Week 4 Project
*****URGENT******
Instructions
Corporate Portal Scorecard
Research at least five areas of publicly available information (such as the Dow Jones or top search engine results) that help to establish the health and public image of a company. Propose a web-based information system that will interface with this information (for example via RSS feed) and display current details on these areas to an executive; include in your description how each item is relevant to the health of the business. The information presented on the output screen should be succinct and light on technical detail. Business abbreviations (such as stocks) are perfectly acceptable as raw data. Ideally, these categories would all be visible on a single monitor screen without scrolling (if they are articles, then just the headline as a clickable link would be sufficient). Suggest at least two ways in which this system might be useful.
urgenton time
/
Internet Tools—Part 1
We will now discuss some tools that organizations use with the Internet to accelerate knowledge transfer, create interactive services and products, and reduce
coordination and communication costs.
The Internet tools are:
Browser: Uses a URL to access a Web site. Search engines, Web site directories, and the push technology can help �nd the URLs required to identify Web sites
that may contain the requested information.
Shopping bot: Helps e-commerce buyers or shoppers locate or evaluate services and products they may wish to purchase. For example, the Product Search
Web site of the Google search engine looks for the lowest prices of products for sale on the Internet.
Push technology: Obtains relevant information from networks by con�guring a computer to broadcast information directly to users based on their speci�c
interests. An example of this is the automatic updating of business manuals.
Internet and web technology standards: Allows the interfaces and connectivity for private Extranets and internal private intranets that are used for
collaborating with other companies for training, development, product design, and SCM. Private industrial networks are built on Extranets.
/
The Internet
The U.S. Department of Defense created the Internet for sharing research data. It was designed to be invulnerable to terrorist and wartime attacks. The Internet is
used for information retrieval from government, corporate, and nonpro�t databases and libraries. Users can access the Internet for interactive, live conversations,
public forums, and personal e-mail.
The principal Internet services include:
E-mail: Supports document sharing and person-to-person messaging. Businesses treat this facility as an essential collaboration and communication tool. Users
utilize e-mail to share documents, graphic images, information, and ideas.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): Is a tool for retrieving or transferring �les from a remote computer.
Instant Messaging and Chatting: Allows live, interactive conversations between multiple people over the Internet. Chat systems include video and voice
functionality.
Internet Telephony: Uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to deliver voice service in digital form using Internet Protocol (IP) packet switching. Internet
telephony avoids the tolls that circuit-switched telephone networks charge.
Telnet: Is a protocol that establishes a rapid link between two computers allowing a user to log on to one computer while performing work on another
computer.
Usenet Newsgroups: Are forums in which people share ideas and information on a speci�c topic via electronic bulletin boards where anyone can post
messages on the topic for others to see and respond.
Virtual Private Network (VPN): Is a secure connection between two points across a public network to transmit corporate data. VPN provides a low-cost
alternative for conducting communication without purchasing or leasing a private WAN.
World Wide Web (WWW): Enables individuals to link to information resources located on different computers systems around the globe. This is achieved by
providing a universal set of standards for storing, retrieving, and displaying information in a client/server browser environment. Browsers use the ability of
hypertext to surf and navigate on the web. Web home pages are created for new products and services to build closer relationships with customers.
Let us now explore some Internet tools that organizations use frequently in their regular operations.
/
Internet Tools—Part 2
Now let us understand how the tools work. Two types of technologies provide wireless access to Internet tools:
Internet-enabled PDAs, cell phones, and other wireless computing devices are examples of the mobile computing technology, where users can access digital
information on the web from any location.
WiFi represents the nomadic computing technology where users can obtain wireless web information if they are in the range of a wireless Hot Spot. This
technology allows users to make instant decisions without being tethered to a desk or a computer. For example, GE’s transportation systems utilize eServices,
which is a WiFi technology to maintain locomotives wirelessly by running diagnostic programs. These programs determine what parts are required to �x the
locomotive engine and order the required parts from an untethered Tuff Book or iPAQ PDA. This is an example of �eld force automation (FFA), which
automates tasks and delivers content to employees who are visiting customers.
