BSA 310 (Business Systems) (Version-7) Complete Course Week 1-5 A+ Graded

Option 1: Virtual Organization System Inventory

Option 2: General IT System Inventory

Option 1: Virtual Organization System Inventory

W. Clay Mundy III May 6, 2012 BSA 310

System Inventory

BSA/310

Version

7

1

W. Clay Mundy III

May 6, 2012 BSA 310

University of Phoenix Material

System Inventory

Select

and complete

one of the following

assignments:

Option 1: Virtual

Organization System Inventory

Option 2: General IT System Inventory

Option 1

:

Virtual Organization

System Inventory

Select

one of the following Virtual Organizations:

·

Smith Systems Consulting

·

Huffman Trucking

·

Kudler Fine Foods

Complete

the

following

chart, filling in information for

each system used at that

Virtual

Organization. Add rows to the chart as necessary.

System

Name

Brief

Description

Department

to

U

se

the

System

Purpose

of

the

System

Connects

With

Development

Details

Week 1/BSA 310 Week 1 Summary.docx

One of the main important lessons I learned was what a system was and the different types there were.  Businesses are able to use the two main types of systems, part of the Management Information Systems, to help with the overall business process.  By utilizing the TPS, DSS, and other systems, businesses are able to get an upper hand by compressing raw data into a more useable form, a form that can be interpreted into many different ways and separated into different departments.  I also enjoyed reading about the integration of the improvements made in the supply chain operations, with the help of IT.  By involving the infrastructure of the entire IT department, as well as other departments, the company is able to maximize the Enterprise Resource Planning  relationships.  Supply chain management has became a very large part of businesses, and if you want to have a successful company, integrating ERP and supply chains better be part of it. Understanding how the intricacies of how IT really affects a business can be interesting.  With all the separate departments of IT, all working together, if one department fails, it can be devastating to a company.  If a company were to lose the database functionality, the accounting, sales, warehouse, and inventory could take a hit.   Once you get all the requirements from the customer, you can start to plan out the project.  With the requirements in hand, you should be able to get an idea of how many people you will need for the project, roughly the amount of time you need, and how much time you are going to need for planning.  After you get all this information, you can carefully plan out how much it will cost.  If you have a budget, you can filter that into the equation.  As long as you take each step, one at a time, you should have no problem with the project.

One of the main important lessons I learned was what a system was and the different types there

were.

Businesses are able to use the two main types of systems, part of the Management

Information Systems, to help with the overall business process.

By util

izing the TPS, DSS, and

other systems, businesses are able to get an upper hand by compressing raw data into a more

useable form, a form that can be interpreted into many different ways and separated into different

departments.

I also enjoyed reading ab

out the integration of the improvements made in the supply chain

operations, with the help of IT.

By involving the infrastructure of the entire IT department, as

well as other departments, the company is able to maximize the Enterprise Resource Planning

relationships.

Supply chain management has became a very large part of businesses, and if you

want to have a successful company, integrating ERP and supply chains better be part of it.

Understanding how the intricacies of how IT really affects a business

can be interesting.

With

all the separate departments of IT, all working together, if one department fails, it can be

devastating to a company.

If a company were to lose the database functionality, the accounting,

sales, warehouse, and inventory could t

ake a hit.

Once you get all the requirements from the customer, you can start to plan out the project.

With

the requirements in hand, you should be able to get an idea of how many people you will need

for the project, roughly the amount of time you nee

d, and how much time you are going to need

for planning.

After you get all this information, you can carefully plan out how much it will

cost.

If you have a budget, you can filter that into the equation.

As long as you take each step,

one at a time, you

should have no problem with the project.

Week 2/BSA 310 Week 2 Summary.docx

This week, learning about how businesses are moving more from a mobility environment than from a desktop environment.  There are many security concerns when it comes to mobile devices, as security software and hardware have not caught up with the technology.  IT departments are having to scramble to figure out the best ways to protect themselves from the mobile and tablet based devices.  Also, we learned how unscrupulous people can take advantage of others by cold calling individuals and trying to get information out of them.  We found of that through the methods called phishing and pharming, illegal enterprises can set up website's that look identical to real website's for the sole purpose of gaining your personal information.  By sending out emails with links in them, and some unsuspecting person clicks on that link, they can be transported to these mirror website's.  Lastly, learning how businesses should take security more into consideration, as without it, the entire company can be taken down.  As the saying goes, "Loose lips sink ships."  Someone who does not follow protocols and does not keep company information to themselves can cause great harm to the company.  Securing information should be on the forefront of every company, not just the IT departments.

This week, learning about how businesses are moving more from a mobility environment than

from a desktop environment.

There are many security concerns when it comes to mobile

devices, as security software and hardware have not caught up with the technolog

y.

IT

departments are having to scramble to figure out the best ways to protect themselves from the

mobile and tablet based devices.

Also, we learned how unscrupulous people can take advantage

of others by cold calling individuals and trying to get infor

mation out of them.

We found of that

through the methods called phishing and pharming, illegal enterprises can set up website's that

look identical to real website's for the sole purpose of gaining your personal information.

By

sending out emails with li

nks in them, and some unsuspecting person clicks on that link, they can

be transported to these mirror website's.

Lastly, learning how businesses should take security

more into consideration, as without it, the entire company can be taken down.

As the sa

ying

goes, "Loose lips sink ships."

Someone who does not follow protocols and does not keep

company information to themselves can cause great harm to the company.

Securing information

should be on the forefront of every company, not just the IT departmen

ts.

Week 2/BSA 310 Week 2 (Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program 1) Riverpoint Writer.docx

Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program

W. Clay Mundy III

BSA 310

5/13/2012

Running head: KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM

1

KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM

2

Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program

If you are from the La Jolla, Del Mar, or Encinitas area, then you have to be familiar with the gourmet food store of Kudler Fine Foods (hereby known as Kudler). Kudler has been able to evolve into such a fine establishment by building its business model off of a strong customer service base. By keeping their customer relationships “priority-one”, they were able to explode onto the market, gaining a valuable foothold in the gourmet food market. With their exponential growth so far, they are expected to branch out much further into California. One of the ways Kudler expects to meet the customer expectations, and satisfaction requirements, will be to implement an e-commerce aspect into their existing website. Kudler’s customer service believes that this will be a cornerstone of the next level of the companies success.

Order Process

Under the current order system, Kudler utilizes an ordinary logistical order process; everything is done by hand.

Running

head: KUDLER FINE FOODS

-

FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM

1

Kudler Fine Foods

-

Frequent Shopper Program

W. Clay Mundy III

BSA 310

5/13/2012

Week 2/BSA 310 Week 2 (Kudler Fine Foods Frequent Shopper Program II).docx

Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program

BSA 310

Running head: KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM

1

KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM

6

Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program

Kudler Fine Foods wants to create a frequent shopper program to help their customers by rewarding them, but also wanting them to be protected by malicious entities that might want to do them harm. In developing a Frequent Shopper Program, Kudler Fine Foods (hereby known as Kudler) will need to implement, and adhere, to strict policies and guidelines that will protect the patrons that shop at the establishments of Kudler. We can also use different modeling structures to find what kind of Frequent Shopper Program works best for Kudler. By contacting an outside agency, such as Management Science Associates, Inc., (MSA) we are able to look at data that will tell us the demographics of who is going to be utilizing the program. The MSA can show Kudler different pricing analysis, the average customer lifetime value and how they would consume, their purchasing behavior, brand forecasting, and all the while, maintaining the highest level of personal privacy. (Management Science Associates, Inc, 2012)

Privacy is always on the forefront of any company’s mind, especially when it involves their customers. When you are collecting data on a customer, they should get the feeling that you are their protector, and you are not there to abuse them or their information. This is why Kudler will put safeguards in place to protect their customers. There are no true market standards to protect Kudler’s customers, so Kudler will have to devise their own methods and means to protect their customers. Kudler is not only legally bound to protect their customers, but also ethically bound as well. Whenever a business takes in information on someone, and stores it in a database, that company is legally and ethically bound to protect that customer. When that information goes into that database, no matter how seemingly harmless, it must always be protected. The IT security must be regarded in the highest of standards so that the data stored within our computer databanks will be protected. (Britz, 2000)

When the customers are filling out the paperwork, for their Kudler Shopper cards, they will have the option to accept, or decline, the program. The program will describe what legal steps the company plans to do in order to protect them. They can always decide whether or not to participate. We will reiterate, numerous times, that their personal information will be secured and not sold to a third party, and is only used for our marketing purposes only. By letting the customer know, up front, what information we will be sharing, why we need certain information, and how we will be using that information, will be paramount to our success with our customers. The more upfront we are with them, the more they will trust us. We will also ensure that all information, entered into our databases, will be encrypted and all data will be secure.

With all of our security in place, customers lined up, and frequent shoppers ready to go, what does this mean for our owners of the company? According to the Food Management Institute, if a retail establishment has a frequent shopper program, 90% of their customers utilize this system. (Food Management Institute, 2008) With an implementation of a program, customers get a feeling that they are getting a valued service, where we could implement automatic coupon deductions, point-reward systems, or even donations to charities. By give the impression that they are getting value, they will increase the amount of times they visit Kudler. At the same time, we gain value with every purchase they make. Each of their purchases are tracked, and entered, into a database. Within that database, we are able to start tracking what people are buying, at what time of the year they are buying, and how much they are buying.

Another aspect of the program will allow us to help prevent waste. We may be purchasing too much of a particular product, or a particular product may be staying on the shelf and never selling. The frequent shopper program will not only tell us what is being sold, but more importantly, will tell us what is not being sold. We will also be able to improve our efficiency between our suppliers. By being able to track what is being sold and what is being wasted, we can achieve a much more accurate inventory count. Having this program fits in all win-win scenarios for Kudler Fine Foods.

The last step, in the entire equation, will be the training of our employees. They will need to know that their professionalism will be key in keeping this system alive. They are the ones that are on the front lines. These are the individuals that meet and greet our customers. Training them to know the privacy rules, to know the new security procedures, and to know the legal and ethical steps they need to take to ensure that the customer’s data is protected is paramount to keeping this organization at the highest levels it has always had. Kudler has always prided itself in having outstanding customer service capabilities. We want to prove ourselves worthy once again.

References

Britz, J. J. (July, 2000). Technology as a Threat to Privacy: Ethical Challenges to the Information Profession. Retrieved from http://web.simmons.edu/~chen/nit/NIT%2796/96-025-Britz.html

Food Management Institute. (April, 2008). New FMI Report Shows Food Retailers Using Technology to Remain Competitive and Meet Consumer Needs. Retrieved from http://www.fmi.org/news-room/news-archive/view/2008/04/22/new-fmi-report-shows-food-retailers-using-technology-to-remain-competitive-and-meet-consumer-needs

Management Science Associates, Inc. (2012). Frequent Shopper. Retrieved from http://www.msa.com/analysis/consumer/frequent.htm

