Management Information Systems Report: Marks and Spencer Case Study

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Marks and Spencer's (M&S) business operations within the retail industry. It examines M&S's selection based on its products, services, and global involvement. The report delves into the information systems used across different functional areas of the organization, including sales and marketing, human resources, finance, customer service, and distribution, highlighting the data flow within each. Key concepts like operational, tactical, and strategic data are explored, detailing their differences and relevance to M&S. The report also identifies suitable technological solutions for M&S, such as fitting technology, and addresses professional, ethical, social, and legal considerations. The report concludes with a discussion of the key findings and provides references for further reading.

Business management
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Question-1 Discuss about the Retail industry and Justify the selection of Marks and Spencer
on the basis of products, services and involvement within global world....................................3
Question-2 Information systems within different functional areas of organisation (Marks and
Spencer).......................................................................................................................................6
Question-3 Describe about the key concepts within Marks & Spencer, differences between
strategic, operational and tactical data.........................................................................................7
Question-4 Describe about the suitable technological solutions that implement in Marks and
Spencer......................................................................................................................................10
Question-5 Determine the professional, ethical, social and legal consideration within Marks
and Spencer................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Business management is defined the process of managing, coordinating the organization
business in terms of production, money, machines that mainly involves both for marketing as
well as innovation. In this report, it will discuss about the Marks and Spencer based on retail
sector which providing the better quality of selling products in global marketplace.
This report will discuss about the retail industry where choosing Marks and Spencer on
behalf of its overall products and services. It will describe about the different key factors which
analysed overall operational, strategic and tactical information of organization. Furthermore, it
will determine the suitable technologies that used as a solution for implementing in the Marks
and Spencer. There are different factors related ethical, professional, legal and social in the
business.
Question-1 Discuss about the Retail industry and Justify the selection of Marks and Spencer on
the basis of products, services and involvement within global world.
Retail industry is associated with the selling goods and services of customer in exchange
for money. It can be sold various products through stores, kiosks and even by mail or internet. It
is mainly based on the enterprises which including grocery, drugs and other convenient for
consumer in global marketplace. Marks and Spencer is one of most common British
multinational retailers in London which specialises in selling high quality of home products, food
items and other clothing’s. It is mainly listed on the London stock exchange which are
constituently. M&S was founded in 1884 by Thomas spencer and Michael marks which has
established 959 stores across in UK (al Habibi, 2019). It mainly including 615 different types of
food products. it provides different type of products related the women’s clothing, uniform of
girls that were branded under different ways. It also mentions large range of general merchandise
which became selling the item in different countries. It is based on the real time organization that
establishing their business in multiple locations. Marks and Spencer is a private firm that
provide different products and services in global world. It is the largest retail chain that operates
in UK but exporting item in other countries.
The organization has always run newspaper and magazines or other type of advertisement
medium which introduce the details of items. It always tries to added featured in the
advertisement during 1950s to 1960s. Marks and Spence continuously expanding the business
through strategic planning for growing online medium reach across the country. The brand
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resonates with the consumer in nation and also combined with the establish store estate, offering
online services. Marks and Spencer always focused on the potential growth in market where It
can improve scale of relevance from other nation (BenDaya, Hassini and Bahroun, 2019). It will
continue to operate own business in Hong Kong, Ireland which are more profitable with strong
brand awareness and also established more store on basis of consumer demand. It also trades
online in 21 different market for reaching customer through localised owned and operated
websites.
Web Address: https://www.marksandspencer.com/
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Marks and Spencer offering various type of items such as cloths, footware, Furniture, Wine and
Gidt items. It consists of wide range of collection for every age groups. It has a greater
involvment towards the market where many customer aware about brand image and values that’s
why, it always maintaining demand and position in marketplace. The website of M&S has
representing the interactive design pattern which providing good idea for improving quality in
proper manner.
M&S is mainly working with factory owner that must ensure workers, which are paid
enough to supports the staff members. Although, it has leads to high wages which can improve
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overall organizational productivity and profitability in marketplace. The organization always try
to expand business in different areas where they supplies more than 500,000 house holds. Marks
and Spencer is also need for investment in term of supply chain where it easily fulfill social
aspects through CSR commitmenets. But the commitmenet of M&S based on long term
profitability which are improving the brand image and value in global world.
