Information Technology in Business: Primark Case Study Analysis

This report examines the crucial role of Information Technology (IT) in business operations, focusing on its impact on success and ethical considerations. It analyzes how IT contributes to Primark's business, from analyzing data and planning strategies to promoting products and understanding customer needs. The report covers ethical and social issues, such as data security, cybercrime, and employee well-being, and explores various networking technologies like PAN, LAN, WLAN, CAN, and MAN, as well as the importance of Intranet and Internet. The report also details the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) stages. By highlighting the importance of IT implementation for businesses to remain competitive and profitable, the report provides a comprehensive overview of IT's influence on modern business practices and includes a case study of Primark.

Individual Report

Abstract
Information technology helps businesses in carrying out their business operations in an
effective manner. It not only contributes to the overall productivity of the employees but also
contributes to their performance. There are different types of networks that can be used in
different organizations. Lastly, information technology helps in organizations to increase their
efficiency as well as become profitable.

Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................4
Literature Review......................................................................................................................................4
Role of IT in success or failure of a business...........................................................................................4
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running businesses.....................................................................5
Different types of networking technologies.............................................................................................5
The importance of Intranet and Internet..................................................................................................6
Different stages of system development life cycle...................................................................................7
Analysis and Discussion............................................................................................................................7
Role of IT in success or failure of a business...........................................................................................7
Ethics and social issues of IT in selected business...................................................................................8
Networks and their types in selected business.........................................................................................9
Intranet and Internet in selected business................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Information Technology can be defined as the use of computers, networking, storage and
other physical devices in order to exchange, create and process all forms of data. It is basically
used within businesses in order to run operations in a smooth manner (Altahtooh and Emsley,
2017). Technology advancements have increased in the recent years due to which it has become
important for organizations to implement the latest technology in their system. Organization
chosen for this report is Primark, which is an Irish retailer of fashion products. The company was
founded in the year 1969 by Arthur Ryan. The report explains the role of IT in the success or
failure of a business as well as ethical and social issues that pertain to running a business. Lastly,
the report also explains the different stages of system development lifecycle.
Literature Review
Role of IT in success or failure of a business
Information technology can significantly contribute to the success as well as failure of a
business. It provides business an opportunity to analyze a large amount of data in a small amount
of time. With the help of information technology, businesses can plan and develop their future
strategies effectively. Complex problems, whose solutions cannot be developed manually can be
solved with the appropriate use of information technology. IT has brought in new concepts like
digital marketing, cloud communication, social networking etc. With the help of these concepts
or tools, companies can manage the different activities with in their systems effectively.
Organizations that have invested in and implemented information technology get a competitive
advantage over their competitors and are able to perform in an enhanced manner.
Every organization wants to build a business that is not only sustainable, but also
profitable. Businesses that are successful implement information technology in their business and
hence are able to develop strategies and plans for the future effectively (Avgerou and Walsham,
2017). Not only this, information technology also provides various tools to organizations so that
they can carry out their operations in an effective and efficient manner. With the help of
information technology, businesses can promote and market their products effectively. This can
be done through various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Meetings
as well as training for the existing and new employees can be conducted online. Therefore, if any

business does not implement information technology at its workplace, it will certainly lack
behind and not be able to outstand in the market.
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running businesses
With the advancements in technology and companies implementing information
technology in their workplace, the number of social issues relating to the same have also gone
up. Various ethical as well as social issues can not only affect the overall performance but
profitability of an organization as well. One of the major social issues that is related to running a
business is the security as well as protection of important data and information relating to the
employees as well as customers (De Vries, 2016). This is important because if an organization
fails to do this, it might have to deal with negative consequences. The information can either get
leaked or hacked and used in an incorrect manner. Another social issue is that of harassment,
there can be some employees within the company who are harassed or bullied by some other
person. This will not only impact their overall performance but also their confidence levels go
down.
On the other hand, some of the ethical issues in businesses include health and safety,
technology and privacy as well as social media. Accounting is also one of the ethical issues that a
business can come across. If the accounts within the company are not maintained in an effective
manner, there can be an error in the same. There are many companies that are not particular
about the health and safety of their employees. Also, the rate of cyber crimes is increasing due to
which the necessity to maintain the safety of employees has also gone up.
Different types of networking technologies
A networking technology can be defined as any technology wherein computers are
connected with each other and communicate information (Feng and Jih-Lian, 2016). There are
many different types of networks that are explained below. These are categorized based on their
size as well as purpose.
 Personal Area Network – This network is basically meant for a very small and limited
area. It allows the users to handle the connection between two or more electronic devices.
A PAN is generally more secure and safe as compared to other networks.
 Local Area Network – This type of network is used in small businesses because it is a
private network and only works across small areas like a building or an office. One of the

