Business Information Systems PDF

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Business Information Systems coursework...

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IS OF BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Information systems of John Lewis Partnership

UIVERSITY OF EAST LODON Shakir Ahmed (u1507415) Mijanur Rahman (u1741358)

Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................3 JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP - COMPANY DESCRIPTION ......................................................................3 ANATOMY OF JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP INFORMATION SYSTEM ................................................... 4 IS&IT OF JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP .................................................................................................5 JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATION BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ............................................6 JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP PAYROLL SYSTEM ...................................................................................7 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP .........................................................7 CONCLUSION AND EVALUATION .......................................................................................................9 INDIVIDUAL WORK ...........................................................................................................................9 SHAKIR (STUDENT ID)..........................................................................................................................9 INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION.......................................................................................................................9 EVALUATION.............................................................................................................................................. 9 MIJ (STUDENT ID).............................................................................................................................10 INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION.....................................................................................................................10 EVALUATION............................................................................................................................................10 REFERENCE/BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................11

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Introduction The study is focused to show the analysis and insights of the information system and Information Technologies of John Lewis Partnership. Initially, the assessments shows and presents a short history of the company, how the John Lewis Partnership came to exist and its growth throughout 91 years since it was founded. Next it describes the anatomy of the organization’s Information System and the schemes of both IS and IT infrastructures. A description of the IS business environment is the following point in this work, as well as a picture of the DFD of its Payroll system. The organizational structure of John Lewis Partnership is further presented in order to show its importance in the Business Environment domain. The paper finally expresses personal opinions of the members of the group participating in this study group work.

John Lewis Partnership - Company Description The John Lewis Partnership is a British Company that owns and operates John Lewis and Partners and Waitrose and Partners. The company itself the largest employee owned organization in the UK. The organization has 50 John Lewis & Partners shops and 338 Waitrose& Partners shops across the United Kingdom, also including two international sourcing offices, various distribution centres, three cookery schools, farm, heritage centre and a content production hub. When it comes to the history, the company was found by John Lewis, who opened a drapery shop at Oxford Street, London, United Kingdom in 1864. Before opening the shop, John Lewis apprenticed at 14 to a linen draper in Wells. After he came to London, where he worked as a salesman for Peter Robinson at Oxford Street. The first settlement was signed in 1929 and John Lewis has founded John Lewis Partnership Limited, the second settlement was signed in 1950, effectively giving the Partnership to the people who work in it. The partnership bought Waitrose Ltd in 1937, Waitrose Ltd was a London based family business with 10 grocery shops with 164 staff. As mentioned before, the company has two main department store chains. These outlets can generate total sales of more than £4 billion is an indication of the size and efficiency of each unit.

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Anatomy of John Lewis Partnership Information System The anatomy of Information System of the company including: Data Capture, Data Storage, Management Information, Information Technology, Processing and people (Users of the systems, stakeholders and staff). The anatomy of the Information System includes: Data Capture, Processing, Data Storage (standing data and transaction data), transaction output, Management Information, Information Technology (used to operate the IS), people (IS Staff, Users of the System, other Stakeholders). A non-exhaustive list of IT and information systems of John Lewis Partnership including: - RFID systems; - CCTV surveillance; - order-processing systems; - programming systems; - hand-held devices, financials, Human Resources software; - technology to connect stores; - e-commerce and e-business systems; - supply chain systems; - food labelling systems - Information systems (IS) to support their partnership card: - car, home, pet, travel and event insurance policy quoting systems; - workforce scheduling system; As enumerated above, the computer systems at the organization are used in a large array of needs: from controlling stock (computers connected to the checkouts) to maintaining temperatures in fridges and freezers, transforming the large modern supermarket in one of the merchandisers with a complex information system in the UK. At every checkout of Waitrose and Partners or John Lewis and Partners, there are electronic points of sale (EPOS), including a keyboard, a display, a scanner that reads barcodes, a group of scales, a printer, a card (credit/debit) reader and a connected drawer. Every till additionally has its own base to which everything is hooked up. It is the main unit that is connected by cables to the branch computer within the supermarket's system office. The branch laptop sends the main information of each individual sale to the information system at the Head Office of John Lewis Partnership PLC. E-mail is a very used method of communication within and between stores. The recruitment of personnel is also done via computer, by using an application form online which is vetted by the department at the Head Office. The John Lewis PLC their own

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membership cards, which gives opportunity to get some discounts and getting notified if any promotions available, as well as collecting points. The IS and IT of John Lewis PLC regarding membership cards is to collect information about the customer, the date they joined membership, quantity of goods that were purchased or the amount of money that was used, which will help the members to get more discounts. Another information system used by John Lewis PLC is Transaction Processing System (TPS) which is used to gather, retrieve, retain and change all the transactions made within the organization. In order to increase competence, John Lewis PLC has developed a specially made TPS compatible with its business strategy and processes. This process includes 2 transaction models: 1. Batch Processing – stores data and processes it at certain moments previously determined since the amount of data to be processed is rather large and it needs to use limited resources. 2. Real Time Processing – ‘replies’ to information within a prearranged time. The TPS at any John Lewis Partnership stores are the same, as an example, we have visited Waitrose and Partners Shop at Canary Wharf where we have seen that the TPS works in several places, for example, there are up to 3 check outs in one floor, which shows that TPS of John Lewis Partnership can be used in more than one per floor and also it makes the business to run much faster. All transactions between John Lewis PLC and its suppliers, customers, other shareholders are done via TPS so it is highly important that the system is well functional. The most specialized TPS process in John Lewis PLC is the Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS). Once the customer has initiated payment at the counter, the EPOS system comes into place. The system that is utilized by John Lewis PLC is that they'll scan the barcodes of the product by using the scanner and so it will display on the monitor of the cashier. This is not only for the client to see the total value of their shopping, but it can also verify the stock: what products are sold-out and what products are required to be stocked-up.