Question-2 Information systems within different functional areas of organisation (Marks and
Spencer)
Functional business units of marks and Spencer
There are few main functional business unit of Marks and Spencer such as: Human
resource, finance, customer service, and purchasing and sales. Each of these functional unit has
their own roles and responsibilities and each of these units perform their own set of functions.
 Sales and marketing: Main function of this unit is to achieve targets that are linked to
increasing sales or developing new markets (Sonesson and et.al., 2017).
 Human resource: Main function of this unit is to provide training to the staff members in
order to support continuous professional development of their employees of staff members.
 Finance: Main function of this unit is to monitor and support objectives and aim that are
linked directly to improve profitability and reduce overall cost.
 Customer service: Main function of this unit is to proper improve and quality service to the
customers in order to enhance their purchase experience of their products and services.
 Distribution: Main function of this unit is to ensure that all the goods or products are
delivered in correct condition at right place and in appropriate and accurate time.
Structure of the company
Internal organizational structure of marks and spencer is flat organizational structure.
This type of organizational structure has limited levels of management between management of
front-line employees and administration. This structure helps in engaging or encouraging all the
employees in decision making process. The reason because of which marks and Spencer have a
flat organizational structure is to give their staff members a change and confidence for
participating in decision making.
In-going and out-going data in each functional unit
 Sales and marketing: In-going type of data in Sales and marketing functional unit is to update
market research response, obtain profile of existing customers, organize sales promotion.
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Out-going type of data are: respond to customers enquiry, provide technical advice, update
and design promotion of company website, promote products and services of the
organization.
 Human resource: In-going type of data in human resource functional unit is update all
employee’s information, analyse current job vacancies, update require training and
development requirements for employees, receive job vacancies. Out-going type of data are:
to product job vacancies, analyse job vacancies, arrange training and development activities
for employees (Cole, Stevenson and Aitken, 2019).
 Finance: In-going type of data in finance functional unit is monitor all kinds of overdue
payments, prepare and update statutory accounts. Out-going type of data are: actions to
recover bad debt, producer a cash flow statement.
 Distribution: In-going type of data in distribution functional unit is save details of all the
goods, check labelling and security code of all the goods, documentation of all the goods.
Out-going type of data are: analyse delivery of all the goods, check and analyse distribution
issues or problem and resolve them.
 Customer service: In-going type of data in customer service functional unit is customer’s
enquiries about the product or services, receiving customers problems associated with
products and services, list of after sales services that can be provided to the customers. Out-
going type of data are: providing required information or replying to customers queries in
order to fulfil their needs or requirements, providing after sales services to the customers,
analysing customer’s feedbacks and dealing with it.
Question-3 Describe about the key concepts within Marks & Spencer, differences between
strategic, operational and tactical data.
In Marks and Spencer, MIS consultant has performed significant role for identifying all
necessary information which required for improving business operations and functions. It mainly
engages with the Marks and Spencer to understand about important concepts and their
differences.
 Operational data: It is based on the strategic information that mainly including internal
control and operational environment such as information about the organizational
workforce, creditors, suppliers, competitors and other type of customer information. MIS
consultant has directly coordinated with the competitors and labour statistics which help
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for organization to make product become superior and competing items. In Marks and
Spencer, many potential consumers are creating the client profile which help for item
creation and distribution through advertainment medium. Management information
system is mainly stored the accounting data that control internal finances and improve
productivity in market. It is important for organization to maintain operational details on
daily basis.
 Tactical data: The tactical data is a type of decision supports information which consists
of embody knowledge and also able to generate decision. It is the most significant role
played within marks and spencer, where they are taken some important decision after
analysis of tactical information (d'Ambrogio and Zacharewicz, 2019). MIS consultant is
generating important decision on behalf of tactical data because it help for business
purpose to analyse the investment cost of overall products and how M&S sustain their
identity of being lowest cost producer for long terms growth or development. In
particularly, The objective of Marks and Spencer should be termed as strategic data as
qualified as long term goal achievements.
 Strategic data: The strategic data is based on the planning where it can be determined
overall strength, weakness, threat and opportunities of business. it is mainly used for
identifying business strategic direction and also set up strategic goals or objective. The
strategic data always helping for marks and spencer in tune with proper trends which
always helps for creation in demand item and appealing through different advertisements.
The labour statistics information the upper management of marks and spencer, in terms of
general trends which among employees and aid management. It must ensure the
commitment towards the strategic goals and objectives. For Marks and Spencer, it is
important role-played strategic data for identifying all type of details related business
opportunities in global marketplace.
