Integrated Decision Support Systems - Assignment Example

Task 1.1 Part A Scenario 2: The stakeholders and personnel involved in this situation is the delivery department, the driver making the delivery and the management that needs to look towards ensuring efficiency in operations. Part B Stakeholders Learning Needs Delivery Department The department communicates the shortest possible route by using management information system which helps the department to identify the best actions. Driver Making them understand their responsibility and ensuring that the driver leaving the organization properly communicates with the new driver regarding the routs Management The management needs to develop rules and policies which ensures that proper communication and knowledge about shortest route is provided to the new comer through management information system Task 1.2 The relevant human resource required and the cost associated with the same is as follows Team Member Rate $ Est. Hours Days Sub-total Project Manager $100 150 25 $15,000 Art Director $100 50 5 $5,000 Designer $150 60 8 $9,000 Art Production $65 30 5 $1,950 HTML Production $75 50 6 $3,750 Programming $120 18 2.5 $2,160 Copywriter $55 70 8 $3,850 QA/Proofing $75 18 2 $1,350 Sub-total $42,060 50 % Overhead 50% Total $63,090 Task 1.3 Pre Launch Strategy The L&D Manager needs to make the employees understand the importance of intranet and the manner it will help them in their routine life. The manager should highlight the way it will ease their life and help them solve their queries. Even using example from the outside world that have successfully implemented intranet should be provided. This will help to improve the morale of the employees (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 2005). The manager should ensure regular meetings with the employees to highlight them the benefit of intranet. Also, the doubts that the employees have should be solved immediately. Further, the manager should highlight that intranet will also help them to move ahead in life and get different promotions and can be used at home as well thereby multiplying the benefits. Along with it the manager should highlight that if some person doesn’t understand anything that he can use the intranet again and again to solve his queries. Further, it will help transfer data easily and will ensure better efficiency and development of the individual and organization. The manager needs to thereby highlight the benefits and the manner it will help them to ensure that the employees are motivated and accept the new technology easily. Post Launch Strategy The manner after the lauch of intranet should provide on the job training where the employees will understand the manner in which the system works. The queries if any should b solved immediately. Since, this involves a practical application of the pre launch strategy the manager should highlight the way it is benefitting the employees and the manner it will help them. Further, some training time and trail should be allowed so that the employees understand the system better and are able to use them with ease. Task 1.5 Collecting information from people need to be stored and steps taken to ensure that they are not leaked. Since, people provide valuable information on the belief that it will be kept confidential and the organization ensure that it doesn’t leak out so appropriate steps need to be taken to ensure it. This is as follows How Personal Information in collected Personal information of a customer is collected during form filling, surveys, telephonic conversation and other situation and is done at a point when the customer comes in contact with the organization How it is used and disclosed The information is used to communicate with the customers while providing them with the pizzas and conforming their order and location and is disclosed to the person delivering the pizzas at the time the delivery boy takes the parcel that has to be delivered Its Accuracy The personal information is mostly correct as even nearby location is collected so that the pizzas are delivered at the appropriate time How securely it is kept The personal information is preserved using the MIS on the computer where the order is taken so that when the same customer places the order it can be easily delivered General Right to Access Personal Information The person taking the order has the risk that the information might be leakedand need to ascertain that it is preserved and doesn’t fall into the hand of other people Task 1.6 The pizza store needs to look into the matter seriously and solve it at the earliest as even after installing the new intranet system the department are not able to improve their working as there lays a problem with the implementation. To ensure proper usage the company needs to contact local vendors and provide the employees the required training. This should be on the job training where the problems gets solved and the employees are able to understand the manner they should use the intranet. The company should also look towards having an uploaded version of the same on the intranet so that it any employees faces similar problem in the future the employee can revert to the uploaded fill and solve the queries. This will thereby reduce the burden on the IT department and the employees will be able to work efficiently and use intranet in the best possible manner. Task 1.7 The company is facing a problem situated with software up-gradation due to which the work loaded by OH&S Training Resources is not visible by various departments. To ensure that such a problem doesn’t arise in the future the management needs to develop a data storage house where all software are stored. This should be accessible to all the departments and as the requirement arises the required software can be upgraded. Along with it the management can look to provide emails which highlight about the software up-gradation programs and while sending mail a hyperlink is provided which takes the concerned department directly to the source and the department is able to download the required software (Barabba, 2001). Another area which the management can look towards is providing circular and memorandums which makes the department aware about the new software and upgrades it. This will help to ensure that the software is upgraded at the correct time and the different objects provided to the department are used fully. Along with it the management should monitor the different department and ensure that they have upgraded the software. If any department hasn’t met the criteria then the management should remind them and appropriate steps should be taken so that the software up-gradation process is complete and the department is able to use the valuable resources. Having a data storage facility where all software is stored will help to reduce the problem to a large extent and help the management to be able to provide maximum use of intranet. Task 1.8 The problem highlighted is one where