Computers Are Your Future Twelfth Edition Chapter 14

Computers Are Your Future Twelfth Edition Chapter 14: Enterprise Computing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 1

Enterprise Computing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 2

Objectives • Contrast enterprise and personal computing. • Define the term business process and briefly describe the flow of business processes within an organization. • Differentiate between centralized and distributed technology management. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 3

Objectives • Name the tools that are commonly used in enterprise computing. • Describe the various enterprise storage systems. • Explain electronic data interchange and the features that make it popular. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 4

Objectives • Discuss how enterprises use teleconferencing. • Describe telecommuting and workgroup computing. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 5

Enterprise Computing • Personal computing • Individual’s control and use of computers or handheld devices • Enterprise • Business or organization • Enterprise computing • Information technology on a large scale, encompassing all aspects of technology and information resources Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6

Business Processes and Activities • Business process o Uses information systems o Has identifiable output o Begins with customer’s need and ends with needs fulfilled o Provides links for information flow o At each link, value is added in the form of: • Work performed • Useful information generated Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 7

Business Processes and Activities Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 8

Business Processes and Activities • Information systems o Support or streamline business activities o Gives competitive advantage • Superior position over the competition • Example: Billing process reduces use of paper o Support internal or external business processes • Internal: accounting, finance, and human resources • External: customers, suppliers, and business partners Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 9

Business Processes and Activities • BPR (Business process reengineering) o Use of information technology to make major organizational changes and cost saving • Core of BPR: o Processes and people o Key to changing how people work—leads to improved employee morale, customer service, and reduced costs o Designers focus on business processes • Can lead to complete redesign of process from ground up o Attempts to improve efficiency by restructuring how, where, and when activities are performed Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 10

Business Processes and Activities Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 11

Business Processes and Activities • BPM (Business process management) • Improves existing processes and optimizes assets through managing the entire life cycle o Uses cross-functional approach and IT o Examines communications within a process and among various systems o Often applied to discrete parts of an organization rather than the whole o Encourages employees to suggest and implement changes o Critical factor of success is continuous improvement of processes and communication. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 12

Business Processes and Activities Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 13

Enterprise Systems • Enterprise systems • Integrate organization’s information and applications • Provide common secure enterprise data center o Used to store enterprise data • Personnel can share data and enterprise software designed to solve enterprise-level problems. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 14

Enterprise Systems • Globalization o Conducting international business o Increased by e-business • Use of Internet for business activities o Goods and services are identical in all locations o Internationalization or Glocalization • Combination of globalization and localization • Adapting of a menu, slogan, or logo to match local taste or trends Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 15

Enterprise Systems • Enterprise systems o Provide tools to find innovative ways to: • Increase accurate and on-time shipments • Minimize costs • Increase customer satisfaction • Maintain profitability Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 16

Enterprise Systems • Enterprise systems (con’t. ) o Are information systems and consist of: • Data • Hardware • Software • People • Procedures Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 17

Enterprise Systems • Enterprise systems (con’t. ) o Additional components may include: • Network servers • Database management systems • Desktop computers • Notebooks • Handheld devices Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 18

Enterprise Systems • Centralized versus distributed structures o Enterprise networking— technology infrastructure • Managed using one of two structures: o Centralized o Distributed Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 19

Enterprise Systems • Centralized structure o Standard technology solutions used by all o IT department responsible for technology management • Distributed structure o Technology tools are customized o Individuals manage technology • Structure depends on: o o Cost Applications used Security Objectives Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 20

Enterprise Systems • Applying technology o Application is an ongoing process o Keeping current • Implementing improved technology and updated programs may cause lower user comfort level o Upgrading • Impact on users • Hardware upgrades required • Cost o Maintenance o Scalability • Ability of hardware or software to continue functioning as demands and use increase Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 21

Enterprise Systems • Applying technology (con’t. ) o Interoperability • Ability to connect and exchange data with another computer o Adding workstations and applications • SPOF (Single point of failure) o System component that causes entire system to malfunction when it fails o Adding a network • Zero configuration o Create networks on the fly o Disaster recovery • Disaster recovery plan • BCP (Business continuity plan) Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 22

Enterprise Systems • Disaster recovery o Essentials • Copy of backup in different physical location • To recover, data must be in a protected location • Recovery process must be completed in time specified • Constant and ongoing evaluation is required o Additional steps • Test backup system regularly • Update backup software when needed • Protect servers from damage • Check for security breaches • Distribute plan to essential personnel Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 23

Enterprise Systems • Disaster recovery (con’t. ) o Backup centers • Hot site • Cold site o Can be outsourced • Insert Figure 14. 9 Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 24

Tools for Enterprise Computing • ERP (Enterprise resource planning) o Software to manage enterprise tasks • Provides an individual software module for each task • Integrates modules into one computer system • Modules are linked o Can integrate financial, human resources, customer, and order information; speed up manufacturing processes; reduce inventory o Some projects fail because of employee resistance to change o Implementation is expensive and takes time o Vendors include: SAP, Oracle, and Sage Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 25

Tools for Enterprise Computing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 26

Tools for Enterprise Computing • CRM (Customer relationship management) o Follows interactions between an enterprise and customers o Assists in efforts to hold onto customers o Software can be used to match company resources with customer wants and needs o Vendors include Front. Range Solutions, Oracle, SAP, and Salesforce. com Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 27

Tools for Enterprise Computing • SFA (Sales force automation) o Software that automates sales processes • Processes and tracks orders • Manages customers and other contacts • Monitors and controlling inventory • Analyzes sales forecasts Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 28

