Pre-course Assignment – NDAS Case Study
Question 1
The current level of office automation at NDAS varies with each department. The company is also in the process of upgrading its computer systems to improve performance and reduce costs.
The Payroll Department has a minicomputer on which it runs the payroll twice monthly. The Sales and Marketing department has a desktop computer for each account representative. All the computers are connected to a LAN, which serves only the Sales and Marketing department. The Accounts Receivable Division has recently replaced its old minicomputer with a more powerful microcomputer. This new server supports databases for both customer billing and bad debts. The Accounts Payable Division maintains
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Ideally, each local office would integrate its computers with a LAN, so that all employees would be able to share information, and resources such as printers. In case there are multiple buildings in an office (like in the corporate office), each building would have its own LAN, and the LANs could be connected by a Backbone Network.
Question 3
NDAS has several offices that are distant from each other and are not connected either to one another or to the corporate headquarters. Currently, the telephone network is the only method of direct communication among these scattered locations.
A large volume of information is exchanged between the local offices and the corporate office, along with billing information. It also appears that a lot of paperwork is required for the day-to-day operation of the company. Each remote office must make photocopies of billing and timecard information before sending it to corporate headquarters. This is done to safeguard the information in case it is lost in transit.
If there is a delay with the delivery of a parcel, it is difficult to track it without the help of a computer network providing real-time information. As the company expands, the volume of paperwork will increase, and the current system will not be able to cope.
The introduction of online transaction processing and real-time customer information will speed up the billing process
If we need to send an item and guarantee it will be delivered the next working day or the same day or if a mail needs to be sent on recorded delivery we have to look for postal charges and the time within which the mail will be delivered.
Real-time customer-to-customer payment – To establish a very wide network of payment services and products
Personal within the Administrative Areas that are only responsible for data entry are given Thin Client Computer: HP model L1706. The Administrative Departments have two networked HP 4350 Black and White Laser Printers and one color HP 4200pht networked Laser Printer. The Administrative Department is then linked to the IT Data Center where in the IT Date Center; connections are established with servers and the internet. This circuit will be discussed later in this paper.
A computer network set up around an individual person in one building. i.e. in a house or a small office
It is generally limited to a geographic area such as a writing lab, school, or building. Rarely are LAN computers more than a mile apart. In a typical LAN configuration, one computer is designated as the file server. It stores all of the software that controls the network, as well as the software that can be shared by the computers attached to the network. Computers connected to the file server are called workstations. The workstations can be less powerful than the file server, and they may have additional software on their hard drives. On many LANs, cables are used to connect the network interface cards in each computer; other LANs may be wireless.
The networking of the system is recommended after a system study and the fact that there has been a 100% expansion of the demand for the system- from 5 to 50 have been noted. It is also shown that as of now there are machines that are stand alone with windows 7 operating system. The task is to provide a network connectivity that would provide direct connections between the employees, and be centralized in the operation. This essentially requires the creation of a network. This means that all the computers must be installed with a network card and this would be the case with windows 7. The question then comes is if there must be windows networking or use other protocols. We can also partly use the most modern practical solutions.
NDAS was established in 1985. The main objective with NDAS is to compete in todays growing market for overnight package deliveries. The current state of automation varies among departments. Computers are linked to a LAN that only attends for Sales and Marketing. The Accounts Receivable Department, led by Jane Van Dyke, is accountable for all billing and collecting, as well as payroll.. The
The Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center’s inventory tracking system is based on a star network configuration. Each employee uses a Radio Frequency (RF) scanning gun to create labels placed on all inventory as it is received into inventory. Then, the labels on the inventory are scanned and located to predetermined locations in the building, tracking the inventory’s movement through the building. This tracking ensures that no inventory is lost while transitioning from receiving until it is placed on the correct trailer for shipment to our stores. Another function of the RF guns are to track the work being performed by the employees to compare against a predetermined set of standards. This data tells a story of how effectively each person is completing
For example, the Sales and Marketing Division has a desktop computer for each of the account representatives. All of these computers are connected to a small local area network (LAN) that serves only the Sales and Marketing Division. The
The evolution of the express mail industry had become a quick on-time shipping and delivery of packages. The service had become effective, reliable, and prompt, which most of the top companies could deliver on these guaranteed promises 96-99% of the time. But, delivery services were only a portion of the services being offered to their customers. Carriers had mastered information management that they shared with their customers. Customers were now able to fill out labels, track the route of their package, and assisted in billing using both via carrier provided software or the Internet.
By the online tracker system the business processes are automatically done and the access of information is easily available
As the new technology and fast evolution of software, keeping information system efficiency became a challenge. On the enterprise side, the company’ operation, inventory, and logistics systems are the key to success. On the customer side, the high quality and satisfied experience from the user interface is very important. Moreover, the establish and develop a new technology is costly and different.
Online payment processing services perform transactions at a much greater speed than manual processing. As well as ensuring error-free computations and faster processing time. Which means
The diagram above shows the high level LAN network design that could be implemented. Inter-office connections could be done using Sate-590553175llite Communication or using a single point ISP provider to do the networking.
The postal-courier industry, in the midst of market changes, will need to grapple with a significant technological challenge looming on the horizon. The delivery of goods is an expensive proposition that requires significant capital investments and a large supply of labor. Technology, in the form of handheld devices and logistics, works to create an efficient process that enables companies to minimize costs and maximize revenues. The handhelds used by delivery personnel include a number of important capabilities—bar code scanning, messaging, GPS—that help facilitate workflows. From enabling track and trace to obtaining proof of delivery, the current use-cases for these devices are plentiful. As the expectations of consumers grow and their desire for greater personalization increases; postal-courier organizations will more heavily rely on these devices to transfer real-time data between all parties involved in the transaction. Moreover, postal-courier organizations attempting to expand their service offerings to offset declining mail volumes and differentiate themselves from the competition will employ handheld devices and new applications to complete additional business processes.