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Running head: KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM 1 Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program BSA 310 May 12, 2010 William Schuyler Kudler Fine Foods - Frequent Shopper Program Kudler Fine Foods wants to create a frequent shopper program to help their customers by rewarding them, but also wanting them to be protected by malicious entities that might want to do them harm. In developing a Frequent Shopper Program, Kudler Fine Foods (hereby known as Kudler) will need to implement, and adhere, to strict policies and guidelines that will protect the patrons that shop at the establishments of Kudler. We can also use different modeling structures to find what kind of Frequent Shopper Program works best for Kudler. By contacting an outside agency, such as Management Science Associates, Inc., (MSA) we are able to look at data that will tell us the demographics of who is going to be utilizing the program. The MSA can show Kudler different pricing analysis, the average customer lifetime value and how they would consume, their purchasing behavior, brand forecasting, and all the while, maintaining the highest level of personal privacy. (Management Science Associates, Inc, 2012) Privacy is always on the forefront of any company’s mind, especially when it involves their customers. When you are collecting data on a customer, they should get the feeling that you are their protector, and you are not there to abuse them or their information. This is why Kudler will put safeguards in place to protect their customers. There are no true market standards to protect Kudler’s customers, so Kudler will have to devise their own methods and means to protect their customers. Kudler is not only legally bound to protect their customers, but also ethically bound as well. Whenever a business takes in information on someone, and stores it in a database, that company is legally and ethically bound to protect that customer. When that information goes into that database, no matter how seemingly harmless, it must always be protected. The IT security must be regarded in the highest of standards so that the data stored within our computer databanks will be protected. (Britz, 2000) When the customers are filling out the paperwork, for their Kudler Shopper cards, they will have the option to accept, or decline, the program. The program will describe what legal steps the company plans to do in order to protect them. They can always decide whether or not to participate. We will reiterate, numerous times, that their personal information will be secured and not sold to a third party, and is only used for our marketing purposes only. By letting the customer know, up front, what information we will be sharing, why we need certain information, and how we will be using that information, will be paramount to our success with our customers. The more upfront we are with them, the more they will trust us. We will also ensure that all information, entered into our databases, will be encrypted and all data will be secure. With all of our security in place, customers lined up, and frequent shoppers ready to go, what does this mean for our owners of the company? According to the Food Management Institute, if a retail establishment has a frequent shopper program, 90% of their customers utilize this system. (Food Management Institute, 2008) With an implementation of a program, customers get a feeling that they are getting a valued service, where we could implement automatic coupon deductions, point-reward systems, or even donations to charities. By give the impression that they are getting value, they will increase the amount of times they visit Kudler. At the same time, we gain value with every purchase they make. Each of their purchases are tracked, and entered, into a database. Within that database, we are able to start tracking what people are buying, at what time of the year they are buying, and how much they are buying. Another aspect of the program will allow us to help prevent waste. We may be purchasing too much of a particular product, or a particular product may be staying on the shelf and never selling. The frequent shopper program will not only tell us what is being sold, but more importantly, will tell us what is not being sold. We will also be able to improve our efficiency between our suppliers. By being able to track what is being sold and what is being wasted, we can achieve a much more accurate inventory count. Having this program fits in all win-win scenarios for Kudler Fine Foods. The last step, in the entire equation, will be the training of our employees. They will need to know that their professionalism will be key in keeping this system alive. They are the ones that are on the front lines. These are the individuals that meet and greet our customers. Training them to know the privacy rules, to know the new security procedures, and to know the legal and ethical steps they need to take to ensure that the customer’s data is protected is paramount to keeping this organization at the highest levels it has always had. Kudler has always prided itself in having outstanding customer service capabilities. We want to prove ourselves worthy once again. References Britz, J. J. (July, 2000). Technology as a Threat to Privacy: Ethical Challenges to the Information Profession. Retrieved from http://web.simmons.edu/~chen/nit/NIT'96/96-025- Britz.html Food Management Institute. (April, 2008). New FMI Report Shows Food Retailers Using Technology to Remain Competitive and Meet Consumer Needs. Retrieved from http://www.fmi.org/news-room/news-archive/view/2008/04/22/new-fmi-report-shows- food-retailers-using-technology-to-remain-competitive-and-meet-consumer-needs Management Science Associates, Inc. (2012). Frequent Shopper. Retrieved from http://www.msa.com/analysis/consumer/frequent.htm KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM 2 KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM 3 KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM 4 KUDLER FINE FOODS - FREQUENT SHOPPER PROGRAM 5

Running head: KUDLER FINE FOODS

-

FREQUENT

SHOPPER PROGRAM

1

Kudler Fine Foods

-

Frequent Shopper Program

BSA 310

Week 2/BSA 310 Week 2 DQ 1 (Security Of Data).docx

Usually, a company puts a ton of money into the security of its data, but forgets that the biggest security flaws it has is its every day employee, walking in and out, on a daily basis.  Without giving employees proper training, they may not know how dangerous that they are leaving their offices, or their entire workspace.  When I worked for a school system, they trained us to, the IT staff, to always lock our computers, even if we only got up from our desks for a moment.  Even if it meant we were walking over to get something from the printer, we needed to lock the computer.  That way, nothing could ever be done from our computers and all the burden was left to us.  If something happened from our computers, it was our fault, unless there was an outside breach. Teaching employees that they have a responsibility to the company to keep their data protected is paramount.  People can be easily tricked into giving up information, even in basic conversation with one another.  If you do not know who is around you, you can tell something private and give out secrets.  This is why you should always keep company secrets to yourself and only discuss them with appropriate personnel.  Teaching this early on, to the employees, will keep the chance of information getting out.

Usually, a company puts a ton of money into the security of its data, but forgets that the biggest

security flaws

it has is its every day employee, walking in and out, on a daily basis.

Without

giving employees proper training, they may not know how dangerous that they are leaving their

offices, or their entire workspace.

When I worked for a school system, they tra

ined us to, the IT

staff, to always lock our computers, even if we only got up from our desks for a moment.

Even

if it meant we were walking over to get something from the printer, we needed to lock the

computer.

That way, nothing could ever be done from

our computers and all the burden was left

to us.

If something happened from our computers, it was our fault, unless there was an outside

breach.

Teaching employees that they have a responsibility to the company to keep their data protected is

paramount.

People can be easily tricked into giving up information, even in basic conversation

with one another.

If you do not know who is around you, you can tell something private and

give out secrets.

This is why you should always keep company secrets to yours

elf and only

discuss them with appropriate personnel.

Teaching this early on, to the employees, will keep the

chance of information getting out.

Week 2/BSA 310 Week 2 DQ 2 (Phishing and Pharming Security).docx

Phishing is a method of where an non-legitimate source will try and get information from someone, either by providing a link to a site or to a bogus site.  This is usually a way to see if there are legitimate email addresses or not.  Pharming utilizes the same technology as Phishing, but may take you to a copy of a banking site (IE PayPal) and ask you for your login ID and password.  When you login, it may say your login ID has failed and you need to re-verify who you are.  When you do this, you are actually giving your information to someone else, instead of the target you intended. Spoofing is very popular with the Nigerian Scam.  Where someone makes someone believe that you have won a ton of money, but you need to send them money, and your information first. The best way to help your employees from not getting involved with any of this type of trouble, is to teach them to not open anything from an email.  If they get an email from a "trusted" source, always open a browser themselves, and go to the source manually.  This way, there is no middleman.  If you use the shortcut, it puts all the power in the hands of the email sender.  This is how I keep myself safe in my own emails.

Phishing is a method of where an non

-

legitimate source will try and get information from

someone, either by providing a link to a site or to a bogus site.

This is usually a way to see if

there are legitimate email addresses or not.

Pharming

utilizes the same technology as Phishing,

but may take you to a copy of a banking site (IE PayPal) and ask you for your login ID and

password.

When you login, it may say your login ID has failed and you need to re

-

verify who

you are.

When you do this, y

ou are actually giving your information to someone else, instead of

the target you intended. Spoofing is very popular with the Nigerian Scam.

Where someone

makes someone believe that you have won a ton of money, but you need to send them money,

and your i

nformation first.

The best way to help your employees from not getting involved with any of this type of trouble,

is to teach them to not open anything from an email.

If they get an email from a "trusted" source,

always open a browser themselves, and go

to the source manually.

This way, there is no

middleman.

If you use the shortcut, it puts all the power in the hands of the email sender.

This

is how I keep myself safe in my own emails.

Week 3/BSA 310 Week 3 (Kudler Accounting System) Accounting System.docx

Kudler Accounting System

BSA 310

Running head: KUDLER ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

1

KUDLER ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

5

Kudler Accounting System

To the Executives of Kudler Fine Foods,

Today, I introduce to you an idea that will help revolutionize the accounting process at Kudler Fine Foods. Upon its implementation, Kudler Fine foods will be able to easily manage its portfolio of accounts and analyze all of its data, all at a moment’s notice. The ability to access reports, on a annually, bi-annually, quarterly, or any time therein, is completely up to the individual. The financial benefits will be instantaneous to the company.

One of the key benefits Kudler Fine Foods will gain will be the ability to handle all the raw data that you did not have command of before. This new system not only allows you to improve your financial strategies, but you can also increase your management potential by forecasting future investments. By prompting these new strategies, you are able to access areas of information not easily accessible before, like cash flow and asset management, just to name a few. How can we achieve this level of satisfaction in one software product? Let’s take a look at some of the key features that are built in to the accounting software package.

Key Features

· Software Compatible – The software is fully integrated with the most popular of software technologies. It will work with the Microsoft Office Suite of applications seamlessly. This will allow Kudler Fine Foods to be able to integrate reports into documents, spreadsheets, or emails without any technical issues.

· Cross-Department Integration – The software is not sterilized to accounting only, but is distributed to all departments. This means the accounting software tracks the inventory and purchasing departments, as well as, the general accounting department.

· Business Intelligence – Kudler Fine Foods has access to endless amounts of raw data. This data can be turned into charts and graphs, at a moment’s notice. Access the general ledgers information, create a business presentation, and create the best critical decision possible.

· More Budgetary Control – With built-in tools, like general ledgers, cash management, fixed asset management, and financial forecasting, you are in control of your financial corporate assets. Knowing where your company is heading, financially, allows executive managers to take directive control and direct the company in a manner that they were not able to before.

This is but a mere sample of what you can expect from this extraordinary software. No matter how much Kudler Fine Foods grows in the coming years, this software will grow with the company. It allows for a high amount of scalability, which means as the company grows and expands, so does the software’s abilities. Another excellent advantage of the software would be the integration of all the departments within Kudler Fine Foods. The ability to seamlessly swap data between departments, at a moment’s notice, ensures that the communication lines will always be open between departments.

The beauty of this product is that within the first six months of ownership, it will have paid for itself. In the first three months, you will be able to view reports that you would not have ever been able to access. You will be able to access reports, customizable to your own specifications. If you have concerns with supporting the software, a minimal IT department can support the software, as well as, the accounting software developers will be there 24/7. It does not take an extraordinary amount of extra care to support the software, internally. If you already have an IT staff, they can be trained to support the software.

I believe that with all the advances this accounting software has, Kudler Fine Foods will be tough competitor to beat. With the insight that this accounting package gives, the scalability potential the software offers, and the potential to make Kudler Fine Foods a global market leader, utilizing this software package should be priority one.

If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact my office.

References

Bourgoin, A. (2010, April). 7 Things to Consider Before Buying Small Business Accounting Software. Retrieved from http://www.smallbizskills.com/small-business-tips/7-things-to-consider-before-buying-small-business-accounting-software/

Business-Software.com. (2012). 6 Factors to Consider When Buying Accounting Software. Retrieved from http://www.business-software.com/article/6-factors-to-consider-when-buying-accounting-software/

Journal Officiel. (2012, March). What do you consider before purchasing accounting software for small business. Retrieved from http://journalofficielniger.org/what-do-you-consider-before-purchasing-accounting-software-for-small-businesses/

Nickels, W. G., McHugh, J. M., & McHugh, S. M. (2010). Understanding Business (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Wasserman, E. (2009, December). How to Choose Business Accounting Software. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/guides/choosing-accounting-software.html

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

Running head: KUDLER ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

1

Kudler Accounting System

BSA 310

Week 3/BSA 310 Week 3 DQ 1 (Accounting System Today and Earlier).docx

Accounting systems are a little different than they were when I was growing up.  I learned them to be little elderly ladies taking care of simple bookkeeping.  Today, the role has changed dramatically.  Accounting systems are now a major role within a company's environment.  The systems are able to take raw information and converting that information into usable data.  They can then use that data to forecast how well and what the business can do in the future.  Individual departments are able to run reports, from the company databases, and find out how they can improve their bottom line.  These systems also manage customer data, as well as, all the corresponding financial information as well.. Without the incorporation of complex IT systems, the majority of these accounting systems would not be possible.  Without the use of high speed networks, the people in the individual departments would not be able to receive the information in a timely manner.  The same could be said for the efficiencies of databases and mainframes/servers.  The efficiencies at which databases, and the hardware that these systems run on, not to mention the level of expertise that takes to maintain them, are amazing.  Without these technologies on hand, we would not have the modern accounting systems that we know today. 

Accounting systems are a little different than they were when I was growing up.

I learned them

to be little elderly ladies taking care of simple bookkeeping.

Today, the role has changed

dramatically.

Accounting systems are now a major role within a

company's environment.

The

systems are able to take raw information and converting that information into usable data.

They

can then use that data to forecast how well and what the business can do in the future.

Individual

departments are able to run rep

orts, from the company databases, and find out how they can

improve their bottom line.

These systems also manage customer data, as well as, all the

corresponding financial information as well..

Without the incorporation of complex IT systems, the majorit

y of these accounting systems

would not be possible.

Without the use of high speed networks, the people in the individual

departments would not be able to receive the information in a timely manner.

The same could be

said for the efficiencies of database

s and mainframes/servers.

The efficiencies at which

databases, and the hardware that these systems run on, not to mention the level of expertise that

takes to maintain them, are amazing.

Without these technologies on hand, we would not have

the modern ac

counting systems that we know today.

