New! Hire Essay Assignment Writer Online and Get Flat 20% Discount!!Order Now

HI5019 Strategic Information Systems

Published : 08-Sep,2021  |  Views : 10

Question:

1. Define business processes,
2. Develop business requirements,
3. Determine the systems requirements,
4. Software and vendor selection
5. Determine at least three (3) ways which companies or organizations utilize such technologies to improve business efficiency
6. Evaluate the level of efficiency of the technology implementation
7. Examine potential security risks, data breaches
8. Provide guidelines on how these risks could be mitigated.

Answer:

The purpose of compilation of this report is to present a business case for an educational institution for the adoption of the Accounting Information System (AIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Written specifically to serve the business needs of an educational institution with the help of a software that organizes all their data and makes it accessible, this business report comprises of an understanding of the processes that are carried out in educational institutions and the requirements that may arise from the same for an Enterprise Resource Planning system.

Once these needs are analysed, we will evaluate the various options available in the market to choose from, in the form of AIS / ERP system software, compare their features, and suggest the one that would be best suited to be adopted by an educational organisation. We are also going to analyse the results that the organisation aims to obtain by the adoption of this system for the management of their resources. This report also explores the potential risks that might be involved with the introduction of technology in the business processes of an educational organisation and suggest strategies for the mitigation of these risks to ensure efficiency and productivity of the organisation without having to compromise on the security of their data and resources (Swartz & Orgill, 2013).

Defining business process

For studying the business process of any organisation very to first understand the various functions that they perform and the process being followed to carry out these functions. Most of the standard business organisations operating in any industry have their core business processes documented, standardized and well managed. This is done to ensure efficiency and to maintain competitiveness and agility in the changing environment.

However, since educational institutions do not operate as business organisations with profit maximization as their ultimate aim, the business processes of these institutions are generally unorganized and unregulated. The management and the administration of educational institutions includes related processes like accounting and management of fee payment, library management, management of the records to be kept of the students, exam scheduling, admission management, managing the finances etc. The enterprise resource planning system for educational institutions can help in aligning and simplifying the flow of information between all the stakeholders including the institution staff, students, alumni, parents etc.  The figure below lists all the standard activities and processes that are carried out for the educational institutions.

Computers are slowly becoming omnipresent in all the offices and institutions. Technology and its advent into the workplaces has revolutionized the way they operate, and made it a lot better in terms of management and efficiency. An educational institution needs to manage funds and finances related to the institution and track them by creating a report that comprises of all the inflow and outflow of the organisational resources. There are also a number of other processes that are carried out in an educational institution which include inventory management, human resource management, accounting, financial management and the management of the operations of the entire institution (Consulting, 2012). The educational institutes also need to maintain a record having the details of the staff and students in a single place to refer to it whenever required. There are a number of activities there are conducted in every education institution in a calendar year, all these activities need to be carried out efficiently and their details need to be recorded and stored in order to refer to them if required in future.

Development of business requirements

In order to make the management and working of the educational institutions improved, efficient, manageable and all the more transparent, it is important to make a transition towards technology and adopt the enterprise resource planning system for the same. The educational system has changed completely in the last few years with the introduction of technology in its various spheres (Sharma & Gaur, 2013). However, the adoption of enterprise resource planning system helps in compiling all these processes and integrates them into one software that makes the management and access of the information related to the organisation quicker and more efficient. For doing this we need to first identify all the processes that are carried out in an educational institution and also identify the business requirements to help these organisations in choosing the most optimum software out of all the ones that are available in the market.

The educational system and institutions have activities going on round the clock and throughout the year. The session begins with admissions, conduction of classes, examinations, keeping a record of the marks of the students, production of results and other documents, and keeping a record of all the data related to the students, the teachers and the rest of the staff (Joseph & George, 2011).

