The first step in the project to install DMS in the Commercial Office which is responsible for:
- customer services
- market research and new market development
- advertising and sales
- branch management
- new technology project management
The company has been largely using an inefficient paper based system for many years. When an order is to be delivered the paper has to be retrieved and there have been issues with the orders being delivered to the wrong addresses. There are also sometimes delays as the addresses need to be found.
The other problem has been retrieval of past orders, which is lengthy and unreliable, hence creating inefficiencies that may be overcome with a more efficient system of operation. The business relies on providing customers with the right food at the right time, of the right quality. The delays in retrieving order details may result in customers failing to get the food they want, if the paper is difficult to read the kitchen may prepare the wrong dishes and orders may be relayed in their delivery to the right address which not only delays the food, but may also impact on the quality of the food.
Therefore, the current problem may be seen as core operating areas in need of a new and improved process.
- IT SYSTEM OPTION AND SYSTEM DESIGN
2.1 New Functional Requirements
- full-scale routing and document flow scenario editors;
- control for compliance with the document processing technology requirements;
- follow-up control;
- dynamic modification of the form and content of the registration data and registration procedure;
- generation of any reporting forms;
- processing of any electronic objects;
- support of database server corporate standard;
- support of distributed corporate networks;
- certified encoding and digital signature tools;
- search possibilities (full-text indexing, context search);
2.2. Proposed Approach to System Acquisition
With the implementation of DMS the company has considereds several options and recommend in-house development a new system based on Lotus Notes;
In-house development will be the best choice:
the company has recruited an IT Administrator who will install Lotus Notes;
low proposed development budget;
replication of product to another department without additional cost;
short time for modification.
The order process starts with the customer calling into the branch of Dixie Chicken with a telephone call. The customer will then place the order, but they may also start by giving their personal details or even asking what they ordered last time. The proposed has a screen that gives the employee the choice of placing the order or finding the customer, by clicking on one of two boxes using few details such as post code and house number or telephone number. For new customers the proposed system will give the option to create a new record. The system has an easy to use customer Address Finder using either Google Earth or Multimap.and can also link past orders. This can then be printed off with the order details for the delivery driver.
When the customer is identified then the order can be placed by clicking on a link for the menu and the use of a screen where the employee simply ticks the relevant item and then adds notes, this will also allow for multiple identical items to be ordered.
The data then needs to be sent to the kitchen, which is not a area that is conducive to computers and computer screens. We propose the use of a printer placed in the kitchen which prints out the order numerically for the chef. .
2.3. General Overview of Hardware Needs/Requirements
- Each employee will have a personal computer with all associated software
required for their duties.
- Two laptops are proposed for checkout at the Commercial office, allocated for sales staff because they will travel and will need access to a company computer.
- A printer will be shared between about 10 employees, to ensure employees' printing needs a fully met.
- There will be wireless access points available within the office, covering the entire area so that employees may access the corporate network using a laptop anywhere on company grounds.
- Cisco PIX firewalls with all-in-one solution functionality will be located in the Commercial office. All incoming and outgoing traffic will be filtered through the firewalls.
The system will be built upon Lotus Notes. Systems requirements are performed by IBM as listed below. To ensure high performance and robustness, the system will be developed using the three-tier architecture, which separates presentation and business logic, and will guarantee effective work even under high loads.
- Recommended configuration for database server Lotus Domino:
, two 64-bit 2.1 GHz POWER5+
32 GB of DDR2 SDRAM, 2.4 TB
Software: MS Windows Vista Business, Lotus Domino Express
The proposed server will have a Customer Relations Management (CRM) server function to keep track of customer data, and any relationships that may have developed. Customer preferences may be kept here, like whether to deliver food to a home address or to leave for customer collection, discounts that may apply to the customer, or other information regarding the relationship between the company and the customer.
It will also have Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) function designed to integrate all data and processes of Dixie into a single unified system, using multiple hardware
and software components, in addition to the workers inputting data.
- Recommended configuration of the DMS System Administrator workstation:
, 2 Dual-Core Intel 3.0 GHz, 1333 MHz front-side bus
4GB/32 GB4 GB/32 GB DDR II Fully Buffered DIMM 667 MHz via 8 DIMM slots
SATA: 80 GB/7,200 rpm
Software: MS Windows Vista Business, MSOffice 2007 , Internet Explorer 7, Lotus Notes 7 a full release.
