Group Assignment: Post # 5 - 9 / 3 / 2009

Group Assignment: Post # 5 Post by Jenny's IT class blog on Monday, March 9, 2009
















Businesses and individuals must be aware of the information security and ethical issues that come together with their dependence and frequent use of information systems. Not knowing or caring about these issues may bring about loss of confidential information and lasting damage to their business reputation. In this post, you will talk about the following:



1) Think of 2 to 3 ways in which businesses may violate privacy or ethical rights without realizing it.

Answers:
-On social networking sites. E.g Facebook Platform, when users add a new application to their accounts, their datas may be shared to thrid parties,like strangers,sponsorships.
-When Business ONLY offer 'Opt-out model' where businesses can collect personal information until consumer specifically requests exclusively data not to be collected (un-checking box), hence no choices for clients at first and they may get less privacy on their personal data and getting more spams notifications in future.
-Search Engines. E.g Foxy software where people can free download zillions of anything, but some critical datas may leak to public. Like the case of the HK police officer who brought home his work,end up leak out confidential profiles,passwords,police/criminal record etc.
(Joyce)




2) How can the violations mentioned in the previous question be avoided or minimized ?

Answers:
-Companys can provide and educate staffs with a list of rules to prevent violaton especially in grey areas.Control access to critical information, Seek Advice and support eg through www.pco.org.hk, to enforce the Privacy Ordinance.
-Make regular Backups, Protect company's computer assets with better security system
-Prevent Data Theft, Protect Company's Website, Educate and Train staffs,Strengthen Physical Seurity, Handling Security Incidents.
(Joyce)

Group Assignment: Post # 4 - 2 / 3 / 2009

Group Assignment: Post # 4 Post by Jenny's IT class blog on Monday, March 2, 2009


Logistics companies such as FedEx and UPS no longer merely carry goods from one place to another. Some of them also provide supply chain planning and management services to their customers and help them manage their supply chain information. Investigate the web site of FedEx OR UPS to see how these companies’ services may be used for supply chain management. Then, answer the following questions:

a) What supply chain processes can each of these companies support for their clients ?
b) How can customers use the Web sites of each company to help them with supply chain management ?

Finalized Answers

for a)

Supply Chain Processes of UPS support to their clients can be categories as follow:
1. Shipment Delivery - traditionally support world-wide delivery with global freights services shipments scheduling
2. Return shipment service - provide track return shipment details for efficient logistics
3. Technology - apply on tracking and routing in the shipping activities
4. Logistics Services - support post-sales service for clients and assist suppliers/vendor management overseas.

besides, UPS also provide value-added services such as
5. Internation Trade - simplfied the complex custom clearance procedures for clients on international tariffs, currencies exchange, custom regulations and shippment schedules.
6. Financial Support - provide a full supply chain service from order to cash, which on behalf of the clients to collect cash or payment right after delivery that may increase cash flow for the clients.
(Rita)



The following link and pic list out the sets of UPS Supply Chain process to provide their total businese solutions to their Business Customers(B2B).
http://www.ups.com/bussol/?loc=en_HK&viewID=browseView&WT.svl=PriNav

for b)
http://www.ups.com/content/hk/en/index.jsx The UPS front page allows customer to choose their location of origin where the service can be simplified one step closer. Geographically UPS can direct the Hong Kong team of staffs to work out the rest of the orders and delivery process for us. Inside page enable us to keep track of their packages, perform more interactive customer services. For their navigators, UPS separates Shipments, Freights etc in order to separate and identify customers' demand more transparently, hence improve delivery service, save time and increase efficiency, sales. This is a Pull-based model of supple chain management where UPS apply to make according to customers' demand and orders.

UPS also offers Supply Chain Solutions consistently strives to shorten the customers' delivery from supply chain through outside innovative services. For instance,UPS will have weather update/predictions provide for clients and contact warehouse locations to pick up or follow up orders for clients, to save time and cost for clients's geographical challenges.
"From UPS Trade DirectSM to time-definite freight services and a worldwide network of distribution centers, UPS assist their clients to get their products to market faster than competitions."