The two principal standards for accessing the Internet from wireless mobile devices are:
I-Mode: Enables cell phones to receive web-based information and services developed by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo mobile phone network.
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP): Allows cell phones and other wireless devices with tiny screens, low-memory constraints, and low-bandwidth
connections to access web-based content and services. WAP uses wireless markup language (WML), which is optimized for tiny displays and is based on XML.
A user with a WAP-compliant phone uses the built-in Microbrowser to make a request in WML. A Microbrowser is web browser software with a small �le size
that can work with the low bandwidth of wireless networks on the tiny displays of handheld devices with minimal memory.
/
Networking and Internet Computing
Let us now discuss how networking and Internet computing are managed in an enterprise.
Third generation (3G) mobile communication networks use a packet-switched technology and offer transmission rates ranging from 60 Kbps for mobile users to 2
Gbps for stationary users using an enhanced data service. Early versions of 3G were called 2.5 Gbps networks and they had speeds of 60 to 144 Kbps.
E-commerce server software provides the functionality for setting up electronic storefronts and facilitates the collection of payments and the selection of shipping
methods. Information about Web site visitors is collected, stored, and analyzed by customer personalization and tracking tools. Web content management tools
collect, assemble, and manage Web site content. Dynamic page generation is a database technology for storing the content of Web pages as objects in a database
where they are accessed and assembled to create constantly changing Web pages. The contents of the page are fetched from the database when a user requests the
page. Web site performance problems can be identi�ed and the speed of Web site transactions tracked by Web site performance monitoring tools. Firms can utilize
an external vendor’s web hosting service as an alternative to maintaining their own Web sites.
Internet Challenges and Solutions
The �ve management problems posed by enterprise networking and Internet computing are:
Connectivity of application integration
Control of hidden costs
Dif�culty of ensuring network scalability, reliability, and security
Loss of management control
Careful management of organizational change
Some management solutions to these problems include:
Asserting data administration disciplines
Considering application integration, bandwidth, cost controls, and connectivity when planning the IT infrastructure
Increasing end-user training
Managing and planning digital integration of the business and the organizational changes associated with Internet computing
Now that we’ve covered the concepts of the Internet, let us focus on application software used in organizations.
/
Business Process Integration
Existing business processes
Prede�ned business processes within the software
Functionality of the new system they wish to utilize
Mapping their business processes to the prede�ned business processes within the new application system software
Limited customizations and con�gurations that allow minor changes to the prede�ned business processes within the new application system software
Leading software vendors such as SAP, Oracle, and Siebel have developed solution maps or process maps. The maps refer to how their application software supports
speci�c industries based on best practices and business process knowledge gained from other successful system implementations of their applications. Best
practices are the most successful problem-solving methods or solutions for effectively and consistently achieving a business objective.
On the subsequent pages we will discuss the SCM enterprise application, which maintains and improves the supply chain processes of a digital enterprise. This helps
the enterprise to meet the delivery schedules of products or services.
Business process integration is performed when a process enters new data and the resulting information is immediately available to other integrated business
processes. When an organization decides to implement an enterprise system, they should consider:Businesses implementing enterprise systems have to adopt the
business processes embedded in the software and sometimes change their existing business processes to conform to the processes built into the software.
/
Supply Chain Management Systems
SCM systems automate the �ow of information among members of supply chains to make better decisions about how much and when to buy, produce, or ship.
