IT Decision Paper

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itsp_part_1_ifsm_301.docx

Running head: Rusty Rims ITSP 1

Rusty Rims ITSP Part 1

Rusty Rims ITSP 2

Rusty Rims ITSP Part 1

Business Statement

Rusty Rims (RR) Distribution Company is a regional and distribution company that has been in operation for over 60 years. RR is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and they serve major cities in the Mid-Atlantic region. WW has a staff of 400 employees, 6 distribution terminals Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, Washington, Newark, and Wilmington, 100 delivery vehicles, 40 box trucks, and 40 panel vans. Currently RR operations are around the clock, 7 days a week. Due to the slowing economy, RR’s profit runs at about 4% but the company president would like to see a growth of 5% per year to apply towards new initiatives and at the same time wants to trim expenses by 5%. Recently the management team decided to change the strategic plan to set pace for the goal of growth.

Business Strategic Objectives

According to Audra Russell (2008), business strategy is a company’s plan for controlling and utilizing its resources in an effort to promote and secure its interests and can be summed up as a broad formula for how a business is going to compete. RR has set new objectives to meet the new goals outlined by management. First, they desire to provide warehousing services for customers who want to reduce delivery time to their customers by having product available locally. Second, they want to improve the percent of loaded miles in their fleet to reduce costs by coordinating the pickup and delivery of freight at the same time in the same geographic area. Third, they want to track the whereabouts of freight both in the terminals and on the trucks to provide customers with accurate delivery dates and times. Fourth, to establish compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and induce management's responsibility to establish internal control over financial reporting and will require management to evaluate the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (https://www.sec.gov/news/testimony/090903tswhd.htm).

Rusty Rims ITSP 3

IT Vision and Mission Statement

Rusty Rims vision strives to be the best and most efficient freight distribution company in the Mid-Atlantic region. We will modify our plan of attack for solving our customer’s logistics processes and freight management needs and ensure to provide our customers the highest level of satisfaction. As Rusty Rims our mission is to serve the logistic needs of our customers by providing dependable logistic solutions by decreasing freight management inefficiencies. Our commitment to personal service will be accomplished by effectively combining and managing our key resources, innovative personnel, experience and latest technology.

Governance

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) shall: implement and or design the strategy that determines which projects support the direction RR is heading. With his or her involvement in the projects selected, a legitimate influence will make the project a priority for RR. The Chief of Information Officer (CIO) shall: undertake challenges and opportunities to implement world-class IT strategy. Additionally, the CIO will assist RR in increasing the capital with emerging growth prospects and high level of IT efficiency. The CIO must ensure there is an effective integration of IT strategies with business strategies. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) shall: be responsible and consulted on all areas that impact finances of RR. These actions include all IT purchases, as well as personnel hiring. The Fleet Manager (FM) shall: be responsible for all assets used for pick-up, delivery, maintenance, and storage of freights. While the FM does not have a significant role in the strategic direction of RR, his or her involvement is crucial to the success of RR and its customers.

Inventory of current IT projects

Current IT project inventory shows planned and current investment into systems, their functionality, their alignment to the strategic goals, the new IT projects, and how they will benefit RR in the future.

Rusty Rims ITSP 4

Current Systems

Function/Description

Strategic Goal aligned to

Business Unit/Department

IT Resources

Business

Benefits

Accurate Financials

used for finance and accounting

1 and 4

Accounting department

DBMS – Database Management System

Off-the-shelf and owner can make modifications to interface with other WW systems

Mobile Marketing App

Route optimization and freight tracking system

2 and 2

Dispatching department and sales staff

DBMS

Will provide a central location for sales staff to retrieve potential customers information

Fleet Management System

Information on all vehicles to include specs, repairs, preventive maintenance schedule, inventory of parts

3 and 4

Every department is involved to a certain extent

Database Server (i.e. Microsoft SQL Database) or DBMS

Will assist senior management in staying up-to-date with daily financial information

Management Reporting System

Information on daily operations and transactions to include pick-up, delivery, and storage of freights

3 and 4

Every department is involved

DBMS provides the option to output data in report format

Will provide senior management with reports as needed directly from daily operations

Route Optimization & Freight Tracking System

Information on daily routes and past, current, and future location of freights being transported

1 and 2

Fleet management

Database Server (possible use the same system as Fleet Management System

Will assist fleet manager with keeping track of each truck and streamline the pick-up and delivery process

Rusty Rims ITSP 5

References

Lane, Dean. ( © 2011). The chief information officer's body of knowledge: people, process, and technology. [Books24x7

version] Available from http://common.books24x7.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/toc.aspx?bookid=44315.

http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/hrqa/pages/cms_023853.aspx

Testimony Concerning Implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of

2002 https://www.sec.gov/news/testimony/090903tswhd.htm