Role of IT Assignment - Marks and Spencer

WORD IIT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY-
It has been discussed in this report is that M&S will use seven stages of system
development life cycle that is beneficial for them. Company invest money in IT which provide
many benefits as well as bring issues that impact on its financial performance. Internet and
intranet is very important for firm as they will use in entire structure to gain profit than before.
Moreover, IT will play vital role in success of M&S and help to attract more people towards
them as to make the best promotion plan.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................2
Literature Review ............................................................................................................................2
Role of IT in Failure or success of Marks & Spencer..................................................................2
Social and ethical issues that relate to running businesses..........................................................3
Differentiate between various types of networking technologies................................................4
Discussion and Analysis .................................................................................................................5
Importance of internet and Intranet in business...........................................................................5
Different stage of system development life cycle........................................................................6
Potential drawbacks and benefits of Marks & Spencer investing in IT.......................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
IT (Information Technology) is set of several applications which is used by many
companies such as Marks & Spencer to succeed and survive for longer in marketplace. In
modern world IT is very important to implement in overall business structure that gives many
benefits to increase operational efficiency as well as functional. The present report is based on
M&S working as in retail sector and provide the best quality products to customers in UK. This
study explains role of Information technology in success or failure of company and also define
social and ethical issues pertain to running businesses. Differentiate between various types of
networking technologies and importance of internet and intranet in M&S. Furthermore, it
justifies different stage of system development life cycle and drawbacks and benefits of business
as to invest in IT.
Literature Review
Role of IT in Failure or success of Marks & Spencer
According to Burmeister, Lüttgens and Piller, (2016) information technology is use by
many companies such as M&S to managed their work effectively. It is the use of computer to
transmit, store, manipulate information or data and retrieve often in context of the industry or
businesses. IT is considered to be the subset of communication and information technology. It is
the type of business sector that deals with computing systems including software,
telecommunications, hardware and mostly anything include in transmission of data or procedure
that faciliate communication. Information technology play main role in business as help to grow
and achieve desired organizational objectives and goals. With the help of IT department
company can be able to perform better than before, they can perform many core functions within
firms include maintain and introduces computerized information systems to procedure
information efficiently, to produce timely and useful information. As discussed by Jones,
Borgman and Ulusoy, (2015) the main purpose of IT within business is to provide appropriate
networking, software, communications and hardware infrastructure. Information technology play
vital role in success of business as it helps to run transactions procedure effectively. It affects
company abilities to communicate with its consumers or target market, in recent business
environment IT is very essential for workers to interact with customers clearly and quickly.
Websites permit people to find results to their questions after few hours, fast shipment with the
help of Information technology allow company to move goods over the large geographic area.
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As per view of Engelbrecht, Johnston and Hooper, (2017) if people use technology to
communicate with the business, the company benefits get increase because they can be able to
communicate better with them and creates the stronger public image efficiently. IT role within
M&S is to gather all the relevant data required to gain success and suitable for business growth.
With the help of information technology business will collect the most appropriate data or
information about customers and suppliers easily. Technology also support the business better
understand their preserve valuable resources such as physical space and time as well as
understood cash flow needs. Ware house inventory technologies let company owners
understands how best to manage and organize storage costs of holding its products or services.
Social and ethical issues that relate to running businesses
As per view of Milovanović and Gligorijević, (2017) business is commercial activity, in
simple words business is the action of making profit by selling or purchasing goods or services.
It is an economic system or organization where products and other facilities is exchanged for one
other or for money. As to run business effectively and efficiently companies face many issues
that must impact on their entire performance and profitability. Sole proprietorship, corporation,
service business, manufacturing, merchandising businesses etc. are the types of businesses.
Business problems is long termed or current issues and challenges faced by the organizations.
There are 5 biggest ethical issues which relate to running businesses. Workplace ethic is an
ongoing relationship between employer and workers. According to Gierej, (2017) harassment
and discrimination is included in ethics of business. Companies need to focus on discrimination
activity that impact on employees' performance as well as overall business functions negatively.
Management of businesses must consider that no one should get discriminated in staff because
its against law and business ethics. Racial discrimination, wage inequality and sexual harassment
are the types of ethical problems that bring many challenges for businesses as it happen within its
working environment. These are all expensive ethical problems that employers and employees
encounter on every day basic routines across country. Discussed by Cassidy, (2016) that
harassment is the crime any businesses and its staff members should arise their voice against it.
Equal employment opportunity commission states that there are different types of discrimination
include disability, genetic information, race, pregnancy and origin. Attaran, (2017) elucidated
that sharing the privacy of business is one of the ethical issues that also effect overall
performance and activities of companies. Distributed nature of social media made it the factor in
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workers conduct after hours and online. Punish worker and fire them is ethical for organizations
for what they post about on social media sites. For example in businesses employees can wrote
the article mostly relate to working environment or conditions on popular blogging website. It is
against ethical principles of businesses and consider as one of the biggest issue. Product liability
and social media posts in market place is one of the social issue related with business. Any
companies must consider the culture and religious of economy before advertising products or
services because it is essential for running business effectively. They should promote goods after
conducting market research because many people avoid eating many things which is against to
their religious. They need to provide quality products to its customer in existing and new
marketplace. Goods liability is social issue that influence running businesses' growth and
success.