When information about demand for a product is distorted as it passes from retailer to distributor to manufacturer to supplier, it creates a building ripple effect
across the supply chain called a bullwhip effect. Accurate information from SCM systems can reduce the uncertainty and the impact of the bullwhip effect. SCM
systems provide data such as inventory turns, �ll rates, and the make/source cycle time for evaluating the performance of supply chain processes. Companies can
utilize Extranets to coordinate the supply chain processes shared with their business partners and use intranets to improve coordination among their internal
supply chain processes. SCM can help cash utilization by delivering the product sooner to customers and thus receiving payments sooner. It can also reduce the cost
of moving a product through the supply chain and improve responsiveness and customer service.
A major challenge of SCM automation is that it extends beyond the walls of the organization and is complex. Suppliers need not guess how much raw material to
procure. Manufacturers need not order more than what they require from suppliers to satisfy customer demand. Retailers have smaller quantities of leftover
merchandise and empty shelves if they share information about sales patterns and sales with manufacturers.
SCM software includes software for:
Supply Chain Execution: Manages the �ow of products through the �nal stages of production, distribution, and delivery.
Supply Chain Planning: Enables the organization to develop sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution plans and generate forecasts for a product.
We will now learn about ERP systems and their application in an organization.
/
Customer Relationship Management Systems
CRM is a business strategy supported by software. Software vendors provide CRM systems. The vendors either support sales force automation (SFA), e-commerce,
marketing automation, data mining, Web-based personalization, OLAP, contact management, customer support, campaign management, data warehousing, or
geographical information systems (GIS). These systems can facilitate CRM but none of them is a CRM by itself.
Organizations implement CRM generally to move from being product-centric to customer-centric, to use IT tools to improve business, and to make integrated
customer-contact information available to all customer-contact personnel. Companies have been spending an average of $9 million annually on CRM initiatives. The
advent of the Internet has signi�cantly increased customer expectations.
The key to CRM is to:
Identify how the customers want you to relate with them, adapt your organization to support the goals, and then apply the right technology that supports the
efforts.
Identify the process gaps and conduct a process gap analysis for each functional area.
Break down process gaps to identify the detailed process steps that contribute to your observed disconnects. The greater the gap the more opportunity there
is to make improvements.
Use your process requirements as selection criteria for new software and share your process requirements with potential vendors.
/
ERP System Benefits and Challenges
ERP systems enhance four dimensions of business:
Business capability: The entire organization can more ef�ciently respond to customer requests for products or information, forecast new products, and
deliver them timely. This can be done by integrating discrete business processes in sales, logistics, production, and �nance.
Firm structure: An enterprise-enabled organization does business in the same way worldwide, with functional boundaries de-emphasized in favor of cross-
functional coordination and information �owing freely across business functions.
Management process: Information supplied by an enterprise is structured around cross-functional business processes and it can be rapidly assembled for
monitoring operational activities and measuring performance.
Technology platform: Enterprise systems create an integrated repository that gathers data about all key business processes.
ERP System Challenges
ERP systems pose multiple challenges:
Daunting implementation process: Organizations implementing ERP systems need to develop �rm-wide de�nitions of data, retrain workers, redesign their
fundamental business processes, and simultaneously carry on business as usual. Employees will have to learn how to perform a new set of processes and
understand how the information they enter into the system can affect other parts of the company.
In�exibility: ERP software tends to be complex and dif�cult to master and there is a worldwide shortage of people with the expertise to install and maintain it.
It is dif�cult to make a change in only one part of the business without affecting other parts as well.
Realizing strategic value: If an ERP system is not compatible with the way a company does business, the company may choose a better way of performing a
key business process that might be related to its competitive advantage. ERP systems promote centralized organizational coordination and decision making.
High up-front costs and future bene�ts: It might take a large company three to �ve years to fully implement all the technological and organizational changes
that an ERP system needs. The total implementation cost might amount to �ve or six times the purchase price of the software. The bene�ts often can’t be
precisely quanti�ed at the beginning of the ERP project and accrue from employees using the system after its completion.
/
Three Views of CRM
Let us understand the remaining three views of CRM:
Service and service ful�llment: Provides initiatives in the area of e-mail response management, telephony capabilities, computer-telephony integration,
queue and work�ow management, interactive voice response, and predictive dialing.