C. Recommended configuration of the client workstation:
Hardware: Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad (up to 8 MB L2 cache), 1066 MHz.
Software: MS Windows Vista Business, MSOffice 2007, Internet Explorer 7, Lotus Notes 7.
2.4 Operating System and Software Advantages:
Low, affordable cost
Very stable and less likely to be affected by malware
Lotus Notes; optimized to fit company needs
Support is easily available.
The office building will be connected via some form of leased line. The leased dedicated line will allow uninterrupted service at all times to make Dixie reliable for both the employees and the customers it serves.
Overall, this proposal has provided Dixie with an affordable and feasible option in data management and network design. Choosing this plan will allow Dixie to keep its sights into the future as a considerable force in its area of business.
- Budget
As mentioned in the Executive Summary, the total proposed overall budget is ₤20 000
₤12 000 should be set aside for backup funds. Funds to fall back upon are necessary because there are unforeseen costs in information technology such as listed below:
- Expanding storage or memory in servers
- Upgrading user PC's and laptops
- Future need of IT consulting services
- IMPLEMENTATION
The system implementation plan will be carried out as follows:
- formation of a steering committee;
-
analysing of business process and work flows in accordance with ISO 9000 standard and the BS 7799 standard;
-
formalization of the detailed technical specification and the database model;
- designing and development;
- creating of the system description and user’s guide;
-
testing and checking of technical parameters
-
user’s training;
-
operation and maintenance phase.
- Business Benefits
We propose the creation of a database, where customers past orders may be recalled, new orders inputed and links to the address created for Google earth, with the use of their post codes, minimising the potential for errors.
The use of the Data Management system will also speed up the ordering process as pick lists are used and there is risk of orders being lost.
At the same time this may also help with other aspects of the business, such as planning and forecasting as well as the production of accounts.
The system will provide indirect benefits:
- to enhance productivity;
-
to reduce time consumption in the management decision-making process;
-
to improve follow-up control and to reduce influence of the human factor on the document flow process;
-
single centralized optimally structured document repository;
-
high level of confidential information security;
-
the system can be implemented to different departments;
-
saving up to 50% working time;
The delivery driver says that the use of computers may be very beneficial as he will no longer need to ring customers to find out their address.
- Management Challenges
Most of the employees in the department are not highly computer literate and not all employees have English as their first language. They are worried about the ease of use and need to be able to use a system with few IT skills.
The chefs do not want to use computers in the kitchen, preferring the current manual set up. To change this would require a costly and disruptive re-organisation of the kitchen hence the need for adequate training.
There is also fear with the way that this may change jobs and some staff believe they may not be able to use new systems, so there is the need for reassurance and training as part of the process. The emphasis will need to be on the ease of use and the ability to develop a system that is intuitive and facilitates the current skills levels of the staff members.
5.1 Network Access and Security
Prior to the network being ready for use, all employees must be educated on
company network and security policies. It is important to focus on the impact of
legislation on the network. Employees must know that network compliance will be
carefully managed and enforced.
A major part of the security policy is information assurance. A network is only
secure so long as the right information is being delivered to the right people.
A strict password policy must be enforced. Passwords must contain upper and
lowercase letters, be at least eight characters in length, and must be changed every 90 days.
Access to content will be based by department. Employees will only be able to view and edit files of their own department. However, those employees with more senior
positions will be granted more access through the hierarchical privilege system.
All important data will be retained within the file server. Therefore it is
impossible for employees to leave the office with sensitive data on laptops.
- Legal Issues
When planning any IT project there will always be legal issues to take into
consideration. It is important to read all relevant documents and understand the implications of not abiding by the law. Many precautions can be taken in order to avoid serious conflict.
- Conclusion
This system meets the needs of the restaurant and the employees. It is user friendly and easily connects to a central server or a central accounting system where the data from the different restaurants could be centralised at the end of each day for the accounting systems. This systems will provide lots of benefits to the company. In the long run, the proposed Data Management System if adopted by the Dixie, will ensure effective and efficient business activities, return profits, and gain customers’ trust. Thus, it is strongly advised that Dixie implement the proposed system.
References
http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/jsp/express/p/tower.jsp (accessed 20 January 2008)
D. Browne, D. Martland, P. Samoul, T. Sims, W. Skok, Information Management,
Latour B (1988), The Prince of Machines and well as Mechanisations, in Elliott B (ed), Technology and Social Progress, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