Differentiate between various types of networking technologies
As per view of Nguyen, Newby and Macaulay, (2015) Wide Area Network is one of the
best networking technology that help to increase internal communications and boost up
productivity within business effectively. WAN provide the security and distinct privacy
advantage, it is important for business. P2P and VPNs networks is made up of leased lines more
than broadband connections as it means that Wide Area Network give faster data or other things
upload speeds that help to spread information in target market. Most of the corporate WANs
bring with unlimited data transferral and command easily made in real time. It permits
businesses to avoid throughput lags generally experienced in internet. On the other hand Tehseen
and Ramayah, (2015) think that Wireless Local Area Network is best and better than other
networking technologies as it provide wireless networking connection over short time period and
distance by using infrared or radio signals instead of traditional network cabling. WLAN
connections work via receivers and radio transmitters built into customers devices, wireless
networks does not need cables, but many particular purpose devices is normally used to build
them. In business WLAN is easier to accessing than wired Local area network since cable length
cannot the factor. It is common even when away from the home or businesses, like in public
place. But on the other side Rahman and et.al., (2016) argued that (SAN) Storage Area Network
is better than WAN and WLAN networking technologies. It specialized high or good speed
network to business that provide block level network access to storage. SANs usually composed
of hosts, storage elements, switches and storage devices which is interconnected using the
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different of topologies, protocols and technologies. It gives the greatest networked storage
solutions that is quite beneficial for business growth and success within marketplace. It is the
high speed sub network of shared storage devices, it makes all storage devices accessible to
every servers on WAN or LAN.
Discussion and Analysis
Importance of internet and Intranet in business
Internet is the global computer network, supplying the different of data or information
and communication facilities, consisting of interrelated networks using standardized
communication protocols. Internet is a means of connecting the computer to any other computer
system anywhere in the world via servers and dedicated routers. When two computers is
connected with each other over internet, they can be able to receive and send all types of
information such as text, video, graphics and voice. Internet is very important for M&S and its
business development, it helps to provide powerful communication and useful marketing tools
that is beneficial for overall business performance within marketplace. It is in role of business
successor; essential to make firm's successful. With the help of internet Marks & and Spencer
can be able to grow, gather more information about customers and achieve their goals and
objectives. In competitive market business garb the attention of customers with the help of
internet, they can place the best promotion or advertisement of products which help to attract
people more towards them. It is one of the easiest way for the company to connect and make
good relationship with its customer. To speed up the production organization is using high speed
internet to reach their target market and other ones. Firm use internet in business for getting
consumer buying habits and data about them and used to create marketing strategies based on
data analysis.
Intranet is important in business as like internet, intranet is the private network that only
be accessed by authorizes users. It is contained within Marks & Spencer, consist of several
interlinked local area networks. It uses leased line in WAN, intranet includes connections
through two or more gateway computers to outside internet. It is as important as other
networking tools, with the help of intranet company can be able to share information about new
products and capable to computing resources among workers. It considers as the important
business tool which increase business productivity and employee engagement, when managed
efficiently, Intranet improves internal communication within organization. It enables workers to
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interact and share its knowledges with others and also help seamless communication between
departments and overall teams' member. It is important for company as well as employees to find
data as they need easily and quickly as soon as possible.
Different stage of system development life cycle
System development life cycle enables business to transform the newly developed tasks
or project into the list of operational one. It is iterative, structured and multi step process in
methodical way (Cabeza and et.al., 2014). It is used to provide or model the framework for non
technical and technical activities in M&S to deliver the quality system which exceeds or meets
the business expectations and help to manage decision making progress. SDLC is divided into
five stages which help system analysts to define actions clearly to achieve business goals and its
specific objective.
7 Phases of System development life cycle-
1. Planning- It is the first stage of SDLC, the purpose of this phase it to find out scope of
issues and identify its solutions. Costs, benefits, resources, time and other items must be
considered here. Within business without appropriate plan calculation of weakness and
strength of existing project it not possible, if company develop or implement software
they cannot be able to succeed in it because lack of planning. With the help of planning
or making effective plan M&S kicks off the new work flawlessly and impact its business
growth positively.
2. System requirement & analysis- System analysis is essential to proceed further to next
level, with the help of existing system analysis company can be able to identify needs or
new program within business structure that helps to raise its performance more than
before. In this phase management of Marks & Spencer analyse performance or
effectiveness of current software at different stages and then make notes based on further
requirements. With the help of software system analysis teams member can consider
functional and operational requirements of project effectively.