Week 3/BSA 310 Week 3 DQ 2 (Accounting System to Interact, or Integrate, With the Other Systems).docx

The reason why you would want an accounting system to interact, or integrate, with the other systems, within a business, would be because of the enormous potential gains that could be gained from it.  An accounting system, by itself, is a powerful item, but to have it integrated with the logistical side of your business lets you analyze what is coming and going from your warehouses, and at what cost.  How much labor is going into each of the shifts?  Where can some of the fat be trimmed to make things run smoother?  Are there room for improvements?  These are all valuable questions that can be answered with the data that can be received by integrating systems together.  Not everything can be gained by viewing it alone, but if you integrate your software packages together, you can gain so much more knowledge.  The same goes for your other departments.  You can analyze your labor costs, your office product needs.  Are you paying too much for your paper products?  Where can you save money?  Analyzing the data is a good way to utilize the information.  You can have your accounting system be a standalone device, but why waste its true potential?

The reason why you would want an accounting system to interact, or integrate, with the other

systems, within a business, would be because of the enormous potential gains that could be

gained from it.

An accounting system, by itself, is a powerful item, bu

t to have it integrated with

the logistical side of your business lets you analyze what is coming and going from your

warehouses, and at what cost.

How much labor is going into each of the shifts?

Where can

some of the fat be trimmed to make things run s

moother?

Are there room for improvements?

These are all valuable questions that can be answered with the data that can be received by

integrating systems together.

Not everything can be gained by viewing it alone, but if you

integrate your software pack

ages together, you can gain so much more knowledge.

The same goes for your other departments.

You can analyze your labor costs, your office

product needs.

Are you paying too much for your paper products?

Where can you save money?

Analyzing the data

is a good way to utilize the information.

You can have your accounting

system be a standalone device, but why waste its true potential?

Week 3/BSA 310 Week 3 Summary.docx

In the third installment, the students got to learn a little more in-depth about the accounting aspects of a business.  I really enjoyed learning about the intricacies of keeping a business alive.  Also, learning the major role's in business was very enlightening.  Learning who the internal and external decision makers were, in the company, solidified how I view the roles.  Understanding that CEO's and managers are the internal decision makers and investors and stockholders are the external decision makers.  The third item I learned about this week would be learning about the difference between stocks and bonds.  I have always wondered what exactly made up the difference.  When you buy stock, you are buying an actual piece of the company, or taking ownership in the company. Whereas when you buy a bond, you are not buying part of a company, but you are buying part of a credit in which the company will pay you for investing into the company, without actually owning a part of the company. Future trends will be a little more difficult to predict.  With the economy a shaky as it is, it will be difficult to predict a solid performing accounting system.  We need something that will forecast data efficiently, while lifting our economy out of the slump we can been in for these so many years.  I hope someone can figure out a revolutionary algorithm that will transform the accounting world in time to save us while I am still alive.

In the third installment, the students got to learn a little more in

-

depth about the accounting

aspects of a business.

I really enjoyed learning about the intricacies of keeping a business alive.

Also, learning the major role's

in business was very enlightening.

Learning who the internal and

external decision makers were, in the company, solidified how I view the roles.

Understanding

that CEO's and managers are the internal decision makers and investors and stockholders are th

e

external decision makers.

The third item I learned about this week would be learning about the

difference between stocks and bonds.

I have always wondered what exactly made up the

difference.

When you buy stock, you are buying an actual piece of the c

ompany, or taking

ownership in the company. Whereas when you buy a bond, you are not buying part of a

company, but you are buying part of a credit in which the company will pay you for investing

into the company, without actually owning a part of the compa

ny.

Future trends will be a little more difficult to predict.

With the economy a shaky as it is, it will

be difficult to predict a solid performing accounting system.

We need something that will

forecast data efficiently, while lifting our economy out o

f the slump we can been in for these so

many years.

I hope someone can figure out a revolutionary algorithm that will transform the

accounting world in time to save us while I am still alive.

Week 4/BSA 310 Week 4 ( McBride Marketing Paper - Individual).docx

McBride Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Running head: RHIORDAN MARKETING PLAN

1

MCBRIDE MARKETING PLAN

3

McBride Marketing Plan

McBride Financial Services is an exponentially growing financial and mortgage services company, with five current locations, in five states, and a planned expansion of another three locations in the coming future. McBride Financial believes in being upfront with their service charges, to garner the customer’s trust, and show the customer they do not offer any hidden costs. They also offer a speedy application process, as to allow the customer ample time to search for the house they want, instead of the hassle of waiting for their paperwork to go through. McBride Financial has geared their company to be as customer-centric as possible.

Marketing Plan

When developing a marketing plan, for McBride Financial, we have to look at which areas we want to explore. Under McBride’s current marketing plan, they have already planned to hit the current route of, “Local TV ads, Local newspapers, Informational handouts at airports and major tourist attractions, Local radio, and Local realtors,” but this hits only a local source (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2011). To be able to target a much larger audience, we need to think on a much larger scale.

Whenever the advertisements are run, there needs to be an attention to detail to the website address given. This will give people instant access to the website. Having an email address, on the advertisements, as well as the website, will give people the opportunity to ask questions, if they have any. This is where other marketing plans have failed, in the past. In the old days, there was no way for anyone to market 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; now companies are able to. This allows for more exposure into the company. Your online presence will give you the market exposure that McBride Financial wants. Now, you need to gain exposure to your website, from online.

You can garner more attention, online, by buying ad-space from other realtor websites. Online advertising can be a cheaper way to advertise than print, or television. There is less hassle involved, when developing and online campaign, and once it is completed, you can use it over and over again; you do not have to reprint it or have to pay for supplies. In 2001, the average cost of a banner advertisement (an advertisement that was located at the top of a website, usually), ranged from $5 to $68 (McCabe, 2001).

Placing a banner ad, or any time of advertisement, with an online entity, can gain McBride a ton of recognition. For example, according to Realtor.com’s website, they have 13.7 million people visit their site every month. (Move, Inc, 2012) With this kind of traffic, you may have to pay a higher amount for advertising, but it may be worth it in the long run. But, then again, would it be cheaper to pay for an email campaign?

McBride Financial should also compare the cost of a banner-ad campaign to that of an email marketing campaign. Purchasing a list of e-mail leads, although frowned upon by the general public, can be a cheaper solution to your marketing needs. Otherwise known as email spam, getting a basic list of leads is a good, clean way of getting your name out to the masses. This should easily fall within the start-up budget of $50,000, or if McBride wanted to advertise with an email campaign, they could use their follow-up budget of $5,000 per month for this.

Target Markets

The target markets for these campaigns are going to fall within a wide, but specific category. Within their business plan, they specify that they want to target professionals, retirees, and families that are purchasing their first or second homes. (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2011) This is a pretty wide market, as it almost covers anyone that is looking to purchase a home. The good thing about this process is that McBride has narrowed down the exact focus of their market, instead of floundering for full attention of the whole market.

I would like to offer one alternative to their target audience: the individual. It is true, that the professional worker would have the monetary income to afford a new home, and a retiree would also have a savings account/income for a new home, but to exclude an individual, one that may have an alternative source of income, may be unwise. This is a target audience that McBride may not want to exclude. If the clientele that McBride is looking to help consists of anyone that can pass a credit check, and be able to pay the $1500 initial price, then this is a segment that should not be overlooked.

Conclusion

McBride Financial now has the strategic advantage of taking their business where they want to go. Advertising and marketing your brand is not an easy process, but a necessary process none the less. Once McBride gets their foothold on their internet markets, they should not have any trouble becoming the global dominators in the mortgage financial markets.

References

Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2011). Marketing: An introduction (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.

McCabe, B. (2001, September). Online Advertising: Costs vs. Effectiveness. Retrieved from http://images.forbes.com/fdc/mediaresourcecenter/documents/gertner.pdf

Move, Inc. (2012). Media Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.realtor.com/mediasolutions/ouraudience/keymeasures/

Virtual Organizations Portal. (2011). McBride Financial Services. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/McBride/intranet/business-plan.html

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Running head: RHIORDAN MARKETING PLAN 1 McBride Marketing Plan BSA 310 May 27, 2012 William Shuyler McBride Marketing Plan McBride Financial Services is an exponentially growing financial and mortgage services company, with five current locations, in five states, and a planned expansion of another three locations in the coming future. McBride Financial believes in being upfront with their service charges, to garner the customer’s trust, and show the customer they do not offer any hidden costs. They also offer a speedy application process, as to allow the customer ample time to search for the house they want, instead of the hassle of waiting for their paperwork to go through. McBride Financial has geared their company to be as customer-centric as possible. Marketing Plan When developing a marketing plan, for McBride Financial, we have to look at which areas we want to explore. Under McBride’s current marketing plan, they have already planned to hit the current route of, “Local TV ads, Local newspapers, Informational handouts at airports and major tourist attractions, Local radio, and Local realtors,” but this hits only a local source (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2011). To be able to target a much larger audience, we need to think on a much larger scale. Whenever the advertisements are run, there needs to be an attention to detail to the website address given. This will give people instant access to the website. Having an email address, on the advertisements, as well as the website, will give people the opportunity to ask questions, if they have any. This is where other marketing plans have failed, in the past. In the old days, there was no way for anyone to market 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; now companies are able to. This allows for more exposure into the company. Your online presence will give you the market exposure that McBride Financial wants. Now, you need to gain exposure to your website, from online. You can garner more attention, online, by buying ad-space from other realtor websites. Online advertising can be a cheaper way to advertise than print, or television. There is less hassle involved, when developing and online campaign, and once it is completed, you can use it over and over again; you do not have to reprint it or have to pay for supplies. In 2001, the average cost of a banner advertisement (an advertisement that was located at the top of a website, usually), ranged from $5 to $68 (McCabe, 2001). Placing a banner ad, or any time of advertisement, with an online entity, can gain McBride a ton of recognition. For example, according to Realtor.com’s website, they have 13.7 million people visit their site every month. (Move, Inc, 2012) With this kind of traffic, you may have to pay a higher amount for advertising, but it may be worth it in the long run. But, then again, would it be cheaper to pay for an email campaign? McBride Financial should also compare the cost of a banner-ad campaign to that of an email marketing campaign. Purchasing a list of e-mail leads, although frowned upon by the general public, can be a cheaper solution to your marketing needs. Otherwise known as email spam, getting a basic list of leads is a good, clean way of getting your name out to the masses. This should easily fall within the start-up budget of $50,000, or if McBride wanted to advertise with an email campaign, they could use their follow-up budget of $5,000 per month for this. Target Markets The target markets for these campaigns are going to fall within a wide, but specific category. Within their business plan, they specify that they want to target professionals, retirees, and families that are purchasing their first or second homes. (Virtual Organizations Portal, 2011) This is a pretty wide market, as it almost covers anyone that is looking to purchase a home. The good thing about this process is that McBride has narrowed down the exact focus of their market, instead of floundering for full attention of the whole market. I would like to offer one alternative to their target audience: the individual. It is true, that the professional worker would have the monetary income to afford a new home, and a retiree would also have a savings account/income for a new home, but to exclude an individual, one that may have an alternative source of income, may be unwise. This is a target audience that McBride may not want to exclude. If the clientele that McBride is looking to help consists of anyone that can pass a credit check, and be able to pay the $1500 initial price, then this is a segment that should not be overlooked. Conclusion McBride Financial now has the strategic advantage of taking their business where they want to go. Advertising and marketing your brand is not an easy process, but a necessary process none the less. Once McBride gets their foothold on their internet markets, they should not have any trouble becoming the global dominators in the mortgage financial markets. References Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2011). Marketing: An introduction (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. McCabe, B. (2001, September). Online Advertising: Costs vs. Effectiveness. Retrieved from http://images.forbes.com/fdc/mediaresourcecenter/documents/gertner.pdf Move, Inc. (2012). Media Solutions. Retrieved from http://www.realtor.com/mediasolutions/ouraudience/keymeasures/ Virtual Organizations Portal. (2011). McBride Financial Services. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/McBride/intranet/business- plan.html MCBRIDE MARKETING PLAN 2 MCBRIDE MARKETING PLAN 3 MCBRIDE MARKETING PLAN 4 MCBRIDE MARKETING PLAN 5

Running head: RHIORDAN MARKETING PLAN

1

McBride

Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Week 4/BSA 310 Week 4 (Sales and Marketing Plan for Riordan Manufacturing).docx

Sales and Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Running head: SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

1

SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

3

Sales and Marketing Plan

Riordan Manufacturing is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that focuses on plastic injection molding products, such as plastic bottles, fans, heart valves, medical stents, and custom plastic parts that are custom specified by their customers. Their current customer base consists of 20 major customers and 12 minor customers, with most of that data consisting within paper documents, multiple databases, and microfiche, scattered between the different offices. The company has plans to develop a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which when implemented, would consolidate the customer information into one central location. For Riordan to get a handle on their market research, they must first get a handle on their customer data. (Apollo Group, Inc, 2012)

Riordan Manufacturing needs to understand, and focus, on who their customers are. A proper way of doing this would be to look at it from the customer’s point of view. To be able to keep the company’s reputation at the highest standards, Riordan needs to keep the records, data, and privacy of the customer’s data priority number one. Locating software that will not only perform for the company, in all the ways the company is expecting, but also far out perform the needs and expectations of the customer.