many advantages of this network is that messages as well s data can be transferred easily
over different networked computers.
 WLAN – A wireless local-area network helps in linking two or more devices with the
help of a wireless communication. It can only be setup within a small area like school,
office building etc.
 Campus Area Network – This type of network is formed by interconnecting various
LANs together within a specific geographic area (Lugmayr, and Grueblbauer, 2017). One
of the examples of this type of network is that different campuses of a university can be
linked together within a specific area.
 Metropolitan Area Network – This type of network usually covers towns or cities with
the help of cables and optical fibres. But in this, it is difficult to secure the network from
any kind of hackers.
The importance of Intranet and Internet
Intranet can be defined as a private network within a business with the main purpose of
sharing information among employees. Companies have important information that does not
need to be shared with everyone outside it. Therefore, it is important to have a network that
allows only authorized people to use the same. There are many advantages of having intranet
within the workplace as a large amount of data can be stored within the same. Also, the
employees get access to useful information and related updates so that they remain informed at
all times. Intranet helps in automating the day to day operations and workflows in order to
facilitate an enhanced decision making. Intranet also helps in maintaining the documentation of
the company by keeping the necessary and important documents up to date.
Internet on the other hand, holds utmost importance for businesses in today’s world
because it allows them to run their operations in a smooth manner (Marchewka, 2016). The
advantages of having internet at a workplace are numerous and they also contribute to the overall
success of a business. Companies can communicate with their customers in a much more
effective manner and also, internet allows creativity within the business. Apart from this,
companies can conduct recruitment and training processes online which helps them to cut down
on unnecessary costs. The level of overall production can also be increased with the

implementation of high-quality internet. Small businesses can communicate important
information abut a new launch or any offers and discounts to their customers effectively.
Different stages of system development life cycle
System Development Life Cycle allows users to transform a newly-developed project
into an operational one. An effective system development lifecycle helps in meeting the
expectation of customer. The model includes different policies as well as procedures throughout
its lifecycle. The SDLC includes different stages that are explained below –
 System Planning – This is the most important and crucial step within the cycle in order
to create an effective system. In this stage, the problems, objectives as well as the
resources are defined (Mikalef and Pateli, 2017). It is also planned that how can the
product made better as compared to the competitors.
 System Analysis – In this stage, the requirements of the end users should be understood
and documented. A flexible study is also maintained in order to determine if the system is
organizationally and socially correct or not.
 System Design – Before reaching tis phase, the requirements as well as expectations of
the customers should be done properly. A general system design can be prepared by
using pen and paper in order to determine how will the system look like.
 Implementation and Deployment – In this phase, the system is ready to be implemented
and deployed. In this step, the end-users are provided training so that they become
familiar with how to use the products.
 System Testing and Integration – Different components are brought together so as to
create the whole integrated system (Rajaraman, 2018). Also, testing is day by day
becoming important in order to make sure that the customers are satisfied.
 System Maintenance – In this stage, periodic maintenance is made from time to time in
order to make sure that the system does not become outdated.
Analysis and Discussion
Role of IT in success or failure of a business
The success of a business depends on various factors in which information technology
plays an important role. Studies have shown that organizations that invest in implementing
technology have seen an increase in their overall market share, profitability as well as overall