Customer self-service: Provides customers with services that they can directly invoke such as Web self-service, search, interactive chat, e-mail, VoIP, browser
and application sharing, conferencing, and call me capabilities. E-CRM is customer management for e-businesses that need to confront the complexity of
managing sophisticated customers and business partners in various media.
E-commerce: Provides facilities such as shopping, marketplace, transaction, and payment processing. E-commerce capabilities can be some essential CRM
projects for companies to pursue, depending on their readiness for handling transactions via multiple methods.
After companies implement a CRM system, they often feel the effects of what is called a CRM-induced culture change resulting from the in�uence of CRM on
behavioral patterns across an organization.
After learning of all the enterprise integration applications that can be installed in an organization, let us now understand how an organization uses enterprise
portals to access this Web-based information.
/
Enterprise Portals—Part 2
Government-to-citizen applications: Help citizens �nd critical information, collaborate with city of�cials, and maximize existing technology investments.
Federal, state, and local governments and agencies need to make critical data available to their constituents anytime and from anywhere. Large amounts of
information, proprietary legacy systems, and budgetary shortfalls have made this task a challenge. As a result, agencies are deploying service-oriented
applications.
Process applications: Are likely to return a higher ROI than portal experiences that only present information. These applications typically provide information
to users at key decision points within a process.
Store applications: Assist retailers, their employees, suppliers, and customers in the sales process. Retailers rely on IT to reduce the operating costs of stores,
empower store managers and sales associates with the right information, and provide better customer service. Retailers deploy service-oriented applications
to combine data and functionality from many existing systems with new services to meet the needs of store managers, sales associates, suppliers, and
corporate of�ce employees.
Sales support applications: Delivers popular applications through a portal. Rather than just Web enabling a CRM system, most sales support applications
combine reports from multiple systems measuring customer satisfaction, sales performance, and inventory.
/
Comprehensive Views of CRM
The CRM world can consist of �ve categories to address the right issues to retain customers. They are:
Marketing automation: Generates personalization, pro�ling, telemarketing, e-mail marketing, or campaign management projects. Personalization and content
management enable you to target and tailor communication by making the customer interaction a unique and bene�cial experience. These initiatives are
designed to achieve the right mix of your company’s products or services for each customer. They involve understanding what customers do and want,
matching that knowledge with product or service information, presenting opportunities to customers, and measuring success. Analytical CRM consists of data
marts, decision support tools, customer behavior modeling, and analytical tools.
Sales automation: Provides basic sales automation capabilities with contact, account, opportunity, activity management, and proposal generators. Sales
projects might be related to client or campaign management, sales con�guration, call management, contact management, advertisement management, or SFA.
E-sales are revenue-generating functions of the Internet strategy. Partner relationship management (PRM) includes third-party sales channel merchandising,
promotions and discounts, collaboration and planning, measurement, billing, and product returns.
So far we have discussed the concepts and �rst two comprehensive views of CRM. Let us now discuss the other three views.
/
Supply Chain Processes
Supply Chain Council (SSC) developed a supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model as a cross-industry process reference model for SCM. SCOR identi�es a
common set of supply chain processes to help companies set goals for supply chain improvement and understand SCM issues. SCOR de�nes �ve principle supply
chain processes:
Plan: Balances aggregate supply and demand to develop a course of action to meet sourcing, production, and delivery needs.
Source: Procures the services and goods required to create a speci�c service or product.
Make: Transforms a product into a �nished state to meet actual or planned demand.
Deliver: Provides services and �nished goods to meet actual or planned demand, including transportation, order, and distribution management.
Return: Receives returned products and includes post delivery customer support.
Logistics is the control and planning of all factors that will impact the transportation of a service or a product.
Just-in-time (JIT) systems minimize inventory by having components arrive exactly at the moment they are needed and �nished goods shipped as soon as they leave
the assembly line.
