Database Research Post

There are many databases out there designed to help companies in areas of weaknesses and help the overall workflow. Some companies use basic databases such as PeachTree and Quickbooks but currently working with EFI Pace Print Management Software is a strong database which has helped improve the organizational structure of the company. This database offers Customer classification list by division, payment history, contact lists, job history, receivables-current and old, customer history, credit standings, Terms, and much more. "These offerings automate workflow, increase productivity and reduce costs by leveraging web-based technology".(1) This databases allow defined users to access any information about customer at the click of a button. From entry of a new job order to customer payment history EFI Pace provides all necessary information needed by the company to improve relations and gain sales. A huge advance of this database is it’s online based rather than hard drive bases. Instead of installing a program to take up space on the PC’s hard drive and operate as the company's database, EFI Pace is based off the internet and just needs a browser and internet connection. The production increase the company has had since switching over to EFI Pace is at 17% and growing. Employees are able to access all the information from a remote location (such as home) to continue working or researching on the database after work hours. It’s a great addition to the company and EFI Pace was able to critique this software to make it more industry based for the company, call it "customized".

Answers to Questions:
1. Switching any system operations databases will always have challenges within, not everyone is going to switch without trouble. Learning the new program and processing data at the same speed will take time, but once mastered the new database advancement should follow. Since EFI Pace is internet based, it’s a different operations system as a whole. The trick about EFI Pace since its internet based, employees at EFI Pace can update and service the database as needed. If there are modules or setting not working for the company, customer support can log in and fix the necessary modules to have the database run correctly. "EFI Pace analyzes the precise needs of each client to ensure optimal performance of the software and sells their software directly to printers and trade services organizations". (2)
2. Since EFI Pace is a customized database for the industry its client (the company) is competing in, each organization is at an advantage with this database software program. EFI Pace offers their customers 24/7 personal service in case the database malfunctions at any time. Companies that utilize EFI Pace with have a competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. With the speed of the database, customer detail page, and order processing modules EFI provides their customers a high end database which results in success. " Pace™ provides you with a fully integrated solution for estimating, production, accounting, sales management and e-commerce. The leading edge management information system also gives you a distinct competitive advantage by offering a new level of automation and control". (3)
3. EFI Pace is a great new database based off the internet, but what happens when the internet goes down or is unavailable? This is a weakness for companies who utilize EFI Pace services, if by chance the internet goes out the company is crippled and unable to use the database. If there was a possible way to keep the online features, but also have a back up on a server that all users can access "offline" the database would be perfect. A database that can be accessed in remote locations without needing any portable drives to access specific customer files is perfect. The weakness currently is if internet is unavailable, the database is useless. There was an situation where a transformer caught fire and power was lost to over 25,000 residents within the remote area. Since the database is currently internet based, the employees of the organization had to leave work, and continue to work remotely from their private homes, because power wouldn't be restored for a few hours and the company could suffer a nonproductive half day. EFI Pace should look into possibly doing a backup onto a hard drive every 24hrs in case of a situation like this wouldn't leave the company using EFI Pace "disabled".

1. EFI, Pace. "Pace 2020." Total Control- Anytime Anywhere. Electronics for Imaging Inc., 03/10/2006. Web. 16 Jul 2011. .
2. Tarr, Jay. "Our Pace Mission." Pace Systems Group Inc.. EFI Pace, 01/2010. Web. 17 Jul 2011. .
3. Pace, EFI. "EFI Pace." MAXIMIZE YOUR PROCESS AND PROFIT POTENTIAL WITH EFI PACE MIS SOFTWARE. Electronics for Imaging Inc., 01/2010. Web. 17 Jul 2011. .

W2 Spreadsheet Lab "Software Expenses"

http://sheet.zoho.com/public/briansebak/hardware-expenses-1?mode=html

Information Systems Concept

As discussed in chapter one, an information system can be a series of different concepts depending on what your trying to talk about. A system can be everything in a work place from the employees, the computers, the software, the transactions that occur on a daily basis all make up a system. "Information technology is a contemporary term that describes a combination of computing technology, equipment and software, communication technology, data transmission networks, images and voices" (1). A system is best looked at as a collection of data which can be transmitted into information when in the workplace managers or supervisors can used to make judgement calls for the company. This is why the locations of where the data comes from is so critical because what if a decision is made based on false or misleading information causing bigger problems down the road?  Data becomes information once the data is applied to prior knowledge creating a bigger picture of information to really understand what the information is telling you.

A strong system we as students can relate to can be compared to Public Safety at Ramapo College. The entire system works on a network of communication between officers, the police, faculty, and Mahwah fire dept. The basic building network consists of a huge server which has controller and networks within the server. This allows Ramapo to communicate with public safety officers from Campus and communicate with the Mahwah police if necessary. All the data is processed through the network creating information for people to receive and act upon. Lots of important decisions are made from information that is transmitted in from outsources. 