Customer Relationship Management

Sustaining a customer relationship is a very fine and complex course of action. Being able to hone these relationships into one location takes a finely tuned piece of software, a piece of technological wonder called CRM, or Customer Relationship Management. This is a suite of programs, bundled in to one piece of software, which will allow a company to manipulate their customers, and their data, and wield their undiscovered potential. To be able to maintain that critical relationship between a customer and the salesperson is a crucial aspect of any company. This is true, especially after a sale is completed. This is usually where the customer feels most vulnerable. Utilizing a CRM will allow the company and its employees those crucial features it needs to succeed.

It will take some time for the old data to be entered into the system, but where Riordan will see the full potential is with their new clients. When a new relationship has been created, all the relevant data can be entered into the database, and then analyzed as the individual sees fit. The beauty of this software is the integration it has between all the departments within Riordan. Not only does the Marketing department have total control over the software, but there is full integration with the Sales, Operations, Human Resources, and any other division of Riordan Manufacturing. Any department that can have an impact on the sales, or customer relations, the CRM software will effectively manage.

One of the main factors that must be realized when implementing this CRM idea is the idea of centralized. When creating a database of any sort, you want to make the information centralized, so it can be resourced by anyone in the company, at any time. To have the data accessible to Riordan employees, from any company location, is critical to the daily operations. This also cuts down on information being different from one location to another. When you have multiple copies of the same information, the information can change, causing confusion. If the information is the same, from a centralized source, the customer will not become frustrated from multiple calls, responding to the same questions from different people. A content customer is a happy customer.

Sales

Once Riordan has their marketing software package in line, and their CRM is in order, they can focus on their sales. According to their website, they do not use a centralized database system, but this will all be changing soon. (Apollo Group, Inc, 2012) With the implementation of the CRM, there will no longer be a need for the “pencil and paper”, or the use of individualized tools, to take notes of the customers. All sales, and sales notes, will be entered into one centralized database, to be pulled up by anyone, from any location. The beauty of the CRM software is it brings a true business strategy together, reducing the total costs and increasing profits by increasing customer loyalty. (CRM Media, Inc., 2010)

With the new Customer Relationship Management software, as well as a newly focused sales and marketing team, Riordan Manufacturing should have no problems achieving their $50 million dollar revenue mark, in their two year plan.

References

Apollo Group, Inc. (2012). Marketing Information System. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/Marketing/MIS.asp

CRM Media, Inc.. (2010, February). What is CRM? Retrieved from http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/News/Daily-News/What-Is-CRM-46033.aspx

Microsoft Corporation. (2012). Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Retrieved from http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/marketing

Running head: SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

1

Sales and Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Week 4/BSA 310 Week 4 DQ 1 (Today's IT systems ).docx

The days of people, huddled in a sweat-box of a room, hashing out ideas, are pretty much a thing of the past.  In today's environment, everything is supported by the IT department.  With IT systems, you have individuals that spend all day gathering information and then designing corporate website's around that gathered information.  Acquiring data and then turning that data into a structured format into which a customer base can react to is how marketing is done today.  No more sweat-boxes, no more tempers and nostril-flaring meetings.  The digital world is upon us.  The acquisition of endless amounts of data, from competitors, trends, and magazine articles, can be turned into useful data, by today's IT systems. Today's IT systems can then take that information, send out email campaigns, contact customers that are located in a company database, or by producing effective advertisements that catch a customer's eye by following known trends or by producing viral videos online.  There are almost an endless amount of ways the IT systems can help invigorate the marketing, or e-marketing aspects of a company.  All you have to do is look in your email, every morning, to see the amount of spammed email you receive from some company you have never heard of.  Some company, sold your information to another company.  They took that information and knew that you had a certain interest and made a marketing e-mail campaign based off your likes and/or dislikes. 

The days of people, huddled in a sweat

-

box of a room, hashing out ideas, are pretty much a thing

of the past.

In today's environment, everything is supported by the IT department.

With IT

systems, you have individuals that spend all day gathering informa

tion and then designing

corporate website's around that gathered information.

Acquiring data and then turning that data

into a structured format into which a customer base can react to is how marketing is done today.

No more sweat

-

boxes, no more tempers

and nostril

-

flaring meetings.

The digital world is upon

us.

The acquisition of endless amounts of data, from competitors, trends, and magazine articles,

can be turned into useful data, by today's IT systems.

Today's IT systems can then take that informa

tion, send out email campaigns, contact customers

that are located in a company database, or by producing effective advertisements that catch a

customer's eye by following known trends or by producing viral videos online.

There are almost

an endless amoun

t of ways the IT systems can help invigorate the marketing, or e

-

marketing

aspects of a company.

All you have to do is look in your email, every morning, to see the

amount of spammed email you receive from some company you have never heard of.

Some

compa

ny, sold your information to another company.

They took that information and knew that

you had a certain interest and made a marketing e

-

mail campaign based off your likes and/or

dislikes.

Week 4/BSA 310 Week 4 DQ 2 (Organizations Online Reputation).docx

One of the key elements, of an organizations online reputation, is how their customers perceive them.  If the company does not take the extra step to protect customer data, and they have their company data hacked, it could give the customer's the perception that the company does not really care.  To give the customer the extra sense of security, the IT department needs to show that the data is secure, or at least reinforce that their data is secure.  If the data becomes compromised, the second the incident happens, do whatever possible to help the customers become protected again.  Another element, your company can focus on, is making sure your logo/slogan has kept up with the times.  As was discussed in our Element K Labs, keeping an old logo and/or slogan may keep your old customers, but may alienate any new customers.  By finding a common ground, that mixes your old logon with a new one, or replacing your logo altogether, you will be able to gather a new element of customers.  Also, by sending out information to your old customers, showing them that you have changed your logo, will show them that you are still who you are and nothing has changed with your core values.

One of the key elements, of an organizations online reputation, is how their customers perceive

them.

If the company does not take the extra step to protect customer data, and they have their

company data hacked, it could give the customer's the perceptio

n that the company does not

really care.

To give the customer the extra sense of security, the IT department needs to show

that the data is secure, or at least reinforce that their data is secure.

If the data becomes

compromised, the second the incident

happens, do whatever possible to help the customers

become protected again.

Another element, your company can focus on, is making sure your

logo/slogan has kept up with the times.

As was discussed in our Element K Labs, keeping an old

logo and/or slogan

may keep your old customers, but may alienate any new customers.

By

finding a common ground, that mixes your old logon with a new one, or replacing your logo

altogether, you will be able to gather a new element of customers.

Also, by sending out

informat

ion to your old customers, showing them that you have changed your logo, will show

them that you are still who you are and nothing has changed with your core values.

Week 4/BSA 310 Week 4 Summary.docx

One of the items that I enjoyed reading was the differences between some of the acronyms that you see thrown around a lot online (and sometimes TV):  B2C, B2B, and C2C.  Sometimes, people do not realize what these letters mean.  Reading what these letters mean, and having them broken down makes more sense now, even though it seems like it should have been blatantly obvious.  B2C means "Business to Consumer", or simply put, a business that sells mainly to consumers.  This is the most common type of marketing done in the world today.  Almost every ad that you recognize on the TV, radio, or internet, has been geared towards the end consumer.  The next type of marketing discussed would be the B2B.  The stands for "Business to Business".  This type of marketing strategy is where the business has its strategy focused mainly on other businesses.  Occasionally, you may hear a radio ad, or see an internet ad, for a business product/service that is geared for another business.  This will happen a great deal with companies like Microsoft and IBM, when they want to work with Educational systems.  The final type of marketing would be C2C, or "Consumer to Consumer".  These have become increasingly more popular over the past few years.  These are where individuals will advertise their own personal goods, usually in the format of an auction site.  A good example of this type of site is www.etsy.com.  Individuals create a product and then market their product to other individuals, and then sell it to those individuals.

One of the items that I enjoyed reading was the differences between some of the acronyms that

you see thrown around a lot online (and sometimes TV):

B2C, B2B, and C2C.

Sometimes,

people do not realize what these letters mean.

Reading what these letters

mean, and having them

broken down makes more sense now, even though it seems like it should have been blatantly

obvious.

B2C means "Business to Consumer", or simply put, a business that sells mainly to

consumers.

This is the most common type of marketing

done in the world today.

Almost every

ad that you recognize on the TV, radio, or internet, has been geared towards the end consumer.

The next type of marketing discussed would be the B2B.

The stands for "Business to Business".

This type of marketing s

trategy is where the business has its strategy focused mainly on other

businesses.

Occasionally, you may hear a radio ad, or see an internet ad, for a business

product/service that is geared for another business.

This will happen a great deal with compan

ies

like Microsoft and IBM, when they want to work with Educational systems.

The final type of

marketing would be C2C, or "Consumer to Consumer".

These have become increasingly more

popular over the past few years.

These are where individuals will adver

tise their own personal

goods, usually in the format of an auction site.

A good example of this type of site is

www.etsy.com.

Individuals create a product and then market their product to other individuals,

and then sell it to those individuals.

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 (Riordan Manufacturing Business Systems).docx

Running head: RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS

1

RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 1

Riordan Manufacturing Business Systems

BSA/310

Executive Summary

Riordan Manufacturing is an existing company that produces a variety of plastic products in plants spread across the globe. With current IT systems in place unable to fully share data production and operating processes need to be upgraded. To reduce operating costs and streamline production processes the various systems in use by all departments of Riordan will be upgraded. The stated purpose for these upgrades include;

· Reducing operating costs by eliminating waste

· Enable more accurate financial reporting and asset management

· Increase effectiveness of marketing budget expenditures

· Boost sales through better customer service and enhanced services

Overall cost of these upgrades will be offset by increased sales and profitability. With these upgrades in place Riordan can position itself for growth in the market.

Introduction

Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer founded by Dr. Riordan in 1991. The company is well known as an industry leader in the field of plastic injection molding. Its three operating entities are in Georgia, Michigan, and California, plus a production facility in Hangzhou, China. The successful growth and expansion of the company relies greatly to a well-secured and stable business system. Riordan Manufacturing’s business system refers to the overall functional structure of the organization. “Organizations that utilize a functional structure are divided into functions or departments, each of which is responsible for a set of closely related activities.” (Magal & Word, 2012, p.2). This paper focuses on the assessment and analysis of the existing and needed business systems of Riordan Manufacturing which are under Finance and Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources and Legal, and Operations Department. An evaluated system plan is provided on this paper to improve the company’s management and increase its profitability.

Finance and Accounting

Riordan’s Finance and Accounting department is facing operational challenges with managing accounts payable, order entry, general ledger and auditing due to a disparity in their financial and accounting systems. The origination of these challenges is due to incompatible systems that reside at each of the Riordan facilities. The hardware and F&A systems were inherited from these different locations at various times of acquisitions. This is now causing delays in providing F&A data along with performing audits and reporting to the corporate office in San Jose. These items are needed government compliance and can result in fines if timelines are not met. Also costing additional money to Riordan are the different systems themselves so a new solution will be deployed to remedy the situation.

A review of the current systems at each location has uncovered inconsistencies with hardware platforms and operating systems on the servers that support the financial accounting systems. San Jose is running a proprietary F & A system on Windows servers. Riordan is unable to make enhancements without going through the vendor where the license was purchased. This application is specifically designed for plastics manufactures. Michigan is running a separate system that was purchased by a vendor that is no longer in business. This leaves the office in a risky position as they are not able to receive support and new enhancements are unavailable. Their application is running on DEC Alpha’s and is using the VMS operating system. Georgia also purchased an application to handle F & A but they are again from a different vendor and are running on a Unix server with workstations running Windows. The company is negatively impacted by this situation and management needs to change the financial system when detailing costs and management issues associated with the multiple systems. With the three different systems, there are multiple copies of the same information and therefore extra disk space is needed. Along with additional hardware needing to be maintained, the disaster recovery plan is more complicated since there are more moving parts to coordinate and form into the plan (Lowder, 2007). Resources and efforts are not able to focus on a single system and therefore the company is losing time in planning and other future business needs. Any enhancements and/or bug fixes will be duplicated across the different systems resulting in longer release times and higher costs. Also adding to higher costs are the testing, deployment activities and training. A new solution will need to correct these issues along with providing the company officials with an easy view of all Riordan accounting data.

