Management Information System Uses At Unilever Information Technology Essay

management study scheme Uses At Unilever In makeation Technology try turn outThe world is considerably very small because of globalization. The virtual closeness of the countries has do the trade and commerce an international event. Global telephone circuites make every corporation more closely some(prenominal)(prenominal)what the world. The discussion in this report shall take in the strategic role and analyze the info requirements of an presidency operating in a competitive global environment, decision make at from each one of the managerial take aims, the critical relationship amid the rail line strategies, Information remains (IS) strategy and the Information Technology (IT) strategy in an organization and the latent ethical issues of development brasss. In this case, the situation surrounding Unilever will be taken into consideration. The following annotations and pro vistas discussed in this discussion argon braveed by claims on journals, books and Unilev er website.The modern engineering is in reality aiding those melodic phrasees where is victimization a steering Information body in the various aim of managerial approach. The chosen party is Unilever to describe in this report how Unilever is public assistanceting using Management Information System in various direct of the companionship.The discussion in this report shall involve the strategic role and analyze the schooling requirements of an organization operating in a competitive global environment, decision devising at each of the managerial levels, the critical relationship between the Business strategies, Information System (IS) strategy and the Information Technology (IT) strategy in an organization and the latent ethical issues of information transcriptions.Table of Contents decision maker Summary 2Table of Contents 3Background of the company 4Analyzing Mission didactics 4PESTEL Analysis of Unilever 4 semipolitical Factors 4Economical Factors 5Socio-Cultural F actors 5Technological Factors 5environmental Factors 5Legislative Factors 5SWOT Analysis of Unilever 5 capacity 6Weaknesses 6Opportunities 6Threats 7Recommended Information Systems 7strategic aim 8Management aim 9 friendship Level 99Operational Level 9 good issues relate in using Information System at Unilever 10 expiration 11References 12Background of the companyUnilever is a Dutch-British multinational company which acquired galore(postnominal) consumers product brands in foods, ice-creams, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Unilever got deuce headquarter one in Rotterdam, Netherlands and other one in London, United Kingdom. The Unilever is a dual listed company which has same directors and runs effectively. The current non-executive chairman of Unilever is Michael Treschowand and Paul Polman is crowd Chief administrator. The main Competitors for Unilever are Proctor Gamble, Nestle, DANONE, Reckitt Benckiser, Kraft Foods, S.C Johnson and sons and Henkel. Analyzing Mission StatementThe mission statement of Unilever UK represents two dimensions of their company, one is how Unilever products attached to the people passing(a) life and the other part is what Unilever wants to do in the nearest future. perfunctory virtually the world, more than 150 million people in over 150 countries using Unilever products because people know they can tending themselves touch full(a) look devout and can get more out of life, a few examples, Flora wait ons keep hearts healthy, a instill of PG Tips refreshes, Magnum gives an indulging treat, Persil to clean familys clothes, Domestos keeps germs free, Sure helps unbeatable protection and hair weaken with Sunsilk helps looks great also gives confidence to take on life. The company is commit to provide a healthy lifestyle, variety, taste, quality products, enjoyment supporting more and more precious commodity. The company is also committed to the vitality of the environment and the communities. The Unilever doing business in a responsible way has a positive benefit also working in partnership with governments, international agencies (such as, UNICEF) and nongovernmental organizations (such as, WWF) to make a difference.PESTEL Analysis of UnileverPolitical FactorsUnilever operating their businesses in globalise environment around the world. Unilever now operates their business over 150 countries around the globe. The performance of Unilever is passing influenced by legislative and political conditions of individual serving countries. If consider the use legislations, the rules is different for every countries on that point need to be followed a rules for providing a mix job opportunity including flexible, lower paid locally base jobs, graduate(prenominal)er paid centrally located jobs etc. Also in that location has to be meet a shoot from vast population categories equal students, working parents and senior citizen, disabled people.Economical FactorsUnilever is conc ern near frugal factors because this is related to with demand, costs, prices and profits. in that respect is another roughly influential factors of economy is high unemployment which is directly related with the demand of many products and adversely affected on that may products. Those kinds of economic factors can not be controlled by the UnileverSocio-Cultural FactorsThe consumers demand the type of goods and services on the basis of