软件工程外文翻译.docx

软件工程外文翻译.docx

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软件工程外文翻译

Thestrategicroleofmanagementinformationsystems

Afterstudyingthischapter,youwillbeableto:

1。

Analyzesixmajorinformationsystemsintheorganizations。

2。

Describetherelationshipamongvarioustypesofinformationsystems。

3。

Understandthecharacteristicsofastrategicinformationsystem.

4。

Describehowinformationsystemsinbusinessstrategytobeusedforthreelayers.

5。

Explaintheproblemoftheestablishmentandmaintenanceofstrategicinformationsystems.

OrchidsPaperCompany-----returntotherightdirection

OrchidsPaperCo.Ltd.hasbeenalowercostpapermanufacturerwhichproducesnapkin,handkerchiefpaper,tissuesandtoiletpaperforfiftyyears.However,inthemiddleof1990s,thecompanylostitsdevelopmentalway.Totakegoodadvantageoftheprosperouseconomicsituationinthelatetwentiethcenturyinthe80's,employersbegantosqueezeintotheascendantprivate-labelpapermarketinCalifornia（thecompanyheadquartersatthattime）.Unfortunately,Orchidsnearlywentbankruptbecauseofthedualpressurefromthehighcoststrategyandthedebtfromleveragedbuyout.Atthemoment,itsrawmaterialandproductioncostsexceededitsprofitsfromcustomers.Orchidswereforcedtofileforbankruptcyin1992and1995.

Orchids'newmanagementorganizationleadbythegeneralmanager,MikeSafeandchieffinancialofficerJimSwagertydecidedtofocusoncoremarkets,wherehadvalue-seekingcustomers.TheymovedthecompanyfromCaliforniatoPryor,Oklahoma,wheretheutilitycostswerelow（paperisaresource-intensiveindustries）andthecompany'srecycledpapersweresalable.Theyusedalow-coststrategysothatthefirm'sproductioncapacitywillbemaximizedwhencompaniesemphasizetimelydeliveryandallowcustomerstoclearlyunderstandtheimplementationoftheirorders.OrchidstargetmarketisthespanfromOklahomatoAtlanta.

Beforethereorganization,Orchidsiswellknownforpoorserviceandlatedelivery.Thecompanydidnotimplementtheoperatingandreportingpracticesandthefinancialdepartmentcannotprovidetimelyandaccurateinformation.

Orchidsinstalledanewmanufacturingresourceplanningsystems（MRP-Ⅱ）andafinancialsystem.ThetwosoftwaremanagementsystemsfromtheMarionOhiocanmonitorandcoordinatesales,Inventoryandfinancialdata.Theycanalsoprovidethechartsbaseddailyoperationsforthecompany.Workersandalldepartmentscandirectlyaccesstotheproductsandorderinformationthroughacentralserverlinkedwiththestoreddatathrough25personalcomputers.FinanceDepartmentstaffcanalsousethissystemtoprovidetimelyandaccurateinformationabouttheoperatingcapacity,transportationandtheproductusability.Theycanalsoanswerthecustomers’questions.Therefore,financedepartmentstaffsmakeuseofthefinancialcapabilitiestodomoreaboutcontrollingandcustomerservice.Becauseemployeescaneasilyaccesstoensureimmediateandaccurateinformationneededtoorderdelivery.OrchidsCompanycankeepoperatingcostslow.ThissystemalsomakesthemanagementofOrchidsintheabsenceofbloatedbodiesandthesharpreductioninthetotalnumberofcaseworkerstorunproperly.Orchidsstartedtomakeprofitagainanditsorganizationalandtechnologicalchangesmadeitwinaplaceintheindustrywhichhastraditionallybeenmonopolizedbylargecompanies.

OrchidsPaperusedtheinformationsystemstogettheleadinthecompetitiveadvantagebyprovidinglow-costhighserviceproducts.However,comparedtothesimplythetechnologicalleap,itismoreimportanttomaintainthiscompetitiveedge.Managersneedtofindwaystomaintainthiscompetitiveadvantageformanyyears.Specifically,managersneedtofacethefollowingchallenges:

1.Comprehensiveintegration:

althoughinthecompanydifferentsystemsaredesignedtoservedifferentlevelsanddifferentdepartments,moreandmorecompaniesdiscoverythebenefitsofintegratedsystems.Manycompaniesarepursuingenterpriseresourceplanning（ERP）.However,theintegratedsystemisdifficultandcostlyforthedifferentorganizationallevelsandfunctionstoexchangeofinformationthroughthetechnology.Managersneedtodeterminewhichlevelofinformationsystemneedstointegrateandhowmuchitcosts.

