Information Systems Infrastructure (IS3314)

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Information Systems Infrastructure (IS3314)

• 3rd year BIS 2006 / 2007

Fergal Carton Business Information Systems
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Last week

• Topps
• ERP benefits
• Common data model
• Integration
• Single instance

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This week

• Revision

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Review of course objectives

• Basic flows of information (Finance / HR / Sales)
• Understanding requirements for IS support
• Business processes related applications
• Introduction to ERP systems
• ERP implementation projects
• IS issues in multi-national organisations

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Case study tips

• Structure your answer
• Convince reader you have read and understood the
  case by applying a logic or structure to your
  answer
• It also makes the answer easier to read!

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Case study tips

• Structure your answer
• Different examples (both from case and from your
  own experience) can be used to maximum effect
  when drawn in to illustrate a point you are
  making
• eg. Time tracking (Genalytics, PPARS, )

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Use a diagram
Management reporting
Recruitment
Payroll
HR
Training
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Use of internet or any IS

• Automate manual processes
• Collection of information regarding
• Recruitment
• Personnel details
• Holidays
• Benefits
• Transaction processes
• Promotion
• Salary, commission, bonus calculation payment
• Transparency, visibility of information
• Access to wider audience of potential candidates
• Access to management reporting
• Access to SOPs and training material
• Free up HR time from mundane tasks
• Cost saving
• Time spent on research into training development
• Has it meant new types of information / service
  are available?

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HR and internet

• HR processes
• Recruit, Manage, Reward, Develop
• View from Job-seeker and Employer
• Automate without de-humanising
• Placement process
• Search, Contact, Send CV, Aptitude Test, Feedback
  Offer
• HR web-sites (eg. for placement companies)
• Compare and score strengths, weaknesses
• Schwabb case study (benefits of web based HR
  applications)
• eg. Holiday planning from home

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Enterprise Resource Planning
Integrated Logistics
Production Planning
Sales Distribution, Order Management
Customer/ Employee
Accounting and Finance
Human Resources
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Are there alternatives?
Scalability?

• As-is
• Best of breed
• Custom solution

Flexibility?
Reliability?
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All Homes Provide A roof over your head A floor
under your feet A lock on the door Electricity,
water, sewer
Picture
A starter home Uses standard blue prints Can be
built with generic skills Requires much
compromise Doesnt have unique features Is very
similar to the next house Is generic in style and
function
Your dream home Architect develops a custom
plan Requires skilled craftsman Requires little
compromise Is unique where you value it Is like
no other house The style and function are specific
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ERP

• Why ERP ?
• Automate and streamline sales/quote/order/invoice
• Shorten order processing time
• Better inventory control
• Consolidates all sales information
• Improve sales information on customers
• Why reinvent the wheel, use best practice
• Scalability
• Robustness one system, minimises repetition
• Faster to implement
• Clear upgrade path (linked to vendor) better
  expansion capability
• Develop ERP skills in-house, useful for further
  projects
• Ability to implement, large team required!
• Quantifiable outcome timescale

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In-house

• More control over process design
• More adherence to specific requirements
• More programmers required
• Own processes may be better than ERP template
• Have we got the resources / experience
• Design
• Build
• Support
• Cost of back fill
• Long term Support issues
• Time scale cost

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What is unique to this business?

• Product configuration details
• Orders are allocated to work in progress
• Not build to order!
• and
• Hockey stick
• Long lead times on orders

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Topps questions

• What were the potential failure points for the
  business?
• What are the potential benefits of ERP for Topps?
• Could any depot deliver any sales order, what
  would be required of IS?

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Whats a single instance application?

• One database
• One server
• Wide area network links
• One time zone
• One language
• One set of configuration options
• Standard set of processes (template)

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Questions on exam

• 9.30 Aula Maxima 16th March
• 1½ hour paper
• 4 questions, answer two
• 50 per question
• 3 questions of 1 part, 1 questions of 2 parts
  (25 each)
• Essay type, typically
• Describe
• Identify
• Outline
• Give examples

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IS 3314 reading material

• Course notes
• Your own notes from in-class discussion
• Research areas andmentioned in-class
• HR packages, recruitment web-sites
  (PeopleSoft.com, Monster.ie, )
• ERP web-sites (SAP and Oracle)
• Placement company HR pages
• Package vs. custom debate
• Case studies and handouts
• EMC2 ERP implementation case study
• Adam Doyle (2001) Enterprise Resource Planning
  at Topps International Ltd
• James A. OBrien (2003) Introduction to
  Information Systems
• Chapters 7 Electronic Business Systems
• Davenport, Thomas H. (1998) Harvard Business
  Review
• Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System
• Evans Wurster (1997) Strategy and The New
  Economics of Information
• Deimler Hansen (2001) The On-line Employee
• Human Capital Institute (2006) The Current
  Landscape of Internet Recruiting
• IS3314 Key terms and concepts defined