Business IT Systems and Organizational Objectives for British Home PLC

This report analyzes the implementation and impact of IT systems within British Home PLC, a company with diverse subsidiaries including retail, travel, property, and consultancy. The report begins with an introduction to information technology, defining its role in data processing, communication, and system control. Task 1 examines the use of IT systems across various organizational functions such as human resources, finance, research and development, and marketing, highlighting their contributions to achieving business objectives. Task 2 delves into how IT systems store and process data for communication, knowledge management, and customer relationship management. Task 3 evaluates the ways in which IT supports value-added changes, enhancing operations, sustainability, and performance. The report concludes with recommendations for leveraging IT to gain a competitive edge, improve product development, streamline processes, and achieve cost efficiency. The report emphasizes the importance of IT investments for long-term benefits and enhanced productivity for British Home PLC.

Business IT Systems

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...........................................................................................................................................................3
Analysis of usage of IT systems in diverse functions of organization along with their contribution for
attaining objectives. ................................................................................................................................3
Task 2...........................................................................................................................................................8
Analysis of diverse methods in which IT systems can store as well as process data for communication,
knowledge, data and customer relationship management.....................................................................8
Task 3 ........................................................................................................................................................10
Evaluation of ways in which IT supports within value added changes for enhancing operations,
sustainability as well as performance....................................................................................................10
Task 4.........................................................................................................................................................11
Recommendation..................................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
Information technology refers to set of tools, methodologies and processes that are being
utilized for collecting, processing as well as presenting information. It comprises of data
communication, coding-decoding, system analysis, storage & retrieval and system control.
Basically, it denotes development, maintenance as well as usage of networks, software and
systems that are being used for distribution and processing of data (Becerra-Fernandez and
Sabherwal, 2014). This report is based on British Home Plc that was founded in 1950 by Colonel
Williams. It deals within different subsidiaries, they are retail (supermarket), travel (holidays for
customers), property (renting on medium to long term) and consultancy (legal & accounting).
This gained lots of profits but was not able grow at same pace. Therefore, Barrack Reagan was
hired to modernize as well as invest within technology. This report comprises of usage of IT
systems along with their contribution within organization and ways in which information
technology stores as well as manage data. In addition to this, it can be utilized for improvisation
within operations of business.
Task 1
Analysis of usage of IT systems in diverse functions of organization along with their contribution
for attaining objectives.
Information technology denotes wider term that exemplifies advancements within
technologies in context of processing as well as management of data (Bentley, 2012).
Organizations are entirely dependent on information systems for execution of their operations as
well as it enables them to have data related with their competitors within market and
advancements they are about to make. Accordingly, large scale organization alters their
processes. To understand this instance can be taken into consideration like British Home Plc can
have their own application through which customers can carry out online purchases and pay for
the same via app. By the usage of technology, they can also do promotions of their products as
well as services through this they can have attention of more number of customers. In context of
British Home Plc they deals within different sectors but as technology is enhancing, they also

need to alter their ways in which operations are being carried out so that accuracy, efficiency as
well as authenticity can be maintained. There exist diverse departments in an organization that
are liable for carrying out operations respectively (Burrough and et. al, 2015). As they opting to
utilize technological advancements within their activities like British Home Plc can make use of
emails for transferring information rather than handing over manual documents. Advancement
within these departments has been shown beneath:
Human resource operations: HR department within organization is liable to carry out
processes such as recruiting and selecting individuals according to demands of firm (Hendriks,
2013). It is crucial for HR of British Home Plc to make appropriate choice in this aspect so that
they can have effectual workforce. The performance can be improvised as by usage of
technology they can more options to choose from and can also screen their resume or CV as per
their requirements. This denotes that their performance will be improvised by moving towards
digitization. It will also lead them to have higher productivity with respect to work that was done
without making use of technology and in terms of time, it will be taking less duration. With
respect to British Home Plc, functions of HR by usage of IT has been illustrated below:
 Email: Employees can be informed about vacancies that has arose in organization along
with this messages can be transferred through the usage of emails to students as well as
other professionals who are looking forward for job. HR of British Home Plc can opt for
job portals and finding out the potential candidates as well as intimate them about their
services through the usage of emails (Hitomi, 2017). This means that they can have
potential individuals without any crowd as well as their requirements can also be attained.
 Online advertisements: IT provides management of British Home Plc with an option to
post their jobs online, this will save their time along with money which will used while
giving advertisements on other offline mediums like employment newspaper. Amount
will be required while posting on social media but in this they can have CV or resume of
individuals as well as screen them by the usage of software instead of going manually.
This will provide them with amplified workforce who are most apt for their job profile.
 Video conferencing: Online interviews as well as meetings can be carried out by HR of
British Home Plc. This will lead them to save cost and time that is involved within
carrying offline interviews and meeting, it acts as a feasible method as at present scenario

