Session Five: Assignment One Question

A good database design is, therefore, one that:

Think of the small database we used in our lab exercise - Products and Suppliers. Briefly describe how this database observes any two of the four design principles outlined above.

* Provides the database management system (e.g. ACCESS) with the information it requires to join the information in the tables together as needed.
In our lab exercise we have used a small database with the data of Products and Suppliers. We organizes data in two-dimensional tables with rows and columns called relations. Each table contains data about an entity and its attributes. The data is stored in tables made up of columns (product name, product category, selling price) and each column must be of a single data type. Those collection values is called a row from the table. Each table also contains a key filed to uniquely identifies instances of that unique record. (e.g. product name:classic 109, coolest 100)
We have data in a same file and join the information together.
* Accommodates your data processing and reporting needs. The database management system for creating, storing, organizing, and accessing data from a database. We use tables to data storage, selecting and viewing records, data input and display (Two display method:"Inventory Status by Product Category"& "Inventory Status by Supplier Name")

Session 3: Assignment One Question

What are the benefits of integrating the sales, marketing and customer support function using a single software package and a centralized database ?



All the customer data are collected in a centralized database .It is easy to control and monitor. The company can promote some discount travel package to increased customer satisfaction and improved the customer relationship.
The internet is a 24-hour global channels for the company to launch different promotion which can reduce direct-marketing cost. For this one-to-one marketing is more effective and easier to build up a long relationship with customer. Thus it can increase the revenue of the company for a long-term.

Session 4: Assignment One Question

Find one example of Internet marketing that you think is particularly effective and one example that is ineffective. Explain your reasons, for example, you can describe how well the effective example takes advantage of the Internet's properties (e.g. interactivity, personalization, greater hold on user's interest). For the ineffective ad, you may describe how you can improve on it.


One of an effective example is Samsung, the company's website can help sell their goods by using digital technologies. Firstly, their website is a 24 hours global channels which have all information of their products. Under the WB 500/550 showroom, all the features of the new model camera was showed clearly. For example, when the browser click to the 10x optical zoom function, the pages can show the real affect of this function and the browser can become the first person of the photographer.

Secondly, the next attractive point of this website is the 24 hours Beijing. Most of the customers who want to buy a camera for keep their memories during their travel . Under the 24 hrs Beijing, there are two persons Kim and Josh who had a journey in Beijing. Inside the videos, the application of the multi-functions of the camera was showed in different situations and that was interesting for the browser.

In conclusion, this website is very interesting and user friendly, the browser can totally understand the features and the advantages of the camera after reached the website. http://www.samsungcamera.com/wb550/



Levi's is an ineffective example of the internet marketing. Although its website have provided some general information of the company, they didn't show the catalog of their products. Moreover, they uploaded too many data on the website and therefore the loading time of each page is quite long. Furthermore, the homepage of the website is a bit confusing and difficult to be understood.

In conclusion, the Levi's website is too simply and cannot provide enough information to the browser. In my opinion, they should change the homepage with clear icons to become more user friendly. Also they can set up the catalog list of those products on the website and let the browser realize their products clearly.
http://www.levi.com.hk/

Session 3: Assignment One Question

The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a process and as a software application.Based on the CRM concepts learned, answer the following questions:


List the customer data elements generated when a customer interacts with an airline by (a) making a reservation, (b) using frequent flyer miles, and (c) completing a flight. How does information from CRM improve these interactions ?

• Personal information (name,address,age,nationality,phone no. ,e-mail),
• Departure and return date (length of the trip),
• Destination (e.g. Australia, New York),
• Type of class (Economy, First Class),
• One-way or Two-ways return,
• Payment method (credit card, cash, e-payment),
• Membership data (ID, redeem points),
• Travel history (where have you been?).

By using the CRM, we can fact find all the customer's data, understand their needs and satisfy it. For example, from the membership record, we know the regular place where the customer always goes to (e.g. England). We can send some information about the England to the customer through E-mail. Moreover, we can promote some discount travel package to the customer as well. Furthermore, we also can recommend some short distance trip to the customer where close to the England. Therefore, CRM can improve the revenue of the company, satisfy customer's needs and enhance the long-term relationship with customer.




What are the benefits of integrating the sales, marketing and customer support function using a single software package and a centralized database ?

• Improve the customer relationship
• Reduced the cost
• Easier to control and monitor
• Increase the revenue of the company
• Make tasks more effectively and efficiently

Session Two: Assignment One Question

The "View the Demo" link under the "Inventory and Operations" section~
After view Track 1: Introduction and Track 2: Automate the Order-to-Delivery Process,the following questions after viewing the video:

1.Which departments within the company are integrated within the Order-to-Delivery process ?

Sales department, Inventory department & Warehouse department.

Fist of all, the sales department receive delivery order, then use SAP business are to check the data from inventory whether the products are available or not. After that, make an order to the warehouse. Finally, email the invoice & delivery note to customer.

2.Which steps are included in the Order-to-Delivery process ?

The first step is to receive purchase order of one-day delivery, then check inventory data & make sure on stock. After that make sales order and pick up by pack manager, then those data send to warehouse. In warehouse ,it will print SAP business one delivery note to shipment. Final step, when shipment picked up by carryer,SAP will update the status & email the details to customer.


3.What factors would you consider when deciding whether ERP is suitable or not for a small business ?

Cost - The higher cost is one of a factor to consider for a small business with ERP. The cost of a ERP is between HKD$50,000 and $1,000,000 so that it may leads to a major cost of a small business.

Need - Small business decide to set up the ERP only when they really need the system. The nature of these businesses should need to transport large amount of goods and delivery to different customers.Therefore ERP is necessary for business which need to manage complex and large amount of products that can helps to receive orders effectively.

Training Support - when the business decide to use the ERP system, they need to provide the training program to employee. The training program needs to input a lot of resources, technical skills and time those can increase the costs of the small business.

Session 1: Assignment One Question

I have learned the role of information systems in a business and there is a great example to show how that business is supported by information systems.

Wal-Mart is the world's largest and most profitable retailer.The Wal-Mart culture is built on obtaining the most current information about what customers want, getting the best ideas from employees about how to run the stores well, and sharing some of the profits with employees.And the information systems is very useful to run the stores thoughtfully which can increase speed and productivity.

A point-of-sale system--a essential information technology for the Wal-Mart's growth. It is a computerized system that identifies each item sold, finds its price in a computerized database, creates an accurate sales receipt for the customer, and stores this item-by-item sales information for use in analyzing sales and reordering inventory. It can help Wal-Mart handling information efficiently and those information can avoid overstocking, since they know what product is selling slowly and prevent some of the product out of best before.

Moreover, the technical basis of the point-of-sale system is the bar code scanner. Bar code scanners make it possible to record the sale of each item and make that information available immediately for both reordering and sales analysis. The use of bar code scanners made it unnecessary to stamp the price on every item that can reduce the costs. A point-of-sale system can achieve operational excellence which is one of the role of information systems in a business.

Wal-Mart use telecommunications to link directly from its stores to its central computer system and from that system to its supplier's computer.This allows automatic reordering and better coordination.A point-of-sale system can know exactly what is selling well, while using of telecommunications can coordinate closely with suppliers . Those can help computer save money and compare with other competitors for ensuring survival. Many goods arrive and leave without ever sitting on a shelf in its computerized warehouses. Therefore it only use 10% of the floor space to used as an inventory area, compared other industry use 25% . This two systems also can promote competitive advantage for Wal-Mart.

Hi ~everyone...

I would try my best and start to write on blog.
This is my first time open a blog and also my english is really bad~
i hope you will understand what i try to express. ^^"