IS&IT of John Lewis Partnership Figure 1. Diagram contains types of staff at John Lewis PLC

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Figure 2. Information System of John Lewis PLC

Figure 3. EPOS system of John Lewis Partnership

John Lewis Partnership Organization Business Environment For 75 years the quote “Never Knowingly Undersold” has been kept in the partnership, keeping the quality, service and value. The company itself creating the way of the new type of the business, including Waitrose and Partners, which 50% of their products owned by themselves, including their focus on health and wellbeing ranges. Very important task of all companies that, the usage of external analysis, in order to know more about their business, also it will be advantage to know about the improvements. The way to do the analysis includes only Pestel analysis method, which is

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mostly used for the tasks mentioned before. The most of the factors that need to be analysed are: technological advancement and influence, social influence and including economic situation of the country and legal factors. As mentioned before, the major factors that need to be analysed, it is important for the company to analyse the market as well as the others. As an example, you can’t open a store that sells electric cars in somewhere in Central Asia, as the companies are developing, you will have more chance to fail than succeed. But, when it comes to the UK, as the Company working inside of the United Kingdom and not connected to other countries in Europe, where brexit could affect the business.

John Lewis Partnership Payroll System As you can see from Figure 3 below, the payroll system of John Lewis PLC is connected. Figure 3. Payroll System of John Lewis PLC

So, the main element of the Payroll System is ERP, every single operation goes out of this element even we have Central Database. But the most important thing in this system is correct statement of working with the customers, payments statement and production application.

Organizational Structure of John Lewis Partnership The John Lewis PLC has an independent organization that allows staff to pass on their own view and also giving them a chance to be managed certain straightforward and reliable visions. Personnel are

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presented as partners. All staff are recognized as associates and are preserved for instance when it comes to distribution out the yearly returns. As it is shown in Figure 4 the Chairman, the Partnership Board, the divisional Management boards where the Group executive formulates the managing body of the company. Also, The Partnership Council, which chooses five partnership board directors, the divisional and Branch level democracy. There are also major contrast between the organizational structure and culture of the company for instance: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Work Specialisation Departmentalization Chain of Command and Span of Control Centralisation and Decentralization

Figure 4 The Corporate Governance Structure

As employees are the key players of the company, the organisation has to keep good relationship, including that the employees are engines of the company, good relationship, motivating and giving

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benefits them can help the company reach their goals, as John Lewis PLC and their board of directors dare doing good. To inform, the key people of the company are: Name Dame Sharon White Keith Williams Patrick Lewis Tracey Killen Andrew Murphy Bérangère Michel

Position Chairman Non-Executive Deputy Chairman Executive Director, Finance Executive Director, People Executive Director, Operations Executive Director, Customer Service

Conclusion and Evaluation To conclude, the use of the automated systems and information systems help the company on every level of the business: from people (staff and customers) to appliances to product stocking to transaction processes. Investing in the Information System is investing in the prosperity of the business, which is bringing John Lewis PLC billions of pounds. The organizations like John Lewis Partnership, adopt new strategies in order to maintain the leader position both nationally and internationally. It is a constant challenge to come up with different solutions to the ever-changing business environment. Technology and innovation are the key to a brighter future: the IT and IS systems must be continuously updated in order to gain new leadership positions in the market.

INDIVIDUAL WORK Shakir Ahmed (u1507415) International Connection John Lewis Partnership is not as international as other companies, but the part of the organisation which is John Lewis & Partners has branches in Australia and Republic of Ireland. Including 51 stores within the UK, unknown number of stores in Republic of Ireland and up to five stores in Australia. The company has entered the other countries in the around 4 years ago. The majority of John Lewis & Partners stores are still within Britain – as mentioned before 51 stores as from 2018. However, in several countries there more opportunities for the company to rise, if the company scared of the tax and don’t want to move ahead, from my personal view it can get the store income decrease.

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Evaluation Most of the tutors recommend not to work with friends, or with the people we know, but with my group mate, we have done good job, the whole time that we spend researching, visiting the stores, has developed out skills. Most of the time we were speaking with each other on phone, making meetings and speaking and sending documents by Whatsapp.

Mijanur Rahman (u1741358) International Connection The company has the part, that is called Waitrose & Partners, which is unknown for the international operations, the company hasn’t opened any shops in other than United Kingdom, but they are the eight largest retailers in their own country by Wikipedia, The only thing that the company operates internationally, is exporting their products to 52 countries including Middle East. Internationally, the organization has a licence with Spinneys of Dubai, which will operate two purpose built branches in Dubai Mall, which was opened in October 2008. The products of the Waitrose& Partners are supplied to Manx, retailer that is located in Falkland Islands. The company supplies their products to the countries like Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Chile, China, Cyprus, Dubai, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Hong Kong, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Saint Lucia, Tortola and Trinidad.

Evaluation The group work was in balance, as we have worked on group assignments for a long time, meetings and planning were scheduled, as we all have part time jobs. Effective communication was, however, the key: we were in contact via online channels such as Skype, WhatsApp which facilitated the advancement of the project. Overall, it was a productive group work, without conflicts.

Reference/Bibliography Marketing, June 27, 1991, p. 22.Bradley, Keith, and Simon Taylor Reference for Business website Financial Times, November 6, 1996, p. 19.Day, Julia, "Waitrose Wises Up to Nineties Values John Lewis Partnership PLC John Lewis & Partners Waitrose& Partners Partnership for All, London: John Lewis Partnership, 1948.Macpherson, Hugh, ed., John Spedan Lewis

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John Lewis rules out float. BBC News. 20 September 1999. Retrieved 6 May 2010. Organisational structure of John Lewis PLC

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