Analysis of Information Systems and ERP for Business Control

This essay delves into various information systems, categorizing them as data processing, management information, decision support, executive information, and expert systems, with a primary focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. It elucidates ERP's role in automating business processes, integrating data, and enhancing productivity, insights, reporting, and risk management. The essay discusses how ERP systems function, the different implementation types, and signs that indicate a business is ready for ERP. Furthermore, it provides a real-life business scenario analysis, using examples from IT companies in the United Kingdom, showcasing the benefits of ERP, such as focused IT costs, total visibility, improved planning, customization, efficiency, customer service, data security, improved workflows, and standardized processes. The conclusion emphasizes the numerous benefits of ERP software for businesses of all sizes, highlighting its role in managing and integrating vital processes, while also acknowledging potential drawbacks and emphasizing the importance of careful analysis and consideration before implementation, ultimately advocating for ERP as a worthwhile investment for long-term productivity gains.

Running head: MANAGING INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Managing Information and Technology
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note

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Discussion on various kinds of information systems and the ways Enterprise
Recourse Planning systems play an essential tool to manage and control the
information streams organization-wide:
ERP is demonstrated as the capability of delivering an integrated suite of various types of
business applications. It is the tool that shares the common type of data model and processes
covering wide and deep operational and various end-to-end measures. It consists of the elements
seen in the area of manufacturing, service, finance, HR, distribution and supply chain. Moreover,
they automates and integrates central business processes such as scheduling operations, financial
data, keeping inventory records, customer orders. Apart from that, they have various benefits to help
the overall management of business performances. They have been designed across one defined data
structure or schema typically having a shared database (Holsapple et al. 2019). It assures that the
data is seen to be used around that enterprise. This has been normalized and has been based on the
user experiences with the standard definitions. Here, the core element has been then connected with
the business process that is driven through the workflows around the business departments. This
includes the operations, marketing, engineering, human resources and finances and many more. This
comprises of connecting systems and people who are using them. To put that simply, ERP is the
vehicle to integrate processes, people and technologies round the present enterprises.
Aims of the study:
 Understanding various information systems
 Evaluating how ERP plays a vital part to accomplish and regulate the information systems
throughout the organization.

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Objectives of the study:
 To discuss different groupings of the information systems
 To understanding technology of ERP systems
 To investigate the profits of the innovation under a real-life business scenario
Understanding various categories of information systems:
Data processing systems:
The systems were the ones that replaced manual clerical processes that are present in use
such as bank records or the new records that have been unable to be performed by human beings in
calculations that are included because of complexity. These systems are also known as TPS or
Transaction Processing Systems since that is able to deal with the daily transactions of any company.
Instances of this are the data entry, stock control, invoicing and accountancy (Hwang, Lee and Shin
2016).
Management information systems:
This is the system converting information from external and internal sources of data that has
been communicated to suitable form to the managers at various organizational levels. This makes
one put his contribution toward the efficient decision making and effective type of planning is to be
done. Sources of data for managing information system originates from multiple databases. They are
commonly the form of data storage related to data processing systems. This summarizes along with
reports the rudimentary processes of the corporate. Simple data from DPS has been compressed.
Besides, this has been commonly offered in long reports formed regularly (Li, Chang and Yen
2017).
Decision support systems:

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This provides the models and information such that it can help the strategic and tactical
decision-making. This supports the decision making through integrating simple user interface for
querying that system, analytical model and tools for planning and forecasting, business rulers under
decision table and performance data of the company. This is specifically helpful as making the ad-
hic, the one-off decisions. Here, they are seen to be inclining to be asymmetrical and formless
(Chaffey and White 2010).
Executive information system:
In delivers senior managers with various systems for assisting to contemplate strategic and
deliberate decisions. The reason has been to calculate, associate and regulate tendencies or to support
planned decisions of the business. Moreover, The EIS has been able to discourse various formless
kind of choices and produce the generalized communication and computing surroundings instead of
providing specific application or ability. They are never designed for particular problems and tackle
the change in an array of issues. This has been designed for including data regarding external events
like new laws of taxes and competitors withdrawing the summarized information from DSS and MIS
(Masa'deh, Mufleh and Alrowwad 2017). The systems are able to compress, track and filter critical
data, focusing on the decrease in time and efforts needed for retrieving data helpful for strategic
management. Thus one is able to deploy the advanced level of graphics software for providing
largely visual and simple representations for current trends and complex information. Nonetheless,
they never tend to deliver any analytical model.
Expert systems:
This is the computer program trying to emulate the reasoning of human beings. This is been
done through the combination of understanding of hominid experts and ensuing several set of
guidelines that lures the interfaces. Further, the proficient structure is made of 3 portions like the

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inference engine, knowledge base and user interface (Li et al. 2019). Here, the knowledge base has
been reliable event rulers facts and data required to represent the expert’s knowledge. The engine of
inference is the part of an expert system interpreting facts and rule through using forward and
backward chaining for finding solutions towards user queries. The interface of users permits the
users in entering new knowledge and the question the systems.
ERP systems:
The applications of ERP is able to support and automate various operational and
administrative business process around different industries. It involves the line of business,
administrative, aspects of asset management, customer-facing of the enterprise. The deployments of
ERP are expensive and complicated endeavours and many struggles in defining business benefits
(Rouhani and Mehri 2018).
The benefits of ERP includes following.
 Higher productivity:
o The streamlining and automating the core business processes are helpful for everyone
on the business for performing more with lesser resources (Dooms 2013).
 Better insights:
o This includes the eradicating of silos and gaining one source of truth and gain quick
answers for mission-critical business questions.
 Accelerated reporting:
o This includes the fast-track financial and business reporting and sharing results
simply. There are acts of insights and development performance in real-time.
 Lower risks:

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o This maximizes the business control and visibility and assuring compliances with the
regulatory requirements and preventing and predicting risks (Chatzoglou et al. 2016).
 Simpler IT:
o Through using integrated ERP applications sharing database, one can simplify the
information technology and provide everybody with simple ways of working.
 Improved agility:
o Having effective operations and the data that has ready access towards real-time helps
one to identify fast and then react to the latest scopes.
Ways ERP systems can work:
Having ERP systems also known as ERP suite has been made up of various ERP applications
talking to other and sharing database. Here, all the applications typically concentrate in a single
business sector. One can combine various modules for meeting needs. Logistics, sales, human
resources and finance are prevalent points to start. These modules are specific to the industries from
retail and manufacturing (Oghazi et al. 2018).
Types of ERP:
There are various kinds of ERP implementations like hybrid on-premise and cloud. The
benefits of each area to be explored and the specific one is to be chosen, making maximum sense for
business.
Signs that one is ready for ERP systems:
Firstly, one is spending more time on daily tasks. As that takes a long time to control primary
activities, such as closing books various disparate applications could be blamed. The ERP software
can integrate solutions and data under one single system having common interfaces making that

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simper for various business units in communicating and performing tasks efficiently (Ullah et al.,
2018). Secondly, one must have various unanswered business questions. As one is unable to
response the vital questions regarding business like revenue for every product line and amount of
returns the systems and segregated and lack of the access towards metrics and the Key performance
indicators can hold one back. The software of enterprise resource planning has been designed for
addressing the challenges. Thirdly, one has the runaway process of business. Here, it is to be
determined whether there are areas where the processes are getting away from oneself. Might be that
is complex for managing inventories, satisfying customers and keeping costs in check (Chatzoglou,
Chatzoudes and Apostolopoulou 2016). As so, the business process might require to be restructured
for accommodating the development of priorities of change what natural fit for ERP software is.
Then, one has the manual process having numerous data sets. Lastly, there is missing out on the fast-
moving opportunities. The newer ERP systems involve creative and advanced abilities such s
predictive analytics and machine earning. This makes that simpler to determine and then capitalize
the beneficial latest projects (Jagoda and Samaranayake 2017).
Benefits of ERP systems under the context of real-life business:
For these various IT companies from the United Kingdom are chosen. Firstly, there are
focused IT costs. For instance, at RM Plc this has been unifying IT costs and developing their
efficiencies. Next, there is the total visibility. At Phoenix IT, the benefits has come from the greatest
selling point of the software. It has allowed the overall access to all the vital processes in the
business through making data from all the departments that are simply accessible. Then, there is the
improved planning and reporting. At Telecity or Equinix, with improved visibility, the better insights
are important drawbacks of ERP. Next, there is the complete customization (Elmonem, Nasr and
Geith 2016). At Micro Focus, they have been able to pick and then choose which of the components

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has been working best along with leaving out that never require. Further, there is the improved
efficiency. At Fidessa Group, besides reducing the training and IT costs, ERP is able to decrease
effort an time needed through the workforce though carrying out the regular activities (Haddara
2018). Moreover, there is the customer service. As Attenda’s client information are streamlined and
centralized, the sales team has been able to concentrate on maintaining and developing customer
relationships rather than just maintaining the spreadsheets. Then, there is the data security and the
quality. The sharing of data around various functional silos like sales, customer services, business
development and marketing has developed the collaboration across Avecto. Then, there is improved
workflows and collaboration. At Aveva, this has been possible with the method and collaboration
with other people through providing staffs having access to information as they require. Lastly, Sage
Group has proved standardized business processes, improved supply chain management, superior
scalability and facilitated regulatory compliance with the implementation of ERP (Scholtz and
Atukwase 2016).
Conclusion:
Irrespective of the fact that the business is small or large, many benefits of ERP software are
there that must be gained by companies. ERP is the suite of customizable applications permitting
business to manage and integrate the vital processes. Though there are many benefits, this never al
smooth sailing and it has own drawbacks also. While making processes regarding platform is proper
for the business, it is also vital to consider the benefits and disadvantages of the software.
Nonetheless, one must let potential downfalls that must scare one way from the tools taking a
business to a further level. Honest analysis is the needs of the business and areas of problems are
required with seeking out the ERP system. This must provide the business with the potential of
developments. Maximum of the companies have the benefits of ERP systems that can outweigh the

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drawbacks. Besides, there are total streamlined functions of a business that can boost productivity in
the long term making profits of deployment of ERP systems. This is a worthwhile investment of
resources and time. This is versatile in nature and broadly deployed solution that various business
utilizes for facilitating the process of business. Due to the range of configuration and customization
options present, one can tailor solutions for particular needs and the present software that are in use
already. Though automating challenging and tedious flows of works, the solution aims to make the
daily workflow somehow little simpler. The business must look for business benefits in the four
areas. Those are the platform for the efficiency of business process, a catalyst of business innovation,
IT cost savings and vehicle for process standardization.

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