Information System Leading Industry

We are living in a time of great change and working in an Information Age. Managers
have to assimilate masses of data, convert that data into information, form conclusions
about that information and make decisions leading to the achievement of business
objectives. For an organisation, information is as important resource as money, machinery
and manpower. It is essential for the survival of the enterprise.

Before the widespread use of computers, many organisations found difficulties in
gathering, storing, organising and distributing large amounts of data and information.
Developments in computer technology made possible for managers to select the
information they require, in the form best suited for their needs and in time they want.
This information must be current and in many cases is needed by many people at the same
time. So it have to be accurate, concise, timely, complete, well presented and storable.
Most firms nowadays depend on IT. But personal computers (PCs) themselves will not
improve organisational productivity: this only comes about if they are used efficiently and
effectively.

The information system is the mechanism to ensure that information is available to the
managers in the form they want it and when they need it. It is designed to support their
work through providing relevant information for their decision-making. Computer
systems can clearly aid organisations in the processing of data into accurate, wellpresented, up-to-date and cost-effective information. Weather that information is also concise, relevant, timely and complete will depend largely on the capabilities of the people involved in its processing and selection.


Information Systems in Textile Industry


Computers have been used in the clothing industry since the earliest introduction of IT. In
those days only the very large tailoring companies had the resource to take up this
technology. They used them mainly for business data processing.

During this decade, the textile industry has progressively taken up computerisation. The
application of computers is wide ranging covering almost all activities necessary to run a
textile business: accounting and transaction processing, sales and marketing, production
planning, computer-aided management, real-time management etc. Over time the nature
of computer systems in their implementation has taken several forms: standalone
applications based on one computer; an integrated centralised system where one large
computer handles a range of applications; applications catered for by having ones data
processing distributed over a network of computers.

A lot of clothing companies continued to invest not only in very latest production
technology, but also in design technology and computer systems. They use computers
complete with Intranet so that a lot of people working on PC’s throughout the group could
access and work with data on the main computer. MIS in clothing companies should
include the control of the stock, processing of each individual order, accounting etc. Most
of the tailoring enterprises have a web site and in this way e-commerce is widening. Ecommerce offers a unique opportunity for economic growth, to improve industry’s
competitiveness and to stimulate investment in innovation and the creation of new jobs.
Commercial communications are an essential part of most electronic commerce services.
Electronic commerce is global and requires increased international  coordination. Its
implementation opens not only new markets, but it also changes the way in which business
is made. E-commerce over the World Wide Web is growing at an astronomical pace.
Many of the top e-commerce sites report revenue growth exceeding 100 percent per year.
Electronic commerce will allow the companies of tailoring industry to compete on the
world’s scene, regardless their geographic situation. Europe is late in developing and
implementing of the modern IT . A small number of companies use all
possibilities of IT. (Official publications of the EC, 2000)

The effect of the use of modern IT might have many fold: higher efficiency, increased
productivity, optimised processes, enhanced quality control and thus improved products;
better design; lower cost and shorter lead times.

The development of the IT and the process of globalisation usually has direct influence on
the labour market and leads to the appearance of new flexible tailoring companies. The
implementation of modern MIS improves the production process in the enterprise and
changes the relationship between managers and their subordinate.

Designing Managing and Building an IS

Phase I – Discovery

Imagine what a professional football team would be like without a regimen of practice drills? Now take away their playbook and player statistics. What you have in this extreme scenario are highly talented (and perhaps overpaid) individuals participating in organized chaos. They might actually win a game or two, but in the long run, this team is doomed.
I offer this illustration to drive home the point of why any organization needs to examine the existence and effectiveness of its management systems. If there are weaknesses or holes in your documented procedures (playbook), or benchmark measurements (stats), then you will want to take corrective action.

Management Policy and Systems

It is my experience that when a company attempts to establish its management systems for the first time, it takes longer than expected, involves more people than planned, and grows in complexity.
To control this trend, I advocate dividing the process into five (5) distinct phases, each with clear objectives:

1. Discovery
2. Planning
3. Development
4. Implementation
5. Rediscovery

Discovery Procedures

Think of this initiation phase as all the things the coaching staff does up to and including the first pre-season team meeting. It is where the overall missions and goals are set, with clear effectiveness criteria established. Certainly the team may set it sights on the championship, but what about the kicking team or linemen? Each part of your organization must have meaningful and measurable performance criteria mapped out in this phase.