competitiveness. Information technology helps Primark in analyzing large amounts of data ad
develop plans accordingly. Not only this, it also provides many tools that can help in solving
complex problems and plan for the growth of the business. It is a known fact today that
businesses use information technology in order to promote or market their products among
customers.
Information technology has made the overall process of decision-making efficient as it
allows an organization to carry out an effective and detailed market research. This then helps the
management in making effective decisions. Also, marketing process can be carried out by
implementing information technology because it helps Primark in promoting its products in an
enhanced manner (The Role of Information Technology in Business Success, 2020). Information
technology has also made it possible for the respective company to understand the needs and
expectations of their customers in an effective way and then formulate strategies in which they
can be satisfied. IT provides an access to different kinds of channels through which an
organization can communicate with its customers.
Ethics and social issues of IT in selected business
Ethics of information technology play an important role in making sure that the
technology and policies relating to it are implemented in an appropriate manner. But an improper
use of the same can lead to certain social issues, which can influence the overall performance as
well as productivity of a business in a negative manner (Rajesh and Ramesh, 2016). The
employees of the company will also get affected in an indirect manner, if not directly. Some of
the social issues of information technology that can affect the performance of Primark are
explained below–
 Cyber Crime – This is one of the most important social issues relating to information
technology. Some people might use the technology in an illegal manner and portray
themselves as someone else. In simple words, they use someone else’s identity as their
own. This can create a huge risk for Primark and therefore, efforts to secure information
should be made.
 Harassment and Discrimination – This social is common in organizations wherein
employees within a company have to face discrimination or they are harassed because of

something. This not only affects their overall identity in the organization but also impacts
their performance in an adverse manner.
 Security and Privacy of Employees – Primark faces a major concern relating to
protection and security of data. This is important because if the confidentiality and
important details relating to the employees will not be secured, the company will have to
face the consequences.
Networks and their types in selected business
A network can be defined as collection of computers or network devices that are
connected to one another and facilitate the sharing of information (Ransbotham and et. al., 2016).
Primark is a company that has operations in different parts of the world and therefore, has a large
network through its different locations. There are different types of networks that respective
company has which are explained below –
 LAN – Local Area Network or LAN can be referred to as a group of computers that are
connected with each other within a small area. The area can either be a building, an office
etc. This type of network does not require an expensive setup and is thus less costly as
compared to other networks (Computer Network Types, 2018).
 WAN – Wide Area Network is another kind of network that is used by the respective
company. This is because the company has operations in different countries and this
network extends to over a large geographic area like different states or countries. Also,
wide area network is greater than local area network.
 MAN – Metropolitan Area Network also helps Primark in carrying out its business
operations in an effective manner (Tavani, 2016). This type of network has a higher range
as compared to local area network and the company uses it to connect with the employees
working in a different location.
Intranet and Internet in selected business
Intranet can be defined as a private network to which only the authorized users have
access to. Primark has a private network or intranet that is basically used to share information
securely among the employees. The company has a personalized intranet wherein employees get
an access to all the important information, notifications relating to meetings etc. This way, there
are always up-to-date about what is happening within the company. With an intranet, the

information circulates within the company and the management can also keep a track of all the
events or activities that happen take place at the workplace. Also, employees of different
departments can share information with each other effectively.
Being a multinational company, the employees of Primark also have an access to high
speed internet. With the help of this they can communicate with anyone within the company as
well as outside of the company through emails, which is not the case with intranet (Theis and
Wong, 2017). The management of the company also uses internet to provide training to its
existing as well as newly hired employees. The internet also provides an access to various
opportunities wherein they can network with others. It also significantly contributes to the
overall profitability as well as performance. Therefore, Primark has implemented both internet as
well as intranet in its system in order to make sure that business operations run smoothly.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that information technology has completely
transformed the way in which organizations conduct their business operations. It helps the
employees with the company to communicate effective and also the management if the company
can make sure that all the activities within the workplace work effectively. Information
technology significantly contributes to the overall success of an organization. Apart from this,
there are many social issues that may arise due to implementation of IT in a business. There are
various types of networks that can be implemented like intranet and internet. Therefore, if a
business wants to be successful, it should implement IT with the help of systems development
cycle at its workplace.

REFERENCES
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