the software that has been installed in the system is making some problem. Since, the software is required immediately as the department is in a middle of an induction program so the organization needs to contact the local vendors present there and ensure that the required software is provided. This will help the department to get the required software in the fastest possible way. To ensure that such a contingency doesn’t arise in the future the organization need to eye the local players at different location and should garner sufficient knowledge regarding the expertise and software available with them. This will help the organization to fill the void in the shortest possible time as contacting the vendors will help to provide the solution to the problem (Sullivan, 2004). The other thing which the organization can enter into is a contract with different local vendors to supply the required resources to the various departments. This will help to pass of the responsibility and will ensure that the software and other required resources are provided quickly. This could be an expensive process for the organization but a tie up or a contract will help to deal with such contingencies in a better and quicker way. The organization in the mean time should also look towards providing backing of IT specialist in all the department so that the minor glitches that the department faces gets solved instantly and the department is able to conduct its routine affairs in a timely and proper manner. Task 1.9 The current intranet has helped the company and has helped to achieve the following Ensure that the files are provided across all department and stores at the correct time which can further be downloaded and used in the future (Advantages, 2012) The possibility of upgrading to the new software and solving the different queries faced by the department through the IT department wing and the help centre which is available all the time thereby ensuring better efficiency (Advantages, 2012). The intranet has helped to ensure consistency in training programs and have ensured superior technology to share the knowledge across the different departments and organization which has ensured consistency and similar services being offered by all department (Advantages, 2012) The intranet has simplified life for the employees at the same time improved the morale of the employees as they are able to ensure better and technologically advanced mechanism to solve their problems (Advantages, 2012) Despite the added advantage that intranet has provided it lacks the following Increased dependence on intranet has made it difficult to monitor the actual performance as employees can work through home which has made it difficult to track them Problems associated with the technical aspect and regualar software and other up-gradation increases headache for the department Increased cost in implementing the intranet Despite it the manner in which the intranet has helped could further be developed by adding features like The ability to have video and audio conferencing which will reduce the cost associated with travelling The ability to have live video sessions where one department can look into the training of other department and guide their employees Task 1.10 The intranet system employed by the company has helped to reduce accidents at work place at the same time save cost on travelling and has helped to multiply the efficiency in the working of the organization. This has been primarily due to the fact that intranet has helped to provide the required training which is consistent across the entire department and has helped to spread awareness about work place safety. Along with it intranet has helped to send the required files and documents easily at a minimum cost possible. Also the additional of new features like video conferencing has helped to reduce the cost associated with travelling. This has thereby educated the employees and made them realize the importance of using the system towards the growth of the organization. Since, the company has looked towards filling the entire void that the intranet has and looks towards ensuring that the intranet provided added advantage to the organization has helped them to improve the efficiency and control cost to a large extent (IDS, 2000). This has allowed the different departments to be better prepared and ensure that they are able to monitor their work better and pass and gather information across all departments. The manner in which the organization has been able to use its resources has thereby been reflected in the development of the organization and ensured better efficiency within the organization. Task 1.11 Pizza Man can further improve their performance by ensuring that they draft a policy and system which makes it obligatory for all the stores and department to implement it. Further the organization need to train employees regarding the different functions that are available across the intranet and also providing the basic infrastructure that will enable the user to ensure that they are able to use it to the advantage. Further Pizza Man needs to ensure that they have proper arrangement with the local vendors that helps them to continuously upgrade the system at the same time provides the correct remedy to the stores using the intranet. This will help to ensure effectiveness in the usage of intranet and will help them to grow their business accordingly. Pizza Man also need to regularly provide updates and notices regarding the changes and addition the intranet has undergone (Keller & Thomas, 2008). Along with it confidentiality should be ensured so that there is no leakage of data and appropriate steps are taken that will help to multiply the use and effectiveness of the system. Along, with it Pizza Man needs to ensure that the monitoring aspect is considered seriously and any loop holes are filled so that the data is stored correctly and there is no leakage of data. Pizza Man by working on the different aspect of developing the system and software will be able to ensure better policies and draft a strategy which enables them to use intranet in the best possible manner. References Advantages. (2012). Advantages of Intranet. Retrieved on January 18, 2012 from http://www.freewimaxinfo.com/intranet-advantages-disadvantages.html Barabba, V. (2001). Through a Glass Less Darkly, Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 86, No. 413, pp. 1-8 IDS. (2000). Integrated Decision Support Systems - Successful Practical Applications Papers from International DLG - Congress for Computer Technology held in Frankfurt, Germany on May 27-30 Keller, G. & Thomas, T. (2008). Process-Oriented Implementation. Addison Wesley Longman, New York, NY. Nonaka, I. & Takeuchi, H. (2005). The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation, Oxford University Press:NewYork Sullivan, L. (2004). Heavyweight Retailer Looks Inward to Stay Innovative in Business Technology. InformationWeek, 27 September 2004 Read More