Systems and Operations Management

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Executive Summary

The vital improvements in companies have been the change of roles of operations managers who have become innovators of systems and continuous developers of the daily running of the systems of the company. Companies have realized that to have a competitive edge the operations systems, development of capabilities is key to their success.

Increasing the reliance of their systems is solely the focus of their marketing and delivery of services and products. (Slack et al, 2010). Therefore, improvement of their information systems enhances the effectiveness of their operations thereby giving them the capacity to satisfy their customers who in turn continue to buy their products.

Improving new processes of technology brings in new methods of controlling the market thus the companies are also able to manage their internal affairs and management of operations.

It is in these new developments that the company is able to deeply delve into the knowledge that allows operations to adapt flexibly in reaching out effectively to their customers (Bic & Alan, 2003). Therefore, internal auditing of their running is everyday managed properly in a more advanced way by information systems.

Recent management trends of information systems points out that technological change has become a vital means towards company managing resources and facilities. This is true in the sense that many companies have been forced to adapt to the new system technology to earn a position in the competitive world (Stallings, 2008).

As the companies expand in various ways, they realize that they need to adapt to their growing need to become more effective in their operations. This therefore, has led to many companies introducing systems that make them practice best management methods in their production and delivery of their services (Checkland, 1999).

However the increasing importance of information systems among companies has highlighted the current demand for an increased need to be flexible and to adapt to various methods of management.

This has brought about the effective means to production and service delivery as a way to respond to the growing demand in the market. This involves having a broad based information system that allows the flow of data in the company to allow efficient running of their systems and production efficiency.

This paper thus explores approaches used by the company to address this trend and also how it has adapted to the new changes in their use of the information technology. It reviews how the suggestion of introducing this new system to the company is improving its operations in accomplishing its market goal and target market.

The paper also proposes some recommendations after the analysis. Building from this, it proposes some principles for the regular development of information systems and points out the path to model the progress in an adaptable and flexible way.

Introduction

Atokowa being a major influence in the market of stationery and office supplies give them an advantage among other businesses and organizations. This is due to the fact they deliver their products directly to their customers and in addition, own various retails outlets.

The business idea came from an Australian called Lachlan who started his own photocopying business when he purchased a machine thereby printing various jobs for the company (Adler, 1992). This in history was the first photocopying machine where his work extended immensely in Australia. In the process, he started other outlets extending the small enterprise to a big business.

The business had a reputation of giving high quality services therefore it continued to grow immensely. This led the owner to develop a vision that his would be the only business that would offer stationery and office supplies and thus expanded his spectrum to other cities in which he stocked his premises with all sorts of stationery and office materials.

In the later years, the owner retired and passed on his business to his son who changed the vision to focus on technology and started selling various computers of the time (Laudon, Kenneth & Jane, 2009). This selling of items integrated or involved the use of information technology leading to more expansion to other cities and hence the son followed the footsteps of his father.

The method will give the staff an opportunity to understand the role of systems and operations management and its integration into efficient and effective running of business. It took a practical approach which will give the staff a good understanding of better business practice within the global organization. The soft systems approach of the company’s systems development was be used to analyze and define business requirements.

People and management issues will be reviewed with emphasis on communication, teamwork and effective leadership. Quality management and business excellence focusing on customer relations will be considered.

The staff will develop an understanding of analysis process and its improvement to reflect on business process in introducing the information system using rules and analysis to examine costs, allocation of resources, and efficiency related to the delivery of goods and services. The method will consider the impact of operations systems and management in the wider social-economic environment.

The skills in operations management therefore become an important requirement of employers in many areas of business. Developments of operation systems therefore become practical as employees learn and employ professional skills which in turn maximize profit.

In systems operation management, the directors of businesses have to be knowledgeable and understanding to the role of strategies in integrating this in their businesses and in examining the quality involved in managing their business and products. In addition, the practical aspects of their skills are challenged by the intellect transferring this role into their management and operation systems.

Thus in this, Laudon and Laudon (2011) highlight that retailers’ understanding of growth in productions is as a result of using proper ways of keeping their data and knowing what needs to be implemented in the shortest time possible.

This is made possible by introducing systems that allow flexibility in their access to the customers and making sure they satisfy them. In using a good information system, the company will avoid lagging behind in their aim to deliver as much efficiently as possible thus making sure the needs of the clients are taken care of.

In order to do this, the company has to progressively track its transactions and analyze its efficiency by properly following up their daily interactions with those they serve. The company plans to contract with as many as possible of their customers in developing their continuous influence through information systems.

This will keep them on the market as the customers rely more on their systems thus permanently gaining the trust thus continue being long-term clients (Adler, 1992). To remain competitive in the market, the company has to review its products with the changing needs of the clients and use their adaptive nature to inform their market of the various developments of their products.

