Description
I am looking to just get a Company idea, problem to solve for the company and an outline for the following project:
As part of this project, you will collaborate in a small group of classmates as a ‘virtual team.’ You will be assigned to a team during Week 2 by your instructor and provided a group discussion area in the course. You can begin working on your project as soon as your instructor has organized the teams. Your team will take the role of a management team that is presenting to the company’s upper management. Your team is proposing the implementation of a specific MIS system to solve a business problem. Your team will choose the business (it does not have to be a real business), the problem that the proposed system is intended to solve, and the type of system that your team is proposing to implement in order to solve the problem. Regardless of the type of solution you are proposing, your presentation must address the following:
Information;
Information Technology;
People.
It is recommended that you review the Example Project and Getting Started information in Week 3 to assist with making these determinations.
Team Schedule and End Products
Your virtual team will create a paper and a presentation of a Management Information System (MIS) including a full design and implementation plan. The MIS solution that you propose could be a Transaction Processing System (TPS), a Customer Relationship Management System (CRMS) or any other type of MIS solution that addresses the problem you are trying to solve.
I also attached the guidline and an already completed assignment example.
Guidelines
Each student will be part of a group making a presentation of a Management Information System
(MIS). The system may also take the form of a Transaction Processing System (TPS) or
Customer Integrated System (CIS). Each group will have 3 – 4 members. Think of yourselves as
part of a management team assigned to make a presentation to upper management. The team will
be responsible for determining their information system needs, and the team must complete the
full design and implementation plan of the MIS that supports those needs.
The MIS may address any business or business system chosen by the team. The course project
should demonstrate an understanding of the material covered in the text through the integration
of that material in the discussion of the design, testing, and implementation of the MIS. The MIS
and implementation plan will be submitted by only one team member from the group.
You have the flexibility to choose your business situation. You will use IT to gain a competitive
advantage, solve a problem, or enter a new market. Be creative – as an example from a previous
project, a church using a data warehouse, word processor/powerpoint to eliminate church
bulletins and hymnals.
Remember to include the following key elements in your system:
•
•
•
Information
Information technology
People
Evaluation of the presentation will be based primarily on its content. However, a professional
appearance is expected. A written document should be submitted by the group as well. This
document will consist of one written paper from the group (minimum of nine pages in the body
of the document, but more is fine too – this does not include the cover page and table of
contents) prepared by the group and corresponds with the set of PowerPoint slides. The
document should be error-free, typed, double-spaced, and have 1″ margins. The document
should contain a cover page and table of contents (these do not count as part of the body of the
document). Please number the pages.
The PowerPoint slides do not need to be sophisticated – outline (bullet) format is fine. Each
member within the group should contribute to the outcome of the project (with three members in
the group this would be about three pages each, but that is for you to work out within your
group). At the end of the project, each member of the group will submit a survey to me with a
peer evaluation of the percent of contribution by the members of their group (include yourself –
the percentages should total 100 percent).
Working in a group may be a challenge. Learning to integrate ideas and manage a project in a
virtual environment is part of the learning outcome of this assignment.
Cheap Thrills
Music Store
MGMT 393A
Student Name 1
Student Name 2
Student Name 3
Student Name 4
DATE
Table of Contents
Introduction
page 3
Statement of Problem
page 4
Inventory & shipments
page 4
Sales history
page 5
Resource information
page 5
Customer service
page 5
Special requirements
page 5-6
Alternatives considered
page 6
Solutions selected
page 6
Support systems
page 9
The basics
page 11
MIS
page 12-13
People
page 13-14
Ethics
page 14
Information technology
page 14
Employee productivity
page 14-15
Sdlc phase
page 15
Self sourcing
page 16
Aligning goals with IT
page 16
Cheap Thrills
Cheap Thrills is a locally owned small business with three retail stores
and a warehouse. Doug Aldrich took the name for his music stores from a Janis
Joplin song when he opened the operation 30 years ago. The stores sell compact
discs, record, tapes, and other music related paraphernalia. Doug oversees his
operation from his office at the warehouse. The purpose of the warehouse is to
act as a central storage location for used items and other goods that are not
purchased from vendors.
Historically, Doug and his store managers would
track sales to determine what they needed to purchase. Recently, a large chain
music store has set up shop in close vicinity to one of Doug’s stores. Doug has
noticed that the chain store seems to have some method of streamlining sales
and ordering. One of the Doug’s store managers, Malcolm Young, explained to
Doug about point of sale transaction processing and how a network of
computers could streamline their processes and make Cheap Thrills more
competitive.
The network will have 2 computers per store to act as a register that
tracks sales at the point of purchase. Cheap Thrills traditional customers have a
taste for eclectic music and like to collect rare and hard to find music. A third
computer for each store would be placed on the floor so the customers can look
up information relative to their favorite artists. Each store will also need a
computer in the back office for managers. The managers need to have access to
the items located in the warehouse and have the ability to create sales reports
for a variety of scenarios such as sales amounts and products history.