For understanding the business requirements of an educational institution, we need to first understand and identify all the stakeholders of the organisation the stakeholders of an educational institution include teachers, trainers, students, staff, the management, parents and their alumni. A software solution that integrates all the processes of an educational institution will help in efficient Information sharing within and among the stakeholders of the organisation. It will also allow the institution in the dissipation of information in the form of alerts and any other relevant information related to the functioning of the organisation which includes news, alerts, newsletters, emails. They will also allow these people to have chats and discussions which help in building trust towards the organisation and also helps the institution in their development and in improving their management procedures (Aljohani, et al., 2015).

The educational institutions require a software that can helps in the automation of the manual processes which helps in making these processes more accurate and results in less time consumption. The adoption of a software will also help in making their functions more cost effective and well organised. They need a system that provides security to the data related to the students as well as the institution and maintains a backup of this data to help in the preservation of the information in regular intervals. Another expectation from an enterprise resource planning system is to provide improved access to the information that will contribute to better management of the funds and easier and quicker access to the information required by the staff and the students (Microsoft, 2012).

Selection of the software

Presently there are a wide number of organisations providing ERP solutions for educational institutions. The institutions can make a choice among all the available alternatives on the basis of the features that they provide and the requirements that the organizations have, related to their functioning and operations. The most common options available to choose from are Sage ERP, Academia ERP, Redox Technologies ERP solution, Fedena ERP solution and Digiuniv ERP software. Of all the available options, we have found Sage ERP system to be best suited for the educational institutions running standard practices of an educational organisation. This software has the ability to carry out all the operations related to the running of an educational institution, and also provide the required support to the members of the organisation, by providing best services at optimum cost. Investing in an ERP solution is a one-time task which results in a long-term decrease in the expenditure and gives continuous benefits to the organisation by increasing the efficiency of their operations (Rabaa'i, 2009).

Sage ERP is a scalable solution with a robust software, backing up the services provided for enterprise resource planning. It helps in providing superior flexibility that gives the organisations the freedom to customize the solution as per their needs, and helps in smooth configuration for its applications. The reporting application of this enterprise resource planning solution is diverse and it offers a wide range of options to choose from for the preparation of the records. The intelligent solutions by Sage ERP can revolutionize the management operations of an educational institution and also develop strategies for better integration of all the activities.

While providing all the above services, the Sage ERP also takes into consideration the security and privacy of the data stored in its system. The sage ERP portal allows restricted view of the information, and the access to the stored data is given to only the users that have the permission to take control and view the data. With the implementation of enterprise resource planning software, the information of the educational institution can be accessed from any place at any time, which helps in faster decision making and also allows the organisation to efficiently share the information with their stakeholders. Thus, Sage ERP is our software of choice for the introduction of enterprise resource planning systems in the academic organizations (Sabau, 2009).

Utilization of technology to improve the efficiency of the organizations

The implementation of enterprise resource planning software in the educational organisations can benefit them in a number of ways. The key benefit that the organisations receive is the improvement in the efficiency and the productivity of the organisation. This is done by continuous measurement, monitoring and management of the organisational data and the resources. All these steps help in maximizing the potential of the organisation and the results obtained from their operations (Hawking, et al., 2008).

Since the enterprise resource planning software constantly consolidates the data from the various dimensions and functions of the organisation, the consolidated drilling helps in making the decision making process of the organisation more effective and efficient. With the introduction of this software, the organisation can get an online integrated and up to date report of all the data and the key parameters. The ERP systems also help in centralizing the auditing, accounting and bookkeeping functions of the organisation, thus, reducing the cost for the monitoring and record keeping of all these activities. In addition to this, the enterprise resource planning software also helps in streamlining the organisational activities and optimizing the operations.

Efficiency of technology implementation

An ERP system creates an online role based integrated information system for the entire educational organisation and also helps in defining, modelling, operationalizing and systemizing the best practices of the organization for their further promotion and adoption to make the organizational operations more efficient. The software also helps in keeping a constant track of the deviations that may occur from the compliance requirements for an educational organisation (Ellucian, 2012). It provides the managers and the decision makers of the organisation a complete visibility of the day-to-day operations of the organisation and also provides all the required reports at one click, which helps in giving a clear picture in the form of theory as well as statistics. Another factor related to the enterprise resource planning software that helps in the improvement of the efficiency of the organisation is that of accounting and financial management (Bologa, 2007).