/
Total / 80
Criteria
Unacceptable
0 points
Emerging (F through D
Range)
27 points
Satisfactory (C Range)
31 points
Above Average (B Range)
35 points
Exemplary (A Range)
40 points
Criterion
Score
Quality
of
Initial
Posting
/ 40No initial posting to
evaluate
The information provided is
inaccurate, not focused on
the assignment’s topic, and/or
does not answer the
question(s) fully. Response
demonstrates incomplete
understanding of the topic
and/or inadequate
preparation.
The information provided is accurate,
giving a basic understanding of the
topic(s) covered. A basic understanding is
when you are able to describe the terms
and concepts covered. Despite this basic
understanding, initial posting may not
include complete development of all
aspects of the assignment.
The information provided is accurate,
displaying a good understanding of the
topic(s) covered. A good understanding is
when you are able to explain the terms and
topics covered. Initial posting demonstrates
sincere reflection and addresses most
aspects of the assignment, although all
concepts may not be fully developed.
The information provided is
accurate, providing an in-depth,
well thought-out understanding of
the topic(s) covered. An in-depth
understanding provides an
analysis of the information,
synthesizing what is learned from
the course/assigned readings.
Criteria
Unacceptable
0 points
Emerging (F through
D Range)
13 points
Satisfactory (C Range)
15 points
Satisfactory (C Range)
17 points
Exemplary (A Range)
20 points
Criterion
Score
Participation
in
Discussion
/ 20
Writing
Mechanics
(Spelling,
Grammar,
APA) and
Information
Literacy
/ 20
No responses to
other classmates in
this discussion forum
May include one or
more of the following:
*Comments to only
one other student’s
post.
*Comments are not
substantive, such as
just one line or saying,
“Good job” or “I agree.
*Comments are off
topic.
Comments to two or more
classmates’ initial posts but only
on one day of the week.
Comments are substantive,
meaning they reflect and expand
on what the other
student wrote.
Comments to two or more classmates’
initial posts on more than one day.
Comments are substantive, meaning they
reflect and expand on what the other
student wrote.
Comments to two or more classmates’
initial posts and to the instructor’s
comment (if applicable) on two or more
days. Responses demonstrate an analysis
of peers’ comments, building on previous
posts. Comments extend and deepen
meaningful conversation and may include a
follow-up question.
No postings for
which to evaluate
language and
grammar
Numerous issues in
any of the following:
grammar, mechanics,
spelling, use of slang,
and incomplete or
missing APA citations
and references. If
required for the
assignment, did not
use course, text,
and/or outside
readings (where
relevant) to support
work.
Some spelling, grammatical,
and/or structural errors. Some
errors in APA formatting (citations
and references). If required for the
assignment, utilizes sources to
support work for initial post but
not comments to other students.
Sources include course/text
readings but outside sources
(when relevant) include non-
academic/authoritative, such as
Wikis and .com resources.
Minor errors in grammar, mechanics, or
spelling in the initial posting. Minor errors
in APA formatting (citations and
references). If required for the assignment,
utilizes sources to support work for both
the initial post and some of the comments
to other students. Sources include course
and text readings as well as outside sources
(when
relevant) that are academic and
authoritative (e.g., journal articles, other
text books, .gov web sites, professional
organization web sites).
Minor to no errors in grammar, mechanics,
or spelling in both the initial post and
comments to others. APA formatting is
correct. If required for the assignment,
utilizes sources to support work for both
the initial post and the comments to other
students. Sources include course and text
readings as well as outside sources (when
relevant) that are academic and
authoritative (e.g., journal articles, other
text books, .gov web sites, professional
organization web sites).