The warehouse will need two computers that communicate and track
information from the store computers. Doug and his partner for the last 25
years, Bruce Kulick, will each use one of the two computers. Doug likes to
view sales results on a daily basis. Traditionally, Doug would require his
managers stay for hours on end each day creating tallies of sales for different
product types. Doug is also interested in using software from the Recording
Artists Industry of America which stores information regarding current and out
of print recordings. Doug wants to keep his niche clientele while making his
operation more competitive.
Definition of Business
Owner – Doug Aldrich
Partner – Bruce Kulick
Store manager – Malcolm Young
Store manager – Brad Whitford
Store manager – Scott Ian
Account: Cheap Thrills
A larger record chain has moved in near Cheap Thrill and is threatening the revenue of
their company. Cheap Thrills has hired Team One to resolve IT challenges and help them
maintain their competitive edge in the market. Team One has taken the desires of their
customer, Cheap Thrills, which are listed below. Recommended IT solutions will come
from our IT solutions department managed by _____________.
I.
Inventory and shipments
a. Current inventory on hand in all Cheap Thrill’s stores.
b. Merchandise in Cheap Thrill’s warehouse inventory
c. Back ordered merchandise and status
d. Ordered merchandise and status
II.
Sales History
a. Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Annual Sales reports
i. Gross Product sales
b. By name merchandise sales
i. titles and artist
ii. CDs, DVDs, Tapes, Accessories, Etc.
iii. Location of sales
c. Customer Data Base
i. Who, what, when, where and why
III.
Resource Information
a. Direct internet access to supplier’s world-wide
IV.
Customer Service
a. In store customer accessed data
i. Access to inventory of all stores.
ii. Ability to order out of stock, or specialty items by prepay credit
card.
V.
Special requirements
a. Secure software to protect customer credit card and other personal
information. Firewalls to keep out unwanted intruders
b. Access to IT system from remote locations by upper management.
c. Intranet to provide immediate updates and shared data between all store
managers.
d. Plan for company growth
e. Develop a Disaster Preparedness Plan
Alternatives Considered and Solutions Selected
In developing a system that would accommodate the needs of both our
employees and customers, we considered two types of configurations. We
considered a star topology and a star mesh topology to meet our needs. It
was decided that in the case of a star topology, the warehouse would serve
as the server for the databases at all the other stores.
When setting up the topology, it was decided that each store would be
equipped with a total of two computers for customer use, one computer for
employee use, and one server. The customers would have access to two of
the computers in order to look up their favorite music. They would be able
to look for their music by song title, record title, or artist name. We
will use structured query language based software that will allow the
customers to access the database but not allow them to make changes to it.
The customers would also have the ease of using touch screen displays.
The employees would be equipped with a computer that has a point of sales
program built in it. The point of sales program will allow us to keep our
database in real time. The database will be located in the store server
and it will include the inventory of that particular store along with the
inventory of the other stores and warehouse. The employees at the
warehouse will also have access to the databases and inventory of the three
stores.
We considered either going wireless, using a LAN at 1 GB per second, a
firewire network, or fiber optic to connect our computers within each store
to its respective server. Although wireless would be nice to have, we
concluded that the cost of having to encrypt our signal would be adding too
much to the cost of this project. A wep (Wired Equivalent Privacy) would
have to be purchased in order to keep our signal from being sent to
everyone within reach. The advantage to using fiber optics is speed and the
magnitude of data transfer as compared to traditional copper cables or
other signal medium. Although this is a great advantage, we ruled it out
due to the high cost of repairs that we would face in the event of damaged
cables. Firewire was ruled out due to the limited range that it has before
the signal is degraded.
The decision to use a LAN in a star mesh topology was a result of weighing
out the advantages of its use compared to the other options. By using a
LAN, each workstation is connected directly to a hub. In the event of a
break in any given line, only the attached workstation would be affected.
Because of this type of design, the network as a whole is highly resistant
to a total system failure. Another advantage is the ease in which we could
easily add and remove workstations through the ability of a star topology
to expand.
In order to set up our Intranet of one warehouse and three retail stores,
we have decided to set up a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network). To do this,
we considered using either a T1 line, T3 line, leasing lines directly from
the phone company, fiber optics, or ATM (asynchronous transfer module).
The two best forms of communications were the fiber optics and ATM but the
costs of those projects prohibited us from making those choices. The T1
and T3 lines are fast and reliable for our purposes but again the cost of
setting those up along with a redundant line (in case a squirrel decides to
chew up our line) were also out of our budget. As a result, we decided to
lease the lines from the phone company and requested that we be allowed to
lease their fastest and more reliable lines.