Difference between operational, tactical and strategic data
Operational Tactical Strategic
 Operational is mainly
deals with the overall
implementation of
business task which
 Tactical level set up
the framework to reach
their actual goals.
 Tactical is related to
 Strategic data must
provide the direction
of Marks and Spencer
towards business goals
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required to reach on
specific objectives.
 Marks and Spencer use
operational data, which
based on fixed point of
view towards strategic
planning (Wiśniewski,
2019).
 It is based on the fixed
amount that contained
information about
different departmental
operation performed in
Marks and Spencer.
set of mechanism
which mainly used to
arrive at organization.
in order to achieve
strategic direction.
 It is based on the
mechanism where
Marks and Spencer use
tactical information for
targeting consumer
through policies.
and objectives.
 Strategic data has
impacts on the overall
business in terms of
decision making. It
directly linked with the
vision of M&S.
 Strategic data is
analysing overall
enterprises capabilities
where how it deals
with the needs and
requirements.
Table :1
Question-4 Describe about the suitable technological solutions that implement in Marks and
Spencer.
Marks and Spencer have invested money in specialist fitting technology in a bid to cut down
returns and sales. It always used innovative techniques that supports for increasing demand of
consumer in global marketplace. it can be creating the digital series where consumer identify the
details of particular products in global marketplace (Gorecki and et.al., 2019). The primary aim
of technological solution which allows for potential customer to find the best clothing that suits
their shape, size thus reducing the chances of item. It being returned that they did not liked and
fit properly. In M&S, it has made investment as a part of drive to enhance the digital capabilities,
which is one of common goals in terms of ongoing scheme. It is mainly used the different types
of technological as a solution for implementing.
 Operational database and CRM technologies: An operational database is a type of
process that mainly used within organization for purpose of manage and store data in real
time. It is considered as source for data warehouse that help for storing large amount of
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information in proper manner. It stored the details of customers, who were visiting the
website so that automatically save details (Vranješ and Anđelković, 2019). It also
controlled the real time operation and also compared with conventional database on batch
processing. On the other hand, Customer relationship management is also another type of
technique that must be used in Marks and Spencer for coordinating with the customer and
identifying their need and requirement. It is a type of tool which allows for performing
execution to analyse data in order to improve relationship with client. For Example-
CRM system applicable for transactions or other type of financial operations.
 Data warehousing, data mining and data analytics: Marks and Spencer is used the data
mining technique for analysing market and identify all type of fraud detection. In this
way, it can reduce the risk about risk management in system. M&S implement the
concept of data mining for improving overall quality of services. On the other hand, A
Datawarehouse is considered as a database system which is designed for analysis
transaction work and store in periodically. After stored data, it can be analysed details
through analytical tool that generating information in reports, charts and graphs. For
Example- Data warehouse might incorporate the client details from M&S through point
of sale system.
 Cloud based and outsource data management platform: cloud-based services is mainly
offering the on-demand network access which help for sharing the resources such as
servers, storage, applications and network. In Marks and Spencer, it usually hosted by
supplier which provide the internet services and rapidly managing data or information.
Cloud services always consists of outsourcing without any single dedicated data centre.
It mainly including various type of cloud-based outsourcing such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS and
DaaS etc. these are offers greater flexibility for providing better solution of business. For
Example- It can be used various type of application based on the Cloud services such as
Google App Engine, Red Hat’s open shift and magneto commerce.
 Web-based and mobile access services: The Mobile web mainly refers to browser based
worldwide, which accessed from the different mobile devices such as smart cell phones.
It is the better ways to provide facilities of consumer where they can easily access
website in mobile phones to check overall details (Sonesson and et.al., 2017). Marks and
Spencer already use online website where potential customer easily access details about
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items and services. For Example- Web application such as Microsoft 365 and google
Apps. It mainly including the online forms, video, photo editing, file scanning and
conversions.
Question-5 Determine the professional, ethical, social and legal consideration within Marks and
Spencer.
In M&S, MIS consultant will develop a good relationship with colleagues where they are
sharing on opinion and view point about the social, ethical considerations (Rodriguez, 2019).
These are main important concept which require for identifying suitable usage in the business
operations and functions.