consumers social condition, consequent position and beliefs. Now a day, the consumers are more aware of health related matters and the attitudes towards products are constantly changing.Technological FactorsTechnology is a macro-environmental variable which help the development of the Unilever products. The new technologies are beneficial for both companies and the guests customer rapture rises because products are readily available. Unilever uses modish technologies for example wireless devices, intelligent scale, intercommunicate frequenc y identification etc. The use of Electronic Point of sales event (EPoS), Electronic Fund Transfer systems (EFTPoS) and electronic scanners pull in greatly meliorate the efficiency of distribution and stocking activities etc. (Finch 2004)Environmental FactorsThere are some issues holy terrorening the producers and retailers have been environmental factors. In 2003, there was an addd coerce on many companies and managers to acknowledge their responsibilities to the society and act in a way which can help society (Lindgreen Hingley 2003). Unilever corporate social office has to be concerned in this way where any organization exceeds stripped obligations to stakeholders specified through the regulation. (Johnson Scholes 2003)Legislative FactorsThere is the law of land and policies have a direct impact on the performance of Unilever. There is an enforceable Code of Practices have to be followed to set up banning many of current practices, for example, the payments from supplier s and changing agreed prices . (Mintel Report, 2004) The conditionful competitors established brands creates a threat of intense price wars and a strong requirements for product differentiation. The governments policies for monopoly controls and reduction of buyers power can limit entry to this sector such controls on authorise requirements and limits on access to raw materials. (Mintel Report, 2004 Myers, 2004).SWOT Analysis of UnileverSuccessful businesses soma on their strengths, correct their weaknesses and protect against internal vulnerabilities and external threats. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis helps businesses to guess overall business environment and exploit new opportunities more fleet than any other competitors.StrengthThe market Share is increase day by day because of playing a great profitable share the world economy.High reputations for quality products are a key strength.Unilever got sensitive product safety in health, beauty and foods.Unilever is a global business which do business more than 150 countries around the world.There is a high performance of distribution where the suppliers are located around the UK. war-ridden pricing is also a key strength in Unilever.Unilever uses latest technology which helps the company to introduce consumers good products.Unilever got experienced and qualified look into and development team for product development.WeaknessesBrand image some condemnation affect the common customer.High pricing for various products causes low earning customer to buy another companys less price products.Customer Relationship Management must be a qualified team as there have no retail shop company business continuously depends on sole distributors.Lack of market enquiry in Unilever reduces add sales figure in a financial year.They do not have retail and online shop, it some time causes high pricing of products in the distributors retail shop.Depends on the distributors where some time does not take comely initiative to increase the sales.OpportunitiesIncreasing market share comparable to the competitors is really a good opportunity which can help company to increase the growth rate.Unilever can open retail shop which will help to approach direct consumer.Increasing brand value by providing good quality of products.Unilever can acquire more companys brands and services which can be a key step to increase the value in the market. great promotion of some products can get more customers to use their products.Threats altogether successful businesses attract competition so the competitors would be a threat. internationalist competitors may also intrude as Unilever expands.Every products can not be marketed every countries because of different race of people around the world. graphic disaster could damage many theatre of the business, for example, earthquake in Haiti and Chile. deferral causes loss of jobs where people less use of branded products, for example youthf ul recession in USA, UK and Europe caused a vast impact in world economy.Recommended Information SystemsThe following cross-functional system concepts and how they can provide satisfying business value to Unilever will be discussed in this documentThe usable level is for taking day to day decision. Transaction Processing System can help to take operation level decision similar supermarket, Biometric device etc.The knowledge level of decision is takes for research, design and procurement. Knowledge Work System can help to take knowledge level decision.The tactical or managerial control level decision takes for 1 to 3 years, it is for resource allocation. Management Information System or stopping point Support System can help to take the managerial level decision.The strategic level decision takes for 3 to 10 years, it is for long term. Executive Information System can help to take the strategic level decision.Figure 1Strategic