Systems all have important components to complete the circuit of an effective information system. Like we learned in Task 2 of this online class all IS systems must have an input, processing, output, and positive or negative feedback to be a complete system. A computer based system can also be looked at having hardware, software, data, procedures and people to complete the system effectively. Most business are very reliant on information systems to manage their business on a daily basis. Think back 20 years back when computers were just being introduced into the world, how were business ran then which is differently now? "Business firms, other organizations, and individuals in contemporary society rely on information systems to manage their operations, compete in the marketplace, supply services, and augment personal lives" (2).

Technology infrastructure is a big term to be able to understand, its basically everything inside a system. Its the Databases, Networks, Internet, Software ect., everything needed to complete a syetem and having functional working network. Even electronic and mobile commerce play a huge part into Information systems. Think of all the services that are available online instead of doing everything in person; banking, shopping, investing ect. 

There are many ways to describe what Information system is or what is does for its society. "An Information system is an academic / professional discipline bridging the business field and the well-defined computer science field that is evolving toward new scientific area of study. (3) This newly found area of study has brought so many new technology and services to our world its very hard to imagine a world without it. Everything around us is some sort of system of information. Companies strive for a solid value chain which is rooted from information systems. Now a day a company cannot grow a business successfully without some sort of system within the business. If its payroll, customer relations, or IT it all breaks down to a system of data to form information that is useful. All big companies make their management decisions based off these systems so you can understand the importance of their systems. Throughout writing this, I keep saying to myself what was the world like 20-30 years ago? What was the world of business like without the use of technology and computers like they are used today? Typewriters, no computers, and no cell phones?!?!?

1.  Radu, Razvan. "Information Systems." SoftSupplier. Softsupplier, 08/13/2010. Web. 11 Jul 2011. <http://softsupplier.com/information-systems-105082/>.

2.  Zwass, Vladimir. "Information System." Britannica. Britannica, 04/02/2008. Web. 11 Jul 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/287895/information-system>.

3. "Information Systems." Wikipedia. www.wikipedia.com, n.d. Web. 11 Jul 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_systems>.

Monitoring Social Networks Assignment

This is a very interesting topic to be discussing as I have a personal story which relates to social networks being monitored by companies for customer compliments or negative feedback. 

This past May a few of my friends and I participated in Tough Mudder in Vermont. This is a crazy endurance race which tests your mental and physical grit of being a man. Long story short, 3 miles in on a 12 mile race my friend dislocated his shoulder and was unable to finish the race. He needed to get surgery performed on his shoulder and was very upset he missed out. Besides wasting $130 dollars, he felt as it was unfair and should be able to transfer his registration to another event later this year. Once we returned home, he posted on the Tough Mudder's Facebook Fan page his experience during the race. Within minutes, staff at Tough Mudder contacted him to apologize and wish him luck in his recovery and let him transfers his registration to another event this November. This story has really opened my eyes to the extent of social networks being monitored for customer feedback.

This topic brings me back to a huge discussion I had in my Business Ethics class here at Ramapo. We talked about all the companies monitoring Social Networks for future employees and to get to know them before offering them an interview of some sort. In some cases the company did not like a few pictures of postings on these social network sites (Facebook, MySpace, and twitter) and the eligible prospective employee was not even giving a chance for the interview. How can a picture of partying in college a few years back inter fear with your chance in obtaining the career job? Well, we discussed when is it too much monitoring? When do companies cross the line to obtain the information about certain people? When do you feel your privacy has been invaded because of the social network sites? Everyone thinks Facebook and twitter are so great to communicate with old friends and relatives, but it can also be very harmful for some people trying to start their careers. Getting closer to graduation now, I always notice all my close friends deactivating their facebooks so major companies do not have the ability to search for them to "stalk" out their profile page. 

I do look at monitoring social networks as a positive thing, because there are so many positive out comings which overweight the cons (my friend's tough Mudder experience) but there are negatives we must keep in mind. I wonder if the world will come to posting feedback after making a purchase somewhere and if it is negative someone from that company will contact you to resolve your issues. Ten years ago no one had to worry about this stuff, now you have to be careful what you post visible on this social networks in case it comes back to bite you in the butt.

Overall, these social networks are bringing advertising to the next level. I always think its funny Facebook is a billion dollar company but doesn't charge to create a profile on their site? All the amount of money they make is off advertisements and other sources of media. The monitoring of social networks can get out of hand, but I feel these networks should not allow companies to gain access to all and everything about everyone's lives. What if Facebook restricted what information was giving out for protection of their users? It’s going to be interesting to see where the monitoring of social networks goes in the next few years. I think it has helped our economy and style of living very much but can be intruding into someone’s personal life and can cause a bigger head ache then anticipated when someone first signed up to play Mafia Wars. First is was e-mail, then AOL / AIM, now Facebook / twitter what's next? Social networks are very powerful so I would be careful of what you "share" or "post" on these websites, you never know who's watching your page.