Star Mesh Topology:
Designed to save the company time and money when things go wrong with one
location. Also the fastest communication when all lines are up at the same
time. Cisco routers would be used to connect the workstations to each other.
Implementation
The implementation phase will be designed to avoid interference with
normal daily operations at Cheap Thrills, as requested by Mr. Aldrich.
Implementation will begin at our base of operations. Each of the computer
systems and its associated parts will be staged in house. The computers will be
built with the associated software applications necessary to run at each
location. This will include the associated network software application. Once
each system has been fully tested, the installation can begin.
Installation of all physical components will take place at one location per
day. This will give our technicians the time to install all hardware, including
personal computers and networking components, and run a system test at each
location. The installation will begin with the warehouse on the first day and
each store the following three days. The full system consisting of the
components in four locations will then be initiated and tested for completeness
and accuracy of communication. All tests should be comple te by close of
business the fifth day.
The next portion of our implementation will occur on the evening of the
fifth day with a workshop training session for all Cheap Thrills employees. Mr.
Aldrich and his partner have already been trained on all system s at our offices.
The workshop training will help employees understand the tasks and procedures
of the new system. Mr. Aldrich wants to ensure that all employees are present
and trained by our staff on some of the more complex procedures of the system.
Upon completion of the workshop, each employee will receive a system
information package to take home and study. The packets will feature step -bystep instructions that highlight a variety of common procedures. These
information packets will also be placed on location with each computer during
the installation. For training of future employees, we will install a video
training session that can be accessed on all computers.
Throughout this paper we have gone through problems of Cheap Thrills music
store. We have included the statement of the problem, the goals of the new system,
alternatives considered and the solution has been selected. Following this section, we
will discuss the key components of a system.
Support Systems
Several aspects were considered when ascertaining which type of system would
produce the best results to meet the needs of our organization, while considering cost and
ultimate value as well.
The first system is a decision support system, or DSS. This type of system offers
a highly adaptable and interactive Internet Technology (IT) system. A DSS offers speed,
along with highly developed complex processing capabilities, and vast amounts of
information all in one system. This type of system also assists in the merging of other
smaller systems that may already be in place, such as inventory, customer, and supplier
databases. A decision support system offers great capacity for supporting decisionmaking. This is ideal for the small business due to the fact that the people within the
business control the actual activity and ultimate result. Essentially, the system operator
asks the system a question, and through a series of steps, an appropriate determination is
made for nearly any type of situation that may arise. Intuition, experience, knowledge
and judgment are features that only a human can possess. When these qualities are added
to the decision making process of a DSS, a reliable and feasible result is obtained. The
DSS can provide augmented productivity, enhanced flexibility, and increased
comprehension, while also reducing problem complexity and therefore reducing overall
cost.
In order to create a successful DSS, you must ensure that all the proper features
are in place in order to obtain the desired result. Model management, data management,
and user interface managements are key to a successful decision support system. The
model management component assists in the determination of what type of analysis you
are going to require in order to come up with an accurate conclusion. Each decision you
are going to make is likely going to require a different scenario, and the model
management component aids in determining which is appropriate for the desired result.
The data management module stores and maintains the information you want the DSS to
use. This type of information includes but is not limited to organizational information,
external information, and personal information. The user interface component brings
everything together by combining the operator’s expertise and the capabilities of the
system. Information pertinent to the decision, commands and models are entered into the
system, and the end result is a practical resolution. However, the user interface must be
well designed in order to be flexible, dependable, adaptable, and simple to navigate. If
the DSS is missing any of these features, you will most likely not achieve the outcome
you are looking for.
The second system that was considered was an Artificial Intelligence (AI)
System. AI allows a piece of equipment (a machine) to imitate human thinking and
behavior. These machines can be armed with human senses and the ability to take action
on its own. Artificial Intelligence systems come in the form of intelligent agents, genetic
algorithms, neural networks, and expert systems. An expert system is one that applies
reasoning capabilities to reach a conclusion. A neural network is capable of finding and
differentiating patterns. Genetic algorithm is intelligence that mimics the survival-of-thefittest to create better solutions to a challenge. Intelligent agents are software that assists
or acts on behalf of the operator.
The positive effect of using AI in a business would be the reduction of overhead
costs, such as salary. The more and complex AI you have in place, the less actual
manpower you need to perform tasks. With the rising cost of providing health insurance
and benefits combined with salaries, it makes sense for larger companies to make the
switch to artificial intelligence. However, the initial costs of instituting AI are
excruciatingly high, and therefore make it unrewarding for a smaller company. Some
smaller forms of AI may be helpful such as shopping bots on your website that allow the
computer to make a smart selection for your customer based on their personal
preferences.
Overall, both types of systems, the decision support and artificial intelligence, are
well suited to nearly any type of business. The DSS is more appropriate for smaller
businesses that need the support of a computer system to enhance the human capabilities
of its employees. The AI system is ideal for the larger business that needs many different
aspects covered and is looking for the most cost-effective way to do so.
