Summary Details on Information Management

The tarradiddle aims to address the issue of development management inwardly Lanway. Information, whitethorn feel is the just ab knocked out(p) big election either squargon has, yet m both trustys have no taste sensation of the cost, respect or importance of the entropy they hold.By first outlining the steps and detectings of an training scrutinize carried out at bottom the debauched, conclusions be indeed careworn as to what measures should be enquiren in aver to increase the durability of Lanways discipline usage.The measures suggested are outlined in detail, with recommendations of two hardware and package programme. The report as well as establishes the claim for information and for a party information scheme highlighting the importance of aligning such(prenominal)(prenominal) a strategy with the over self-colored credit line plan.Lanway Corporate Business Sy understructures began trading in 1985 from a elflike market st all on Burnley mar ket. Selling games only for the Spectrum lead of computers (the close popular at that time) it began to build up a regular customer base. The unwavering continued in this way, until 1991 where the admittance of the personal computer conduct to a change in crossroad and business activity.With the introduction of some(prenominal) advanced hardware and software, Lanway was now in a position to correct and sell its own PCs. By moving into its own premises, the firm was now able to train substantial profit margins by mental synthesis and pre-configuring a small be adrift of machines. Lanway began to trade with otherwise firms in 1994, at which point they were forced to expand both their existing premises and rung. They also began to diversify, moving into in the raw areas such as net puzzle outing technologies, the cyber quad and more specialized hardware and software.Lanway reliablely has a turnover of approximately 5 unmatched million million and over 40 mental fa culty, both of which are expected to continue in growth. They manufacture around 200 PCs per week, all(prenominal) contrary in model, make and special(prenominal)ation. The union classes itself in the batch manufacturing bracket.At present, the firm disregard be split into 5 de let outments. Sales, Accounts, Net encountering, Repairs and finally Production or Workshop. The firm is completely earningsed use a mixture of Microsoft and Novell technologies. Individual profits admission and email is gettable to all employees. every last(predicate) hardware and software configuration work is carried out in-house.Because the firm has grown in the bearing that it has, many of the systems and functions in use have grown from a tramp up fashion, as opposed to a more strategic teetotum level approach. Initial observations would suggest that information management inwardly the firm does non differ from this.An information audit is the perspicacity of the information held by an agency and of its information activities. (Australian Audit Commission 1999).The purpose of an information audit is to assess, not only what types and levels of information a firm may hold, just how well it meets the needs of the company. Different components of information may already be controlled, such as naming conventions or security passwords, but in nigh cases firms have little understanding of the relevancy, cost or value of the information they hold.Therefore in evidence to ensure that all pertinent areas were covered, a statuesque plan was first drawn up. To ensure that efficacious conclusions could be drawn, the objectives and scope of the audit were assessed. These includedWhat types of information sources exist testicle documentation was then designed, in order to primary(prenominal)tain a coherent theme by all involved. This too added to usefulness of the findings. Finally an assessment of the overall findings was carried out, to ensure that all anomalies an d incoherent information could be accounted for. altogether then, based upon the findings were recommendations produced.After analysis of Lanways occurrent run environment and business activities, the following information sources were identifiedStock and Accounts database maintained by the homogeneous systemData workshopd within the emails ranged from price lists, customer account expound, upstart price quotes and specific harvest enquires. These were also combined with a range of personal emails, both from internal and external sources.Each employee, upon starting work was given a secure email box, from which they are able to light messages to both internal and external sources. Each email box requires drug user authentication, however network administrators are granted rights to open any mailbox within the system.Here we immediately call problems with regards to both information handiness and security. Because only that user has gate to the mailbox, no other emplo yee is able to access, what may be at time critical information. Security and data faithfulness is also compromised, as the email master of ceremonies also acts as the firewall server, and as such is open to internet attacks. It is also at the employees discretion whether they gaze to delete messages stored within their inbox, messages which may prove later to hold important or even critical information. Once an email has been deleted, it is almost unaccepted to retrieve it.Lanway rely heavily on the internet and the features it delivers. This includes company carrefour specifications, product jut sites, private business partner resources, online databases and current tidings information. Lanway also have direct links to suppliers via the World Wide Web, thereby creating treble extranets.Every departmental manager within Lanway classed the internet within their tercet most important resources. This in itself shows the importance of the role it plays in todays business mar ket. For firms such as Lanway, it is the fastest and most efficient way of obtaining up to the date and accurate (in the most part) information and offers the best cost/benefit trade off.However the internet brings with it, from an informational purview point, a host of inherent problems and issues. Lanway, like many other firms suffers from this.In most cases, staff were un aware(predicate) of many of these, and as such the fictitious character of information suffered. The accuracy of the information incurd is on the most part never checked, and in some cases was then stored to be used for hereafter reference. No guidelines exist as to whether only official websites were to be used, nor had any training be given on effectively using the internet itself.No one information store was available, in which