Every company in today’s world will have some automation or other. Accounting packages are the first to be implemented. And the sales order processing is automated so that their clients and suppliers can access the data. It helps to implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which allows the entire company to automate all its division/locations. In 1980s, ERP was available only to large industries who could afford the huge expenditure. Many ERP vendors have done their own ERP Review and have developed ERP solutions to different markets. Any thinking of implementing ERP system shall have three stages of ERP Review process – Pre-implementation, Implementation and Post-implementation review. In the pre-implementation ERP Review, the company shall identify itself as large, medium or small scale enterprise. There are many ERPs for small and medium enterprises. Even, some big ERP software vendors offer a different products for small and medium industries. In the pre-implementation Continue reading
Business Information Systems
Case Study of Air-Asia : Strategic Role of Information System in Business
Air Asia is established on 12 December 2001 by Mr. Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Air Asia and expanding rapidly since that. Air Asia is the leading low fare airline in Asia and Air Asia succeed to become the award winning, ‘Asia Pacific Airlines of the year 2003’ by Centre for Air Pacific Aviation (CAPA) in 2003. Air Asia has successfully positioned itself in customers’ mind by using the “ Now Everyone Can Fly” slogan. Air Asia had flown over 55 million guests across the region and continually create more extensive route network through its associate companies. Air Asia flies over 61 domestics and international destinations with 108 routes and operates over 400 flights daily from hubs located in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand with a fleet of 72 aircrafts. Air Asia’s net profit for the second quarter ending 31 December 2004 was reported RM44.4 million, a 323% increase over the Continue reading
Why Businesses Need an Efficient Management Information System?
We are living in a time of great change and working in an Information Age. Managers have to assimilate masses of data, convert that data into information, form conclusions about that information and make decisions leading to the achievement of business objectives. For an organization, information is as important resource as money, machinery and manpower. It is essential for the survival of the enterprise. Before the widespread use of computers, many organizations found difficulties in gathering, storing, organizing and distributing large amounts of data and information. Developments in computer technology made possible for managers to select the information they require, in the form best suited for their needs and in time they want. This information must be current and in many cases is needed by many people at the same time. So it has to be accurate, concise, timely, complete, well presented and storable. Most firms nowadays depend on IT. Continue reading
What is Agile Methodology?
Engineering methodologies required a lot of documentation thereby causing the pace of development to slow down considerably. Agile Methodologies evolved in the 1990s to significantly eliminate this bureaucratic nature of engineering methodology. It was part of developer’s reaction against “heavyweight” methods, who desired to drift away from traditional structured, bureaucratic approaches to software development and move towards more flexible development styles. They were called the ‘Agile’ or ‘Light Weight’ methods and were defined in 1974 by Edmonds in a research paper. Agile methodology is an approach to project management, typically used in software development. It refers to a group of software development methodologies based on iterative development. Requirements and solutions evolve through cooperation between self-organizing cross-functional teams, without concern for any hierarchy or team member roles. It promotes teamwork, collaboration, and process adaptability throughout the project life-cycle with increased face-to-face communication and reduced amount of written documentation. Agile methods break Continue reading
Case Study of Cemex: Incorporating IT into Business
Founded in 1906, Cemex is one of Mexico’s few truly multinational companies, with market-leading operations in Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Philippines, Panama, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Colombia, and a significant presence in the Caribbean, Indonesia, and the southwest United States. It is the largest cement company in America and one of the three largest cement companies in the world, with revenues of $4.8 billion and close to 65 million metric tons of production. Cemex and its subsidiaries engage in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, and related materials. Its strategy includes focusing on cement and concrete products, diversifying globally to cushion against volatility in local markets, developing efficient production and distribution processes, using IT to help increase flexibility, improve customer satisfaction, and reduce bureaucracy and excess staffing, and providing training and education for employees. Its state-of-the-art Tepeaca facility supplies one fifth of the Mexican market and Continue reading
Introduction to E-Business
Due to Internet capabilities and web technology, traditional business organization definition has undergone a change where scope of the enterprise now includes other company locations, business partners, customers and vendors. It has no geographic boundaries as it can extend its operations where Internet works. All this is possible due to Internet and web moving traditional paper driven organization to information driven Internet enabled E-business enterprise. E-business enterprise is open twenty-four hours, and being independent, managers, vendors, customers transact business any time from anywhere. Internet capabilities have given E-business enterprise a cutting edge capability advantage to increase the business value. It has opened new channels of business as buying and selling can be done on Internet. It enables to reach new markets across the world anywhere due to communication capabilities. It has empowered customers and vendors / suppliers through secured access to information to act, wherever necessary. The cost of business Continue reading