 Professional: In context of profession, Marks and Spencer always committed to drive
sustainable business in terms of socially as well as environmentally. It requires for
providing the better safe and healthy working environment where people feel good. The
organizational culture of M&S promotes personal, professional development. In this way,
individual person enjoys coming to work place to be without any discrimination,
victimisation and harassment. In other countries, Employing are responding towards
culture and environment in professional manner where M&S considered the
professionalism to treated with proper dignity and respect. In this way, staff members
have feeling pride to be worked with our brand.
 Ethical: It is type of philosophy that mainly deals with moral and value of human being.
Marks and Spencer coordinating with the potential customer regarding product purchase
so as needed for organization for maintaining distribution chain, otherwise it directly
affects on the business operations and functions. M&S should charge fair price of
customer on each item because every people have right to get proper knowledge about
sold items. In respect of warranty, it can use better ingredients in product manufacturing.
It is useful for M&S for long term benefits in order to gain competitive and dynamic
environment.
 Social: The social trends always impact on M&S and its entire profitability because it has
changing preferences of consumer and demographic changes, it is going to have deep
impact on the retailer. When it comes to the customer services, it more personalised
services provided by Marks and Spencer (Pavlič and et.al., 2019). It will have changed
the way where they server the better design on customer experience and increasing
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demand in global marketplace. social factor is playing important role within organization
because it also affects on the popularity of item due to demographic changes.
Technological items are demanding than other and growing importance of customer
services. Marks and Spencer will depend on how they have crafted their potential
customer experience.
 Legal: the factor is important for Marks and Spencer because they must follow the
different legalisation and applicable in organization regarding employment. In particular,
A big pain for M&S, who have to maintain the competitive through lower price. M&S
had various tussle with the law over employee which increase issues or problems. On the
other hand, it exists other type of law related packaging on product applicable in the
organization. As per MIS consultant, it can be determined that Legal system is complex
which have causes due to any violation. For Example- Walmart and Amazon had deal
with the fair share of legal issues in past decade. It may offer from other country,
sometimes relater have causes due to compliances.
CONCLUSION
From Above discussion, it concluded that Business management is a type of process that
help for managing, coordinating the organization business in terms of production, money,
machines that mainly involves both for marketing as well as innovation. It has summarised about
the Marks and Spencer based on retail sector which providing the better quality of selling
products in global marketplace. this type of retail industry is considered various type of key
factors which help for analysing overall operational, strategic and tactical information of
organization. it can be used the suitable technologies that used as a solution for implementing in
the Marks and Spencer, various factors related ethical, professional, legal and social in the
business.
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REFERENCES
Book and Journals
al Habibi, B., 2019. HR practices of Marks & Spencer, Selfridges, Primark, and
Sainsbury’s (Doctoral dissertation, University of Science & Technology).
Ben-Daya, M., Hassini, E. and Bahroun, Z., 2019. Internet of things and supply chain
management: a literature review. International Journal of Production Research. 57(15-
16). pp.4719-4742.
Cole, R., Stevenson, M. and Aitken, J., 2019. Blockchain technology: implications for operations
and supply chain management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.
24(4). pp.469-483.
d'Ambrogio, A. and Zacharewicz, G., 2019, June. Report of Collaborative Modeling and
Simulation (CoMetS) Track of WETICE 2019. In 2019 IEEE 28th International
Conference on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises
(WETICE) (pp. 104-105). IEEE.
Gorecki, S. and et.al., 2019. Risk management and Distributed Simulation in Papyrus tool for
Decision Making in industrial context. Computers & Industrial Engineering. 137.
p.106039.
Pavlič, M. and et.al., 2019. MANAGEMENT PROCESOV VARNOSTI IN ZDRAVJA PRI
DELU Povzetek. The authors are responsible for the professional and linguistic
accuracy of their papers.p.148.
Rodriguez, O., 2019. Artificial Intelligence in the Business of Tourism: A Market Strategy in the
UK Travel Distribution (Doctoral dissertation, University of East London).
Sonesson, U., and et.al., 2017. Protein quality as functional unit–A methodological framework
for inclusion in life cycle assessment of food. Journal of cleaner Production. 140.
pp.470-478.
Vranješ, B. and Anđelković, B., 2019, February. Analysis of the performance of occupational
health and safety in the production business system. In IOP Conference Series: Materials
Science and Engineering (Vol. 477, No. 1, p. 012038). IOP Publishing.
Wiśniewski, T., 2019. Integrated Simulation and Regression Framework for Delivery
Management in E-commerce. Problemy Zarządzania, 17(2 (82)). pp.205-217.
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