Enterprise Systems of A-Coffee Ltd - Case Study Example

Introduction Enterprise systems are certainly vital in ensuring effective management of organizational key functionalities. Enterprise systems permit organizations to manage organizational data with ease where input data are fed into the system and the system automatically processes the data into a more useful output thereby facilitating data management processes and reducing redundancy. The enterprise systems integrates business processes such as accounting, finances, inventory management, quality control and sales amongst others where data can easily be transferred from one business unit to the next unlike independent systems which cannot transfer such data. The systems are vital in Enterprise Resouce planning (ERP), supplier relationship management (SRM) and vendor management inventory (VMI). Thus, any organization undisputedly requires such a system to enhance its organizational processes. Overall scope of the service Following the request brought forward by A-Coffee ltd to devise Enterprise System implementation strategy, U Trade group hereby devise a workable proposal on how the company intends to implement the selected information system. The U-Trade team prides itself with its systems that is Netsuite information system and Rootstock information system. However, our preference for this type of business is the Rootstock which has been proved to be comparatively of lesser implementation and maintenance cost, highly reliable and system cloud systems. The system has components will provide services in cost accounting, supply chain, operations, product design and management, general accounting, sales and customer service for your organization. These systems are precisely what A-Coffee ltd requires. The system will be rolled outy in three phases ranging from the trial stage to implementation stage. Our system will integrate all your organizational components and store the data on our central servers that enjoy 1024 bit encrypted firewall that is impenetrable thus, safeguarding your company data in case of infiltration. We treat our customers’ information and privacy with a lot of secrecy thus, the sensitive nature of the system to be implemented compels us to limit the accessibility of the system through security logins and special access cards. We wish to commence the roll out process on 21st of October, 2017 and we look forward completing the process by 22nd August 2018 moreover we will offer our services for the first 10 of the system use. We shall offer training for a period of 3 months to enable the employees get accustomed with this system as well as integrate some of your organization functions in phases. Throughout, the implementation process, we shall assign to the company a team of three experts on system design, two specialists on database administrators and two system developers. These are highly skilled personnel with great proficiency on how Rootstock’s functionalities, how the system should be maintained and shall then look up to necessary adjustments in making sure the compatibility of the system with the company expectations. As a company we will conduct system maintenances after every 2 months as well as have back up servers to keep the system running in case of breakdown. The team shall be working as from 8.30am to 5.00pm on daily basis so as to meet the expected deadline. The team shall require a sizeable room furnished with at least seven chairs and two long tables. After implementation, U Trade group shall assign to the company four database engineers who shall be dispensed with the duty of maintaining the system and periodically train employees on the functionalities of the system. Technical Scope Rootstock system is an enterprise wide system with variable and wide reaching capabilities rather than a Best-of-Breed system which specializes on a specific business requirement. Rootstock provides a wider variety of components consisting of but not limited to finance and accounting, forecasting, inventory management, quality control and vendor managed inventory which are indeed the primary requirements of the A-Coffee ltd. Rootstock system shall tolerate the company’s desire to integrate a number of different applications, format and protocols thereby facilitating the company’s processes, distribution and sales amongst others. It shall enhance information transfer processes horizontally as well as vertically. The system is therefore of high complexity in installing and maintaining. However, U Trade Group shall offer high tech IT experts to implement and maintain the system without any additional cost. We recommended Rootstock on the basis that it is a real-time and single system which shall save the company from multiple data entries and excess expenditure on data entry staff. The system is a robust and cloud based system hence chances of information loss or security breach shall be limited. To ensure effective installation of the system, the team shall require adequate server hardware and appropriate licensing of the underlying database in which we propose an ORACLE platform. The team shall provide secure and reliable connections to the servers of each user and shall ensure ongoing database management and maintenance through effective backups and restore. The system shall be web-based in which there shall be no further updates on user’ computers once installation is complete unlike client-server which requires periodic updates which might turn out to be expensive for the company. The system shall have a centralized data storage technique where users can log in and access the data respective to their level in the management hierarchy. Discussion Functional Specification of proposed System To effectively meet the requirement s of A-Coffee Ltd, U-Trade group proposed Rootstock system which is an integrated stem with a large span of capabilities. To begin with, the system has great potentiality in financial and accounts management. A-Coffee accountants shall have straightforward process in making accounting data entries and retrieving them. The system has the capability of collecting all the interdepartmental accounting entries, and presenting a more summarized result to the financial management team (Schwalbe, 2015, n.d). With the system therefore, cases of errors shall be minimal, financial integrity shall be guaranteed and accuracy shall be the order of the day. Secondly, the system, as an enterprise resource planner (Cloud ERP), has the great potential in making financial and strategic forecasts which is indeed ideal for every business setup. With Rootstock, A-Coffee Ltd would be in a position to track down the use of finances within the enterprise and project the company’s financial position in the near future. Further, the system shall assist ideally in asset management through its inventory management and control component hence accurate data on stock levels shall always be available (Davenport, 2013, n.d). Furthermore, the system has a component of logistics and distribution management which necessary in making and responding to orders. The quality management component of the Rootstock system has the capability of assessing and valuing the available stock as well as long-term assets as an aspect of ensuring effectiveness in enterprise valuation. Some other specifications of the system include scheduling, supplier relationship management (SRM), vendor management inventory (VMI), and warehouse management. Such specialties are indeed fundamental for manufacturing companies like A-Coffee in ensuring production of quantified and quality products and efficacy in general strategic management. Technical Specification A-Coffee ltd requires a system with a voluminous space which can allow multiple processes at the same time. Rootstock has it. The system has a mammoth database which can hold voluminous data. According to Martínez-Núñez and Pérez-Aguiar, (2014, pg720) Rootstock database is divided into two sets, that is, the public part and the private part. The public part contains data that can be understood and used by respective users. The public part is further partitioned into primary public and secondary public. The primary public can be accessed without security credentials such as username and password. This part is mostly used by customers in making enquiries and requesting for order hence it is readily available for access through the internet. The secondary primary has limited use. It is used by only specified class of users such as organizational staff members and suppliers. The users must comply with the requirements of this level of the database by providing security credentials inform of usernames and passwords. Each individual is expected to have unique username and password. This level is necessary in accessing the company’s confidential and restricted data hence it is available under extranets. The private level of the database can only be accessed by high level managers and executives who have the capability of manipulating organizational highly classified data. They use the data to make organizational strategic decisions and for organizational planning. Database managers also use the private level in managing and maintaining the integrated system. With this regard therefore, the accessibility of the private level of the Rootstock system is highly classified and can only be accessed through concealed intranets (Guerrini, Romano and Campedelli, 2013, p.33). The system, through its cloud technique, offers a great avenue for data security lessening chances of data lose. The cloud based computing enhances backup and restore incase of erroneous lose of data. Implementation Methodology In implementing the new integrated system, Rootstock, the phased implementation approach shall be used. In using the phased-rollout, small changes shall be made over an extended period of time using the business unit system. In this system, we shall determine one of the outlets of the company, train the expected users and roll it out in that unit. The success on that single shall propel us to roll it out in the entire business enterprise. The implementation approach diminishes chances of acceptance risk since it allows for trial before general application and permits the users have time of adapting to the new system (Galliers and Leidner, 2014). It also allows for determination of incompatible components thereby enhancing the process of making adjustments where necessary. It consents to users’ need to gain skills and experience in each and every phase of the implementation process. Despite the fact that this approach takes much time to be fully implemented, it is undoubtedly necessary especially in the scenario where users are technologically averse like in the case of A-Coffee ltd. 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