Studies In Information Systems Qualitative -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Studies In Information Systems Qualitative? Answer: Introduction Tools and mechanisms that build a combination of a business technology and strategic planning so as to bring advancements and developments in the business structure can be termed as the Strategy Information System. The management system brings modifications in the organizational structure and aids the firm in operating and executing better plans and accomplishments of the desired goals and objectives (Cassidy, 2016). According to the surveys made it has been inferred that the management system was introduced in early 1980s and after the emergence of the concepts of modernization and globalization the system gained more importance. Moreover, in simpler terms, strategic information system can be termed as a mechanism that has been designed from the results of the initiatives by the organization in order to attain a sustainable position in the market and attain competitive advantage. It is a silent feature of the aspects of information technology and plays an integral and active role in the operations of an organizational structure. The mechanism is concerned with the number of operations which are executed within a business entity or is also developed in order to assist the firm in creating divisions in the various functions such as managing and maintaining inventory and transforming data etc. The below-executed analysis is a business report which has been presented revolving around the various aspects of the strategic information system for a manufacturing firm. The selected case study for this business report is of Wesfarmers which is one of the leading manufacturers in the sector of chemicals, fertilizers, coal mining and industrial and safety products. Issues and challenges faced by the strategic information system planners Strategic planning can be termed as the process or an outline or roadmap, which can be used by the stakeholders throughout the firm so as to move the business organization towards heights of attainments. The process is a slandered endeavor, despite the criticisms that it consumes time and money and is also little in action (Cecez-Kecmanovic et al., 2014). The below mentioned are some of the reasons for the failure or can be considered as the issues that can be faced by the strategic planners: Lack of leadership: One of the biggest reason behind the failure of this system is that the lack of support of the leaders or the senior authorities. The leaders are required to be supportive in all terms so as to develop a smooth flow of operations. The leaders play a crucial role in the strategic planning. They are required to be present and engaged at the right time with right people and apart from that, the other significant factor is their ongoing leadership responsibility. They are also known as strategic thinkers which prove beneficial in the process of strategic planning. Vision, mission, and values provide guidance to strategic thinking (Galliers and Leidner, 2014). Strategic thinking and consequent alignment of the actions and that too with a clear vision of future can be considered as an antidote for a set of predictable environmental changes that undermine the details of strategic plans. Ultimately, strategic thinking is concerned about the course over time in-spite of th e diversions caused by unexpected circumstances. Lack of consensus: The strategic planning process is a vital aspect of the planning process and if the business corporation is serious about the implementation of the plan, then an excellent product is imperious. The process of strategic planning is concerned about consensus building. If the process is executed correctly by the strategic planners of Wesfarmers then it will aid in promoting the communication, collaboration and enhances participation within the organization. It also assists the entity in disclosing conflicts, dealing and tackling with the inevitable struggle made with the political authorities (Greenblat 2015). Whereas a true consensus has been observed to be concerned about the issues with the stakeholders that are unrealistic, involving everyone through interviews, focus groups, research, open forums, and the like is considered as significant if the seniors expect them to implement the plan. And such an involvement of the individual is time-consuming. Moreover, the i ndividuals can also lose interest or become delayed in details and also feel unheard. Yet the results of this consensus building process reflect the antithesis of the plan designed by the committee or the administrator of the entity. Issues with execution: The greatest issues which can be faced by the strategic planners of Wesfarmers is the execution process, that is putting the plan in right place. Most of the times the efforts and attention are made focused on the development process of and after the planning process the team thinks that their work is through. But in reality, the core operations are initiated after the implementation of the plan (Kavanagh and Johnson, 2017). Actual attainment of the goals strategies, objectives in the plan is the point of the entire process and this is well known by the effective strategic planners. Critical evaluation where IS aids an organization in attaining competitive advantage Attaining competitive advantage has been considered as one of the crucial tasks for any of the business corporation. And there is number of approaches and mechanisms which can be adopted by the manufacturing firms and that will be proven beneficial for sustaining and attaining competitive advantage (Morecroft, 2015). Earning the position of competitive advantage in the business environment is one of the integral factors for any of the business firm that aids the enterprise in sustaining the business in the market. The below presented is the critical evaluation of how the information system will be proven beneficial in attaining the competitive advantage: Attaining competitive advantage means the business entity is having access to some resources that others are not having and are also able to use those resources more effectively. This will enable the business entity is generating higher rate of revenues, growth profitability and an increase in efficiency will be observed. Long run results will also be experienced the hike in stock market valuations as compared to the competitors (Morecroft, 2015). One of the most effective approaches is Michael Porters competitive forces model that can be adopted by the business firm for describing the competitive forces that shape the fate of the enterprise. The following are the main components of the model: Traditional competitors: The existing business entities that are already sharing the market space. New market entrants: The start-ups or the new entities have the diverse range of advantages such as no limits or making use of old equipments, high motivation level. There are some disadvantages such as such as less expertise and little brand acknowledgment (Pearlson, Saunders and Galletta, 2016). Moreover, there are some entities that have lower barriers while entering the market that is, the manufacturing firms will have to pay fewer expenses while entering the market. Substitute for the products and services: The substitutes