people are addicted to smartphones and prefer to have flexibility in terms of time (Jaques,
2017).
Finance activities: It is crucial for each organization to have effectual financing and it needs
to be accurate as a mismatch within value can lead to decline within their profits. By the usage of
information technology, British Home Plc can have intensified results by this as when all the
details are entered within the software on continuous basis then final results found will be
accurate (Laurillard, 2013). For an instance, transaction processing systems can be utilized by
them as in this there is minimized probability of errors and will lead them to provide accurate
outcomes. By its usage they can accumulate, modify as well as retrieve data on which
transactions have to be made. Within British Home Plc, it will assist them to monitor transaction
activities with respect to productivity, processing, distribution of raw materials, payments and
costs which occurs on everyday basis. This can be attained by organization through the usage of
information technology.
Research & Development operations: By carrying out analysis of marketing activities,
R&D can look forward for to check out the feasibility of information that has been brought up by
later department. This will aid them to have view of market along with their requirements
(Mohammed and Yusof, 2013). It will provide them with wide range of scope for future growth
as accordingly they can make alterations within ways in R&D department of British Home Plc
carry out their operations. In addition to this, R&D department can look on what other
competitors like Sainsbury, Morrison’s, etc. are doing to grab attention of customers accordingly
they can design their operations to have a competitive edge within market this can be attained by
the usage of technology. Strategies needs to be formulated by taking into consideration all the
aspects that is information given by marketing team, internet and their feasibility to have
enhanced outcome.
Marketing operations: This denotes core aspects associated with operations that are being
carried out firm. By the evolution of technology, there has been increase within usage of smart
devices. This means that it will provide British Home Plc with an enhanced option to carry out
their activities associated with marketing. This will assist them to have improvised results as
ample number of people make use of internet which will aid them to grab attention of customers
by furnishing eye catching advertisements (Pearlson, Saunders and Galletta, 2016). It denotes

that by making use of digital platforms, amplified results can be attained. With respect to this,
marketing manager of British Home Plc can make use of IT in following manner:
 Content creation: Through the usage of word processing software, contents of
advertisements can be saved. In addition to this, by making use of systems, marketing
leader can have view of methods or content that is present within advertisements of their
competitors (Rainer and et. 2013). This will give them view of what alterations they need
to make in their content accordingly. Marketing leader of British Home Plc can make use
of online templates to grab attention of wider range of population.
 E-commerce: As British Home Plc is carrying out their operations in various sectors as
well as in diverse locations, by making use of electronic commerce they can have
enhanced profitability. But for this they need to utilize opportunities they have rather than
carrying their operations through traditional methods. For an instance, individuals are
more open to smart devices and doing shopping by its usage. This will provide them
(British Home Plc) with wide options to serve their customers in diverse locations. But
they need to ensure that all the details of their products are made available within their
app along with options for payment.
Contribution of IT within attainment of objectives
There has been a wider contribution of information technology within every industry.
This aids them to render their services in an enhanced manner along with high accuracy, it will
yield them desired results (Reichert and Weber, 2012). Information technology must be utilized
by British Home Plc for attainment of their objectives. They have been explicated beneath:
 Product Development: Information technology will pace up the methods through which
products as well as their services reach within the market. Organization can exemplify
needs of organization through the usage of proprietary and marketing intelligence.
Manufacturing software as well as computer aided design (CAD) will assist British Home
Plc for making improvisation within their decisions. In addition to this, collaborative
technologies can be utilized by them through which team can work as identical unit and
sub-sections can perform their responsibilities accordingly. Information technology will
assist them to handle requirements of customers which changes rapidly (Schwalbe,