The software helps in continuously monitoring the financial health of the organisation and also helps in initiating any corrective action as and when required for the same. The system automatically creates reports related to unrealized payment receipt and gives out timely alerts that help the organizations in keeping a follow up of these delayed payments. These systems can also be used for budgetary control and the management of both planned and unplanned expenses of the organisation.

This helps in the prevention of cost escalation and keeps the wasteful expenditure of the organisation in check. The software also provides projections for the cash flow of the organisation which guides the organisation to plan their working capital accordingly. With the automation of all the processes related to the organisation and their operations and with the adoption of these technologies, an absolute removal of human errors can be done which drastically improves the efficiency of the organisation and makes all the operations more effective and faster (Jensen, et al., 2005).

Potential risks involved

The modern day enterprise resource planning solutions help in the amalgamation of the organisational data, latest technology and business operations to provide an integrated software solution for the organisation. However, the implementation of the software in the organisation is a big task that involves a lot of work and a fair amount of risk as well. This section of the report lists all the risks that might be involved in the implementation of the enterprise resource planning software in an educational organisation. The biggest risk that is involved with the implementation of the software applications is the lack of clear vision in terms of the requirements and the required results. Poor planning is the number one risk to the ERP implementation’s success because if the implementation process is not planned appropriately, the project is likely to fail. Any organisation adopting ERP solutions without properly analyzing their needs cannot receive the required results and stay competitive in the market.

There is a potential risk of people not collaborating and buying in the idea of adoption of an ERP system and automation of the organisational processes. The stakeholders of the organisation may not participate in the training programs and also oppose the changes being brought about in the organisation. Along with the possible people issues, there are a number of system issues that may also arise due to the introduction of technology in the organisational operations (Graham, 2009). The adoption of an ERP solution by an institution requires the submission of huge volumes of data to the system, which may sometimes be sensitive and private. This data, when exposed to the wrong people can have adverse effects on the organisational working and their performance. Any breach of security in the ERP software and its working can result in not just monetary losses, but also cause a loss of reputation for the organisation.

Mitigation of the risks

While there is a fairly good chance that the implementation of enterprise resource planning software in the organisation will increase the efficiency and the productivity, there is also a chance of the failure of this implementation. However, most of these risks can be managed if the implementation is well planned and executed. When a case is made for the automation of the organisational processes and the adoption of enterprise resource planning solutions, it is necessary that the organisation has a clear vision of all that they expect from the software and also the time and resources that they are willing to invest for the same (Baweja, 2015). It is always better to write down clear and measurable goals in order to objectively determine the success or failure of a project. People are intrinsically wired to resist changes, therefore, it becomes important to clearly communicate to all the stakeholders of the organisation the benefits of the software that is being implemented and the way it is going to impact their working and the organisational processes.

The organisation should also plan in advance by providing training sessions and help in clarifying any doubts that may arise before and while the implementation process goes on (Abugabah, et al., 2013). They must also engage the users and seek feedback to constantly improvise and make changes in the implementation process to make it even better and get improved output out of it. Not all ERP software comprise of the same features and deliver the same results. The organisation must thoroughly analyse the processes and the requirement from the ERP system in order to choose the one that is best suited for their operations.

They must also carry out testing of the software with the organisational stakeholders to make sure that the chosen software meets the needs of the organisation and does not create any problems post the implementation process. When choosing a software application, it is also necessary to make sure that the software is customizable as per the needs of the organisation and modifications can be made to it in later stages as the organisation progresses and makes changes in its processes (Hawking & McCarthy, 2000). There are a number of ERP software available in the market that help in customization as per the requirement of the customer and also provide add ons or patches whenever the organisation asks for it.