**for more information about Tough Mudder visit - www.toughmudder.com (if your man or women enough)

Week 1. Task 2

Choose any specific IS products sold on the market or developed in-house. Then describe its value for the company and describe what parts/processes constitute main systems components as they are shown on fig. 1.3 (p.8).


At the Merchandising Company where I am currently employed at F&M Expressions Unlimited, we employ over 100 people to successfully run the company. Since we manufacture our own product within the company the biggest expense to the company is direct labor of its employees. F&M has a software called Time Guardian MTX which classifies employees by department, records days off, vacation time, holiday pay, hourly wages or salary amount, anything related to employee wages. Before computers were introduced into the company, employees hours were usually recorded on paper with a signature of supervisor approval. With this software everything is directed connected and recorded within the software. Schedules are setup for each employee per department to oversee when the employee should be clocking in for work, in and out for lunch break, and out for the end of the shift. An error is drawn if an employee works a shift outside their set schedule which the accounting department can investigate during processing hours for payroll. This software comes with a hand punch, where employees press their hand on a reading screen where the machine will read their hand to see if it matches the employee code entered to punch in for the day. This allows no error for employees trying to punch in for each other because every employee hand print is different thus not allowing two people to punch in under one set employee number. Once we poll the punches into the computer is analyzes against the set schedule to see if any employee is clocking incorrectly. Employees that put in for a sick day, vacation time are all matched up within the system for approval before adding it onto the employee's virtual time card.
This system is perfect for our company as it has been used for several years now without major error. It allows each employee to punch in and out without trouble and with security of their own information. There is no need for manual adjustments unless the employee forgets to punch. This allows us in accounting to ensure all labor is directly accounted for and correct. Once all the data is polled into the computer it is directly sent to Paychex Payroll Company to process paychecks for all employees for that pay period.
Input - employees manual punching in and out for their shift at work
Processing - The accounting department polling all punches to match their set schedule  to complete their hours worked for the given pay period.
Output- Paychex sends us the paychecks for each employee with the correct amount of hours worked caclulated by the software in Time Guardian
Feedback - Employees either satisfied or unsatisfied with the amount of hours, pay rate ect. Accounting Dept can always make further adjustment when necessary if employee missed a day of punches for example.
Overall, the system allow us to ensures we gain all accurate punches for employees to be paid for their work in the manufacturing plant. Its better then a piece of paper with hours written down and better then a stamp clock, because the unique hand reading will only allow that employee registered to the employee "pin #" to clock in and out. This software is used everyday of operation and is on a double battery backup in case of any emergency power outages or serge's. Since labor is 75% of the company's overall expenses it is very vital is information is as accurate and correct as possible. This software controls labor expense which adds up near 6 million dollars per year at the company so the importance of its accuracy is beyond great. 
The great part of about Time Guardian MTX is it catches any errors by drawing up an error code such as "MP" for missing punch. The system catches whenever there is uneven amount of punches signifying the data is incomplete and is not ready for processing. When an employee forgets to punch or that data is not received correctly the system draws an error code for the accounting department to do further research. Missing information can lead to incorrect time cards for employees which does not go over well. Even though it's the employee's responsibility to punch it the system has each schedule to check against to make sure the data was polled in completion. The feedback from the employee after receiving a short paid payroll check will not be good, its so our job in accounting to review every single time card per employee to make sure the system caught all errors. 
Like stated before, the input is the employee punching in and out for work. Processing is the information being transmitted or "polled" into the computer system for accounting to review. The output is when the data is transmitted to Paychex payroll company to create employee payroll checks to be distributed. Finally, the feedback comes from the employee whether the paycheck is correct or not. Negative feedback will result is missing or incorrect data was received by the hand punch clock resulting with a incorrect pay check. If the error favors the employee, very shockingly we will never hear about it from the employee, but if it is to the disadvantage of the employee a payroll adjustment will have to be made for the employee the following pay period. Missing information is never good and the software is put in place to help prevent any missing or incorrect data.
In the year and half I have been working with this software, I have maybe seen a handful of missing data which accounting caught on the final review and a manual adjustment was made to correct the data. Without this software each of the 100 employees would have to faithfully fill out a manual time card for a supervisor to review and approval for a pay check. This obviously can get dangerous trying to trust every employee to write down their honest hours vs what they can "get away with" because of lack of technology to record this data. With Tim Guardian keeping track of employee schedules and matching them to the time punch our system is very successful is paying our employees for their honest hard work.