2015). In this context, British Home Plc can utilize this while designing as well as
developing services and products which they are about to deliver to their customers. By
this they can formulate their decisions accordingly.
 Process improvisation: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) can be utilized by
management for reviewing sales that is taking place with respect to day to operations
(Stair and Reynolds, 2013). Along with this, cost associated with operating metrics as
well as unified software platform can be analyzed by leader of British Home Plc in real
time scenario. Diverse legacy systems for marketing, finance as well as other functional
areas can be regenerated that will lead them to have cost efficient and trenchant systems.
British Home Plc can make use of ERP system for carrying out their operations within
precise, accurate as well as in quickly manner to have amplified results.
 Cost efficiency: At initial stage, execution of information technology is costly but it
results within long-term of cost savings that makes them worth investing. This also
results within decrease in errors in transaction and when they being executed. This will
yield British Home Plc affirmative results as their will be decrease within waste that will
lead to enhanced productivity and thereby increases the profitability. Information
technology based solutions ranges from formulation of reports to sending them on
network via email as per requirements of employees (Becerra-Fernandez and Sabherwal,
2014). Along with this, while carrying out financial transaction, costs will not be
duplicated and again customers will be provided with precise as well as quick services.
For this, it is crucial for British Home Plc to invest within IT to have long term benefits.
 Competitive edge: Instant development of products will lead them to improvise existent
systems or processes along with this, it will also lead to save cost. Through this,
organization will be able to attain higher competitive position in the market. For an
instance British Home Plc can opt for developing their own application as well as provide
diverse options associated with selecting items and making payments for them
simultaneously. It will assist them to have strong competitive position within market as
well as grab attention of their customers. Management of British Home Plc can utilize the
simulation software within their supermarket as well as retail sector to identify whether
their designing is appropriate or not and can make alterations within their services

accordingly (Bentley, 2012). This will assist them to make their display captivative by
just making sue of software. In addition to this, British Home Plc can make use of rapid
prototyping, transaction processing systems, e-commerce and various other IT tools to
have enhanced productivity within the market.
 Globalization: British Home Plc can operate within competitive environment by
maintaining their operational flexibility along with their financial stability, it will yield
them affirmative results (Burrough and et. Al, 2015). As they are operating in four
different industries, they can opt for spreading their business in diverse countries to have
intensified performance in terms of productivity as well as profitability. For this, it is
necessary that they make use of information technology as this will yield them better
results as it is always not feasible to carry out meetings physically and in case of
emergency there needs to be improvised results. At this moment of time there will be
need of IT so that activities of British Home Plc are not affected. For this it is crucial to
make use of networking technologies by which video conferencing can be carried out
with other branches as well as their potential customers to depict their requirements.
From above, it has been analyzed that there have wider contribution of IT while
furnishing services in context of business organization. Apart from, performing the functions
quickly, they will be carried out in an precise as well as accurate manner. This will aid them to
attain their objectives and goals in given time duration in an improvised way.
Task 2
Analysis of diverse methods in which IT systems can store as well as process data for
communication, knowledge, data and customer relationship management.
Data storage refers to retention of information through the usage of technology that is
being designed for keeping data as well as accessing it when it is required. The major prevailing
forms of storage of data that includes object, block and file storage (Hendriks, 2013). Basically,
it denotes the piece of technology that can be utilized for holding information either permanently
or temporarily in a structured way. Here, structure denotes way in which it becomes easy to have
information. There exists different types of storage: they have been illustrated beneath:

Dynamic storage: This denotes that power is required for maintaining the information.
For an instance RAM (Random Access Memory) that depicts internal storage space that is being
provided by the computer.
Static storage: These devices can even maintain their data even in case of power off. It
comprises of diverse options, they are as follows:
 Optical storage: This options is used by British Home Plc for temporary storage of
information like for data associated with specified project. In this case, technology utilizes
bumps and lasers for encoding data. They includes Blu-rays, CD's and D VD's.
 Flash storage: In this case, technologies make use electronics specially flash memory
(here, data is in both readable as well as writable form and it is also maintained when power is
off) for encoding the information. They comprises of SSD (solid state drives) and memory sticks.
 Magnetic storage: These are hardly used by organizations as at present scenario firms
like British Home Plc hardly opt for these. Magnetic storage technologies utilize magnetism as
well as small metal pieces that can be integrated within a plastic film for encoding information.
They comprises of hard disks, floppy disks, cassettes and DAT tapes (Hitomi, 2017).
 Cloud storage: This denotes remote version of types that have been specified above. For
an instance Microsoft's Azure and Amazon's AWS. British Home Plc can opt for making use of
cloud services as along with storage, it will also provide them with security features (Jaques,
2017). For an instance the features for which they have paid are being delivered to them and in
case if they need to extend their space then also it can be provided to them with some extra
charges & vice-versa.
 Data management: British Home Plc can opt for cloud storage as it will provide them
enhanced security and depending upon requirements data can be retrieved whenever it is being
required. In addition to this, cost can also be saved as they do not need to have their own storage
space means equipment's for storing information as well as their maintenance (Laurillard, 2013) .
 Knowledge management: The process of creation, sharing, usage as well as managing o
cognition and information within organization is referred to as knowledge management. This is
a multidisciplinary approach that is being utilized for attainment of organizational objectives by