/
Overall Score
Close
Unacceptable
0 points minimum
Emerging (F through D Range)
1 point minimum
Satisfactory (C Range)
54 points minimum
Above Average (B Range)
62 points minimum
Exemplary (A Range)
70 points minimum
/
Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
ERP systems support organizations in their business plans while solving real business issues. The decision to implement an ERP system within an organization is
justi�ed with a return on investment (ROI) analysis. Some of the best areas for ROI in ERP implementations are providing better job order quotes and reducing
inventory costs. The ability to meet deadlines is critical for keeping customers satis�ed while avoiding excessive shipping costs. Several questions arise when we
determine ROI. They are:
Are we making business decisions manually without the bene�ts of the current software?
Is paper the usual means we use to transfer information between departments?
Are we losing market share because we spend more time �ghting �res than satisfying customers?
Do we fail to ship most products on time or to the correct place with errors at normal surface shipping rates?
If the answer to these questions is yes then you probably need to invest in ERP software. New ERP software means new procedures and processes. Start with
streamlining procedures. Team building is another important step. Make sure that the separate departments are working towards a common goal and not to the
detriment of other departments.
The four broad types of incremental returns for businesses from their ERP investment are:
Money returns
Time returns
Knowledge returns
Brand returns
ERP systems support the following business processes:
Marketing & Sales
Production & Manufacturing
Human Resources
Accounting & Finance
Each business is different and may have an opportunity to improve their:
Sales lead development
Product development process
Purchase cost reduction
Capital utilization
Capacity utilization
Productivity
Let us discuss the bene�ts and challenges faced by organizations when they implement ERP systems.
/
Enterprise Portals—Part 1
An enterprise portal is a Web interface that provides a single entry point for all accessing organizational services and information so that all information appears to
be coming from one source.
Let us consider an example. When Plumtree introduced the �rst portal product in 1998, the portal provided users with one place to access all the content and
services they needed to do their work. Over the next few years, Plumtree expanded its suite of products or applications to integrate collaboration, content
management, and search to meet business problems. Such business applications increase sales productivity, streamline supplier collaboration, perform research and
development, and improve call center management.
Over the last few years, Plumtree has implemented enterprise portal solutions in seven service-oriented application categories:
Collaborative workspace applications: Organize ad hoc or established project workgroups, cross-functional or departmental teams, and online workspaces.
Across the enterprise individuals use these interactive workspaces to collaborate on projects, set schedules, assign tasks, share documents, and exchange
ideas. Geographically dispersed project teams can interact with other resources integrated into the portal.
Customer service applications: Draw heavily on the portal’s search and categorization services to create a knowledgebase of support articles and industry
research. Virtually all support applications also offer online collaboration and direct access to systems that track invoices, order status, inventory, and pricing.
Employee services applications: Integrate corporate communications, self-service transactions, policy documents, and key business processes in online
resource centers. These applications give employees, retirees, and their spouses everything they need to be productive and motivated without costly
paperwork and training. Beyond simple, Web-enabling human resources systems, employee services applications can index policy and procedure documents
for easy access, integrate third-party services for bene�ts and pension plans, and allow employees to post ideas and questions to improve the workplace.
/
Application Software
Application software is the basic building block of the computer system of an enterprise. An application software package consists of software programs that
commercial vendors such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Siebel, and Peoplesoft lease or sell. This software eliminates the need for custom-written, in-house software.
An integrated software package such as Microsoft Of�ce combines multiple applications like word processing, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations.
These provide easy transfer of data and images between applications.
Enterprise application integration (EAI) software can connect different applications that support sales & marketing, manufacturing & production, �nance &
accounting, and human resources into one graphical user interface (GUI). This enterprise software integrates data that multiple functions and business processes
will use so that information can �ow seamlessly throughout the �rm, improving decision making, collaboration, ef�ciency, and coordination.
An enterprise system is based on a common central database and a suite of integrated software modules. The database feeds the data and collects the data from
numerous applications that can support nearly all the business activities of a �rm.
Application software functions only if business processes are integrated appropriately. So now let us understand how several business processes are integrated in
an organization.