Thus in using quality control tools, the need for product development will be realized. In conclusion, the company’s operation process has to take root in the human resource to transform the entire operations department (Jacobs and Chase, 2011). This will lead to questioning the entire operation systems in determining when and how to operate and who to manage in these circumstances.

How was this analysis undertaken?

The analysis was done in a manner that reviewed the company’s foundation and how it grew to expand in many other cities which operated independently without major supervision. This led to the elder son to appoint other people to help him run the company. In the five stages, each manager ran the business separately and thereby reporting whatever was happening to the main branch.

In the process of running the outlets in this manner, it was deemed as difficult because it involved the employees counting every stock in the end of the day. It was then that one of the managers thought and suggested for the implementation of integrating electronic points of sale system thereby making the company stock be tracked by a bar code.

Thus by this suggestion, the owner asked the person who suggested his ability to manage the design and implement the Microsoft Access database whose operation’s success was based mainly on its simplicity. In its application, each outlet became equipped with standard Window’s computers which were connected over a simple local area network.

The structure of the following report is one that focused on the organisation which questioned the effectiveness of the system introduced for their daily accounting and stock taking.

Thus, the report looks at the information system and how it led to solving the cumbersome tedious process of taking their stocks every day. It also recommends the action that looks at the solution to their business expansion. The company therefore used the following:

Analysis of Current Systems and Operations

In analyzing the current system, we look at all the transactions that go all the way until the processing stage. Here, the product is usually scanned into the data bases which are summed and payment is taken.

After the payment, each product sold is to be written in the transaction table of the database and whenever any transaction in the outlets was done, this was recorded in a different table thereby helping the manager to know and maintain the stock efficiently.

In the latter process of stock taking, the manager was unsure of what really had taken place because he only had to trust that his co-managers would give an account of their daily sales or he would personally supervise by travelling to the various outlets which is inefficient and takes much valuable time.

But with the new system, the manager had access to the daily running of the business and would follow each transaction to their designated customer.

By doing this, the manager could make any changes or suggestions that he saw fit to increase the efficiency of his business if he predicted that certain outlets needed more stock or they were overstocked. This is a very effective way of management because time which is essential is used wisely and the business is run in a coordinated manner unlike before.

In overseeing the stocks in the warehouse, the manager would be able to audit unusual requests thereby avoiding theft and errors in that if the warehouse had items ready for sale; they would authorize the selling at that point without sending it to the particular outlet thus reducing time and increasing efficiency and accountability.

Structured analysis

The company came up with a structured method to analyze it systems which one of the managers saw as the right way of solving the problem of taking stocks. This was possible because he was having the know- how of how to handle information systems and understood its mechanisms. He therefore, used simple technical techniques which could be understood by all the people who would use the new systems.

Use of experienced staff and inexperienced staff

By asking the right question to solve a problem, the structured method did not isolate the experienced staff from the inexperienced ones, but rather made sure everyone in the company had the opportunity to learn and be able to use the new that was system introduced. This was done by using the experienced staff to guide the ones who were lagging behind.

Improving the control and planning of the company

The approach used to introduce and implement the new system was made more effective by dividing the company into stages in that the introduction and implementing of the new system was introduced in stages thus giving all major outlets time to sieve in their data and be able to connect with the central management point.

The quality of the system

The quality and effectiveness of the system was determined by ensuring that the structured method was also flexible to suit the various states according to their operation.

This was done by reviewing the daily use of the system as the members participated in the change of how things were to be run. Thereafter the system was developed in another level allowing progress of effectiveness thus meeting the user’s requirement when it was operational.

Business system designed

This proved to bring out the required factors that would broaden the specifics of the stages of analysis. In this part various solutions are evaluated on the basis of meeting the required expectations from the suggestions of a technical professional like the one who saw the need for pushing for changes in the company.

The evaluator has to understand the business therein making specific recommendations of what is best to deal with the problem and offer a solution.

Physical design

The theoretical design has to be transformed or converted to the actual practical sense in dealing with the problem. In the case of the company discussed, one member came up with the idea which led overall manager to accompany him and thus appoint him as the one to manage and maintain the data system. This involved specifications of duties and tasks needed to make sure that the new system kicked off.

Transition

In moving from one point to the next, planning is needed before implementation. This will mean that the company had to move from the old systems to the new ones.

This isn’t an easy task as all required personnel have to come to the understanding that the system being introduced was known and explained to everyone; otherwise the company would go backwards and regress. Therefore installations of nearly all major equipments had to be taken into consideration and also the training of those who are going to use the equipments has to be budgeted and put into consideration.