having appropriate usage of knowledge. This can be used by British Home Plc for creation of
values as well as accomplishment of strategic as well as tactical requirements of organization.
This will also assist them to retrieve knowledge from information that is being stored on
database (Mohammed and Yusof, 2013).
Communication management: It refers to systematic planning, implementation,
monitoring along with revision of entire channels through which communication takes place
within organization. When knowledge as well as information is maintained is becomes easy
communicate with others as valid points can be illustrated that will lead to creation of strong
impact on projects as well as stakeholders of British Home Plc.
Customer relationship management: Through the usage of IT enhanced relations can
be maintained with consumers as there will be wider options through which interaction can be
carried out in between (Pearlson, Saunders and Galletta, 2016). This also denotes that British
Home Plc possess separate team for handling disputes as well as answer queries that are being
raised by their customers either via online or offline mediums.
Task 3
Evaluation of ways in which IT supports within value added changes for enhancing operations,
sustainability as well as performance.
Information system refers to software that assists within organizing as well as analyzing
data. This denotes that by the usage of technology British Home Plc can transform raw data into
meaningful information that can be utilized for formulation of effectual decisions that can aid
them to have further growth (Rainer and et. 2013). Organizations work harder for being a leader
within market in all the situations that prevails like inflationary, enhanced competitions as well
as recession so that their goals are not affected and they can attain competitive edge. Some points
have been illustrated below which depicts that IT renders value added changes:
o Information storage & analysis: Organization at present scenario, do not opt for storage
of information manually through the usage of hard-copy formats and registers. By the usage of
information systems organization can go for comprehensive as well as sophisticated database that
comprises of crucial data required by British Home Plc. For an instance, as firm can go for
making use of cloud computing a storage space will be provided and in terms of value,

information can be accessed from anywhere this denotes that it do not matter where the
information resides but what matter is that data can be accessed whenever it is needed (Reichert
and Weber, 2012).
o Formulation of decision: The sustainability as well as performance of business entirely
depends on the ways in which decisions are being taken by them. This means that their needs to
be extraction of knowledge from information as well as utilize it when that is needed. While
making decisions, all the information must be taken into consideration that has been attained
from knowledge management system. By the usage of IT leaders as well as managers that are
present within different stores can communicate with one other via video conferencing and share
the crucial details they have attained through carrying out market analysis. This will assist them
within formulation of their decisions (Schwalbe, 2015).
o Assists within business processes: Information technology assists organization to
develop within wide number of value added systems. For an instance, British Home Plc can
merge information technology with their manufacturing processes to make sure that outcome that
is attained is as per required quality management standards. By this leader can ensure that
unnecessary activities can be eliminated.
It has been observed that, information technology yields affirmative results with respect
to value added services as it aids organization to store information as well as retrieve this
whenever it is required (Stair and Reynolds, 2013). Along with this, through decisions can be
made timely that will lead them to have sustainability and ensure timely delivery of services with
amplified qualities.
Task 4
Recommendation
IT systems can be utilized by British Home Plc to have enhanced results as well as ensure
sustainability within market for longer duration of time. For having precise results, they can
make use of transaction processing systems as this will enable them to carry out their financial
requirements in an appropriate manner. For storing the information they can opt for cloud
storage as it will yield them strong capabilities to formulate decisions whenever it is required by
them. In addition to this it will also give them cost benefits, depending upon the space required,

alterations can be made. Apart from all this, British Home Plc needs to have their own
application by which they can grab attention of diverse individuals towards their services.
Conclusion
From above, it has analyzed that information technology is defined as storing, collecting,
processing as well as retrieving data from diverse resources. Firms can opt for making use of
systems that can be utilized by them for improvising overall activities and operations that are
being performed through them. It will lead them to have intensified results in terms of
productivity, profitability, sustainability and preciseness. As information can be retrieved
whenever it is needed as well as quick decisions can be formulated.