Case Study Description
Discuss about the IT Management Issues for Two Business Processes.
The term Information Technology (IT) can be referred as the utilization of the computer system and technology for information sharing, storing and manipulation or processing of data for the business purpose. It is the subset of the overall Information and communication technology (ICT). Computer systems and other required devises for utilizing this technology are known as the information technology devices (Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta & Lanvin, 2013). Using these devices in proper combination and setup is very important to get the expected outcome from this. There are some specific strategies for managing and handling the IT devices and technology based on the specific needs of the user organization(s).
In this report the Management issues associated with the IT utilization in World University have been discussed. The report deals with the different types of IT technologies associated with the operation of the case study organization, the issues associated with these and the importance of social media for utilizing the specific IT model.
The case study organization, Worlds University is one of the well-known universities across the globe which are providing the scope of online education. The university had been developed by combination of a group of private online education provider institutions. The teachers of the university are providing lesson over the internet for all the campuses they have worldwide. The students are able to log in their university online portal from anywhere at any time. All the communication with the university office are done over the internet. The cost effectiveness of the courses they are offering online, the university is very famous.
The management department of the university has selected four decisions for the well-being of the organization. The decisions are discussed in the section below:
Decision 1: Study Together- One of the decision taken by the management is the loyalty scheme for the students called “Study Together”. This is a scheme, where the students can get the rewards for introducing another student. In more simple words, it is a method of providing referral reward to the students. The benefits of the loyalty scheme is dependent on the course type and duration picked by the introduced student. The payment for the enrolment are done by either credit card or PayPal account. The fees are non refundable. This scheme has brought a mentionable level of profit in the business of the university as the students have shown more interests to introduce new students for getting the rewards of the loyalty program (Santana, Rigoni & Huang, 2013).
Decisions Taken by Management
Decision 2: Laptop Providing- Another decision taken by the management was providing laptops to the students of the university. This was an important requirement for the students as they need to log in the university portal through computer system. The study materials and e-books are needed to be accessed by the computer system. Because of these reasons, a laptop is the basic requirements for each and every students of the university. In order to mitigate the issues regarding the laptop and attracting the students towards their services, the university decided to provide laptops to the students. The scheme was to take the fees for the eBooks, other study materials and laptops with the course fee. The laptops are pre-configured and the students do not have the option of not taking the laptops while paying the course fees.
Decision 3: Two Business Processes for Enhancing the Model – The next decision taken by the organization was the implement of two important process or strategy for the business. The aim of this decision was to get the competitive advantage in the business. The two process are discussed in the section below:
- i) Compliance: This is regarding the legal audit or safety checking for the organizational processes. These can be characterized as the particular affirmation or any kind of affirmation that the person of a movement or the administration of an association uses for satisfying the greater part of their necessities of the acknowledged practices, rules, controls, enactments and indicated gauges. These laws or gauges are to a great degree required and ought to be trailed by everybody of the association. The laws are declared by any overseeing body or law-making body is actualized by the system to appropriately make it. The significance of consistence or enactment is to a great degree high for any association (Loebbecke & Picot 2015). The fundamental focal points of conveying consistence to the World University are given underneath:
- a) Building Positive Reputation: This process will help the organization to develop a good brand image over the target audience. The students will be ensured that the university is maintain all the legal disciplines, which is good for their future (Dahlstrom, Walker & Dziuban, 2013).
- b) Higher Productivity: The students will be extremely satisfied by this factor, which will increase the number of students day by day. The successful engagement of the students will definitely enhance the productivity of the university (No, An & Park, 2015).
- ii) Risk Management Process: The strategy was regarding the management of the associated risks with the business process. Being a new university, the organization has several risk factors. Therefore, proper management of the risks should be ensured for handling the business operation in smooth way. The management of the risks can be handled by following the given steps in the section below (Galegher, Kraut & Egido, 2014).
The first thing they need to consider is the identification of the risk factors and reducing the probability of occurrence. At the initial level, most the risks are associated with the financial factors and competition. They need to be prepare for all types of hazards by keeping back up plans. Proper management can reduce the probability of occurrence of the risks (Kellermann & Jones, 2013).
The technical issues is another major point which can be a risk to the operation of the university as they are conducting the whole operation based on the Information technology (Holtshouse, 2013). Therefore, keeping up to date system and technology and engagement of efficient IT experts are necessary for the organization.