The new solution to be put in place will simplify operations of the F&A department so they are able to maintain the system more efficiently and perform accounting tasks in a timely manner. Since the headquarters is based out of San Jose, Ca, this where the Citrix hosted F&A application will reside. The remote locations will no longer need a separate instance of an F&A system loaded and maintained on a server as they will only need network connectivity to San Jose. Riordan will negotiate a new arrangement with the vendor providing the F&A deployment in San Jose so a company-wide conversion will not be needed. New enhancements will be developed to allow client access from the other locations. All data will be stored in a single location and remote agents will access the application using a new Citrix thin client solution. From the data center in San Jose the Citrix solution will simplify the IT needs of Riordan by centralizing the support team, backup processes and security. This will reduce costs, and improve performance since the virtual desktop image will be running at the data center (Citrix, n.d.). The remote workstations will just need to be able to support the minimum requirements of the client. Each location will be standardized with the same workstation builds so each site will have the same experience while connecting to the system.

The accounting functions can now be enhanced with the use of a continuous monitoring (CM) software application. Taylor (2012), “CM is a software-based technology that automatically extracts key transaction information from enterprise resource planning and other financial systems from across an organization.” With centralized financial data available at Riordan, a CM vendor can compile and analyze the data for accounting inconsistencies, fraud and look for opportunities to reduce waste. This type of service was never available with the different systems but the plan to upgrade the system to support the Citrix solutions and use of a single F&A system opens the door for new possibilities.

Resources needed to support the F&A system can be collapsed into the San Jose office as a minimal IT support staff can now be used at the other locations. There are security benefits with moving to this model because the system is now in a single location and can be more easily protected. Disaster recovery efforts of copying data to a remote facility are simplified since each location will not have their own database. The reporting efforts required by the corporate office will now be readily available without the need for converting data from different systems since there will only be one. Costs will be lowered from licensing, support and training. Only the China facility will have a duplicated solution with a local instance of database and F&A and this is due to geography and expensed needed to maintain an international network connection. This location will perform daily updates to the San Jose office so all will be available to the F&A group.

Human Resources and Legal

The Human Resources and Legal Department of Riordan Manufacturing provide the overall organizational assessment and company policies and procedures. Lowell Bradford, Chief Legal Counsel, oversees all legal matters for Riordan Manufacturing. He is responsible for answering all legal questions of department heads, with the help of his attorneys at Litteral & Finkel, the law firm retained by Riordan Manufacturing. The company pays Litteral & Finkel a monthly retainer for any legal matter that may arise within a month. Retainer amounts that were not used will not be carried forward; however, excess amounts are billed to Riordan Manufacturing at the end of the specific month. Litteral & Finkel has vast resources and international network that provide fast legal services to Riordan Manufacturing.

System and Sub-Systems

The Riordan Manufacturing Board of Directors is responsible in the overall management of business affairs of the company. The Board governs and manages the affairs of the company for the benefit of shareholders. The Board will have the responsibility to select new members to its body, and it shall maintain a Nominating Committee that is responsible in evaluating the skills of the board members. All Board members are expected to be present at minimum of three quarters of the regularly scheduled annual meetings. The Nominating Committee will review the relationship of each Director to the company on a regular basis. It shall assist the Board in carrying out a self-assessment of performance. The Nominating Committee and Auditing Committee shall compile performance reviews to present to the full Board for evaluation purposes. From time to time, the Board shall assess the number of Directors and overall size in relationship to Company operations and size. A Director has the right to submit his or her resignation to the Chairman of the Board, and the Board has the right to accept or reject the resignation.

The Human Resources Department provides workers of Riordan Manufacturing their job classifications and descriptions, as well as securing employee information. Similar to any other organization, the Human Resource Business System of Riordan is responsible for the development and maintenance of employee payroll and other processes that support effective management and administration from recruitment to retirement (The University of Edinburgh, 2012). The Human Resources staff will provide an annual review of Corporate Board Compensation. The report will provide the basis for proposed compensation of Board members, based on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Board.

The Chairman of the Board will establish the agenda, based on advance submission of requested items from other Board members or the Chief Executive Officer of Riordan Manufacturing. Information pertaining to the agenda items will be distributed to members three days prior to the meeting date. All reports and presentations should be included in the Board Meeting Package and distributed on behalf of the Board Secretary.

The senior management and staff shall be responsible to carry out Board policies and report back activity. However, the Board of Directors holds the ultimate fiduciary responsibility of managing affairs through its designated senior managers, with the right to remove senior management when it is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The daily activity of operations shall be governed by departments through the development of a Departmental Governance Plan.

Proposed Additional Sub-Systems

Additional sub-systems are needed by Human Resources and Legal Department. The first sub-system involves automatic calculations of the estimated cost of all the Board members’ requests before submission. This proposed sub-system could save time and effort on the analysis stage, prioritizing the most plausible requests first. The calculations could be based on past trends or activities and economy updates. The second proposed system is a transactional website for employers and applicants; this is similar to a virtual collaboration which uses Instant Messaging (IM). IM will be used as contact and communication tool for work-related queries and workplace socialization. “The use of IM enhances the ease of knowledge transfer in the workplace” (Chiasson et al., 2011, p.134). Another sub-system to be considered is the integration of the accounting system to the department; this would help the Finance Department to keep track on the Human Resources and Legal departments’ expenses accurately and in timely manner; it could improve the overall budget-making of the company. Lastly, to further enhance the evaluation process of the performance of the board members, a database file that could generate all trainings, skills gained, achievements, and other records that could be retrieved every board meeting is recommended. This sub-system could highly trigger the members to improve their overall performance; it could also promote fairness and equality to the workplace.

Sales and Marketing Plan

Riordan Manufacturing is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that focuses on plastic injection molding products, such as plastic bottles, fans, heart valves, medical stents, and custom plastic parts that are custom specified by their customers. Their current customer base consists of 20 major customers and 12 minor customers, with most of that data consisting within paper documents, multiple databases, and microfiche, scattered between the different offices. The company has plans to develop a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which when implemented, would consolidate the customer information into one central location. For Riordan to get a handle on their market research, they must first get a handle on their customer data. (Apollo Group, 2012)

Riordan Manufacturing needs to understand, and focus, on who their customers are. A proper way of doing this would be to look at it from the customer’s point of view. To be able to keep the company’s reputation at the highest standards, Riordan needs to keep the records, data, and privacy of the customer’s data priority number one. Locating software that will not only perform for the company, in all the ways the company is expecting, but also far out perform the needs and expectations of the customer.

Customer Relationship Management

Sustaining a customer relationship is a very fine and complex course of action. Being able to hone these relationships into one location takes a finely tuned piece of software, a piece of technological wonder called CRM, or Customer Relationship Management. This is a suite of programs, bundled in to one piece of software, which will allow a company to manipulate their customers, and their data, and wield their undiscovered potential. To be able to maintain that critical relationship between a customer and the salesperson is a crucial aspect of any company. This is true, especially after a sale is completed. This is usually where the customer feels most vulnerable. Utilizing a CRM will allow the company and its employees those crucial features it needs to succeed.

It will take some time for the old data to be entered into the system, but where Riordan will see the full potential is with their new clients. When a new relationship has been created, all the relevant data can be entered into the database, and then analyzed as the individual sees fit. The beauty of this software is the integration it has between all the departments within Riordan. Not only does the Marketing department have total control over the software, but there is full integration with the Sales, Operations, Human Resources, and any other division of Riordan Manufacturing. Any department that can have an impact on the sales, or customer relations, the CRM software will effectively manage.

One of the main factors that must be realized when implementing this CRM idea is the idea of centralized. When creating a database of any sort, you want to make the information centralized, so it can be resourced by anyone in the company, at any time. To have the data accessible to Riordan employees, from any company location, is critical to the daily operations. This also cuts down on information being different from one location to another. When you have multiple copies of the same information, the information can change, causing confusion. If the information is the same, from a centralized source, the customer will not become frustrated from multiple calls, responding to the same questions from different people. A content customer is a happy customer.

Sales

Once Riordan has their marketing software package in line, and their CRM is in order, they can focus on their sales. According to their website, they do not use a centralized database system, but this will all be changing soon. (Apollo Group, 2012) With the implementation of the CRM, there will no longer be a need for the “pencil and paper”, or the use of individualized tools, to take notes of the customers. All sales, and sales notes, will be entered into one centralized database, to be pulled up by anyone, from any location. The beauty of the CRM software is it brings a true business strategy together, reducing the total costs and increasing profits by increasing customer loyalty. (CRM Media, Inc., 2010)

With the new Customer Relationship Management software, as well as a newly focused sales and marketing team, Riordan Manufacturing should have no problems achieving their $50 million dollar revenue mark, in their two year plan.

Operations

Riordan Manufacturing produces several product lines from raw materials which means there are several factors in play that must be considered in developing a plan for an efficient facility. The first consideration must be where to place the production facilities. This can be based on proximity to resources and materials needed for production or on cost of doing business. The former would cut costs for delivering the raw material Riordan will need to manufacture its products. The latter would cover costs such as cost of labor and cost of land in addition to taxes levied and local environmental regulations. Riordan currently has production facilities in California, Georgia, Michigan, and China with the headquarter located at the California location.

Currently the inventory management system in use by Riordan Manufacturing handles each facility on an individual basis. Inventory from each location is entered manually by a clerk into the main computer system. This can lead to delays or even errors in data entry causing inefficient ordering of raw materials and possible errors in reporting on stock in inventory available for purchase. Production can be effected if the proper amount of materials are not on hand which leads often to ordering and storing more materials than needed. This increases the size of facilities and maintenance leading to unnecessary operating costs.

Suggested Upgrades and Practices

Exercising better control over the supply chain of incoming raw materials and outgoing finished product can make an organization more efficient and therefore more profitable. Implementing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will give Riordan the ability to track and update inventory dynamically. Products in inventory will be updated automatically as they are completed on the production line as well as when they are sold and sent to shipping. Automatic ordering of raw materials based on inventory tracking of sales would help reduce overhead for storing excessive amounts of these items. As well as eliminating errors leading to production slow down due to a shortage of raw materials. This will cause an increase in productivity of production as well as shipping. The creation of a JIT (Just-in-time) inventory management system using these objectives would streamline costs leading to increased profitability as well.

Installing a RFID (radio frequency identification) system to log and track inventory in the warehouses will assist with these implementations. While this will be an option and not a requirement for the other systems the benefits would be noticeable in reducing labor overhead. When a product is completed a RFID tag is affixed to the packaging. These tags can be reused and each time the type of product and its location in the warehouse are recorded. This speeds order picking and also eliminates errors in packing and shipping, (ActiveWave, 2009). Each product that is loaded into the container or truck trailer is scanned and logged automatically. These systems are also useful in detecting and preventing fraud and theft. Inventory can be counted and logged quickly with minimal or no human intervention.

With an ERP in place Riordan will be able to offer VMI (vendor managed inventory) to many of the larger customers. These systems place the control of the customer's inventory of Riordan's products in the hands of Riordan. By leveraging the data collections from sales and marketing shipments to each customer can be batched in a way that reduces shipping costs for Riordan, (Frahm, 2003). Trucking companies have to charge more when shipments are less than a full truckload because they have to find other customers to fill the truck and make trips profitable for themselves. The use of a VMI would allow Riordan Manufacturing to anticipate orders based on past sales and organize shipments instead shipping partial truckloads when the customer places an order.

The final suggestion is the implementation of a MRP (manufacturing resource planning) system integrated into the ERP company wide. Singelton (2012) “MRP is a subset of enterprise resource planning (ERP). It covers the period of time from when a product is conceived, the raw materials are identified and procured, resources are identified, to when production steps are planned.”, (Buyer's Guide). This will help support the use of the JIT system as well as the MTO (make to order) type of production that exist at both the China plant and the plant in Michigan that handles custom orders, (Singleton, 2012). Both plants produce items designed by the customer and not a standard company product. However the product orders for the China and Georgia facility are given in annual quantities even though they are filled in smaller amounts throughout the year. This means that the standard forecasting models are not as effective however there are still benefits. With the entire system linked resources can be ordered as soon as sales orders are received based on stored data. In addition quicker and more accurate delivery times can be quoted since time from order to completion of production is shortened and known. The same MRP with some adjustments to modeling can also be used for the MTS (make to stock) production lines in China.