With UPS Supply Chain Solutions clients can manage international suppliers with more accountability and better control,time, distnace etc.They also can expand choices and purchasing posibilities, explore new options and expand purchasing possibilities easily. Standard service include: Vendor Compliance and Order Management, global distribution management, transportation management.
(Joyce)


http://www.ups.com/media/en/01970286_SupplierManagementBrochure.pdf

Group Assignment: Post # 3 - 21/2/2009

Group Assignment: Post #3, Post by Jenny's IT class blog on Saturday, February 21, 2009

1. Try any one of these decision support systems and describe two examples of decisions which they may help to support. For each decision, describe whether the decision would be made by operational, middle or senior management levels :

• Break-even Calculator
  
• Online Customer Lifetime Value Calculator (from Harvard Business School)
  
• Hong Kong Yellow Pages Online Map
  
• HSBC Mortgage Planner

2. Next, try out the different modules within the OpenBravo ERP demo. After you've familiarized yourself with these tools, identify which module can be used to handle each step within the Order-to-Cash business process below:

• Accept/Enter Order
• Order Acknowledgement
• Purchase Materials
• Receive Materials
• Production
• Packing
• Shipping
• Invoicing and Collection
  

3. Which departments need to coordinate from start to finish of the Order-to-Cash business process ? Describe how the ERP software makes their work easier. Also explain why ERP software can serve as the foundation or platform for decision support systems

Finalized Answers :

Q1 (decision making system)
Hong Kong Yellow Pages Online Map, made by Operational levels Examples of decisions supported by Geographic Information System (GIS) includes creating sales and service territories, calculate routes, choose where to locate retail outlets or target marketing campaigns

E.g.1: Finding short possible bus routines from Sai Kung to Space Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui
E.g 2: Search of Car Parking streets/paths availabilities for Disables in Central Soho
(Joyce)

Break-even Calculator
E.g 1: A calculation of the sales volume (in units) required to just cover costs. A lower sales volume would be unprofitable and a higher volume would be profitable. Break-even analysis focuses on the relationship between fixed cost, variable cost (or cost per unit), and selling price (or selling price per unit) Fig A. (Joyce)

Fig A.

(Joyce) In the Customer Lifetime Value Tool, change of any numbers can lead to shift upwards or downwards of numbers in charts. For instance, if we increase the annual discount rate by 20%, the expected present value in year 2004 would reduce to $81, increase to 21% discount rate, present value in same year descend to $78. With this tool we can forcast retention rate, profit of customer annually, also able to do comparison among other 5 years' revenue, marketing/customers' general purchases/input cost etc.

Guys, it's a fun tool to play with, click on the free link and give it a try! You can be a manager to making any decisions or judgement you want to see!! You will find out how helpful these genius internet business tools can perform and affect your daily work goals!! =D

--Online Customer Lifetime Value Calculator

Lifetime Value is typically used to judge the appropriateness of the costs of acquisition of a customer. For example, if a new customer costs $50 to acquire (CPNC, or Cost Per New Customer), and their lifetime value is $60, then the customer is judged to be profitable, and acquisition of additional similar customers is acceptable. For this reason, the costs involved in the first purchase are typically not included in LTV, but rather, in the Cost Per New Customer calculation! (Joyce)

www.harvardbusinessonline.com/flatmm/flashtools/cltv/


--Break-Even Analysis (Model-driven DSS)

E.g Using "What-if" analysis, allows users to test the impact of changing inputs in the value of specified outputs like different costs/budgets for specific advertising campaign for new body wash, to estimate the output of possible sales figures/results, enable analyse outcomes of changing those values, for making the better decision.


Model-Driven DSS combines data, analytical tools and models. It's a model illustrates the components or relationships of a phenomenon. It could be physical, mathematical or verbal model. Only semistructured and unstructured problem analysis belongs to M-D DSS.


"Sensitivity analysis", use a model to ask "What-if" questions. E.g if we raise product price of new blackberry by 8%, or what if cutting cost of luxury brand campaign by $20,000? Inputs can change whenever in order to see their effects on output for instance, monthly/annually profit.
(Joyce)

Group Assignment: Post # 2

Group Assignment: Post # 2 Post by Jenny's IT class blog on Saturday, February 7, 2009

This week we learned how B.I. tools (business intelligence) allow businesses to get more value and insight out of their databases.

1. Visit the OLAP Service Online Demo and design three different grid reports using at least three dimensions per report. Each report must have at least one measure which is being analyzed along the chosen dimensions.

• You may choose from any of the dimensions found along the left-hand side of the demo: Customer, Date, Employee, Delivery Date, Product, Reseller, Employee, etc.
• You may choose from any of the measures under Internet Sales, Reseller Sales or Sales Summary (found along the left-hand side of the demo).

2. Post the following content on your blog regarding the grid reports you've designed:

• A screen capture of a section of the report which shows the included dimensions and measure(s);
• An explanation of the insights contained in the report and how these insights can be used by the company to understand their performance or make better decisions;

3. Describe the benefits of allowing users to query a data warehouse in the form of an OLAP cube through their Web browser.

1st Grid Report: Internet Sales Amount by Customer by Product by Date

By generating this report, sales amount in terms of Product & Customer is clearly shown.
Certain products selling revenue by different customer is indicated, this helps company understand its income source by Customer as well as locating the best selling item & year-run items.
This supports management future decision for product allocation by different customers and this also helps to plan the production for each kinds of products, thus stock level will be decreased accordingly to reduce cost of running the company.