staff could accomplish data collected, such as URLs or product catalogues, and in some cases, staff were not aware extranet facilities existed. As such, each respective(prenomin al) employee held their own specific ideas and information on using the internet and in many cases time was wasted performing repetitive tasks and retrieving duplicate information.Once again, because the sharing of information was minimal, the speed and accuracy of the data received was greatly reduced.Both of the above databases are stored on the wise system and as such are integrated. The stock system contains records not only of items currently in stock, but also previous purchases, dates and times with regards to stock control and trend analysis data. The accounts system contains all data concerned with maintaining and running the company accounts, combined with company payroll and sales transactions.Unlike the previous stores, information held within these systems is not designed to be shared. To access each area the user moldiness have the required level of authority. This is simply for security and privacy reasons ie. Only certain members of staff can be given access to payroll.Information held within both systems is critical to the running of the business, without it is impossible for any business activity to take place. all(a) the data held within the system maintains it validity and integrity because it is the main transactional system within the firm.The database is currently accessed using a Bespoke coating built in house called COSMOS, using access database tables as its base. The program requires user authentication, however all user names and passwords are stored in an access database table which can be opened directly from the network drive. As such security within the system is minimal.The system has been in use for over 8 years and once again suffers from a bottom up approach design. The accuracy of the data is compromised because no formal checks or guidelines exist as to what may be entered in to the system. The security aspect also tutelages to increase this problem. Duplicate records and anomalies are leafy vegetable place.The age of the system also hinders its accessibility. Although every employee is granted access, many find the system prone to crashes or incorrect record retrieval, again a time wasting activity. Some sales executives said they used their individual Outlook address book to keep their account information, the main reasons creation increased speed, reliability and security.All employees of Lanway are given individual folders on the main Novell server. Using an advanced system of authentication, only that employee may access their folder. Other users folders are hidden from view accept to system administrators. All word tender documents are stored on in this folder, technological foul staff store product information and essential applications here. Employees are advised to store all other important documents here as the system is indorse up on a regular basis.The accuracy of the data stored within here is not of real consequence to the firm, more to the individual employee, who in themsel ves are responsible for the task. However, once again the issue of information handiness becomes a problem. For technical staff, important information and applications are hidden international from other members, whereas sales staff are unable to gain access to colleagues quotes if required without the assistance of an administrator. All network administrators are regularly out of the office on customer callouts.Product catalogues written documentsDue to the temper of Lanways business activity, the range of products sold goes beyond vast and continues to increase by the day. Because of this the firm receives numerous literature on a daily basis. No formal filing system exists, all booklets are thrown onto reduplicate desks, or kept by the employee whom it was addressed to. Again issues regarding the availability and relevance of the information are brought into question. Important reference material or current intelligence articles and magazines therefore become unavailable, si mply because most employees do not know they exist.It is clear from the above findings, that although Lanway holds and has access to a vast tally of data and information, its overall management of the resource is poor. As such these issues moldiness be addressed when deciding on an information policy and the productive implementation of a Information Service.In order to address these issues, Lanway must first define its information policy. Many of the problems identified earlier stem from a lack of strategic planning, thereby creating inappropriate systems and methods. As such this policy must be aligned with the overall business one and all new systems must serve only to strengthen this.From the findings of the audit, it can be observed that the sharing of information is a critical issue. oft of data stored is only available to certain employees and it is at that employees discretion how the information should be stored.The recommendation is to introduce a controlled informatio n environment where the main aim is information sharing throughout the company. This includes not only ensuring all information is freely available, but employees are specifically informed more or less policy changes and new developments.Hickie argues that an information rich organisation is a triple-crown organisation. This may be accredited in part, however it is the management of this information which enables the firms success.Therefore in order to ensure each employee has access to pertinent information, such needs should be broken down on a departmental basis. However a significant overlap appears and as such information that is suitable for one department may certainly aid other departments needs Internal company information this can range from employee guidelines, holiday availability, new company policy or even company car arrangements. Latest news and technology stories information on current market trends, predicted advancements and current vendors strategies Produc t specifications this includes lists of available types of both hardware and software, the features they deliver and the situations they best suit. Current pricing catalogues the IT industry is perhaps the most high-voltage of all. As such, products and components prices can change on a daily basis. In order to offer competitive prices, sales executives must be aware of this. Competitor information this may include current pricing or product strategies, financial information and company background. New accounting product releases only accounts staff depart be able to judge the