Informational management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Informational management - Essay Example These information flows cannot be ignored: they are potent and effective, and they are the basis f most really good decision-making. Generally, MIS deals with information that is systematically and routinely collected in accordance with a well-defined set f rules. MIS plays a major role in a company's informational process. Information that has major managerial planning significance is sometimes collected at golf courses. Such information is not part f MIS, how ever, one- shot market research data collected to gauge the potential f a new product does not come with in the scope f an MIS by our definition because although such information may be very systematically collected it is not collected on a regular basis. (SMITH 1991, 60-85; O'REILLY 1980, 684-96) Normally, the information provided by an MIS helps the managers to make planning and control decisions. Now, we will see, what is planning and control. Every organization in order to function must perform, certain operations. For Example, a car manufacturer has to perform certain manufacturing activities, a wholesaler has to provide water to its area f jurisdiction. All these are operations that need to be done. Besides, these operations, an organization must make plans for them. In other words it must decide on how many and what type f cars to make next month or what commissions to offer retailers or what pumping stations to install in the next five years. Also an organization must control the operations in the light f the plans and targets developed in the planning process. The car manufacturer must know if manufacturing operations are in line with the targets and if not, he must make decisions to correct the deviation or revise his plans. Similarly the wholesaler will want to kno w the impacts that his commissions have had on sales and make decisions to correct adverse trends. The municipal corporation will need to control the tendering process and contractors who will execute the pumping station plans. Often there are elaborate systems for information that assists operations. For example, the car manufacturer will have a system for providing information to the workers on the shop floor about the job that needs to be done on a particular batch f material. There may be route sheets, which accompany the rate materials and components in their movement through various machines. MIS has all the ingredients that are employed in providing information support to manager to making planning and control decisions. Managers often use historical data on an organization's activities as well as current status data to make planning and control decisions. Such data comes from a database, which is contained in files maintained by the organization. This database is an essentia l component f an MIS. Manual procedures that are used to collect and process information and computer hardware are obvious ingredients f an MIS. MIS sub serves managerial function, collects stores, evaluates information systematically and routinely, supports planning and cont

Kohl's Department store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kohl's Department store - Essay Example It also has equally impressive house brands that are price competitive. These give variety to the product lines that the department store carries. One of the company’s strengths is that Kohl has a very wide distribution network, with nine distribution centers located in strategic areas. This enables the company to immediately replenish stocks in the stores. Immediate replenishment means there will be minimal lost sales due to non-availability of the products. Having a lot of distribution centers also results to manageable operations costs resulting from having to bring the products from one area to another. However, Kohl’s main weakness is its company size compared to the industry’s larger players. Kohl only has about 1000 stores located in various parts of the US. Furthermore, its area of distribution is only within the US, whereas other Retail stores have reached other countries. As such, Kohl is very dependent on the economic condition of the US. Kohl has the ability to compete heads on with the larger players as it continues to expand, with the target of having 1,400 stores in 2012 (Economy Disrupts Kohl’s Expansion 2009). In spite of the economic downturn, slowing the company’s expansion from its target of 90 new stores per year to only 75, the company is still confident on its expansion plans. And alongside the expansion plans is their innovative marketing plans, among which is the company’s shopping strategy tool, whereby consumers can create and print customized shopping lists that has product images and pricing so that they can compare values and get the most out of their money (Kohl’s Shoppers Can Count on Tremendous After Thanksgiving Day Savings 2009). Another opportunity is that Kohl is now also maximizing online shopping, as the other retailers in the same league. Doing so would attract more consumers, and connecting them on a personal level as the website offers detailed