Group Assignment: Post # 1

(The first Question / Activities by Jenny on Friday, January 16, 2009)

This week we looked at several Internet Marketing methods. Together with your groupmates, find a specific example of how a company is using each method below:

• Blog
• Interactive advertisement
• Search engine
• Online partnerships or affiliate marketing
• RSS feeds
• Social networking
• Gadgets

By the way, the examples you find do not all have to come from the same company.In your group blog, list all the examples you find, together with links to each example. Also provide a description of the effectiveness of each example.

Finalized Answer:

Blog: It is a kind of Web 2.0 Marketing tools with rich online collaborations. It updates daily or weekly around a single topic. Typically, corporations use blogs as an instant publishing tools to create a humanized two-way conversations with customers, allow to share and preview features, functions, and benefits of their products and services before the products are released. On the other hand, Blogs provide an excellent way to gather feedback and to make sure products meet the needs of their user community, to have a more personal image. (from wikipedia)

Example 1 :
明報 Blog http://blog.mingpao.com/cfm/index.cfm
(Rita)


Interactive advertisement: The floating wind-chime on the right column is one kind of “Rich Media Interactive Advertisement”, with application on the Flash / Shockwave programming technology with sound effect. It interacts with direct linking function to the correspondence homepage which would approach to those who interest by simply click on the chime. The decoration features arouse visitors’ interests to contribute higher clickthrough rates.

Example:
The right column wind chime as an example which is created by Adobe System Japan – http://www.adobe.com/jp/ and an authorized Adobe training centre CSHOOL – http://www.cshool.jp/. The application refreshes the wind-chime patterns every 5 times to display their Promotional events on the chime theme. This is designed for promoting the training seminar held by CSHOOL on 2007 while the event is already complete.
(Rita)

Search engine: It is a form of Internet marketing that seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages. The search engines provide an index of content which can be searched by Keywords. There mainly divided into 2 parts named as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the Paid Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

The Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a Paid Search Advertising that the company’s message reaches customers at the moment they demonstrate in what they sell.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the position and frequency of a company's web site “page rank” from search engines via natural search results where most users are tent to choose.

Example:
Yahoo! : http://www.yahoo.com/

(Rita)

Online partnerships or affiliate marketing: Affiliate websites are often categorized by advertisers and affiliate networks, which they gather people who sharing common interests to become a popular commuity.

Example: DCFever http://www.dcfever.com/
It firstly set up as a content websites, including users product reviews, price comparisons, photos sharings by photographers (niche market group) / digital camera (DC) lovers. When photography is still a kind of pricey hobby which the "investment" usually increases with the addicted extend, visitors must carefully choose "the most worthy" to buy. All sharings and reviews by experienced users are found informative and useful for each others to gain the public praise and attract more visitors to slowly developed as a community.

With the high visiting level, they open their first offline shop which become an affiliate marketing
http://www.dcfever.com/shop/index.php
(Rita)

One more example of affiliate marketing
where two company have a colleberation, a join force to create more awareness of their brand, new functions, promotions. Another example such as the banner at the bottom of our Blog, 'Join Red Campaign', to promote the awareness of global proverty, celebrities and Coverse place their promotions in Myspace.com, magazines, Converse international websites.

(Joyce)



RSS feeds: RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a standard format for sharing and distributing Web content updates by content publishers through a list of notifications called an “RSS feed”. Using an RSS reader called “RSS aggregator”, allow users to check new RSS feeds items on an ongoing basis from various updates, links to full stories, in a single place instead of visiting each visiting each of the websites themselves.
User can receiving the real-time express news delivered directly to desktop that images themselves are already “close to the society”, which also require the width and the depth of the RSS subscription.

Example:
Ming Pao http://www.mpinews.com/cfm/inews_rss.cfm
(Rita)







Social Networking: This is where company use and allow other online channels to expose themselves to reach more public audience and members on their recognition, promotions, values, product, service etc. For instance, Marie Claire magazine in US joint with 'myspace.com' to have their own official page where the fans can add the magazine as 'friends' , leave their comments, read its updates on blog, photos, clips. The most recent project for the magazine is promoting a new reality show on three interns working for it, Marie Claire posts the videos via Myspace and Youtube video channel so people can choose any of those popular channels to get connected.

Example: http://www.myspace.com/marieclairemagazine Sponsorship advertisements appear on sites' top banner for a relevance promotion.
(Joyce)


Gadgets : It refers to small mini-applications that can be downloaded to the user's desktop or embedded in their blog/web pages. The photo showing gadget from Flickr.com that displays photos is already a good example of a gadget and it helps Flickr to promote itself as well.

Example: Flickr Album blogparts (example in our blog)
http://www.flickr.com/badge.gne (login required for use)
(Rita)