are the alternative options that can be chosen by the consumers over the brand if there is an increase in the price. For instance, the rise in the price of the electricity made the consumers to switch over the bio-gas and solar energy as a substitute. Customers: It has been observed that there will be a rise in the power of the consumer if there is an ease in switching to the competing brand or also if they can influence the business or its competing brand for competing on the price alone in a transparent marketplace where there is a little product differentiation and all the prices are known instantly (Peppard and Ward, 2016). Suppliers: A varied range of suppliers with a firm will enable the entity to have a greater control in relation to the prices, quality and distribution schedules. Porters competitive forces model A determination to the strategic position of the entity and also its strategies is done. This determination is done not only by competing from its traditional competitors but also by forces that are the new entrants, substitute products, customers and suppliers in the business environment (Peppard Ward, 2016). The below presented are the four generic strategies which can be adopted by the manufacturing firms for managing competitive forces and each of which often is enabled by using information system and technology: Low-cost leadership: Under this approach, the manufacturing firms will quote the products and services at a low price in order to establish the brand name and equity in the market. According to this, the business entity can make use of information system for developing and achieving lowest operational costs and lowest prices (Rainer et al., 2013). For instance, a supply chain management system can be incorporated for bringing an efficiency in the customer response system for directly linking the consumer behavior to distribution, production and supply chain aids in a decline in inventory and distribution cost. Product differentiation: Under this strategy, the business entity develops a distinct image of the brand name or the product for promotion in the market. As per the given scenario, the information system can be used for enabling the new products and services or can also bring a change to the customer convenience in consuming the existing products and services. For instance, Wesfarmers can make use of mass communication for offering tailored products by making use of same resources as mass production and providing the customers as per the different specifications. Focus on market niche: The business entity can make use of this management system to enable a specific market focus and also serving this narrow target market better than competitors. This system offers a wide support to the strategy by producing and analyzing the information for developing finely adjusted sales and marketing techniques (Realitysoftware 2017). For instance, Wesfarmers can make use of customer information system with detailed data for the customers who are actively visiting the stores for serving them tailored services and also reward the profitable customers with better and improved quality of services. All of the above mentioned are the strategies which are the examples of an information system. All the mentioned strategies are aiding the business firm in attaining the sustainable advantage. Approaches adopted by Wesfarmers for developing innovative uses of information system The below presented are some of the approaches which can be adopted by the business organization for developing innovative uses of the strategic information system: Developing barriers to the new competing bands: According to this approach, Wesfarmers can make use of strategic information system for serving the products and services that are difficult to replicate or are also used in the highly specialized markets (Sarker, Xiao, and Beaulieu, 2013). And this approach will be proven as an innovative concept and will also be proven beneficial for the business corporation. By making use of this approach the firm will be preventing the entry of the competing brands as they will find the expenses for making the implementation of the similar strategy very high. Generating database to improve marketing: The information system adopted by Wesfarmers will be aiding the business in attaining the position of the edge over their competing brands by the generation of data or information and that will bring enhancement in the sales, productivity and marketing strategies (Altamony et al., 2016). The existing data is treated as a resource by the systems. For instance, the business corporation may utilize the database for monitoring the purchases made by the customers and also for identifying the various segments of the market. Locking in customers and suppliers: This approach has been considered as another significant method by which strategic information system will be innovatively proven beneficial for the business entity (Aslan, Stevenson and Hendry, 2015). According to this concept, the consumers and the suppliers are offered such benefits that will stimulate them so strongly and it will be proven difficult for them to switch over the competitors brand. For instance, Wesfarmers may develop any such information system which will provide the number of benefits to the customer. Such as reliable order filling, minimization in the transactional expenses, increase in the management support and faster delivery services. Minimization of the costs of the products: Strategic information system will aid the business firm in bringing the decline in various operational and transactional costs. The decline in transactions will stimulate the prices of the products and the same will be decreased in comparison to their competitors (Cao, Nicolaou and Bhattacharya, 2013). And here the information system will be playing an integral role through which the survival and growth of the business entity in the competitive environment will be ensured. For instance, the business firm can lower down the prices of various products by offering discounts on bulk purchase and that will bring an increase in the sales. Leveraging technology in the vale chain: According to this approach, the business organization will be pinpointing specific business practices in the business where the competitive strategies will be best installed and also where the information system will be having the greater strategic influence (Chofreh et al., 2014). By making use of this approach it has been identified that information system can be utilized to its best extent for attaining the competitive advantage by making identification of specific, critical leverage points. Managing to outsource in Wesfarmers The below mentioned are some of the core functional areas which are required to be focused by the directors of information system so as to manage the outsourcing within the business corporation: Cost management: Cost has been considered as one of the biggest reason that has been observed for choosing to outsource as a strategic option. It has been noted that the outsourcing enables both the client and the service provider an equal opportunity of earning the considerable amount of profit (Paginas 2018). And therefore it has been considered significant for both the parties analyze the scope and expenses of the outsource projects and operations