¶ … New Computer System for the 21st Century Business Office
It is impossible to imagine that any business can be run in the 21st century without an adequate computer system. And yet therein lies the rub: Determining what computer system is adequate for any business purpose is in fact a complex and difficult process in many cases. All too often what happens when a manager is faced with choosing a new computer system (usually at the point when the old one has completely crashed, losing valuable information that wasn't backed-up) is that he or she finds the brochure that's on the top of the pile and orders that computer system.
But this is not the way to proceed. Acquiring the right information system is essential in keeping a company healthy. This paper examines a real-world case of a corporation - in this case, Toys R Us - adopted a new computer information system, examining what went right in the process and what went wrong and what those involved might learn from this experience to make the next shift in information technology (for in the 21st century there will always be a next shift) go more smoothly.
A key element of analyzing the decision by Toys R Us executives to adopt various forms of Microsoft software is to investigate how closely these computer information systems mesh with the company's internal social and organizational structure, for software is only as useful as it is can be used by the particular workers involved.
Competition is fierce in the retail toy industry, especially as more large discount chains enter the market. To help keep its competitive edge, Toys R Us, the worlds leading toy retailer, adopted Microsoft's Exchange Server and Microsoft NetMeeting's to improve communication among the company's national offices and U.S. distribution centers. Thus one of the key questions that must be addressed here is to what extent the company's changes in its internal organization and especially in its communications infrastructure were sufficient to enable it to meet the challenges that it will face in the future.
Any company that is seeking to maintain its footing in the retail market - and even to expand its position - should consider implementing a systems approach to problem solving at every level. If such a system is in place it can be expanded; otherwise, it will have to be blended into every department. The approach used by this consulting firm in determining how smoothly the implementation of new computer systems went (along with how smoothly organizational changes were made to take advantage of new computing capabilities) must be considered by examining all of the departments.
This approach to analysis is referred to as the systems approach to problem solving, and it involves viewing the organization as a component of a larger environment with which it interacts. Furthermore, the organization itself is viewed as a system with mutually dependent components. The behavior of any particular department influences (and is influenced by) the behavior of other departments. A change in any one aspect of the company's information system and/or organization must therefore be assumed to affect the entire company.
It is impossible, therefore, to assess how well changes in any one department have occurred without considering how the company as a whole has been effected.
The Goals and the Strategy
Toys R Us executives seem to have understood the importance of integrating al of their departments and understanding how they must interact with each other in choosing which computer information systems to adopt.
In order to assess the company's performance we must know something about its basic structure. Toys R Us sells toys, games, and sporting goods in hundreds of Toys R Us stores, children's apparel in its Kids R Us stores, and both clothes and accessories for young children in its Babies R Us stores. Like many other large corporations today, the organization is extremely geographically dispersed and its workers are split between a number of different divisions. Both of these aspects of the computer have tended in recent years to prevent efficient communication, and since efficient internal communication is essential to staying competitive for any large corporation, company executives decided three years ago to adopt new software that would substantially increase the efficiency and ease of internal communication.
The changes made by the company were in fact relatively simple; they did not incorporate cutting-edge technologies. (For example, the installation of Microsoft Exchange Server at the Toys R Us national offices and distribution centers...
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