LevelComplex Mathematical example Unilever can use a Complex Mathematical Model for supervise operations, costs, revenues, market shares, share prices etc. Unilever is categorized as fast base consumer goods, debauched acquisition, processing of market information. The information of market is usually see from research companies, historical data and individual analysis.Enterprise Data warehouse and Business Intelligence Solution In order to gain a clear view of business performance across Unilevers companies in around the world.Unilever Information Program When transformation is taking place in the organisation, information systems are inevitably involved. Currently Unilever is reshaping operational responsibilities for greater clarity between what is better done by the local company, at regional level or global organisations. The Unilever Information Program (UIP) is to develop an infrastructure to support the Path to Growth strategy, with the key priority of finding a quick data integration solution to allow user access to any number of data sources for in-depth analysis.Management LevelSupply Management Information System Unilever can integrated a furnish management information system which will helps local, regional and global supply managers make capture sourcing of decisions, allowing them to collate and analyze informations more quickly and easily. The system enables managers to negotiate with suppliers in a transparent and efficient way where benefiting both parties.Knowledge LevelProcurement System The procurement is inevit talent for future supply range of mountains optimisation the supply market, particularly in Europe is still paroxysm from under-development. The Procurement System can help total supply set up operation rather than just transactional activity. The Procurement System provides a accelerator pedal for positive improvement in supply management profiles.Supply-Chain Management Systems The using of a variety information system and several other supply chain management technologi es, Unilever can enhance the usability of the supply chain.Research education System Used for formula developmentOperational LevelSpecifications System Specification System will help in packaging, formula, raw material, sunk products and process specification.Manufacturing mean System Manufacturing intend System can help in production orders, purchase orders, standard costs, inventory, financial transactions, and production reporting.Planning System Planning system can help in charter Planning (DP), Demand Requirement Planning (DRP), Constrained Product Planning (CPP), Finite Scheduling.Order and Cash System Order and Cash system can help in order entry management, terms of sale, deduction tracking, stock allocation and invoicing.Finished Goods Management System Finished good management system can be used for shipping, warehouse, transportation, production and traceability.Ethical issues related in using Information System at UnileverA new technology introduces some new ethic al dilemmas. Computer technology is used for gathering, storing, manipulating data and spread the processed data which is information. Information system uses local and global networks, databases, programs for processing information. Information is a key to prosperity and it is a source of power also. This is very important to think about ethical considerations, how information will be used in an information system because there is social and political issues involved. There are tough social problems subsist today because government and business organisations have failed to stay on the highest ethics standard in Management Information System use. These problems exist in such forms as invasion of privacy and software piracy. The most widely publicized classification of human practiceds in the computer area is Richard O. Masons PAPA. The letters in PAPA stand for Privacy, Accuracy, Property and memory accessibility. (McLeod and Schell, 2001)Privacy The right of privacy is threat ened by two forces. One is increasing ability is of the computer to be used for surveillance and other one is the increasing value of information in decision making. Decision maker sometime(prenominal) invade someones privacy to get the information. Unilever need to do market research in need to know what type of products customers really need or what they use. There is a ethical issue concerned because of Data protective covering Act, UK 1998.Accuracy The Management Information System is given credit for making possible a level of accuracy and which is not unachievable in manual system. Most of the time errors cost much greater.Property There is some intellectual property like computer programs. The software or the systems Unilever using are they copyrighted, agreed to use from the vendors.Access There are some information is available to the general public in the form of printed documents or microform of images stored in libraries which includes news stories, results of scientifi c experiments, government statistics and so on. Access right is required to access some other databases to get information. A right to access is a Modern-day ethical issue.Conclusion finally it can be said that Unilever can make their market position stronger than before by using different information system at different level. But Unilever must have enough consideration in various sectors to use Management Information System.