before they are signed the agreement. Communication management: Developing a right and appropriate communication channel ha been considered as an absolute necessity for the success and growth of any of the business purpose (Costa et al., 2016). The process of communication should be offered due significance right from the initial step that is the negotiation stage, with importance being placed on a guaranteed communication system, regular contact between the client and the service provider, regular feedbacks should also be regularly given by the clients and recognized by the service provider. Performance management: Performance management in the concept of outsourcing comprise of both project quality and adherence to the time or the deadlines provided in the contract. A regular check or monitoring should be executed by the client so as to establish the quality of work should vary and an increase should be observed as compared to the previously established parameters (Eden, Sedera, and Tan, 2014). Monitoring of the adherence to the deadlines should be done by the client and accountability reports should also be demanded non-compliance of the same. Risk management: Risk management has been considered as a significant factor as any other aspect of the business relationship. Analyzing both sides of the outsourcing process and also studying the various risks involved in the operations and also developing a back-up plan before signing the agreement. And this will bring the risk factor to the minimum level. Knowledge transfer management: There should be a complete transfer of data and required information with a correct level of transparency in all the areas that are related to the project. This will aid the business entity in bringing improvements in a production process, improved timelines, and also there will be an increase in the overall quality of the outsourced project or operation (Ha and Ahn, 2014). One of the most significant steps in the process of successful knowledge transfer management is close monitoring at regular intervals.Relationship management: Establishment of the strong relationship between the client and the outsourcing service provider should be developed and this has been considered as a significant element for the success and growth of the project (Hunton, McEwen and Wier, 2015). A relationship can be effectively maintained and managed by communicating regularly and continuous and appropriate transparency and also by displaying right proportion of flexibility. Strategic information system adds value to the business organization One of the biggest tries of each and every business organization s that they strive to be the market leader in their given industry and there is some factor that is held liable in hindering the goals and achievements (Kermani and Rouhani, 2014). And in order to tackle these situations, the business can make adoption of some strategies that will lead the business corporation to competitive advantage. The information system is one such strategy that can be implemented within Wesfarmers. The below mentioned are the fundamentals or the roles through which it will be identified that the information system positively works by adding value to the business: Information storage analysis: In the initial stages the business corporations do not manage their information and data manually in the registers and hard copies. By making use of the strategic information system Wesfarmers can utilize the sophisticated and comprehensive databases that can contain confidential data about the company. These information systems analyze, store and update the data that can be utilized by the business corporation for solving the problems or conflict situations faced if any (Kurbel, 2016). Also, integration of data is made possible by making use of these systems from various sources that are inside and outside of the company. This will also keep the entity updated in terms of internal performance and external opportunities and threats. And by analyzing all these statements it can be observed that the information system adds value to the business. Assistance in decision making: The long run success and growth of the business firm is made relied on the adequacy of its strategic plans. The managerial staff or the management team makes the utilization of the information systems for formulating the strategic plans and thus making the decisions for the firms success and development. Moreover, the business firm can also make use of the information system for evaluating the information from all the sources. This includes data from various sources such as external references, for instance, Reuters or Bloomberg that will enable the information about the general economy. Internal control strategy The process or the procedure of the internal control can be termed as the practice within the business corporation so as to ensure that organization makes the fulfillments and attains the target s set in the strategies (Pohjola 2018). Moreover, the process is also concerned about identifying the use done by the entity of the available resources, economically and the data in support of the management decisions is reliable. There are some other aspects that are ensured by the internal control system, such as risk management, custody of the clients assets and safeguarding the property in an adequate manner. And hence it has been proven that the internal control system is required as an essential system for any of the business entity. The below mentioned are components of the good internal control system: The managerial staff should have the high level of integrity and ethical values and also they should be committed to assiduously performing prime internal procedures. The governance committee should have more hands-on oversight involvement in the business practices. Moreover, some of the board members can perform monthly entity level controls such as inspecting and approving supporting documentation for checks written (Laudon and Laudon, 2013). Some of the major control procedures can be performed by the management staff and authorities for overcoming the lack of segregation of duties. Suggestions for reviewing the accounting systems reports and inspections and scrutinizing of the documents for selected transactions and other overseeing periodic counts is done by COSO.. Conclusion After summing the above-executed analysis it has been executed that the business corporation can make use of various systems and mechanisms for bringing improvements in the operations and functionalities and that will lead the business corporation towards success and growth. The selected sector for given scenario is manufacturing and chosen organization is Wesfarmers and the above business report is made focused on the use of the strategic information system. The report has been discussing the issues faced by the strategic planners. The further report is made concentrating on the critical evaluation of the effectiveness of the IS strategy for the attainment of the competitive advantage. Moreover, the business report also comprises of the approaches which have been adopted by the business corporation for developing the innovative use of strategic IS. References Altamony, H., Tarhini, A., Al-Salti, Z., Gharaibeh, A. and Elyas, T., 2016. 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