An Analysis of Information Technology in Marks & Spencer: A Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the role of Information Technology (IT) within the retail giant Marks & Spencer. It explores how IT contributes to the company's successes and failures, examining areas such as decision-making, marketing, communication, and sales. The report delves into ethical and social issues pertinent to running a business, including security, software piracy, and identity theft, and discusses the importance of networking technologies, including PAN, LAN, WAN, WLAN, and SAN, in supporting business operations. Furthermore, it highlights the significance of the internet and intranet for Marks & Spencer, particularly in terms of virtual teams, marketing, knowledge management, and corporate communication. Finally, the report outlines the different stages of the system development cycle, such as planning, analysis, design, development, implementation, and maintenance, emphasizing their importance in creating new electronic payment systems and improving business processes.

Introduction To
Information Technology

ABSTRACT
The particular report summarises that marks and Spencer is retailed sector company
where information system use in effective manner to increase sales. The report consist of
different types of role of IT department which can define failure and success. In organisation find
out several types of social and ethical issues to run business. There are identifying different types
of networking technologies which can use by company to conduct business activities. In the
every business internet and intranet have important value to survive business and for develop
system development cycle follow the particular stages.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
Role of IT in the success or failure of Marks and Spencer.........................................................4
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running businesses.......................................................5
Identify and differentiate between several types of networking technologies............................6
Importance of Intranet and internet in Marks & Spencer...........................................................7
Different Stages of system development cycle...........................................................................8
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Information technology an area of business that emphasizes on the areas such as
computer technology support, computer network and database management, business software
operation and information security (Cui and et.al., 2015). In present time information technology
can face different types of challenges and issues which is connected to diverse features like this
growth of internet, latest operating system, web security, wireless and mobile communicational
protocol system. To understand the concept of the report selected retail organisation Marks &
Spencer, which is based on UK. It is a major British multinational retailer which is trading in
high quality clothing, food and home products The presented report focus on success and failure
in IT sector, ethical and social issues and different types of networking technologies.
Additionally, importance of intranet and internet and define various stages of system
development cycle.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Role of IT in the success or failure of Marks and Spencer
Information Technology (IT) provide help to maintain data through gathering,
transmitting and getting access to attain organisational goals and objectives. The importance of
IT relies upon a number of feature like assistive management, changes in business procedures
and reforms in system and processes as these when coordinated with working system. They are
not attended to heavily invest efforts, money and time upon technologies and do not attempt to
bring out invention into organisational premises from the point of view of spread out business
into new market to modify share as well as create strong position into market. IT system has an
effective role in management of issues which is related to technology breakdowns. It will be
presented in reference to Marks & Spencer to trading regrading to technological challenges and
suitably introducing them. The roles of IT in success of Marks & Spencer are mentioned below -
Assist in decision making – An entity has to undertake effective decision in order to
accountability as well as speed of system. In the context to corporate world, business firms have
to determine of path for enquiry for taking decision regarding to maintenance of orderly conduct
within the premise. Marks & Spencer attain web as well as other types of online modes in order
to avail information and assure about the validity and accuracy (Laudon and Laudon, 2015).

Facilitates marketing as well as growth of business – The success of any organisation
has been based on the their marketing strategies which is followed by an organisation. They are
decided after taking account the latest trends and techniques to predominant in market place of
Marks & Spencer. The strategy of marketing mainly focused on advertisements and promotional
campaigns as these provide resources to create awareness among customers and present with the
features and attributes of the products. The Information Technology can assistance of the process
of communication with several kind of customers and transmitting then necessary information in
reference to offering of entity. It provides growth and increase profitability of company.
Fosters Communication – Effective IT system assure about the flow of information in an
impressive manner. Also, they sure about to decrease to decline in mistakes as well as errors
while bring out communication with other persons for obtain of business objectives. It is
important for Marks & Spencer to improvement in their existing system in reference to modify
the overall productivity and reduce drawbacks within the process of manufacturing. It will help
to acquire the stipulated goals and objectives within the due course of time (Mao and et.al.,
2016) .
Rise in sales – Through IT, sales of products and services continuous increasing and it
will provide satisfaction to customers and the fulfilment the desires that take place. Through aid
of IT, services as well as quality of offering of Marks & Spencer can be significantly increased in
order to expand the sales. As a result the loyalty of customers will be developed and sustained
for long period of time.
Ethical and social issues that pertain to running businesses
There are a number of social as well as ethical and social issues that takes place within
the organisational premises of Marks & Spencer. Some of these are explained below:
Ethical Issues
Security – It is one of the major issues that emerge within an organisation when the
security system can not set up to date and are ineffective to attain the needs and requirement of
business. It will provide chance to hackers to hack their important and confidential data of
company through use of an IP address. In the context to E-commerce, hackers occupy the
computer system while a person executing a financial transaction and move to all the amount of
money in their personal account so as a result it will impact on the customers and their bank