Tools for Enterprise Computing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 29

Tools for Enterprise Computing • XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language) o Used to publish and share enterprise financial information • Examples: net revenue, annual and quarterly reports, and SEC filings o Works regardless of the computer platform • Saa. S (Software as a Service) o Web-based software o Used by enterprises that outsource a portion of their IT tasks o Can use application service provider (ASP) to host software Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 30

Tools for Enterprise Computing • OSS (Operational support systems) o Software suite to assist the network operations of an enterprise • Create network inventory • Provide network discovery and reconciliation • Tracking network assets and maintenance • EAI (Enterprise application integration) o Highly complex tool that integrates two or more enterprise systems o Provides integration by combining processes, hardware, software, and standards Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 31

Enterprise Storage Systems • RAID (Redundant array of independent disks) o Multiple hard drives hold same data o Goal to improve storage speed and protect against data loss o Service interruption is prevented if any one drive fails • Fault tolerant Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 32

Enterprise Storage Systems • Jukeboxes and Libraries o Jukebox—enterprise storage units that use DVD and CD discs o Library—enterprise storage units that use Blu-ray optical media • Newest media • Eco-friendly Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 33

Enterprise Storage Systems • SAN (Storage area network) o Available on LAN or WAN o High-capacity network of storage devices o Keeps enterprise services available for processing • NAS (Network-attached storage) o Provides data and file sharing o Access provided via a network Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 34

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Enterprise-wide technologies o Can be used to gain a competitive advantage o Grid computing o Virtual private networks o Cloud computing o Blade servers o Thin clients o Web portals o Electronic data interchange o Intranets and extranets o Computer-based and Web-based training o Teleconferencing o Telecommuting o Workgroup computing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 35

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Grid computing o Uses many computers to solve a problem o Usually scientific or technical problems Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 36

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Cloud computing o Subscription service that provides scalable resources and IT services over the Internet o Multi-tenancy—application is installed only once in the cloud but can be shared and customized o Security aspects should be verified before using • Blade servers o Energy efficient, low-cost modular computers • Thin client o Software program or computer that relies on other computers to do most of the work Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 37

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Web portals o Web sites that supply numerous online services o Examples: AOL, Yahoo!, MSN, and Google o Business portals offer centralized knowledge and content management Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 38

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • EDI (Electronic data interchange) o Popular method for sharing information and doing business over networks, including the Internet o Set of standards that dictate how data and documents are transferred between enterprises o Can make businesses more efficient • Business-to-business e-commerce • VAN (Value-added network) o Public data communication network that an enterprise uses for EDI or other services Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 39

Enterprise-Wide Technologies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 40

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • VPNs (Virtual private networks) o Connect distributed LANs over the Internet o Ensure security through the use of encryption and supplemental security features. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 41

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • VPNs (con’t. ) Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 42

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Intranet o Internal enterprise network o Accessed only by employees or authorized individuals o Employee manuals and telephone directories can be moved to an intranet, creating enormous savings for the enterprise • Extranet o Network that enables outside users to access an intranet through the Internet o Data transfer is encrypted Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 43

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • CBT (Computer-based training) o Convenient, affordable, learning method o Useful when multimedia, animation, and programmed learning are used • WBT (Web-based training) o Similar to CBT o Training provided over the Internet or intranet • Includes instant messaging, discussion forums, chat tools, Web broadcasts with streaming audio or video, and videoconferencing Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 44

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Teleconferencing o Enables business to be conducted by using computer and telecommunications equipment o Enhances enterprise communication o Often reduces costs Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 45

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Telecommuting o Working from home via computer and telecommunications equipment o Numbers are increasing o Benefits—productivity gains, lower employee turnover, and reduced costs for office space • Disadvantage—lack of direct supervision of employee Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 46

Enterprise-Wide Technologies • Workgroup computing o Used to communicate and collaborate o Uses specific computer hardware, software, and network equipment o Groupware (teamware) is software that supports workgroup information requirements. • Applications include: o E-mail o Videoconferencing tools o Group-scheduling systems o Customizable electronic forms o Real-time shared applications o Shared information databases o Facilitates workflow automation Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 47

Enterprise-Wide Technologies Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 48

Summary • Enterprise computing is the use of technology, information systems, and computers within an organization. Personal computing is the use of these technologies by individuals. • A business process begins with a customer’s need and ends with the fulfillment of that need. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 49

Summary • The IT department manages in a centralized technology structure; individuals manage in a distributed structure. • Frequently used enterprise computing tools include enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and sales force automation. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 50

Summary • Other frequently used enterprise computing tools are Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), Software as a Service (Saa. S), Operational Support Systems (OSS), and Enterprise Application Integration (EAI). Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 51

Summary • Types of enterprise storage systems include RAID (redundant array of independent disks), CD/DVD jukeboxes, Blu-ray optical libraries, storage area networks (SANs), and network-attached storage (NAS). Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 52

Summary • Enterprise-wide technologies that provide a competitive edge include grid computing, cloud computing, blade servers, thin clients, Web portals, EDI, intranets, extranets, VPNs, computer- and Web-based training, teleconferencing, telecommuting, and workgroup computing. • Electronic data interchange (EDI) is a set of standards that assists companies in exchanging information and conducting business over the Internet and other networks. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 53

Summary • Teleconferencing enables workers in different locations to communicate and conduct business using computers and telecommunications equipment. • Telecommuting is an arrangement in which employees work from home but are linked to the office. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 54

Summary • Workgroup computing allows group members to work together on a task using specific technology and tools that enable them to connect, communicate, and collaborate. Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 55

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