3. System design- Once the planning and system analysis is accomplished, system design is
the third step of SDLC. This phase of designing new project takes over, which is
normally building structure of new ones. It helps business to remove available or possible
flaws by setting the modular and effort to stick to it. It describes in detail needed
specifications, operations and features that satisfy functional needs of proposed system.
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4. Development- In this phase the real work or performance is begins which help to grow
business and make it successful in marketplace. Development marks end of first section
of procedure. It signifies start of manufacture in which company can be able to change or
install new system. In short the actual work of developing new software starts here after
the passing the four phases of SDLC.
5. Testing & integration- Within this phase management test new develop system or
software and determine any errors or bugs which affect business performance as well as
market reputation. Authority identifies that new software is meets with business needs or
not and also measure it effectiveness to achieve set goals of M&S.
6. Implementation- Implementation is the sixth and most important phase, when system is
put into production by moving components and data from old program in new system via
direct cut over. In short once the new software is developed, it is ready to implement.
After testing the new system by management and testing team effectively the new
program is ready to use, it is the longest level of SDLC.
7. Maintenance & Operations- After planning, testing, designing and implementing new
software in M&S maintenance is the last and final phase of system development life
cycle. Once the new software is passes through all level without any barriers or issues, it
is to undergo the maintenance procedure where in management will need to upgrade and
maintained software from time to except to changes. Almost every software development
UK organization follows all seven phases leading to position and reputation that nation
enjoys in software market today.
Potential drawbacks and benefits of Marks & Spencer investing in IT
Benefits of investing in IT by company-
If organization invest money within IT they can be able to communicate with its
customers more easily and reach to target market effectively. Information technology investment
by M&S provide many benefits as advantage of growth.
Disadvantage of M&S invest money in Information technology-
But on the other side investment in IT bring many challenges and put negative effect
Marks & Spencer. Business need to take loan and borrow money to implement new IT
technology which is costly and more expensive than existing ones.
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CONCLUSION
From above it has been summarized that IT sector play important role in success and
growth of Marks & Spencer. Information technology helps to accomplish organizational goal
and business objective and easily support to communicate with people. WAN, WLAN and
SANs are the different types of networking technologies that is beneficial for business. It has
been concluded that there are the difference between all above technologies as defined by
different authors from above report effectively. Internet and intranet both is useful and effective
tools used by M&S to gain competitive advantages and grab the attention of consumers. 7 stags
of system development life cycle work effectively and adopt by organization to produce new
software. Furthermore, investment in IT bring benefits and also carry disadvantages that impact
on firm.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Attaran, M., 2017. The rise of 3-D printing: The advantages of additive manufacturing over
traditional manufacturing. Business Horizons. 60(5). pp.677-688.
Burmeister, C., Lüttgens, D. and Piller, F.T., 2016. Business model innovation for Industrie 4.0:
why the “Industrial Internet” mandates a new perspective on innovation. Die
Unternehmung. 70(2). pp.124-152.
Cabeza, L.F. and et.al., 2014. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle energy analysis
(LCEA) of buildings and the building sector: A review. Renewable and sustainable
energy reviews. 29. pp.394-416.
Cassidy, A., 2016. A practical guide to planning for E-business success: how to E-enable your
enterprise. CRC Press.
Engelbrecht, J., Johnston, K.A. and Hooper, V., 2017. The influence of business managers' IT
competence on IT project success. International journal of project management. 35(6).
pp.994-1005.
Gierej, S., 2017. The framework of business model in the context of Industrial Internet of
Things. Procedia Engineering. 182. pp.206-212.
Jones, N., Borgman, R. and Ulusoy, E., 2015. Impact of social media on small
businesses. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. 22(4). pp.611-632.
Milovanović, S. and Gligorijević, Ž., 2017. The Role of Information and Communication
Technologies in Transformation of Tourism Business and Markets. Teme. pp.105-117.
Nguyen, T.H., Newby, M. and Macaulay, M.J., 2015. Information technology adoption in small
business: Confirmation of a proposed framework. Journal of Small Business
Management. 53(1). pp.207-227.
Rahman, S.A. and et.al., 2016. Enhancing the wellbeing of base of the pyramid entrepreneurs
through business success: the role of private organizations. Social Indicators Research.
127(1). pp.195-216.
Tehseen, S. and Ramayah, T., 2015. Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs business success:
The contingent role of external integration. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences.
6(1). p.50.
Online
Introduction to LANs, WANs, and Other Kinds of Area Networks. 2016. [Online]. Available
through : <https://www.lifewire.com/lans-wans-and-other-area-networks-817376>.
Seven Phases of the System-Development Life Cycle. 2017. [Online]. Available
through :<https://www.innovativearchitects.com/KnowledgeCenter/basic-IT-systems/
system-development-life-cycle.aspx>
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