accounts. To tackle particular situation, Marks & Spencer express upon security, privacy and
another issues which can damages the image and positioning of the company.
Software Piracy – It states to the ignorance of acts like illegal copying, use supply of any
software without orienting any type of legal rights over them. This is observed to be risky as the
hacker can rapidly as well as easily bring out hacking of the software and accordingly obtain all
the necessary information for any type of wrong activity. In case a hacker steals legally protected
information from any software so it would directly influence to operations and reputation of the
respective organisation (Plumb and et.al., 2017) .
Social Issues
Identify Theft – It is considering as one of the biggest specious activities that takes place
owing to IT is fraud. The leading issues that comes under the dishonest activities is found to be
recognition theft where in personal details has been used by third parties to done any bitchy
purpose. The particular contribution has been conducted for illicit online financial transaction as
well as other related activities that may hold negative consequences. These activities have an
ever lasting impact upon marks & Spencer and in hence it must be taken into account by the
entity to ignore repercussions.
Usage of networking for advancement – It is considering as another major issues for
different type of organisation which can play critical role for smooth functioning of business.
After analysing it is getting that there is poor networking of Marks & Spencer so it will show
impact upon all the customers details as well as the information in a negative manner.
Networking can provide help to develop of connection with customers to across the globe.
Identify and differentiate between several types of networking technologies
In present time each business organisation can use different types of network techniques
and computer system to execute operations of business in effective manner. It will help to
acquire organisational goals and objectives. There are many networks which can use by business
to accomplish goals of business. All of these are stated below - Personal Area Networks (PAN) – The particular network can use in effective and
approachable way with the support of customers, mobile phones and many other devices.
These are providing help to achieve organisational goals and objectives. Such as the IT
department of marks & Spencer adopt particular network to tackle their basic network
related work (Sabherwal and Jeyaraj, 2015).

 Local Area Network (LAN) – The term of LAN define that there are two or more
computer are interconnected at specific area. It is different from personal network area
which can use to transfer information as well as data in same company. Wide Area Networks (WAN) – This type of network holds capability of connecting one
network from another broad area. It is consider as different form from LAN and it will
provide services within local area that is same office. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) – It is similar to local area network but it is
different regarding their services because it can provide local area network wireless. So
connect to different types of system no need to cable.
 Storage Area Network (SAN) – In this type of network can not need to broad area
networks and local area network. It can help to storage in effective manner and deals with
different type of networks.
Importance of Intranet and internet in Marks & Spencer
Internet and water, both have equal importance in Multinational companies as their
complete business is dependent on it. It does not matter whether an organisation is introducing
Artificial intelligence in the enterprise or uploading information about latest offers on their
website, internet is required for running daily operations. Intranet is private network which is not
shared with anyone outside from the organisation (Saunders and Brynjolfsson, 2016). Strong
Intranet is considered as basic ingredient for remaining relevant in market. Below is importance
of internet in Marks and Spencer:
Formation of virtual teams – M&S is present in many countries which are far away from
each other. Internet help them in communication specially by overcoming the barrier of
telephone. It allow them to discuss critical issues without having physical presence and save
money & time in terms of travelling expenditure.
Marketing – Nowadays, promotion of brand and its products is done on social media as it
is considered as best tool for letting people know about companies offerings and discount offer.
It is also used for taking review of millions of customers which ultimately assist in making long
term strategies.
Importance of intranet in Marks and Spencer
Knowledge management – M&S store data and information which they have gathered
from various sources. Database on intranet is used by employees whenever they need

