Data Silos and Email Communication in Operations and Project Management

This report discusses the impact of data silos on company operations and the issues related to email communication in operations and project management. It also explores alternatives to email and the implementation of a new communication system.

OPERATIONS AND
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
PAPER 1..........................................................................................................................................3
Data silos and its impact over operations of company................................................................3
Specific data silo in Luton Town residences...............................................................................4
PAPER 2..........................................................................................................................................5
Specific issues relating to email being problem..........................................................................5
Alternatives to email to LTR......................................................................................................6
PAPER 3..........................................................................................................................................7
Email replacement project...........................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Operations and project management within organizations deal with many issues as well
as approaching strategic business problems systematically. Project management deals with
organizing, controlling, planning and motivating workers to achieve specific goals and set
objectives of businesses effectively. Operations management also play vital role in companies as
it creates extreme level of efficiency possible within organizations. It concerned with converting
raw materials into quality services and goods as efficiently as possible as increase profit margin.
Operations and project management both work effectively and efficiently in term of increasing
productivity and profitability.
The current report is based on Luton Town residences, is as housing association
managing and operating their business in Luton with clear mission to carter right and the best
housing facilities for local community.
This study explains data silos in context of above company, internal communication
analysis of LTR and email replacement project. All these are the three topics that will be
explained through this report.
PAPER 1
Data silos and its impact over operations of company
Definition of data silos
Data silos is a condition wherein only one team in company can access a source or set of
data (Laborie and et.al., 2019). It refers to the collection of info in LTR company that is isolated
from and not available by other department of firm. It causes wasted assets and inhibited
productivity, there are two overarching situations that arise from data silos such as different
groups either store data or they store complementary, but divided data, both situations causes
several issues. Data silo is a depository of fixed data that remains under control of one section
and is isolated from rest of company. It is a major issue because of three reasons, such as
inability to obtain a comprehensive view of data, wasted resources and inconsistent data. It
occurs due to many reasons, for example company culture, organizational structures and
technology. Furthermore, it is considered as wide source of inefficiency in any functional unit
and company. This issue usually exacerbated in IT, where any loss of efforts and time can incur
huge costs.

Deliberate and harmful data silos
Silos are developed when departments of company either inadvertently or deliberately
withhold data from other sections. They can exist when some people have permission to certain
information tools that other does not (Huhtala, Pikkarainen and Saraniemi, 2017). Separation of
data into silos will easily become a time-consuming and expensive guessing process. Like a
cluttered attic, things are difficult to find when they are in closed system. It poses issues to
businesses, and becomes harder to access mission critical information. This is also made it highly
difficult to examine and compile details to obtain the most cohesive view of companies.
Animosity or competition between sections can cause those workers to keep data from each
other, more than working together is can be defined as harmful data silos that affect negatively
on business operations' efficiency.
Data silos and their impact on operations of company
In recent time, data silos put negative impact on production and marketing operations of
business, because it hinders productivity and profitability as well as data integrity. When two or
more in business silos exist for same info, their contents are likely to different, developing
confusion as to which system and information represents the most up to date version. As an
outcome, recent data will accidentally obtain overwritten with less recent info. Although it can
be difficult to integrate data from systems that do not originally intended to work or perform
together. Many firms considered that data silos are a big problem, it impacts negatively on
operation effectiveness as create gap between business functions that in results decrease
productivity rather than before.
Specific data silo in Luton Town residences
In context of case study, finance, facilities and customer services team use numerous
applications and systems to store separate data about their consumers from rest of LTR company.
It creates problems when one department require data about their residents from other section,
and they cannot be able to give it because of restricted access (Pattanayak, 2017). Access
restriction is one of the specific data silos that impact on business positively, as it protects
personal information of individual from being stolen by other person which they can utilize
negatively. Access restriction cause a cost increases that created more convexly, as consumer’s
services team activities are affected by this data silo. In order to get approval from different

department another section need to wait for long that can affect consumers based and brand
image within marketplace negatively.
Luton Town residences manage different distinct housing blocks such as emergency
hostel, transitional flats and two hostels for younger mothers. In order to manage business
operations effectively, company divided its department into several categories who are
accountable for managing problems within their own fields. Facilities maintenance team, utilizes
specialist could base system, workers of this section have permission to use 360 facility system
other departments such as consumer’s services and finance department cannot be able to use this
program in any situation that affect productivity and performance activities. The data stores in
this system would be beneficial and useful to another department for which they need access that
consume a lot of time and efforts as well.
Furthermore, from above discussion it can be said that access restriction is one of
particular example of data silos exist within LTR that affect performance of consumers services
team negatively (Falkenthal and et.al., 2017). This department is accountable for keeping
information and data for each of four housing blocks along with plan and word text documents to
keep track of recent issues with individual consumers, in order to solve it as soon as possible.
Weight restriction causes linear cost maximize as more team are affected. Once culture of
separating data entrenched in LTR company, it is quite difficult other department workers to
change their mind-set. Additionally, it can be uneasy to undo this silo due to way that systems
are set up with different approval and permission.
PAPER 2
Specific issues relating to email being problem
The communication is an important activity without which no work can be done in
effective and efficient manner. Communication is medium through which a person shares and
spread ideas and information, facts and figures from one- person to another (Amor, 2017).
Without communication the no business can work in effective and successful manner as the
strategies to work will not be communicated in effective manner and it will not be understood by
the other employees of company. This is same in the case of LTR that is Luton Town
Residencies. In this business all the communication is taken and conducted on the basis of email.
For each and every information or instruction to be passed is passed with help of email.

