CAD is a critical tool majorly applied in various applications, such as shipbuilding, automotive, and aerospace industries, architectural design, industrial design, etc. CAD is also commonly used by various organizations to deliver animations which highlight special effects in the movies as well as advertisements, etc. By using such software/ system, the organizations are able to design their advertisements better than their competitors which would help them in long run. Thus, giving them an edge over the others.

5.5 AMS (Attendance Management System):- AMS (Attendance Management System) is one of the crucial software’s which helps the managers to keep track of the information related to employees. This helps an organization regarding personnel availability, planning, & scheduling. This system also takes into account some of the related information such as shift of an employee, presence of an employee, & the kind of job he is dealing with etc. the port of Singapore exports uses this information technology software in order to track the information related to the employees as well as proper tracking of the ships. This system helped them to see the timings when the ships come on the port, number of employees on the ship, etc. This system also helped them to reduce their loading & unloading time, reduce the costs as well (Tax & Hunter, 2007).

5.6 DMS (Document Management System):-This particular system has been designed to maintain important evidence in database for sending, viewing, messages & providing documenting support in the transaction processing. This system also helps the strategic managers in handling document editing, access, copying etc. Turner Company is amongst the 500 fortune companies. This company utilizes the DMS System in order to have a full track of all the documents as they deal in the variety of maintenance, construction, and etc businesses. DMS system also helps the enterprise to manage the storage, retrieval, creation of the documents. It assists the company at the time of the loss of any document.

5.7 CMS (Communication Management System):- This software exclusively takes into consideration tracking of information about the important resources and action. TISCO uses the CMS which helps them to generate accountability for authored content (logs), faster updates, and cooperation between authors. This system also helped the organization to centrally store the content which can be reused at many places on the website and formatted for any device (mobile phone/WAP, web browser, PDA, print, etc). The South West Airlines Flies High with the CMS system. Each fight requires data or information relating to the route, seating arrangement, number of seats available for booking, fuel requirements, in route weather, etc. All these requirements of the airlines are being taken into consideration with the help of this particular system. Before installing the CMS System, there was a lot of confusion among the fight attendants as well as the people at the airport (Tax & Hunter, 2007).

5.8 SMS (Security Management System):- This type of a system helped the Jada Precision Plastics Co. managers in handling the security, access / entry   requirement of business operation. It may be related to movement of goods from one place to another, person’s material, etc. For example in case of Jada Precision Plastics Company, an employee movement can be restricted or prohibited to select areas & sent to ERP for further processing. Or, a truck will not be allowed to enter unless it is an authorized one & then it will be weighted &weight transferred to EPR for processing further information.

In order to take decisions in such a competitive environment the companies apart from using an integrated solution & technology should also have a system that offers an enterprise broad management supports (Henry, 2008). This type of a compact solution is widely known as the Enterprise Management System (EMS).

6. Conclusion:For managing an organization in the present complex business scenario, variety of administrative tools of information systems, such as Computer Aided Manufacturing, Computer Aided Design, etc. are to be used (Henry, 2008).

This review, therefore, proposes to use various IT software’s available in the market in order to analyze how structural resources & rules within the organizational, environmental, Information Technology contexts influences and are influenced by the process of Information Technology implementation.

This review would also help the managers to use the identify the various IT tools that would be helpful for their enterprise to transform the organization and to create new lines of businesses and build new relationships with the other firms. There are various systems which when integrated in an implemented manner help the managers in hassle free work flow in an organization (Laudan, 2008).

With the application of IT the business houses will be capable of being regularly accustomed to change and stay at par with the market as well as the competition. With the use of technology communication has not only become cheaper, but much quicker with 24×7 connectivity. The emails, text messages, and auto-response, backed by information technology applications, have also widened the scope for communication.

The text stresses on how mangers can use IT in order to have a competitive advantage. This review would also help the managers to know, how to exploit Information technology to enhance the production efficiency (Suzanne, Benoit & Patry, 2004).

Thus, it can be concluded by saying that it information technology provides important tool for strategic managers.

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