Decision 4: Use of Social Media in Promoting the Model – The fourth important decision made by the organization is to engage social media with the business operation. At the present situation everyone has become too much engaged with the social media. The present generation is spending too much time in their social media accounts (Laudon & Laudon, 2015). This scenario is the reason behind making the social media as the most important platform for communication. The World University is providing online education to the students world wide. Therefore, the target customers of the business of this organizations are the students who are seeking online education. This is the main cause behind the selection of social media as a promotional tool for the business process of the organization (Luftman, Lyytinen & ben Zvi, 2017). The advantages that the university may have by utilizing the social media platform as the promotional tool for the business model are given in the section below:
- i) Effective Communication with Target Market: As mentioned in the previous paragraph the target market of the university are the student who are seeking online education across the whole world. These people are highly engaged with the social media platform like Facebook, Twitter. Therefore, the university will be able to provide all the details regarding their courses, fees and other important aspects in social media for reaching to the target market (Kasemsap, 2016). The students will also be able to communicate with the university authority via the social media platform. It will be an easier and convenience way of communication between the students and the university.
- ii) Improving Responsiveness: In order promoting the business model to the students, the information passing is not the only important factor. The target students may have many queries. The social media platform will enable the option of posting their queries and the university personnel will be able to answer those queries (Westerman, Bonnet & McAfee, 2014).
Conclusion
Finding Students: Due to the successful advertising, online networking can without much of a stretch find different understudies for the World University and this would be turn out be critical for the business. This specific stage can without much of a stretch find the understudies regardless of their area.
- iv) Competitive Advantage:The third part of web-based social networking in the upgrade of plan of action is rivalry. Online networking shows the situation of the association in market and how well the contenders are performing. World University, being another player in the market, will have different huge rivals in the market and in this way ought to have appropriate thought in regards to their business (De Haes & Van Grembergen, 2015).
- v) Social Engagement:It will make a social domain for the college and its understudies and it is to a great degree instructive. A unique identity of the university will be developed in the social media platform, which will surely a great benefit to the organization (Bloom, N., Garicano, Sadun & Van Reenen, 2014).
- vi) Effective Marketing:Social media is even in charge of producing premiums among the devotees, who have been more receptive to the association and not an obtrusive approach of showcasing. The inventiveness of web-based social networking helps in promoting the administrations and in this way advising every one of the clients around the world. These promotions are critical for World University for increasing different understudies as the understudies will have the capacity to think about this college with pertinent subtle elements (Wagner, Beimborn & Weitzel, 2014). Besides, online networking even spreads mindfulness in regards to the business and in this manner allowing to the college in continually reminding about the administrations they would offer to the understudies.
- vi) Affordability:Social media is to a great degree financially savvy and in this manner could be effectively managed by each association. World University does not need to acquire tremendous expenses or costs on this kind of advertising efforts. Along these lines, online networking is moderate by all (Wagner, Beimborn & Weitzel, 2014).
vii) Databases: The following critical part is the upkeep of databases. This stage will give database administrations and subsequently putting away of data is amazingly less demanding in regard to others (Dahlstrom, Walker & Dziuban, 2013). Accentuation is given on the help and additionally administration of different databases from the remote area for satisfying the prerequisites of understudies.
Conclusion
Subsequently, from the above analysis, it can be presumed that data innovation is the selective utilization of different PCs, frameworks, organizing gadgets, physical gadgets, strategies, foundation in making, and preparing, putting away, securing and additionally trading information in each shape. This data innovation is used inside the setting of a few endeavour tasks and not just for amusement or individual purposes. The business usage of the data innovation in the long run incorporates both communication and in addition innovation. This data innovation includes different layers of physical supplies or equipment, working frameworks, applications, programming, hi-tech IT instruments and virtualization procedures. The business applications basically include database like SQL Server, email server like Exchange, value-based framework like ongoing request section, web server like Apache, frameworks for big business asset arranging and frameworks for client relationship administration. These business applications execute different customized guidelines for controlling, scattering, merging lastly influencing information in the business reason. This kind of innovation is overseen in each association legitimately. The above report has appropriately delineated the contextual investigation of World University with significant points of interest. Two business forms are given here the part of web-based social networking on the matter of this college.
In order to manage the IT technology efficiently and get the desired outcomes from the above discussed decisions some recommendations for World University have been provided in this section.
Detailed information regarding the fees structure: In order to make the decisions of including the price of the laptops within the course fees, it is very vital to give detailed information in the online portal of the university where the students can found the breakdown of the fees clearly. This will make the business transparent which will help them to develop a good brand image.
Timely communication in social media: As discussed, in the above section, Social media platform will definitely help the university to grab the opportunity for developing a good relationship with the target market. In order to utilize the opportunity, timely and proper response providing is very vital for the university.
References
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