For Companies Both Big and Small: Running a Business on Smartphones

Name: Soni Shah        

Subject: Management Information System.

Date: 9th-Dec-2017

Chapter 2: Real World Case 2

For Companies Both Big and Small: Running a Business on Smartphones.

Question No. 1: In what ways do smartphones help these companies be more profitable? To what extent are improvements in performance coming from revenue increases or cost reductions? Provide several examples from the case.

Answer:

Smartphones plays an important role in increasing corporate profits by organizing tasks more efficiently and effectively. Using the technology in terms of smartphones reduces the time, energy and cost consumption. It makes easier to work such as review and fixing company’s appointments and documents even while moving as well as helps to stay updated through accessing TV, Radio, and News. Smartphones are a combination of many latest inventions such as internet, social media and digital cameras making it a great business tool. It has the ability to connect with email on the web, connect with computer for data access, or can connect with employees anywhere they are. The camera function and social media is capable of taking and sending images, video and voice messages within seconds to any one present in any corner of the world.

Usage of smartphones helped the workers of CPS in many innovative ways. It helps to speed up the process of purchasing as in previous times manually a person should be present on the site to approve the orders. Additionally, usage of digital camera helps to click and send a picture with in seconds, based on that experts diagnose the problem and provide instructions through SMS, Voice call or E-mails. Smartphones also serves as the emergency notification receivers for the employees. Moreover, through proactive supply chain management, the employee’s and customer’s satisfaction level also increases.

 Lloyd’s construction also gains a lot of benefits through the use of technology in terms of E-Trace. It helped to keep the track of the labours who were taking long lunch breaks and unnecessary stops throughout the trips, which increases the time duration. Through selection of efficient routes, fuel charges were reduced. The process of data entries and job logging were become faster as well as due to the software, the working hours of the accountant was reduced from 40 hours to 6 hours a week, thus saving an amount of $1000 a week.

Question No. 2: The companies described in the case encountered a fair amount of resistance from employees when introducing smartphone technologies. Why do you think this happened? What could companies do to improve the reception of these initiatives? Develop two alternative propositions.

Answer:

Every person has different point of view therefore when technology was introduced for the first time there were various reactions from employees, some accept or refuse. Employees refused because they feel uncomfortable with the new change. Using new technology requires training as well as sufficient time for practise. To overcome this problem, a company should start the process “step by step” making it convenient and comfortable for the people to use. Moreover, introduction of new technology should be made side by side with the older one using old technology in some parts and applying new technology on other parts, so that for a certain period of time both technologies work together.  In addition, the company should also conduct training programs for employees in order to provide guidelines regarding the new software. Concerns arise when new technologies are introduced with the aim of security. The executive thinking regarding implication of new technology should be for the progress and success of the company.