Importance of Implementation (Essay Sample)

Importance of implementation
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Information systems collect, analyze and disseminate information about the business environment, potential customers, competitors, political influences that affect the business. Managers use information systems to gather information at all times and share it between major departments to make crucial business decisions (Popa & Gucui, 2009). An integrated system links all aspects that have an effect on business into one system. It thus allows for adequate and reliable information flow across the organization. The information is valuable in managing business processes and improving decision-making processes. It is an essential way of ensuring joint planning process towards achieving organization goals.
Information management networks various business aspects such as purchasing, staff induction, customer order requirements and order reviews, human resources, financial accountability and documenting responsibilities. To integrate information systems, there is a need to engage participation of a cross functional team from key departments of the organization. Inclusion of representatives from different departments ensures proper harmonization at levels. It is also necessary to ensure availability of adequate funding and a plan of the different phases of implementation before implementation begins. Implementation of an integrated system reconciles the similarities and differences of the elements of the systems to be integrated (Zutshi & Sohal, 2003).
Successful integration improves efficiency particularly in boosting information security and confidentiality while reducing time wastage used in retrieving data. It also reduces the number of tasks and the need for paper based data. Integrated information systems have the capacity to perform a number of functions such as recording asset acquisition, making payment, debiting particular accounts and updating stock records in a shorter span of time as compared to a manual process. The automated processing removes the delay and uncertainty and waste of resources in handling information (Gunaserekaran & Ngai, 2004). For instance, in a business, the integration of the company’s e-commerce web store and the enterprise resource planning allows for automatic updates in the web store as soon as changes in the inventory system occur. Without such integration businesses, experience challenges in managing online services because it continuously informs customers of changes in stocking levels and ensures that all orders are fulfilled thus improving customer service (Silva, 2011).
It is easier for organizations to support a tightly integrated system rather than separate systems. To accomplish various business tasks, it is important that organizations adopt a robust enterprise resource planning system that that can manage inventory, accounting, customer relationship management and business extension software such as e-commerce among other tasks. It allows one to view all areas of the business and control them from a single platform Integration allows drilling data across the different tasks or functions. For example, one can access sales history through the customer relationship management and open orders and quotes. A well-integrated system serves to automate and eliminate manual processes in the organization (Silva, 2011).
Overall, information system integration reduces duplication of policies, procedures and records contributing to reduced effort for system implementation and maintenance. It also saves time because common procedures are followed when adopting different systems. It creates a centralized data base enhancing sec...