Conclusion

There numerous benefits for Riordan Manufacturing if most if not all of the suggested upgrades are implemented. These new practices and software solutions will position Riordan as a stronger competitor in the marketplace and poised for growth and greater profitability. Improvements in the accounting department will increase transaction data capture and create more accurate and up to date calculations on company assets. Complying with financial reporting and regulations will be streamlined and improved which will boost productivity and reduce costs as well. Integrating human resources systems into accounting as well further enhances these benefits with more control and review on payroll expenses. In addition to these measures to cut costs sales must also be increased and this will be facilitated by the improvements to the sales and marketing departments. Increasing customer service and enhancing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to attract new clients and retain existing ones builds sales volume. Finally the one area that has the opportunity to contribute both cost cutting and revenue increase is operations. By implementing the suggested upgrades manufacturing overhead will see substantial reductions by targeting inventory and controlling raw material purchases. Better integration with customers and new programs for handing and shipping orders will increase customer satisfaction leading to larger orders.

References

ActiveWave. (2009). RFID Applications and Solutions: Inventory Control. Retrieved from http://www.activewaveinc.com/applications_inventory_control.php

Apollo Group, Inc. (2012). Marketing Information System. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/Marketing/MIS.asp

Chiasson, M., Henfridsson, O., Karsten, H., & DeGross, J. I. (2011). Researching the Future in Information Systems. Heidelberg, DE: Springer.

Citrix. (n.d.). Xendesktop. Retrieved from http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products

/product.asp?contentID=163057&ntref=footer

CRM Media, Inc.. (2010, February). What is CRM? Retrieved from http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/News/Daily-News/What-Is-CRM-46033.aspx

Frahm, S. (2003). Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Three Steps in Making It Work . Retrieved from http://scm.ncsu.edu/scm-articles/article/vendor-managed-inventory-vmi-three-steps-in-making-it-work

Lowder, C. (2007). Benefits of consolidating your enterprise content repositories. Retrieved from http://www.bluefishgroup.com/library/2007/benefits-of-consolidating-your-enterprise-content-repositories/

Magal, S. R., & Word, J. (2012). Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Microsoft Corporation. (2012). Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Retrieved from http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/marketing

Singleton, D. (2012). Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) Software. Retrieved from http://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/mrp-software-comparison/

Taylor, P. (2012). IT cost savings in 2012 through continuous monitoring. Retrieved from http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/IT-Cost-Savings-2012-Continuous-Monitoring-61454-1.html

The University of Edinburgh. (2012). Human Resources. Retrieved from

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/human-resources/business-systems/about

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Running head: RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 1 Riordan Manufacturing Business Systems BSA/310 June 3, 2012 Professor William Schuyler Executive Summary Riordan Manufacturing is an existing company that produces a variety of plastic products in plants spread across the globe. With current IT systems in place unable to fully share data production and operating processes need to be upgraded. To reduce operating costs and streamline production processes the various systems in use by all departments of Riordan will be upgraded. The stated purpose for these upgrades include; ? ? ? ? Reducing operating costs by eliminating waste Enable more accurate financial reporting and asset management Increase effectiveness of marketing budget expenditures Boost sales through better customer service and enhanced services Overall cost of these upgrades will be offset by increased sales and profitability. With these upgrades in place Riordan can position itself for growth in the market. Introduction Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer founded by Dr. Riordan in 1991. The company is well known as an industry leader in the field of plastic injection molding. Its three operating entities are in Georgia, Michigan, and California, plus a production facility in Hangzhou, China. The successful growth and expansion of the company relies greatly to a well- secured and stable business system. Riordan Manufacturing’s business system refers to the overall functional structure of the organization. “Organizations that utilize a functional structure are divided into functions or departments, each of which is responsible for a set of closely related activities.” (Magal & Word, 2012, p.2). This paper focuses on the assessment and analysis of the existing and needed business systems of Riordan Manufacturing which are under Finance and Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources and Legal, and Operations Department. An evaluated system plan is provided on this paper to improve the company’s management and increase its profitability. Finance and Accounting Riordan’s Finance and Accounting department is facing operational challenges with managing accounts payable, order entry, general ledger and auditing due to a disparity in their financial and accounting systems. The origination of these challenges is due to incompatible systems that reside at each of the Riordan facilities. The hardware and F&A systems were inherited from these different locations at various times of acquisitions. This is now causing delays in providing F&A data along with performing audits and reporting to the corporate office in San Jose. These items are needed government compliance and can result in fines if timelines are not met. Also costing additional money to Riordan are the different systems themselves so a new solution will be deployed to remedy the situation. A review of the current systems at each location has uncovered inconsistencies with hardware platforms and operating systems on the servers that support the financial accounting systems. San Jose is running a proprietary F & A system on Windows servers. Riordan is unable to make enhancements without going through the vendor where the license was purchased. This application is specifically designed for plastics manufactures. Michigan is running a separate system that was purchased by a vendor that is no longer in business. This leaves the office in a risky position as they are not able to receive support and new enhancements are unavailable. Their application is running on DEC Alpha’s and is using the VMS operating system. Georgia also purchased an application to handle F & A but they are again from a different vendor and are running on a Unix server with workstations running Windows. The company is negatively impacted by this situation and management needs to change the financial system when detailing costs and management issues associated with the multiple systems. With the three different systems, there are multiple copies of the same information and therefore extra disk space is needed. Along with additional hardware needing to be maintained, the disaster recovery plan is more complicated since there are more moving parts to coordinate and form into the plan (Lowder, 2007). Resources and efforts are not able to focus on a single system and therefore the company is losing time in planning and other future business needs. Any enhancements and/or bug fixes will be duplicated across the different systems resulting in longer release times and higher costs. Also adding to higher costs are the testing, deployment activities and training. A new solution will need to correct these issues along with providing the company officials with an easy view of all Riordan accounting data. The new solution to be put in place will simplify operations of the F&A department so they are able to maintain the system more efficiently and perform accounting tasks in a timely manner. Since the headquarters is based out of San Jose, Ca, this where the Citrix hosted F&A application will reside. The remote locations will no longer need a separate instance of an F&A system loaded and maintained on a server as they will only need network connectivity to San Jose. Riordan will negotiate a new arrangement with the vendor providing the F&A deployment in San Jose so a company-wide conversion will not be needed. New enhancements will be developed to allow client access from the other locations. All data will be stored in a single location and remote agents will access the application using a new Citrix thin client solution. From the data center in San Jose the Citrix solution will simplify the IT needs of Riordan by centralizing the support team, backup processes and security. This will reduce costs, and improve performance since the virtual desktop image will be running at the data center (Citrix, n.d.). The remote workstations will just need to be able to support the minimum requirements of the client. Each location will be standardized with the same workstation builds so each site will have the same experience while connecting to the system. The accounting functions can now be enhanced with the use of a continuous monitoring (CM) software application. Taylor (2012), “CM is a software-based technology that automatically extracts key transaction information from enterprise resource planning and other financial systems from across an organization.” With centralized financial data available at Riordan, a CM vendor can compile and analyze the data for accounting inconsistencies, fraud and look for opportunities to reduce waste. This type of service was never available with the different systems but the plan to upgrade the system to support the Citrix solutions and use of a single F&A system opens the door for new possibilities. Resources needed to support the F&A system can be collapsed into the San Jose office as a minimal IT support staff can now be used at the other locations. There are security benefits with moving to this model because the system is now in a single location and can be more easily protected. Disaster recovery efforts of copying data to a remote facility are simplified since each location will not have their own database. The reporting efforts required by the corporate office will now be readily available without the need for converting data from different systems since there will only be one. Costs will be lowered from licensing, support and training. Only the China facility will have a duplicated solution with a local instance of database and F&A and this is due to geography and expensed needed to maintain an international network connection. This location will perform daily updates to the San Jose office so all will be available to the F&A group. Human Resources and Legal The Human Resources and Legal Department of Riordan Manufacturing provide the overall organizational assessment and company policies and procedures. Lowell Bradford, Chief Legal Counsel, oversees all legal matters for Riordan Manufacturing. He is responsible for answering all legal questions of department heads, with the help of his attorneys at Litteral & Finkel, the law firm retained by Riordan Manufacturing. The company pays Litteral & Finkel a monthly retainer for any legal matter that may arise within a month. Retainer amounts that were not used will not be carried forward; however, excess amounts are billed to Riordan Manufacturing at the end of the specific month. Litteral & Finkel has vast resources and international network that provide fast legal services to Riordan Manufacturing. System and Sub-Systems The Riordan Manufacturing Board of Directors is responsible in the overall management of business affairs of the company. The Board governs and manages the affairs of the company for the benefit of shareholders. The Board will have the responsibility to select new members to its body, and it shall maintain a Nominating Committee that is responsible in evaluating the skills of the board members. All Board members are expected to be present at minimum of three quarters of the regularly scheduled annual meetings. The Nominating Committee will review the relationship of each Director to the company on a regular basis. It shall assist the Board in carrying out a self-assessment of performance. The Nominating Committee and Auditing Committee shall compile performance reviews to present to the full Board for evaluation purposes. From time to time, the Board shall assess the number of Directors and overall size in relationship to Company operations and size. A Director has the right to submit his or her resignation to the Chairman of the Board, and the Board has the right to accept or reject the resignation. The Human Resources Department provides workers of Riordan Manufacturing their job classifications and descriptions, as well as securing employee information. Similar to any other organization, the Human Resource Business System of Riordan is responsible for the development and maintenance of employee payroll and other processes that support effective management and administration from recruitment to retirement (The University of Edinburgh, 2012). The Human Resources staff will provide an annual review of Corporate Board Compensation. The report will provide the basis for proposed compensation of Board members, based on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board will establish the agenda, based on advance submission of requested items from other Board members or the Chief Executive Officer of Riordan Manufacturing. Information pertaining to the agenda items will be distributed to members three days prior to the meeting date. All reports and presentations should be included in the Board Meeting Package and distributed on behalf of the Board Secretary. The senior management and staff shall be responsible to carry out Board policies and report back activity. However, the Board of Directors holds the ultimate fiduciary responsibility of managing affairs through its designated senior managers, with the right to remove senior management when it is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The daily activity of operations shall be governed by departments through the development of a Departmental Governance Plan. Proposed Additional Sub-Systems Additional sub-systems are needed by Human Resources and Legal Department. The first sub-system involves automatic calculations of the estimated cost of all the Board members’ requests before submission. This proposed sub-system could save time and effort on the analysis stage, prioritizing the most plausible requests first. The calculations could be based on past trends or activities and economy updates. The second proposed system is a transactional website for employers and applicants; this is similar to a virtual collaboration which uses Instant Messaging (IM). IM will be used as contact and communication tool for work-related queries and workplace socialization. “The use of IM enhances the ease of knowledge transfer in the workplace” (Chiasson et al., 2011, p.134). Another sub-system to be considered is the integration of the accounting system to the department; this would help the Finance Department to keep track on the Human Resources and Legal departments’ expenses accurately and in timely manner; it could improve the overall budget-making of the company. Lastly, to further enhance the evaluation process of the performance of the board members, a database file that could generate all trainings, skills gained, achievements, and other records that could be retrieved every board meeting is recommended. This sub-system could highly trigger the members to improve their overall performance; it could also promote fairness and equality to the workplace. Sales and Marketing Plan Riordan Manufacturing is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that focuses on plastic injection molding products, such as plastic bottles, fans, heart valves, medical stents, and custom plastic parts that are custom specified by their customers. Their current customer base consists of 20 major customers and 12 minor customers, with most of that data consisting within paper documents, multiple databases, and microfiche, scattered between the different offices. The company has plans to develop a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which when implemented, would consolidate the customer information into one central location. For Riordan to get a handle on their market research, they must first get a handle on their customer data. (Apollo Group, 2012) Riordan Manufacturing needs to understand, and focus, on who their customers are. A proper way of doing this would be to look at it from the customer’s point of view. To be able to keep the company’s reputation at the highest standards, Riordan needs to keep the records, data, and privacy of the customer’s data priority number one. Locating software that will not only perform for the company, in all the ways the company is expecting, but also far out perform the needs and expectations of the customer. Customer Relationship Management Sustaining a customer relationship is a very fine and complex course of action. Being able to hone these relationships into one location takes a finely tuned piece of software, a piece of technological wonder called CRM, or Customer Relationship Management. This is a suite of programs, bundled in to one piece of software, which will allow a company to manipulate their customers, and their data, and wield their undiscovered potential. To be able to maintain that critical relationship between a customer and the salesperson is a crucial aspect of any company. This is true, especially after a sale is completed. This is usually where the customer feels most vulnerable. Utilizing a CRM will allow the company and its employees those crucial features it needs to succeed. It will take some time for the old data to be entered into the system, but where Riordan will see the full potential is with their new clients. When a new relationship has been created, all the relevant data can be entered into the database, and then analyzed as the individual sees fit. The beauty of this software is the integration it has between all the departments within Riordan. Not only does the Marketing department have total control over the software, but there is full integration with the Sales, Operations, Human Resources, and any other division of Riordan Manufacturing. Any department that can have an impact on the sales, or customer relations, the CRM software will effectively manage. One of the main factors that must be realized when implementing this CRM idea is the idea of centralized. When creating a database of any sort, you want to make the information centralized, so it can be resourced by anyone in the company, at any time. To have the data accessible to Riordan employees, from any company location, is critical to the daily operations. This also cuts down on information being different from one location to another. When you have multiple copies of the same information, the information can change, causing confusion. If the information is the same, from a centralized source, the customer will not become frustrated from multiple calls, responding to the same questions from different people. A content customer is a happy customer. Sales Once Riordan has their marketing software package in line, and their CRM is in order, they can focus on their sales. According to their website, they do not use a centralized database system, but this will all be changing soon. (Apollo Group, 2012) With the implementation of the CRM, there will no longer be a need for the “pencil and paper”, or the use of individualized tools, to take notes of the customers. All sales, and sales notes, will be entered into one centralized database, to be pulled up by anyone, from any location. The beauty of the CRM software is it brings a true business strategy together, reducing the total costs and increasing profits by increasing customer loyalty. (CRM Media, Inc., 2010) With the new Customer Relationship Management software, as well as a newly focused sales and marketing team, Riordan Manufacturing should have no problems achieving their $50 million dollar revenue mark, in their two year plan. Operations Riordan Manufacturing produces several product lines from raw materials which means there are several factors in play that must be considered in developing a plan for an efficient facility. The first consideration must be where to place the production facilities. This can be based on proximity to resources and materials needed for production or on cost of doing business. The former would cut costs for delivering the raw material Riordan will need to manufacture its products. The latter would cover costs such as cost of labor and cost of land in addition to taxes levied and local environmental regulations. Riordan currently has production facilities in California, Georgia, Michigan, and China with the headquarter located at the California location. Currently the inventory management system in use by Riordan Manufacturing handles each facility on an individual basis. Inventory from each location is entered manually by a clerk into the main computer system. This can lead to delays or even errors in data entry causing inefficient ordering of raw materials and possible errors in reporting on stock in inventory available for purchase. Production can be effected if the proper amount of materials are not on hand which leads often to ordering and storing more materials than needed. This increases the size of facilities and maintenance leading to unnecessary operating costs. Suggested Upgrades and Practices Exercising better control over the supply chain of incoming raw materials and outgoing finished product can make an organization more efficient and therefore more profitable. Implementing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system will give Riordan the ability to track and update inventory dynamically. Products in inventory will be updated automatically as they are completed on the production line as well as when they are sold and sent to shipping. Automatic ordering of raw materials based on inventory tracking of sales would help reduce overhead for storing excessive amounts of these items. As well as eliminating errors leading to production slow down due to a shortage of raw materials. This will cause an increase in productivity of production as well as shipping. The creation of a JIT (Just-in-time) inventory management system using these objectives would streamline costs leading to increased profitability as well. Installing a RFID (radio frequency identification) system to log and track inventory in the warehouses will assist with these implementations. While this will be an option and not a requirement for the other systems the benefits would be noticeable in reducing labor overhead. When a product is completed a RFID tag is affixed to the packaging. These tags can be reused and each time the type of product and its location in the warehouse are recorded. This speeds order picking and also eliminates errors in packing and shipping, (ActiveWave, 2009). Each product that is loaded into the container or truck trailer is scanned and logged automatically. These systems are also useful in detecting and preventing fraud and theft. Inventory can be counted and logged quickly with minimal or no human intervention. With an ERP in place Riordan will be able to offer VMI (vendor managed inventory) to many of the larger customers. These systems place the control of the customer's inventory of Riordan's products in the hands of Riordan. By leveraging the data collections from sales and marketing shipments to each customer can be batched in a way that reduces shipping costs for Riordan, (Frahm, 2003). Trucking companies have to charge more when shipments are less than a full truckload because they have to find other customers to fill the truck and make trips profitable for themselves. The use of a VMI would allow Riordan Manufacturing to anticipate orders based on past sales and organize shipments instead shipping partial truckloads when the customer places an order. The final suggestion is the implementation of a MRP (manufacturing resource planning) system integrated into the ERP company wide. Singelton (2012) “MRP is a subset of enterprise resource planning (ERP). It covers the period of time from when a product is conceived, the raw materials are identified and procured, resources are identified, to when production steps are planned.”, (Buyer's Guide). This will help support the use of the JIT system as well as the MTO (make to order) type of production that exist at both the China plant and the plant in Michigan that handles custom orders, (Singleton, 2012). Both plants produce items designed by the customer and not a standard company product. However the product orders for the China and Georgia facility are given in annual quantities even though they are filled in smaller amounts throughout the year. This means that the standard forecasting models are not as effective however there are still benefits. With the entire system linked resources can be ordered as soon as sales orders are received based on stored data. In addition quicker and more accurate delivery times can be quoted since time from order to completion of production is shortened and known. The same MRP with some adjustments to modeling can also be used for the MTS (make to stock) production lines in China. Conclusion There numerous benefits for Riordan Manufacturing if most if not all of the suggested upgrades are implemented. These new practices and software solutions will position Riordan as a stronger competitor in the marketplace and poised for growth and greater profitability. Improvements in the accounting department will increase transaction data capture and create more accurate and up to date calculations on company assets. Complying with financial reporting and regulations will be streamlined and improved which will boost productivity and reduce costs as well. Integrating human resources systems into accounting as well further enhances these benefits with more control and review on payroll expenses. In addition to these measures to cut costs sales must also be increased and this will be facilitated by the improvements to the sales and marketing departments. Increasing customer service and enhancing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns to attract new clients and retain existing ones builds sales volume. Finally the one area that has the opportunity to contribute both cost cutting and revenue increase is operations. By implementing the suggested upgrades manufacturing overhead will see substantial reductions by targeting inventory and controlling raw material purchases. Better integration with customers and new programs for handing and shipping orders will increase customer satisfaction leading to larger orders. References ActiveWave. (2009). RFID Applications and Solutions: Inventory Control. Retrieved from http://www.activewaveinc.com/applications_inventory_control.php Apollo Group, Inc. (2012). Marketing Information System. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/Marketing/MIS.asp Chiasson, M., Henfridsson, O., Karsten, H., & DeGross, J. I. (2011). Researching the Future in Information Systems. Heidelberg, DE: Springer. Citrix. (n.d.). Xendesktop. Retrieved from http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products /product.asp?contentID=163057&ntref=footer CRM Media, Inc.. (2010, February). What is CRM? Retrieved from http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/News/Daily-News/What-Is-CRM-46033.aspx Frahm, S. (2003). Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Three Steps in Making It Work . Retrieved from http://scm.ncsu.edu/scm-articles/article/vendor-managed-inventory-vmi-three-steps- in-making-it-work Lowder, C. (2007). Benefits of consolidating your enterprise content repositories. Retrieved from http://www.bluefishgroup.com/library/2007/benefits-of-consolidating-your-enterprise- content-repositories/ Magal, S. R., & Word, J. (2012). Integrated Business Processes with ERP Systems. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Microsoft Corporation. (2012). Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Retrieved from http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/marketing Singleton, D. (2012). Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) Software. Retrieved from http://www.softwareadvice.com/manufacturing/mrp-software-comparison/ Taylor, P. (2012). IT cost savings in 2012 through continuous monitoring. Retrieved from http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/IT-Cost-Savings-2012-Continuous-Monitoring- 61454-1.html The University of Edinburgh. (2012). Human Resources. Retrieved from http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/human-resources/business-systems/about RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 2 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 3 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 4 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 5 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 6 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 7 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 8 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 9 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 10 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 11 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 12 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 13 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 14 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 15 RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS 16