Conclusion

This business report comprises of an understanding of the processes that are carried out in an educational institution and the requirements that may arise from the same for an Enterprise Resource Planning system. This report has been compiled to present a business case for an educational institution for the adoption of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Since educational institutions do not operate as business organisations with profit maximization as their ultimate aim, the business processes of these institutions are generally unorganized and unregulated.

The management and the administration of educational institutions includes related processes like accounting and management of fee payment, library management, management of the records to be kept of the students, exam scheduling, admission management, managing the finances etc. This report explores the potential risks that might be involved with the introduction of technology in the business processes of an educational organisation and suggest strategies for the mitigation of these risks to ensure efficiency and productivity of the organisation without having to compromise on the security of their data and resources.

References

Abugabah, A., Sansogni, L. & Alfarraj, O., 2013. The Phenomenon of Enterprise Systems in Higher Education:Insights From Users. (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications,, 4(12), pp. 1-7.

Aljohani, A., Peng, A. & Nunes, M., 2015. Critical factors leading to ERP replacement in Higher Education Institutions in Saudi Arabia: A case study, Available at: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/73718/387_ready.pdf?sequence=2

Baweja, S., 2015. Uses of Educational Enterprise Resource planning. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science, 3(1), pp. 1-4.

Bologa, A., 2007. ERP for Romanian Higher Education. Revista Informatica Economica journal, 3(43), pp. 100-103.

Consulting, H., 2012. 15 Tips for a Successful 15 Tips for a Successful Higher Education

Ellucian, 2012. The world’s leading higher education ERP system, Available at: http://www.ellucian.com/Brochures/Banner-by-Ellucian/

Graham, J., 2009. Enterprise resource planning implementation in higher education, Available at: https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/6179/research.pdf?sequence=3

Hawking, P., Foster, S. & Ding, H., 2008. ERP Education in China: The Tale of Two Paths. pp. 893-905, Available at: https://rd.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-76312-5_12

Hawking, P. & McCarthy, B., 2000. Industry collaboration: a practical approach for ERP education, Available at: https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=359388&dl=ACM&coll=DL

Jensen, T. et al., 2005. Issues in ERP Education Development – Evaluation of the Options Using Three Different Models, Available at: https://pure.au.dk/ws/files/880/88_ICESAcc05_-_Jensen_et_al__2005.pdf

Joseph, G. & George, A., 2011. ERP, Learning Communities, and Curriculum Integration. Journal of Information Systems Education, 13(1), pp. 51-59.

Microsoft, 2012. Next Generation ERP for Education, s.l.: s.n.

Rabaa'i, A., 2009. dentifying Critical Success Factors of ERP Systems at the Higher Education Sector, Available at: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/29841/1/29841.pdf

Sabau, G., 2009. An Evaluation Framework for Higher Education ERP Systems, Available at: http://www.wseas.us/e-library/transactions/computers/2009/29-795.pdf

Sharma, R. & Gaur, G., 2013. Role of enterprise resource planning to enhance education system: a review, Available at: http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/102584/13/13_reprint_of_research%20_paper.pdf

Swartz, D. & Orgill, K., 2013. Higher Education ERP: Lessons Learned, Available at: https://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EDU0013.pdf.

Get An Awesome Price Quote For Your Paper – Absolutely FREE!
    Add File
    Files Missing!

    Please upload all relevant files for quick & complete assistance.

    Our Amazing Features

    delivery

    No missing deadline risk

    No matter how close the deadline is, you will find quick solutions for your urgent assignments.

    work

    100% Plagiarism-free content

    All assessments are written by experts based on research and credible sources. It also quality-approved by editors and proofreaders.

    time

    500+ subject matter experts

    Our team consists of writers and PhD scholars with profound knowledge in their subject of study and deliver A+ quality solution.

    subject

    Covers all subjects

    We offer academic help services for a wide array of subjects.

    price

    Pocket-friendly rate

    We care about our students and guarantee the best price in the market to help them avail top academic services that fit any budget.

    Getting started with MyEssayAssignmentHelp is FREE

    15,000+ happy customers and counting!

    Rated 4.7/5 based on
    1491 reviews
    ;