specialty of new accounts software. As such it is vital that they are able to make an informed decision. Current accounting news and new practices vital for any accounting department wishing to maintain a competitive edge. such sources also provide help and advice on new practices Technical support information this may be product specific or ecumenic tips and usage information Product updates essen tial applications vital for current systems. As new releases and service packs are issued, this department is responsible for customer receive the right components. Product driver banks due to the large number of products sold, networking employees need access to all drivers concerned with these in order to provide and effective service. Past problems customer specific many problems encountered and repetitive Hardware specific manuals the repairs department are concerned for with hardware failure than software. As such different hardware and configuration manuals are required.As can be seen from the above findings, many of the information sources required by departments overlap with others. This benefits the company from a cost point of view as departments may then share these resources.Implementing the information serviceWithin Lanway, two main types of information exist, electronic and paper. Therefore in order to effectively use these resources, they must be managed in a way that best allows them to be accessed.All brochure documents received are to be immediately filed in new filing cabinets situated on the sales floor simply because space exists there for them. Each publication is to be filed in alphabetical order under the company heading, with a post it note stapled onto it, giving details of the date it was first entered and which employee was responsible for it.The filing cabinets should be reviewed on a 3 month basis and any duplicate/old data should be removed and shredded.Two types of electronic information exist within Lanway internal and external sources. However in order to provide a consistent theme, employees should be able to interface both in the resembling way. The simplest and most effective method of achieving this is by using web technologies.The internet has evolved over the last 5 years as one of the most important factors for successful business and is continuing to do so. A whole range of resources can be obtained via the inte rnet, including searchable online databases, intelligent problem solving systems and other business tools. It would therefore be unwise to attempt to find option means of accessing the required data, when the technology already exists and is free for any firm to use.The current network at Lanway all 100mb allow remain intact, as this is currently the latest and most cost effective technology available for firms of this size. The internet connection get out be upgraded to ASDL from ISDN, therefore lowering operating costs and improving speed.The first step for Lanway impart be introduction of an intranet. This pull up stakes be hosted on a new Microsoft Web server It impart be via this that all electronic information will be accessed, including the internet itself. The online news stories will taken from Silicon.com, a free online news resource specifically designed for IT firms. Each user will be given a specific user name and password, so that their entryway page may be d o-to-order to their individual needs.The accounts department will gain their current news and information from Accounting.net, a leading American accounting resource. Once again, the service is free and can be tailored to individuals needs. Both will be accessed via the intranet through absolute URLs created via Active Scripting when users first log on to the Lanway system.All internal company information will be posted on the website, and employees should be made aware of new data through the use of email. An internal card list will serve this purpose.Technical support information will be obtained via vendors own websites and subscriptions to Microsoft Technet Novell Support Connection , Symantec Support and 3COM Utilities. The latter sources are comprised of compact disc read-only memorys which arrive on a monthly basis. As such it is recommended that Virtual Drive is purchased, thereby eliminating the need from a CD-ROM network server. Instead, all contents can be copied to the hard drives, creating multiple virtual CD-ROM drives. This improves performance and network reliability.Three new databases are to be set up using SQL server as the base. They will be accessed using web browsers. The first will contain all necessary links to internal applications storage required by technical employees and will also include a brief description of the uses for each application. The second will contain detailed hardware manuals, which if necessary will be scanned in from paper or written by departmental heads. The third will contain past problems related to customer accounts including hardware, software and individual configuration issues.All of the above systems will be full searchable using CGI scripting via the web browser on all fields contained within the database offering a choice of title, topic of keyword to search on. All employees will be given full access to the databases, however only technical staff will be given rights to add to the system. Again check s on the information stored on to be carried out on a three monthly basis.Information is of key importance to any firm, and that is especially true of Lanway. Because of the nature of the business and the products sold, it is vital that the information stored within the internal systems is accurate, pertinent and accessible by all employees.By implementing the steps outlined above, many of these issues should be addressed. However it is up-to the company as how successfully they are implemented. Employees will need to be made aware how important the new systems and the new policies that have been introduced are. Only then will the firm begin to see benefits.The costs incurred in this project are minimal, simply because all work can be carried out in house and all products purchased at almost cost, although formal training is certainly recommended something which will need to be outsourced. The new intranet should help to increase the distribution of information and the consistent vogue in which employees are able to access the information should in the abundant term help the new systems to be used effectively.In order to ensure that Lanway obtains the required results, an information audit should be carried out on a yearly basis thereby identifying any problems that have travel from implementation of were overlooked on previous audits.