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RIORDAN MANUFACTURING BUSINESS SYSTEMS

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Riordan Manufacturing Business Systems

BSA/310

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 (Sales and Marketing).docx

Sales and Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Running head: SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

1

SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

2

Sales and Marketing Plan

Riordan Manufacturing is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that focuses on plastic injection molding products, such as plastic bottles, fans, heart valves, medical stents, and custom plastic parts that are custom specified by their customers. Their current customer base consists of 20 major customers and 12 minor customers, with most of that data consisting within paper documents, multiple databases, and microfiche, scattered between the different offices. The company has plans to develop a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which when implemented, would consolidate the customer information into one central location. For Riordan to get a handle on their market research, they must first get a handle on their customer data. (Apollo Group, Inc, 2012)

Riordan Manufacturing needs to understand, and focus, on who their customers are. A proper way of doing this would be to look at it from the customer’s point of view. To be able to keep the company’s reputation at the highest standards, Riordan needs to keep the records, data, and privacy of the customer’s data priority number one. Locating software that will not only perform for the company, in all the ways the company is expecting, but also far out perform the needs and expectations of the customer.

Customer Relationship Management

Sustaining a customer relationship is a very fine and complex course of action. Being able to hone these relationships into one location takes a finely tuned piece of software, a piece of technological wonder called CRM, or Customer Relationship Management. This is a suite of programs, bundled in to one piece of software, which will allow a company to manipulate their customers, and their data, and wield their undiscovered potential. To be able to maintain that critical relationship between a customer and the salesperson is a crucial aspect of any company. This is true, especially after a sale is completed. This is usually where the customer feels most vulnerable. Utilizing a CRM will allow the company and its employees those crucial features it needs to succeed.

It will take some time for the old data to be entered into the system, but where Riordan will see the full potential is with their new clients. When a new relationship has been created, all the relevant data can be entered into the database, and then analyzed as the individual sees fit. The beauty of this software is the integration it has between all the departments within Riordan. Not only does the Marketing department have total control over the software, but there is full integration with the Sales, Operations, Human Resources, and any other division of Riordan Manufacturing. Any department that can have an impact on the sales, or customer relations, the CRM software will effectively manage.

One of the main factors that must be realized when implementing this CRM idea is the idea of centralized. When creating a database of any sort, you want to make the information centralized, so it can be resourced by anyone in the company, at any time. To have the data accessible to Riordan employees, from any company location, is critical to the daily operations. This also cuts down on information being different from one location to another. When you have multiple copies of the same information, the information can change, causing confusion. If the information is the same, from a centralized source, the customer will not become frustrated from multiple calls, responding to the same questions from different people. A content customer is a happy customer.

Sales

Once Riordan has their marketing software package in line, and their CRM is in order, they can focus on their sales. According to their website, they do not use a centralized database system, but this will all be changing soon. (Apollo Group, Inc, 2012) With the implementation of the CRM, there will no longer be a need for the “pencil and paper”, or the use of individualized tools, to take notes of the customers. All sales, and sales notes, will be entered into one centralized database, to be pulled up by anyone, from any location. The beauty of the CRM software is it brings a true business strategy together, reducing the total costs and increasing profits by increasing customer loyalty. (CRM Media, Inc., 2010)

With the new Customer Relationship Management software, as well as a newly focused sales and marketing team, Riordan Manufacturing should have no problems achieving their $50 million dollar revenue mark, in their two year plan.