In doing this, the implementation stage has to come in when all participants are in tune to start using the new system.

Evaluating the system

In the process of use, the system has to be review and maintained through the phases of implementation. This is because the system has to be developed every now and then in order to improve its performance and usage among both the clients and employees (Silberschatz et al, 2008).

Conclusion

In many organizations, information systems have been realised to be effective means to success of the businesses. In realising this, many businesses have invested broadly in strategic planning in using systems that would develop their businesses as they expand.

This is often as a result of analysing the present position of the company by observing and listening to the users of their products and also their employees. It is therefore prudent to have the following analysis before introducing any new system.

Feasibility study

This helps in deciding whether the company is able to technically have a new system that would be introduced in their running of their daily businesses (Silberschatz et al, 2008). Thus considering their financial and social justification is vital to understanding whether the organization will be resistive or accepting to the new system.

Systems analysis

In analysing the present ways of running the company, we note that the current one is to be analysed in detail to determine the extent to which the new system needs preparation or resources. Therefore, system analysis has to provide the environment in which the results of the company’s research have adopted the recording and analysing position.

Computer based production planning and control systems

Computer based control systems allowed the company to handle various difficult factors that cropped up in their daily transactions. Therefore in using the computer based system in their running of the business, the production advanced thus reduced inefficiency resulting from human error.

In overall with proper management, theses parts of the system became productive thereby making the business more profitable and a leading entity. In using computer based analysis, the company became more flexible and wholly integrated in their operations. O’Brien (1999) says that in doing this the business has more control to increase their production sector with a well structured system that predicts their success.

Thus in combining all these systems the staff became very much aware of how information systems can be integrate production and databases which all have to be functional and assist in proper coordinated systems.

In accomplishing this, the level of responding to the customer’s needs became highly competitive and flexible. This highlights the important role of computer technology and information systems’ operations (Adler&Winograd,1992).

Recommendations

The following are some suggestion of how to improve the operation system of the company.

Operational Data Store analysis

This as viewed by Auslander (2011) will maintain a larger data on the systems thus accommodating access to information and allowing effectiveness of viewing various transactions in their daily stock taking. This therefore when reviewed will serve as a data store allowing the manager to view all that was takes place in the various outlets thereby improving daily operations.

Initial State Service

This mechanism is based on the customer or client being able to get and view information of products available and update them on the development of the company products (Pant & Hsu, 1999). In employing this type of system, the client would be able to access information and orders from various points and the results would register in the main system thus making the manager assess the demand of particular products and services.

In integrating computer based control and operating systems in manufacturing and production, increased delivery and success will be observed.This is deemed to bring in a competitive advantage to the company because it will enhance faster means to reaching the clients and also increased production and sales.

Therefore, when properly organized, the system would offer designs and productions that will be automatic and thereafter, able to be traced when transactions takes place.

In applying technology based systems, the company will be able to specifically meet the individual needs of their customer’s thus increasing demand and credibility. This in return will allow flexibility and will increase the quality and efficiency thus making the company earns the reputation it deserves.

In conclusion, many of the operation systems within and without are to be tracked often for effectiveness. Thus in being more flexible, the process of change will introduce better effective systems enhances growth and efficiency of the company.

This will look at the factors that lead to growth and the means with which to continue developing the process of growth. By doing this, the company will consider various aspects that invites them to take on technology for the betterment of their operation systems. Therefore operation systems need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that the company benefits.

References

Adler, P & Winograd A. 1992, The Usability Challenge. Usability: Turning Technologies into Tools, Oxford University press, New York.

Adler, P. 1992, Technology and the Future of Work, Oxford University Press, New York.

Auslander et al. 1981, The evolution of the MVS Operating System, IBM, New York.

Bic, F& Alan C. 2003, Operating Systems, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Checkland, P. 1999, Systems thinking, systems practice: with a 30-year retrospective, John Wiley, Chichester.

Deitel, H et al. Operating Systems. Pearson/Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

Jacobs, R &Chase, B 2011, Operations and supply chain management, (13th ed.), McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York.

Laudon, K & Laudon, J. 2011,ManagementInformationSystems, Prentice Hall/CourseSmart, New Jersey.

Laudon, C & Laudon, P 2009, Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, Prentice Hall/CourseSmart, New Jersey.

O’Brien, J 1999, Management Information Systems – Managing Information Technology in the Internetworked Enterprise, Irwin McGraw-Hill, Boston.

Pant, S & Hsu, C 1995, Strategic Information Systems Planning: A Review, Information Resources Management Association International Conference, 21–24.

Silberschatz et al 2008, Operating Systems Concepts, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Stallings, W 2008, Computer Organization & Architecture, Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, New Delhi.

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