2.Theabilitytomaintainthecompetitiveadvantage:

thecompetitiveadvantagebroughtbythestrategicinformationsystemscannotsustainlongenoughtoensurelong-termprofitability.Competitorscanalsoinstallthestrategicinformationsystems.Competitiveadvantageisnotalwaysmaintainedasthemarketischangingrapidly.Businessandeconomicenvironmentischangingalso.Internetcanmakesomeofthecompany'scompetitiveadvantagedisappearsoon.Technologyandcustomerexpectationsarechangingaswell.Classicstrategicinformationsystems,suchasAmericanAirlinesSABREcomputerreservationsystems,ATMsystemsandCityBankFederalExpresspackagetrackingsystemarebenefitingusersbecausetheyarethefirstintheirrespectiveindustries.Butthecompetitorsapplythecorrespondingsystemslater.Relyingoninformationsystemssolelycannotgetlastingbusinessadvantage.Informationsystemoriginallyusedindecision-makingoftenbecomesasurvivaltool（foreachcompanyinordertosurviveintheindustrytotakesomemeasures）,orinformationsystemoreveninhibitthefuturesuccessoforganizationstomakethenecessarydecisions.

ORCHIDSPaperCompany'sexperienceshowsthatinformationsystemsareveryimportantinsupportoftheorganization'sgoalsandmakingthecompanyintheleadingroleincompetition.Inthischapter,weintroducethefunctionsofvariousinformationsystemsintheorganization.Then,wepresenttheissuesofthecompanyinthecompetitionandthemethodsthattheInformationSystemprovidesacompetitiveadvantageinthreedifferentcommerciallevels.

2．1ThefunctionofthemajorInformationSystemintheorganization

Becauseofthedifferentattentiontodifferenttargets,differentcharacteristicsanddifferentlevelsinthevariousdepartmentsinanorganization,therearedifferentkindsofinformationsystems.Singlesystemcannotprovideorganizationswithalltherequiredinformation.Figure2-1isadescriptionofthemethodsofallkindsofinformationsystemsintheorganization.Inthechart,theorganizationisdividedintostrategiclayer,managementlayer,knowledgelayerandbusinesslayer.Andthenitisfurthertranslatedintothevariousfunctionsintoareassuchassales,marketing,production,finance,accountingandhumanresources.InformationSystemissetuptomeettherequirementsofdifferentorganizations.

2.2.1Fourdifferentinformationsystems

Therearefourdifferentinformationsystemswhichareusedfordifferentlevelsoftheorganization.Theyarebusinesslayersystems,knowledge-tiersystem,managementsystemandstrategiclevelsystem.

Businesslayersupportsmanagers’workthroughtrackingthebasicbusinessactivitiesandthingsoftheorganization.Basicoperationsaresuchassalesprogress,cashstore,payroll,customercredibilitydeterminationandplantlogistics.Onthislevel，themainpurposeofthesystemistoanswernormalquestions,analyzetheproblemofthelogisticsandinventorynumberoftheorganization.WhatisMr.Williampaymentandwhatistheproblem?

Toanswerthesequestions,theinformationmustbeavailableandtheinformationshouldbecurrentandaccurate.Theexamplesofbusinesslayeroftheinformationsystem:

thesystemusingATMdatatorecordthebankdeposit,thesystemtorecorddailytimethatemployeesworkinfactories,etc.

Knowledgelevelinformationsystemssupporttheemployeeswhoareworkingfortheknowledgeanddataintheorganization.Knowledgelevelinformationsystemisintendedtohelpbusinessesfindnewknowledge.Newknowledgewillbeintegratedintoenterprisesandhelpcompaniescontroldocumentthings。

Knowledgelevelinformationsystem,particularlyasaidofficeworkstationsystems,todayisthefastestgrowingapplications.

Managementinformationsystemisdesignedtomonitor,control,makedecisionandusedtoservethemanagementactivitiesofmiddlemanagers.Themainquestionofthisinformationsystemistoconsiderwhethereverythingisasusual.Typicalmanagementinformationsystemsfunctionistoprovideperiodicreportratherthanonreal-timebusinessinformationsuchasamigrationcontrolsystemthatcanmovethedivisionsacrossthecompany,lookingforahouseandtheemployeetoreportdomesticsubsidies.Atthesametime,theactualcostsexceedthebudgetnotesegmentshouldbepaidattentionto.

Managementsystemsalsosupportthedevelopmentofunconventionaldecisions.Thesesystemsaremoreconcernedaboutthenon-programmeddecision-makingandthisinformationinvolvedindecision-makingisnotalwaysclear.Thesesystemsareoftenanswered:

"what-if"kindofproblem.IftenSalesaredoubledinFebruary,what’stheeffectonthetimingoftheproduction?

Ifthefactoryconstructionispostponedforsixmonths,what’stheeffectonourreturnoninvestment?

Toanswerthesequestions,itrequiresbothinternaldataandexternaldata.Butthatdoesnotreadilyavailablefromthebusinesstiersystemhasbeen.

Strategiclevelofinformationsystemshelpsthetopmanagerdealwithinternalandexternalstrategiestosolveproblems,andpredictlong-termtrends.Thesystemmainlyfocuseson:

makingtheexistingorganizationalcapabilitiesadaptedtothechangesintheexternalenvironment.Fiveyearslater,whatlevelofemployeesthatarerecruitedisachieved.What’sthecosttrendinthelong-termindustryandwheredoesourcompanytrytodevelop.Also,fiveyearslaterwhatkindofproductswill