Amazon MIS Case Study Paper Example

Amazon is one of the corporations that has a detailed and effective management information system (MIS), which has allowed it to emerge as the leading online retailer. Two of the MIS technologies that have facilitated its growth include Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Information Management (Demir, 2017). Even so, Linus has been the core strength behind the implementation of the MIS technologies, allowing the IT infrastructure to be built in a manner that can handle millions of operations and queries. Even so, the company has been exposed to various threats of securing and storing debit and credit cards information of more than 1,000 clients. The company uses CRM module under Enterprise Resources Management System to store personalized data and the purchasing trends, which is integrated into advertising and marketing campaigns.

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The components of the system include web service, groupware, middleware, and networking, which are the pillars of MIS at Amazon (Demir, 2017). However, the enterprise systems integrated with the internet include human resources, logistics, and accounting. Web service allows for allowing clients to order items, and issue secure payments. Middleware provides an interconnection between Amazon and banks where clients can pay. CRM and the enterprise system technologies allow for effecting information management. They are interconnected using a relational database system. The interdependent nature makes them effective in information management.

The system can be applied in tracking orders, as well as interacting with clients as they buy items. It is also applied in making payments, maintaining security, and generating marketing and advertising data. The MIS at Amazon, as Demir (2017) highlights, can also be applied in elastic cloud computing (EC2), thereby allowing for web scale computing, which offers Amazon customers complete control over the computing actions, as well as allowing them computer environment at the company, thereby saving time.

Coca-Cola MIS Case Study

CocaColas commonly used MIS is the Beverages Advanced Standard Information System (BASIS), which is mostly used by most of the companys bottlers in the world. The role of the system is allowing the individual bottlers to retail the beverages, by enabling them to generate buy request and receipts. It also allows sales and dissemination, inventory controlling, production, plant support and quality administration. In essence, the system can be used in managing the plant, and thus, warn of possible dangers, as well as monitor the manufacturing process closely (Coca-Cola, n.d). It also the bottlers to manage the manufacturing environment better.

According to Coca-Cola (n.d), the components of BASIS include Purchasing Information System (PIS), which manages purchases, Sales Information System (SIS), which deals with sales volume, Inventory Controlling (IC), which manages the individual bottler stock. It is also made up of the Shop Floor Information System (SFIS), which manages lean and lead time. It is also made up of the Plant Maintenance Information System, which manages the safety of the plant by looking into the number of breakdowns and generating repair information, thereby allowing the plants to run smoothly. The Quality Management Information System (QMIS) ensures that the products are of high quality. It is also made up of the Transport Data Framework (TDF), which manages transportation in the plant.

BASIS can be applied in supporting the bottlers to find the mean quality score, thereby allowing for optimum quality, while also ensuring that volumes are well managed, and thus, allows for better storage mechanisms. It can also be applied in generating the number of breakdowns, thereby allowing for safety in the plants. It can also be used in generating data on normal and absolute utilization of resources, as well as the number of material developments (Coca-Cola, n.d). Besides, it can be used in plant support by facilitating the formation of warnings and managing the number of conveyances in purchases.

Computer Classifications

There are various operating systems. Character User Interface (CUI) operating systems (OS), for example, MS-DOS and UNIX were designed for IBM-compatible computers that were 16-bit for single-tasking and single-user computers. In addition, Graphical User Interface (GUI) OS support interaction with users. The computers are slower and need more hard disk space. Single-User OS was meant for personal computers using Win95, MS-DOS, and Win98. On the other hand, multi-user OS allows for multiple users to use the OS simultaneously, such as computers that support UNIX and LINUX. Single-tasking OS support only one task at a time, and the task execution is sequential, such as MS-DOS. Multi-tasking OS allow for more than one task at a time, such as Win95. Real-Time OSs (RTOSs) are operating systems that require a response to inputs with a defined period and are predictable. They have the less user-interface capability, for example, Lynx OS.

There are various types of software depending on nature and purpose. Depending on purpose there are three: system software, application software, and programming software. System software is mainly responsible for managing the independent hardware components for them to work harmoniously. It unburdens the application software from complex details of the computer being used, including the accessories and communication devices, such as printers, keyboards, and device readers. It is the communicator of hardware and users. Programming software come in the form of tools that can assist a programmer to write computer programs, which are a set of logical instructions that enables the computer to perform certain tasks. These tools enable the programmer to instruct the computer, for example, compilers, text editors, and interpreters. Application software is standalone programs that enable users to solve a business need, such as business and educational software. Word processors, for example Microsoft Word, are also examples of application software. Depending on nature, there are desktop applications, JavaScript, server software, plugins, microcode, and embedded software.

There are five generations of computer languages. The first-generation languages, which are also referred to as the machine language, were the first to be available for computer programmers. They are made of a set of commands, represented as 0s and 1s, and correspond to instructions sets hardwired to microprocessors. Second-generation languages are assembly languages, which are low-level languages and mirror machine languages. Third generation languages are high-level languages and are a major improvement from the assembly and machine languages, such as Fortran and COBOL. Fourth generation languages were also high-level, for example, RPG and SQL, and eliminated strict punctuation and grammar rules in third-generation languages. Lastly, the fifth-generation programming languages are very high level and use graphical and visual interfaces. For instance, IBM and Microsoft make products that use fifth generation languages.

The software types have evolved over time. In essence, the first generation programming languages did not support application software, rather only programming in the form of 0s and 1s. The programming languages were close to machine language, and thus, only programmers could know how to code and interact with them. However, over time, the languages became advanced and started supporting application software, such as word processors. Essentially, this was facilitated by graphical user interfaces, which were introduced in the fourth and fifth generation programming languages.

The table below simplifies the development of the programming languages:

Programming Languages Level Characteristics

First Generation Low Level Machine code

Second Generation Low Level Assembly language

Third Generation High Level Problem and procedure oriented. Graphical User Interface.

Fourth Generation Advanced High Level Graphical User Interface

Fifth Generation Advanced High Level Graphical User Interface

References

Coca-Cola (n.d). Management Information System Project - Coca-Cola: Improvement of Business Processes Using MIS. Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/330288530/Management-Information-System-Project-Coca-Cola

Demir, A. (2017). Management Information System: Case Study of Amazon.Com. Journal of Research in Business and Management, 4(11), 11-17.