Sample Research Paper On How The Value Of It Is Assessed At The Firm

Introduction

The world of business is so dependent on information technology such that one cannot separate the two. In the current world, a business cannot operate without IT since their daily operations such as the transfer of money, social media marketing, databases and inventory are highly dependent on the information technology. The paper seeks to look at the different ways in which IT has been infused in the organization I work. The paper covers a number of areas that the organization has ventured in terms of IT, and look at the future ventures that are being sought after.

IT integration in the firm

Database – this is one of the major areas that the firm has heavily invested in consideration to IT. It has come to a realization that for business to run smoothly there are several volumes of data that must be documented and kept for safely. Information such as employee information, pension records, insurance records, salary and wages records have all been saved in separate database systems. The integrity of this information has to be maintained for transparency to prevail in the firm as the organization also invests a lot in the security systems (Stephen 103).
Security systems – the firm has to be transparent in order to conduct business in the most appropriate manner. Thus, the hierarchy of leadership has to be reflected in all the ways possible. The top management has the access to most of the information in the system followed by the middle management. The other crucial purpose of having the security systems in place is for the systems to deter away intruders seeking to trespass into the firm without formal admission from the management. In this era of company sabotage and theft of information, such cases cannot be allowed since losing important information can make the firm almost impossible to conduct business with other parties in the industry (Hui-Liang 45).

At the firm, the benefits of IT have been numerous. It is vital to mention that operations have been eased by huge margins that could not have been possible in the previous generations. For instance, employees do not have to work at the office all the time, they can access the database remotely right from their homes, do their work, get notifications and submit their work right back to the company by a click of a mouse. It has improved the quality of work among employees, finishing of assignments on time and better customer relations due to the promptness of the work being carried out. In addition to this, the firm has been able to conduct business with people across the globe through the internet. That is to say that e-commerce has been enhanced. Currently, the firm orders its good from Eastern Asia since it is cheaper to manufacture there and waits for the shipment that does not take long for courier services. It would not have been possible during previous times when IT was not advanced. In relation to that, the organization can recruit talent from all corners of the world. If there is an expert in financial matters in London, the firm can reach them and get work done. It shows that the firm acknowledges globalization and the benefits of it.

How the firm might improve strategic alignment of IT with business

There are a few things that the organization can do to improve IT and the operations of the business in the long term as well as in the daily operations. The first thing that the firm has to do is to ensure that the internet connection that the firm applies has been upgraded to the latest cooperate package that is available from the service provider. It makes it easier for the firm to carry out their task without internet connection problems and efficiently, it also increases the connections that are done through Skye and Cisco for online conferencing with clients and other stakeholders. The firm can also look for experts that will be used to streamline the operations of the firm such us the database systems, security systems and so forth. Streamlining these function would also improve the other functions of the firm that are dependent on them such as globalization and e-commerce (Geoffrey 67).

Conclusion

IT is a crucial part of any firm in operation today, it cannot be ignored nor dismissed, and it can only be embraced for the sake of business. The paper clearly shows how IT is utilized by the organization; this is similar to what most companies do in their offices, so the information here is highly relatable in most companies.

Work Cited

Business Knowledge for It in Investment Management: A Complete Handbook for It Professionals. London: Essvale Corporation Limited, 2007. Print.
Tsai, Hui-Liang. Information Technology and Business Process Reengineering: New Perspectives and Strategies. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. Print.
Elliott, Geoffrey. Global Business Information Technology: An Integrated Systems Approach. Harlow [u.a.: Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
Burgess, Stephen. Managing Information Technology in Small Business: Challenges and Solutions. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Pub, 2002. Internet resource.