The communication through email is defined as the messages being shared by the email.
This email communication created many different problems like all the information whether be it
small or big is communicated with help of email only. Thus, there is possibility that the other
people might miss to read some information. Also, all these information is transferred with email
and it is not possible that the employee of LTR sees all the mail. Also, it is very difficult for the
employees who are responsible for the management of the emails. This is a tough task as in a day
they are large number of mail so to send them to correct person is also a tough task.
Alternatives to email to LTR
For the effective working it is very necessary for the company LTR to find some
measures to improve the communication within the company. This is majorly because of the
reason that without communication the working of the company cannot be managed in effective
and profitable manner. This is majorly because of the reason that if communication will not be
clear then the working will not be in one direction that is direction of attainment of group goal.
Hence, for this LTR need to use some alternate method of communication other than email.
These alternate methods are discussed in following connected points-
Skype- this is a method or mode of communication which can be used by LTR in order to
communicate within the company (11 email alternatives for better business communication,
2018). This is a method in which the person can send text, audio messages, regular phone calls,
even video calls to the other person. This is a good tool of communication because even if the
employee cannot go to other employees place then they can communicate over skype through
video call and can see the operation and working of company on their own.
The major advantage or strength of using skype in LTR is that this reduces the time of
employees and this is majorly because of the fact that if a person has to go to other office to see
something but they use skype then this will save the time of person. The major reason underlying
this fact is that is that the employee will first go to the place and then they will communicate.
Rather this wastage of time will be shortened with help of Skype because the person will see all
the things on video call only and will not have to go (Kaya and Ertuğrul, 2016).
Yammer- this is also an alternative to the email communication under which it connects
the whole company and enable them to take good and faster decisions. This is a technique which
is used to foster communication within the company which can be more advantageous then the
normal email communication. This is a system which helps the person to join in the discussion

going on within the company and share their views and ideas. Thus, this is a system which assist
LTR in sharing any problem in Yammer and all the employees within the company will discuss
over it and will try to reach some conclusions.
The major strength of Yammer is that this is helpful for LTR in resolving the problem in
any situation because this involves the views and ideas of every employee within the
organization and this improves the ability of company to solve the problem.
But the drawback of this is that there might be conflicts as it is not necessary that the all
the employees within the company agrees to the same thing. Hence, there can be conflicts of
thoughts and thinking among the employees communicating with help of Yammer (Sampson,
Barbour and Wilson, 2016). This is majorly because of the fact that in email communication the
message is sent and there is no face to face communication. Hence, this will create a little
problem in the communication.
PAPER 3
Email replacement project
As discussed above the email communication system needs to be replaced and this is
being replaced with Skype and Yammer. Hence for this help of PRINCE2 process is undertaken
and this is applied for replacing the email communication. The steps of PRINCE2 process is as
follows-
Starting up a project- this is the stage wherein the project is started and people are
appointed in order to manage the project in successful manner. In his stage LTR is proposing to
implement Skype and Yammer as a communication tool and for this project implementation an
executive and project head is appointed. The duty of these people is to design the process
through which the whole plan will be executed.
Initiating project- this is a stage of project where the implementation of Skype and
Yammer is started or initiated. Here the project task is initiated and it is decided as what task will
be done by which employees, how the training will be given to the employees in order to use
Skype and Yammer, what will be the risk in undertaking the new project and all other related
issues will be discussed in the initiation phase (PRINCE2 process, 2016). In this stage all the
possible risk is being analysed and strategies are prepared if these risk occur.

Directing project- in this stage all the authorities are designated to work on the project of
implementation of the new communication system of Skype and Yammer. Also, a board is being
selected in order to govern and regulate the whole process of implementation of Skype and
Yammer (Hinde, 2018). Here in this stage the direction is being provided to all the employees of
LTR that what activities they have to perform in order to implement Skype and Yammer in LTR.
Controlling- this is the stage wherein all the activities undertaken and allotted to different
employees are controlled and monitored that whether it is going in the correct direction or not.
This is necessary because of the reason that this will help the management board of LTR to know
that whether the intended project is being implemented in the same manner or not. Hence, in this
stage the management of the project reviews the standards set and the actual work which is being
undertaken and then this is compared. If in comparison it is identified that there are deviations,
then corrective actions are taken to implement Skype and Yammer in proper manner.
Managing stage boundary- this is another step in replacement of Email with Skype and
Yammer as a communication channel. In this stage if there are deviations then some alternative
plans are made in order to fill that gap. This is done in order to implement the Skype and
Yammer in successful manner.
Managing product delivery- as the alternative plans are being implemented then it is
very necessary for the company to ensure that the alternative plan is also being implemented in
the same manner. Hence, it is necessary that the product delivery is in the same manner. This
means that the implementation of Skype and Yammer must be in the same manner as it was
planned in initiation phase.
Closing the project- this is the last phase of PRINCE2 project implementation in which
the project is being implemented in the successful manner and it is at the stage shutting down
(Shaw, Hughes and Greenhalgh, 2019). This is majorly because of the reason that the Skype and
Yammer is being implemented within the LTR and this is fully accepted by the employees of the
company in successful manner.
CONCLUSION
In the end it is summarised that managing the data and communication within the
company is very helpful for the success of the company. This is majorly because of the reason
that this will help company in effectively manage the work. The current report stated that data
silos is a system which restrict other department to use the data of any other department within

the company. The negative point form above discussion was that this restrict the use of data and
this increase the time of working as first the department need to get access and then only they
can use the data. The other thing highlighted in discussion was the communication issues faced
by LTR because of email communication. Hence, the alternative was suggested like using
Yammer and Skype in place of email. In the end PRINCE2 method of project management was
used to replace email communication with Skype and Yammer.

REFERENCES
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Online
11 email alternatives for better business communication. 2018. [Online]. Avaialbe through: <
https://www.proofhub.com/articles/email-alternatives >
PRINCE2 process. 2016. [Online]. Available through: < https://www.whatisprince2.net/prince2-
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