Brief background of the Case Study

Reaching the desired level of company success requires formulation of plans, construction of
decisions and implementation of projects. However, these are not always simple tasks for
superiors, managers and employees of organizations or managements. Methods, strategies, and
innovations are necessary to have a smooth system as these processes are being done.
Since information plays a fundamental role in the stability of the society. Business company
industries put great value to its existence. It serves as their foundation for their operations,
communication and decisions, which requires accuracy and reliability. To ensure this standard,
during the production and management of information, there is a need for a system, composed of
people, data, and procedures working together, referred as Information System (IS).
There are series of company real-life events which define how information system works; It can
enhance worker productivity; support marketing strategies; link different departments’ functions;
and many more. As a company develops, problems intensify at different levels, which appeal for
immediate action from the IS types and components of the value chain.
IS is composed of structured essential types, commonly: (1) Transaction Processing System
(Operational Level), (2) Management Information System (Middle Managerial Level), (3)
Decision Support System (Senior Managerial/Tactical Level), (4) Executive Information System
(Executive Level).

The IS value chain covers all the activities a company undertakes in order to offer a product or
service. Value chain activities fall into two main categories: primary and support activities.
Primary activities are more closely related to creating value. Support activities allow primary
activities to take place by providing the necessary inputs and infrastructure. These activities link
together to form the value chain.
The primary activities are shown in the bottom part of figure 2.2 and include:
– Input logistics: the procurement of raw materials and supplies from suppliers.
– Operations: the transformation of raw materials into finished products with the
appropriate quality, time and cost conditions.
– Output logistics: the transport of products to customers.
– Marketing: to detect customers’ needs and procure orders.
– Service: activities designed to maintain the conditions of use for the sold
product.
Support activities are presented at the top of figure 2.2 and include:
– Company infrastructure: the organisational framework that impacts all primary
activities in a generalised way. These include all managerial activities, such as
drawing up strategies, planning and control.
– Human resource management: all activities related to the selection, training and
motivation of the company’s staff.
– Technological development: all activities designed to procure and subsequently
manage technologies.
– Purchasing: procurement of the elements needed to carry out the production
process.

According to Andreu et al’s definition, the information system forms part of the support activity
known as company infrastructure. This tells us that all the value chain activities need support
based on the information system. Because all the support activities sustain each other, the
information system’s role is to interact with all the company’s activities, whether basic or
support.
The systematic examination of a company’s added value chain is an effective way
of finding advantageous IT applications.
All the value chain activities, whether basic or support activities need and generate information.
The information system compiles information generated by different activities that is later
needed for other activities to function. The information system distributes this information to
each activity (see fig. 2.1). From this perspective, the information system plays an important role
in coordinating the various value chain activities. This role involves coordinating:
– between basic activities (e.g., ensuring that orders reach the production
department);
– between basic activities and support activities (e.g., any control activity);
– between support activities (e.g., monitoring personnel involved in support
activities).

The information system therefore plays a central role in ensuring the smooth
working of interactions among value chain activities.
The information system compiles and distributes the information necessary for taking decisions
or implementing initiatives throughout the whole value chain when this information is generated
in other activities of the chain. For example, sales information may be relevant in taking
decisions on after sales service; it may also be useful in designing the most appropriate service
actions for a given set of circumstances.
By considering the information system as an integral part of the company’s infrastructure, the
information that it manages – although it is generated or used by specific activities – does not
belong to any activity in particular but rather to the company as a whole. It is possible that some
value chain activities produce, process and use considerable volumes of information that are not
required in other areas of the company. No doubt why, companies’ common issue happens in
Content Management. Large mismanaged volume of information from various tasks might cause
difficulty for companies to ensure coordination with their services or production. Just like what
happened to Du Pont Co.
Case
At Du Pont Co.’s (www.dupont.com) $4 billion performance coating group, the critical issue
was content management. “We have a very large number of documents for marketing: brochures,
press releases, warranty information on products and general support content for our distributors
and car repair body shops”, explains Catherine March and, the groups e-business strategy
manager. “Our salesmen were driving around with 23 kg of obsolete literature in their trunk.”
Du Pont opted to deliver the information through a web-based intranet/ extranet portal, using
technology from Bow-street, a portal s/w and web development tools company. Du Pont wanted
the ability to customize information about its half a dozen coating brands. It also wanted each of
its 2500 distributors and repair shops worldwide to see the information displayed in almost 4000
different site views; which the technology would allow it to do.
Since the content capability was initiated, Du Pont’s site has grown rapidly. The body shops can
now get training, bench marketing tools, and can paint colour formulas via the portal. There are
also job-posting and resume services. And for the distributors, Du Pont is researching adding
order-tracking and order accuracy capabilities soon.
With the wide reach of the internet, companies all across the world rapidly adopted their
information system to web technology. Websites become the face of these companies. Along
with this, web portals came into existence and soon become a vital part of the online ecosystem.
The huge demand for web portals was duly fulfilled by various web portal development services.
This case study aims to determine how web portal saves Du Pont Co.’s critical issue in
content management. Specifically, the case study will answer the following questions:
1. What is Information System?
2. What is Web Portal?
3. How does Information System, and its types and value chain put into action in the
implementation usage of the Web Portal?
4. What are the benefits of Web Portal to Du Pont Co.?
5. What is the importance of a “security budget” in the context of the given situation?

REFERENCE (Sir Balilo’s Slides):

Alcami, R., & Caranana, C. (n.d.). Introduction to Management Systems. 18-22.