Through our course material we have learned the components of information
technology. Although there are several topics that deserve quite consideration, we will
now show the basics including MIS, the E.conomy, people, ethics, information
technology, increasing employee productivity, the SDLC phases, self sourcing, aligning
goals with IT and critical success factors.
Management information systems deal with the planning for, development,
management, and use of information technology tools to help people perform all tasks
related to information processing and management. Within this definition you can find
three key resources; information, information technology and people. The sole focus of
MIS is not technology. Technology is a set of tools that enables you to work with
information. People and information are the most important resources within MIS, not
technology.
To be successful in business you have to operate effectively within a dynamic,
fast paced and changing economic environment. Things to remember as we enter today’s
economic environment is; know your competition, know your customers through such
best businesses practices as customer relationship management, work closely with your
business partners and know how each and every part of your organization works together
to provide its products and services.
Telecommuting and virtual workplace are examples of how electronic commerce
have enabled us to work in new and innovative ways. Telecommuting is the use of
communications technologies, such as the interest, to work in a place other than a central
location. The virtual workplace is a technology-enabled workplace. People can work
anytime, any place and can be linked to other people and information we need, wherever
they are.
People are the single most important resource in any organization. People as
knowledge workers set goals, carry out tasks, make decisions, serve customers and
provide a stable and reliable technology environment so that organizations can run
smoothly and gain competitive advantages in the market place. Although people are the
key resource, technology plays a part in how successful we are as workers. A technology
literate worker is a person who knows how and when to apply technology. Information
literate workers can define what information they need, they know how and where to
obtain that information, they understand the information once they receive it, and can act
appropriately based on the information to help the organization achieve the greatest
advantage.
With in regards to people as a key resource, a very important concern needs to be
stated, looked over and applied. Ethics, which are the principles and standards that guide
our behavior towards other people, is a part of our social responsibility. Ethics are
different from laws and are more of a personal interpretation and have a different right
and wrong outcomes according to different people. Ethics also come into play when
discussing hackers, knowledgeable computer users who use their knowledge to invade
other people’s computers, implant chips, chips implanted into the human body and in
almost every day to day decisions that we have to consider while working or even at
home.
Information technology is any computer-based tool that people use to work with
information and support the information and information processing needs of an
organization. There are two basic categories of technology which are hardware and
software. Hardware is the physical devices that make up a computer and software is the
set of instructions that your hardware executes to carry out a specific task for you. There
are many components of a computer. To name a couple there is the output device, a tool
you use to see, hear, a CPU which is the central processing unit. The CPU is the actual
hardware that interprets the software instructions and coordinates how all the other
hardware devices work together.
Increasing employee productivity is the most fundamental role of information
technology. IT can reduce the time, errors, and costs associated with processing
information in a variety of ways. It can enhance decision making, improve team
collaboration, create business partnerships and alliances, enable global reach and
facilitate organizational transformation.
To be able to develop a successful information system it is best to use the system
development life cycle. The SDLC is a structured step-by-step approach for developing
information systems and there are seven stages. The first phase is plan which involves
determining a solid plan for developing your information system. During the plan phase
you should define the system to be developed, set the project scope and develop the
project plan including tasks, resources and timeframes. The second part of SDLC is
analysis which involves end users and IT specialist working together to gather,
understand and document the business requirements for the proposed system. The third
phase is design which includes the primary goal of building a technical blue print of how
the proposed system will work. You will also need to design the technical architecture
required to support the system and design system models. The fourth phase is develop
and in this stage you take all of your detailed design documents from the design phase
and transform them into an actual system including building the technical architecture
and building the database and software. Phase five is testing and it verifies that they
system works and meets all of the business requirements. You should write the test
conditions and provide training for the system users. Implementation is the sixth phase
and is where you bring the proposed system to life by placing it in the organization. You
should also include user documentation that highlights how to use the system and have
training available for your employees. The seventh and final phase is the maintain phase.
This stage is where you would monitor and support the system to ensure it continues to
meet business goals.
You can use the self sourcing process when you want to create many of the small
knowledge worker computing systems such as customizing reports, creating macros, and
interfacing a letter in a word processing package with a customer database. For the larger
and more complicated systems you should use SDLC. You must keep in mind that you
need to align your self sourcing efforts with organizational goals. You have to consider
how you spend your time building systems carefully because your time is important to
your organization. Determining what external support that you will require during the
self sourcing process is also important. You need to include your IT specialists during
this phase. You will also need to document the system once it is complete. You should
document how your system works from a technical point of view as well as create an
easy to use operation manual. When you develop a system through self sourcing, you
must be prepared to provide your own support and maintenance. You must also be
prepared to support other knowledge workers who will use your system.
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