References

Apollo Group, Inc. (2012). Marketing Information System. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/cist/vop/Business/Riordan/Marketing/MIS.asp

CRM Media, Inc.. (2010, February). What is CRM? Retrieved from http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/News/Daily-News/What-Is-CRM-46033.aspx

Microsoft Corporation. (2012). Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Retrieved from http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/marketing

Running head: SALES AND MARKETING PLAN

1

Sales and Marketing Plan

BSA 310

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 DQ 1 (For Security Keep Your Staff Informed).docx

One of the most feasible ways of keeping your security up to date is to keep your staff informed.  Having an IT department well versed in the ways of counter-hacking, or in high security measures, will go a long way in keeping your system secure.  Having your employees know how to keep your virus/malware/scamware software up-to-date on all the computers, as well as, the servers, will help immensely as well.  If you have software running, that will detect any unsolicited software running on any of your machines, this will help safeguard against someone trying to enter from a back-door program.  Also, having hardware in place, as well as software, is always a good measure of defense.  Running physical hardware, instead of software, to prevent outside attacks, is always a good measure to take.  Software is pretty easy, for the most part, to bypass, since it is written by humans and can have errors in it.  Hardware, on the other hand, can be much more challenging to bypass, since the code is embedded within many chips and is hardcoded.  Bypassing hardware takes much more effort and skill, for the most part, and will keep out most of the curious and intermediate hackers. The last would be the make sure you have the correct policies in order.  Keeping a stringent policy set on your computers, although annoying to the employees, keeps your data safe.  Usually, the more annoying it is to the employees, it will provide the same level of annoying to a hacker.  You keep security policies there for a reason, for security, not to be pleasant.

One of the most feasible ways of keeping your security up to date is to keep your staff informed.

Having an IT department well versed in the ways of counter

-

hacking, or in high security

measures, will go a long way in keeping your system secure.

Having

your employees know how

to keep your virus/malware/scamware software up

-

to

-

date on all the computers, as well as, the

servers, will help immensely as well.

If you have software running, that will detect any

unsolicited software running on any of your mach

ines, this will help safeguard against someone

trying to enter from a back

-

door program.

Also, having hardware in place, as well as software, is always a good measure of defense.

Running physical hardware, instead of software, to prevent outside attack

s, is always a good

measure to take.

Software is pretty easy, for the most part, to bypass, since it is written by

humans and can have errors in it.

Hardware, on the other hand, can be much more challenging to

bypass, since the code is embedded within ma

ny chips and is hardcoded.

Bypassing hardware

takes much more effort and skill, for the most part, and will keep out most of the curious and

intermediate hackers.

The last would be the make sure you have the correct policies in order.

Keeping a stringen

t

policy set on your computers, although annoying to the employees, keeps your data safe.

Usually, the more annoying it is to the employees, it will provide the same level of annoying to a

hacker.

You keep security policies there for a reason, for securi

ty, not to be pleasant.

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 DQ 2 (Network security ).docx

Business Systems will always need security.  If you do not protect the data the lies within an organization, another company will come along and steal your protected secrets.  You are also liable for all your customer data.  If you are a company that has a presence on the web, like a credit card company, or a bank, and you do not secure your information, someone can gain access to all of your clients information.  This can put your company in a huge legal action, as well as, your customers are in a bind with their information in the wrong hands.  System security is something that will never go away, since there will always be someone out there that is unscrupulous and will want to get something for nothing.  In their eyes, it is much easier to steal and get everything they want, without having to "work" for it, and then the financial devastation they leave in their wake, well, that is not their concern.  If you do not protect your systems, you are inviting them to do just that.  This is a necessary part of our world now.  Network security is a necessary and viable part of the IT world and must evolve on a daily basis to combat the evils that are in this world.

Business Systems will always need security.

If you do not protect the data the lies within an

organization, another company will come along and steal your protected secrets.

You are also

liable for all your customer data.

If you are a company that has a

presence on the web, like a

credit card company, or a bank, and you do not secure your information, someone can gain

access to all of your clients information.

This can put your company in a huge legal action, as

well as, your customers are in a bind wit

h their information in the wrong hands.

System security

is something that will never go away, since there will always be someone out there that is

unscrupulous and will want to get something for nothing.

In their eyes, it is much easier to steal

and get

everything they want, without having to "work" for it, and then the financial devastation

they leave in their wake, well, that is not their concern.

If you do not protect your systems, you

are inviting them to do just that.

This is a necessary part of ou

r world now.

Network security is

a necessary and viable part of the IT world and must evolve on a daily basis to combat the evils

that are in this world.

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 Riordan Manufacturing Service Request Presentation.pptx

Riordan Manufacturing

Service Request

1

Finance and Accounting

Current issues with supporting different systems

Delays in converting data for reporting, audits and compliance

Additional costs for supporting multiple systems

Developers are unable to provide features across all systems

Security risk of decentralized systems

Backups and disaster recovery is a challenge

F&A group cannot meet deadlines with audits and reporting.

Costs are multiplied due to supporting multiple systems. Added hardware, software license, training costs.

Features cannot be developed for all systems.

Security issues with locking down and monitoring multiple systems.

Backing up multiple systems is more complicated and the restoration of data will take longer.

2

Finance and Accounting

Solution for Riordan’s F&A system

Collapse servers and host single system out of San Jose

Citrix solution with thin clients at remote locations

Consolidate IT resources to single location

Manage security more effectively

Reduce costs with the new simplified solution

Citrix hosted F&A application will eliminate the need to convert data. This will streamline reporting and auditing capabilities.

Managing desktops at remote locations will be simplified

IT resources can be focused to headquarters

Centralized systems are more secure

Cost reduction is available in multiple areas.

3

Human Resources

System Description

Provides job classifications and employee information

Employee payroll

Management and Administration from recruitment to retirement

Recommended Additional Sub-Systems

Transactional website for employers and applicants

Integration of Accounting system

The Human Resources Department provides workers of Riordan Manufacturing their job classifications and descriptions, as well as securing employee information. Similar to any other organization, the Human Resource Business System of Riordan is responsible for the development and maintenance of employee payroll and other processes that support effective management and administration from recruitment to retirement. The Human Resources staff will provide an annual review of Corporate Board Compensation.

Additional sub-systems are needed by Human Resources. The first proposed system is a transactional website for employers and applicants; this is similar to a virtual collaboration which uses Instant Messaging (IM). IM will be used as contact and communication tool for work-related queries and workplace socialization. Another sub-system to be considered is the integration of the accounting system to the department; this would help the Finance Department to keep track on the Human Resource department’s expenses accurately and in timely manner; it could improve the overall budget-making of the company.

4

Legal

System Description

Overall management of the company’s business affairs

Selection and management of members

Board activities and policies

Recommended Additional Sub-Systems

Automatic calculation of estimated request cost

Integration of Accounting system

Database employee performance

The Riordan Manufacturing Board of Directors is responsible in the overall management of business affairs of the company. The Board governs and manages the affairs of the company for the benefit of shareholders. The Board will have the responsibility to select new members to its body, and it shall maintain a Nominating Committee that is responsible in evaluating the skills of the board members. The senior management and staff shall be responsible to carry out Board policies and report back activity. However, the Board of Directors holds the ultimate fiduciary responsibility of managing affairs through its designated senior managers, with the right to remove senior management when it is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.

Additional sub-systems are needed by Legal Department. The first sub-system involves automatic calculations of the estimated cost of all the Board members’ requests before submission. This proposed sub-system could save time and effort on the analysis stage, prioritizing the most plausible requests first. The calculations could be based on past trends or activities and economy updates. Another sub-system to be considered is the integration of the accounting system to the department; this would help the Finance Department to keep track on the Legal department’s expenses accurately and in timely manner; it could improve the overall budget-making of the company. Lastly, to further enhance the evaluation process of the performance of the board members, a database file that could generate all trainings, skills gained, achievements, and other records that could be retrieved every board meeting is recommended. This sub-system could highly trigger the members to improve their overall performance; it could also promote fairness and equality to the workplace.

5

Marketing

CRM

Customer Relationship Management software solution

Centralized database

Enterprise-wide accessible customer information

Maximize Return on Investment

Data Entry

Hire college students

The main focus, of the Riordan Manufacturing company’s Sales and Marketing department, will be to harness their existing databases (IE files, computer data, etc) into a single database: A Customer Relationship Management database. This database will be there to serve as the main “go-to” location for all the information on Riordan’s customers. Keeping all the information centralized will enable Riordan to market their products more efficiently to their client base. They will also be able to generate leads more efficiently, as well. Since Riordan is spread out over multiple states, having one system that everyone can access will keep the error count to a minimum, which means it will keep the overall costs down as well. This will also help create a stronger employee/customer relationship by better identifying the customer needs.

The system will really begin to shine within a few months. Riordan will hire a few college students to enter and scan the existing data into the new CRM system. This will save on the company’s resources and let the employees focus on other tasks.

6

Sales

CRM system will integrate into existing software products

Always connected

Goals are easily attainable

The beauty of the CRM software suite is that the software will integrate with our current software packages. Our employees will be able to access all the financial information from inside Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel, Word, or Outlook. If they need to create a spreadsheet, and need to access information about a specific customer, or list of customers, they can merge the information from the CRM software into whatever application they are using. Also, no matter where they are located, whether it be at home, the office, or on the road, they will be able to access the information from their laptop or mobile device. This kind of functionality will make our sales teams more effective, while they are in the fields. With all the newly acquired tools, with the new CRM software, the Sales department will have no difficulty meeting and exceeding the target of $50 million dollars for the year.

7

Operations

ERP

Dynamic Inventory Management

Supports Just in Time (JIT) production process

RFID Support

Add on system

Streamline inventory data

Speeds order processing

Automating inventory status through the use of an ERP system creates less wasted productivity of manual entry. In addition better control over production materials and completed product supports sales and reduces overhead costs in all departments. Optional RFID system aids in asset reporting and data collected for both Sales and Accounting department. Order processing and packing is more efficient reducing shipping costs and shipping delays.

8

Operations

Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP)

Builds on the ERP system

Supports various manufacturing models

Make to Order (MTO)

Make to Stock (MTS)

Reduce production times and costs

Implementing an MRP allows for more agility in the manufacturing process from raw material acquisition through production and into inventory. Several production models can be supported across the enterprise including make to order (MTO) and make to stock (MTS) models. Order completion times decrease and customer service is increased through better processes.

9

Conclusion

System Upgrade Benefits

Better financial reporting

Reduction in overhead costs

Increase in marketing effectiveness

Increased customer service

10

Week 5/BSA 310 Week 5 Summary.docx

This was probably my favorite week of all the weeks.  We were able to discuss the magnitude in which hackers are a threat to the security of corporate networks.  Understanding how systems become vulnerable, how to prevent the vulnerabilities, and then the best strategic practices on preventing the hackers from hacking a corporate network were the three main ideas that I learned this week.  Systems, by themselves, are very open to attacks.  Left to their own devices, they can easily become accessible to anyone that wants their information.  People that are skilled in the art of Information Technology Security can know how and what to close to make systems less vulnerable.  By having this knowledge, would-be hackers are less likely to be able to gain access, at least on a whim.  The main goal is to slow down the every day attacker.  The serious, hard-core attacker is a larger threat, because they are usually more aware of a specific corporation's (or government's) computer system.  They will know if there are vulnerabilities within the LAN, internet, or even the wireless network.   They can have the ability of creating software, often called viruses or malware, that can infiltrate a network, from the inside.  By sending out unsolicited emails, or getting someone to click on a banner, they can have a malicious piece of code installed on a computer that will allow them access to a network. The best strategies would be for an IT department to set policies in which control the type of information the employees are allowed to see, allowed to put on their computers, and to keep the virus systems up-to-date at all times.  Closing all known security holes will keep most intruders at bay and will slow down the heavier attackers.

This was probably my favorite week of all the weeks.

We were able to discuss the magnitude in

which hackers are a threat to the security of corporate networks.

Understanding how systems

become vulnerable, how to prevent the vulnerabilities, and then the

best strategic practices on

preventing the hackers from hacking a corporate network were the three main ideas that I learned

this week.

Systems, by themselves, are very open to attacks.

Left to their own devices, they can

easily become accessible to anyo

ne that wants their information.

People that are skilled in the art

of Information Technology Security can know how and what to close to make systems less

vulnerable.

By having this knowledge, would

-

be hackers are less likely to be able to gain access,

a

t least on a whim.

The main goal is to slow down the every day attacker.

The serious, hard

-

core attacker is a larger threat, because they are usually more aware of a specific corporation's

(or government's) computer system.

They will know if there are v

ulnerabilities within the LAN,

internet, or even the wireless network.

They can have the ability of creating software, often

called viruses or malware, that can infiltrate a network, from the inside.

By sending out

unsolicited emails, or getting someone

to click on a banner, they can have a malicious piece of

code installed on a computer that will allow them access to a network.

The best strategies would be for an IT department to set policies in which control the type of

information the employees are a

llowed to see, allowed to put on their computers, and to keep the

virus systems up

-

to

-

date at all times.

Closing all known security holes will keep most intruders

at bay and will slow down the heavier attackers.