Management Procedures

Establishing objectives and criteria requires close scrutiny by management of what really contributes to the overall company mission. Departmental goals must be aligned with company goals. To illustrate with our football analogy: running backs may propose a goal of 5,000 total yards rushing in a season. This may or may not be beneficial to the team goal, whereas an aligned goal might be to achieve an average of +5 yards per run. The latter may be more appropriate for a highly pass-oriented offense.
In your discovery phase, once your objectives and effectiveness criteria are agreed upon, you can create your action plan. This step is simply the broad roadmap covering the remaining 4 phases of building your management system.
The Discovery Phase generally takes from 2-4 weeks, and represents approximately 12% of the total process. Onto the next stage;

Phase II – Planning

Have you ever had the opportunity to watch the construction of a large building? The daily progress from foundation to top floor is truly amazing, and if you’re like me, you wonder “how does it all happen?” The answer: it takes a lot of planning.
A complex construction job clearly requires project planning in excruciating detail to orchestrate materials and manpower. Inadequate project  planning can result in waste, delays and a shoddy end-product.
Building an effective management system is equally dependent on executing a strong planning phase.

Planning the Management System

The planning stage is arguably the most important step in any large-scale project. If you fail to plan properly, everything else will likely follow this failure.
Just as a construction contractor wouldn’t dare start ordering materials or pounding nails without a plan, your firm must avoid moving too quickly into the actual development phase of writing procedures that are the basis of an effective management system.

Business Assessment

Using the construction analogy, the first step is typically a survey of the parcel of land on which to construct your building. You’ll examine such conditions as utilities, roads, property grade and soil. In a management system development project, we call this step a GAP Analysis, or Business Assessment, because it articulates what the “gap” between current reality in your organization and your stated objectives. Recall that the objectives and measurable effectiveness criteria were established in Phase I – Discovery.
The results of the Gap Analysis, or Business Assessment, are used as inputs to produce a project plan.

Planning the Project

The Project Plan details the materials and tools that will help management control the project as well set budgets and schedules. Most of us are familiar with the components necessary to manage the conversion of a bare piece of land into the architect’s vision: drawings, bids, permits, contracts, work orders, and inspections. But what is required to develop a management system?

The Complete Process

Your project planning phase includes producing these components that will greatly ease the Development andImplementation Phases (III and IV, respectively) and make for an overall solid structure:

• Project roles and responsibilities
• Organization chart
• Activities, resources, dates
• Reviews structure
• Status reports
• Document control and format
• Process map
• Compliance requirements
• Training, implementation, testing and audit plans.

Review the Process Map

Before concluding the Planning Phase, a review is conducted of each component with emphasis on the process map and effectiveness criteria to ensure alignment with identified organizational goals. This check will help eliminate project drift in the coming phases.
The Planning Phase takes from 2-4 weeks, and leads us to the Development phase.

Phase III – Development

Now, I’m no entertainment mogul, but The Development Phase reminds me of producing a Hollywood movie. When we sit in a theater and watch the latest blockbuster, we see a finished product and assume it was made pretty much as it looks. But we would be wrong. Making a movie, much like the process of building a strong policy and procedure system, is a non-linear process with a tremendous amount of “behind the scenes” support.

Management Systems and the Development Process

Just as every great movie is guided by a talented Director; your effort to build an effective management system requires a skilled Project Manager. The role is especially critical in the Development Phase because it is during this stage that the time, effort and expense of the entire project cast is involved, and much like the actual shooting phase of a film production, it can consume up to 50% of your project cost.

Policy and Procedures Expertise

What skills make a strong Project Manager? Besides the obvious qualities of good organizational, communication and time management skills, I include policy and procedure or process development expertise. Depending on your staff, this may require an outside resource.

Related Development Processes

You might be surprised to learn that movies are seldom shot in “linear sequence”… that is, from start to finish. For a number of reasons, the director will organize scenes into groups that are filmed “out of sequence,” then edited into their correct place. Similarly, your firm will want to conduct the Development Phase by organizing related processes into a grouping and then completing these before going on to the next set.