information about required content. It assist company in increasing productivity of workers and
support them in delivering better products & services to customers.
Corporate communication – Intranet is more secure compared to open network i.e.
internet. It assures privacy in communication which happens at different levels in organisation.
M&S can take feedbacks of employees and communicate company's policies to them through
this closed network. Tasks like workers satisfaction survey, Grievance handling etc. can be done
in this private network for assuring addressing issues related to human resource as they are
backbone of the organisation (Schwalbe, 2015).
Different Stages of system development cycle
` System development cycle can be outlined as an application development life cycle,
which is being used in different aspects like engineering sector, data systems and it is also
basined software engineering as well. Eventually, it is the process of of creating, planning,
deploying and testing within a system development cycle. In different companies their IT
sections is looking forward to create new electronic payment system. These six different
software development processes are going to be with various stages which are -
Planning – On the basis of plan, it can be said that advantage and disadvantage of
different range of projects are being identified. In the reference to Marks & Spencer is looking
forward to create new electronic payment system. It will be helpful for organisation to provide
information to the IT departments. It is considering as aim of the business to improve payment
process through effective strategy.
Analysis – In the particular step determining the performance of the software at several
stages and prepare notes on additional requirements. On the basis of marks & Spencer go direct
with pros and cons of the system to design of electronic payment design structure.
Design – After complementation overall investigation then focus on design section which
can be created the overall project in particular period of time. Accordingly marks & Spencer
could easily carry out all the possible flaws that are important to be abstracted in reference to
systematic procedures and plans.
Development & Implementation – This stage very important because company develop
the electronic payment system software and it will take place. After development comes right
phase in front of company and implement of the design of the product (Smith and Wong, 2016).

Testing – The stage of testing analyses the errors and issues regarding to software and
find out bugs if there any. After getting effective results company can easily pulled out right on
time. Here, it can be said that testing a software results in actuation out actual working results of
develop software by IT department of marks & Spencer.
Maintenance – Once the software passes then all the stages without any issues is is under
go into maintenance process where is analysing according to changes and modify as per the
requirement. Every organisation can follow these six steps to develop any software as per the
current market trends (Stein and et.al., 2015).
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Considering the information which is presented above, it can easily said that a business
organisation like marks & Spencer will be maintained their presence in the area of IT. The retail
sector can use advance software in order to dealing from different types of customers and
changed the way of conducting business and using sufficient information of business. So they are
followed the digital information and this transformational can help to conduct the business at
international level.
As per the above graph it can be said that business transformation within a digital spin is
nothing for companies like Marks & Spencer. The performance level of an organisation increase
by 250% and they saved costs of 50% on top of that. So after introduce new electronic payment
software can impact on the Marks & Spencer on the growth and success of the company. There
are identified potential benefits for company regarding to information technology -

 The IT department easily get payment from customer and save data in effective manner.
 Company will be tackle customers at wide area and analysis their activity.
 It can help to increase sales regarding to different products and services.
There are identified drawbacks of information technology -
 Many times information will be leak and third party use the data of clients for fraud.
 They can transfer money in their personal account.
 If data will be leaked so as a result it can show negative impact on the image of company
and growth level (Turban, Volonino and Wood, 2015).
CONCLUSION
As per the above report it has been concluded that in modern ear every company use
advance technology to conduct their business activities in effective manner. Therefore, it is
important to develop the software where consist of several stages of system development cycle.
On the other hand, it is also said that social and ethical issues can show negative impact on the
performance of company. It is also being summarised that both internet and intranet analysis
important role to reaching new level.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cui, T. and et.al., 2015. Information technology and open innovation: A strategic alignment
perspective. Information & Management. 52(3). pp.348-358.
Laudon, K. C. and Laudon, J. P., 2015. Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital
Firm Plus MyMISLab with Pearson eText--Access Card Package. Prentice Hall Press.
Mao, H. and et.al., 2016. Information technology resource, knowledge management capability,
and competitive advantage: The moderating role of resource commitment. International
Journal of Information Management. 36(6). pp.1062-1074.
Plumb, J. J. and et.al., 2017. Technology meets tradition: The perceived impact of the
introduction of information and communication technology on ward rounds in the
intensive care unit. International journal of medical informatics. 105. pp.49-58.
Sabherwal, R. and Jeyaraj, A., 2015. Information Technology Impacts on Firm Performance: An
Extension of Kohli and Devaraj (2003). MIS quarterly. 39(4). pp.809-836.
Saunders, A. and Brynjolfsson, E., 2016. Valuing Information Technology Related Intangible
Assets. Mis Quarterly. 40(1).
Schwalbe, K., 2015. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.
Smith, L. C. and Wong, M. A. eds., 2016. Reference and Information Services: An Introduction:
An Introduction. ABC-CLIO.
Stein, M. K. and et.al., 2015. Coping with Information Technology: Mixed Emotions,
Vacillation, and Nonconforming Use Patterns. Mis Quarterly. 39(2). pp.367-392.
Turban, E., Volonino, L. and Wood, G. R., 2015. Information technology for management:
Digital strategies for insight, action, and sustainable performance. Wiley Publishing.