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ITNFY Assignment 2010
ITNFY Assignment 2010
Albert College
TASK 2...............................................................................................8
TASK 3.............................................................................................14
TASK 4.............................................................................................19
References:......................................................................................23
TASK 1
INTRODUCTION:
For some years, business organisations have embraced and adopted the new
technical developments in the field of information technology to implement the
successful business strategies in meeting the organisational objectives. As businesses
today are heavily dependants on quick and right information to make the correct
decisions in order to manage the business operations effectively and efficiently.
Collection of data to generate and disseminate the information among the different
organisational units of business to make the better decisions is a real spirit of any form of
business. Business firms have formulated various IS strategies to meet the information
need of its different processes attached to provide the improved and quality services in
terms of internal communication, research and development, supplier communications,
logistics performance and customer services (Galliers and Leidner, 2003). Computer
based information systems provide lots of opportunities to any organisation to gain the
competitive advantage, formulate the global marketing plan and satisfying the customer’s
needs by knowing their preferences. In general, the latest developments made in
information technology have opened new horizons for companies to attain the ultimate
success in the business. Information systems might influence the centralization and
decentralization of controlling the system and decision making capabilities.
BACKGROUND OF COMPANY:
The scope of the Graham And Green case study discussed above is to address the
all those issues of competitive environment, improved communication internally and
externally, changes in customer preferences, more use of technological developments and
strong competition that may influence on the business performance. The other main
objectives or aims of the case study are as under:
Full integrated system
The implementation of an integrated system will allow the business to acquire the all
information from all departments through integrated application and thus all data will
be saved on a single site. The application will be installed on all PCs used in different
department of the company at four different locations.
Fully automations of daily business activities
When the system will be fully computerized and all business information will be
stored on a server system, the business operations will be fully automated. The
computerized system will also enable to make their designing and catalogue stored in
computers. Using computer aided design technology; the furniture quality will be
improved.
Easy sharing and management of information
The sharing and management of information can easily be done with this new system.
The management of information includes collection, retrieval, storage and
dissemination.
Better Security and controlled access on the information
Only users with valid access will be granted the permission to login into the
application and perform its required task that is how the security on data will
automatically be achieved and access on the information will be restricted and
controlled.
More effective communication system
All computers will be connected through a wired network internal to a store and four
stores will be connected through wireless network that will provide an opportunity to
communicate with other employees and department in real time.
Single storage base to improve the process of decision making
All information will be processed, extracted, stored and disseminated through a single
storage repository. The higher management will be allowed to access any form of
information and making right decisions using the updated information.
Fast and improved customer services by satisfying their needs
The customer services will be much faster and improved after being implanted the
new computerized system as all processes will use the latest technical developments
and customers will also more satisfied with new system.
Less usage of stationery resources
The usage of stationery and paper resources will be minimized as all record
management will be computerized where the loss of information is less than the
manual file system.
Better supply chain management and customer relationship management
The over all performance of business operations including supply chain and customer
relationship management will be much improved.
EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
UK is politically a strong democratic country that provides many opportunities to
its business organisations but they all have to follow the Government rules and
regulations in the context of manufacturing business. Graham and Green store is directly
comes under the furniture manufacturing industries and there are two strong furniture
associations who have the furniture manufactures from all around UK as voice of
industry to Government BFC (British Furniture Confederation) and BFM (British
Furniture Manufacturers). Under current circumstances, the company is performing well
by following the national employment law, environmental regulations, political changes,
government taxes, customer protection and industry-specific rules and regulations. The
taxes are collected from both central and local governments to provide the best business
environment.
ECONOMIC FACTORS
The whole world is under great economic recession since 2007, the UK economy
includes the economies of Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The economic
conditions are still favorable from the consumer perspective in buying the furniture
goods. The UK economy is one of most globalized in the whole world where the city of
London is regarded as busiest and largest financial city in world. According to Economy
Watch, the GDP of UK’s industrial sector in 2008 was as under:
Industry and Manufacturing (22.8% of GDP)
Services Sector (76.2% of GDP)
Agriculture (0.9% of GDP)
These indicators clearly show that manufacturing and industry sector is second major in
contributing the UK economy. The British economy declined with a greater pace than
expected in year 2009 that impact on the housing market, consumer confidence,
employment and manufacturing relatively slower rates. But declining rate was much
faster than the previous years noted (Economy Watch). Besides all these factors the UK
economy from manufacturing point of view is strengthen.
SOCIAL FACTORS
The UK furniture manufacturing industry is normally recognized as traditional
bespoke products by the skilled craftspeople. The population of UK is more aged and
they like every sort of furniture more crafted and designed by producers. The industry at
present employs about 124,000 people in different furniture manufactures that produce
the quality furniture products to the population of United Kingdom. Like other businesses
this industry is also much affected by the social environmental changes and a sustainable
furniture manufacturer will have to focus on all such social factors that will effect on its
business performance (Pandey, 2009).
TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
The new technical developments have rapidly changed the internal and external
working environment of all sizes of business. The furniture industry in UK as is
perceived a skilled craftspeople and design work whether in offices, homes and public
places. The idea of good life style and better living condition is to be flourished at
quicker rate even in the middle class families. For making the life style better, people are
now decorating not only their homes, work places and offices but also in other segments
of places as well e.g. kitchen, dinning, bedrooms and even in bathrooms with modern
furniture.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
All business organisations are today under great stress from the perspective of
environmental factors as they are also directly affected the performance of a company.
The UK government has plan to make government estate as carbon neutral and leading
sustainable procurement by year 2012. The furniture manufactures are bounded to take
timber or timber products from a licensed Forest Law Enforcement, Government and
Trade (FLEGT) or from any other verified legal authority. Today the issue of
environmental safety and earth is more important. The issue of Global warming is mainly
faced by furniture manufacturer because forests and plants are necessary to reduce global
warming (Wisno, 2009). But wood is used as primary raw material in making furniture
products. Another important issue of air cleanliness has caught the whole world attention.
LEGAL FACTORS
Business firms have to follow the all those rules and policies made by the central
government of that country where company operates its business but in UK the local
government also enforce its legal implications on the furniture industry. Our all six show
rooms are in London that is very congested city and government will have to take some
extra measures on organisations.
TASK 3
CONSEQUENCE ANALYSIS
The management of any organisation conducts consequence analysis in
determining the outcomes of wanted and unwanted actions to judge the performance of
business after implementing the new bespoke integrated information system as part of
business IS / IT strategy. Consequence analysis is also considered as an important
constituent of procedure of risk management analysis whereas the risk is describes as the
possible result of something that probably be occurred with an action and also its effects.
The process of risk management is related to find out the best requirements that should be
understood from the context of expected consequences and the probability of occurrence.
Consequence analysis engages in obtaining the events of system components failure and
trying to find the plausible outcomes with the occurrence of such events.
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http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/united-kingdom/ [last accessed on 10
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growth-of-the-furniture-industry-1362259.html [last accessed on 11 May, 2010].
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http://www.britishfurnitureconfederation.org.uk/pages/about/theindustry.htm [last
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