Policy and Procedure Document Control

Your development work will begin by establishing a policy and procedures document control flow and format. (Think of these as setting the stage). Next your assigned writers will craft the actual documents from base materials. (Refining the script). Then a process walk through is performed and tested for a) compliance and b) effectiveness. (Dress rehearsal) Once this process grouping is completed, you move on to another set.

Supporting Documents for the Process

At the end of a film, I’m always amazed at the long scroll of credits after the actors’ names. It takes a tremendous amount of resources to make it all happen, and your development process is no different. You’ll rely on valuable support documents such as job descriptions, forms, technical manuals, training programs and reference material to develop your new management system.

Process Review for the Completed System

A motion picture can’t be released until all the scenes are shot and edited. Likewise, you will want to complete the process documentation and a review of ALL your processes as a completed system before moving on to the next phase – Implementation.
The Development Phase should take 2-4 months, depending on the number of processes, compliance requirements and skills of the writers/reviewers. And now you’re ready to put your management system into the action.

Phase IV – Implementation

Before we discuss Implementation, a quick recap:
In Phase I (Discovery) we learned how your organization specifies the project mission, objectives and effectiveness criteria. Phase II (Planning) entailed setting requirements for project tools, budgets and schedules to manage your project. Phase III (Development) taught us about identifying and testing processes within the system.
With all of that behind us, next it’s time to learn about “learning”.

Implementing the Management System

Implementing an effective management system is much like the first day of school. When young children walk into that big new classroom for the first time, the effect can be intimidating, even overwhelming. New students are like blank slates: intelligent, capable, but completely untested and unschooled in the challenges that lie ahead. By the time the final bell rings on their academic careers (many lectures, raised hands, and exams later) those same students have grown into talented experts in their chosen fields. The difference between “before” and “after” is training, testing, and time.

Training and Assessment

In the same way, implementation is all about information and assessment. Your class must be educated, indoctrinated, tested, and graded in the ways of your management system in order to graduate to effectiveness. No one ever said it was easy, but with studying and hard work, your organization is sure to score straight A’s.

Skills and Business Assessment

The first assignment for Effectiveness 101 is a pop quiz to see exactly where the focus of your improvement efforts will need to be. A preliminary assessment of your employees’ skills and competencies will help determine the training gaps your people need to close.

On-site Process Training

Once you have identified your training needs, then your lesson plan can begin in earnest. Your training program will introduce your employees to the job descriptions, processes, and procedures that compose the management system. Just as importantly, your employees must be trained on the relationships between themselves and your objectives and effectiveness.

Internal Audit

Once the coursework has been taught, it’s time to do some grading. A top-to-bottom audit should be conducted of your entire system against your objectives and compliance requirements. With this audit completed, you will be able to graduate from where you’ve been to where you want to be.

Total Implementation Time

No one goes from kindergarten to college overnight. You are working toward a stable system, and it will take time. Roughly 50% of the project’s total time, in fact; implementation usually takes a three- to six-month “semester” to complete. The exact amount of time you’ll spend will depend on how many employees, locations, and processes you have.

Phase V – Re-Discovery

Now we turn the corner to our final phase: Re-Discovery.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the expedition of Lewis & Clark, and much has been written about their remarkable journey up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific. This band of explorers was aptly named The Corps of Discovery. In reality, The Corps made two trips, the second being their return. It is likely that the unheralded return journey was more revealing and insightful than the outbound leg, offering them a chance to re-discover with clearer vision what they had already seen.
It is in this frame of mind that your organization will embark on the Re-Discovery Phase of building an effective management system.

Company Policy, Assessment and Improvement

The Re-Discovery Phase completes the loop of the entire project, and then overlaps with The Discovery Phase of the next year. Therein lies the “never-ending cycle” of the project. The Re-Discovery Phase allows your organization to migrate from a “fix it and done!” mentality to one of continuous improvement. Because in Re-Discovery/Discovery Phases you will always be reviewing and assessing your organization for ways to improve performance, compliance, and effectiveness.

Re-Discovery

When we pass down a street for the first time, our minds are focused on reaching the destination. Upon returning, we are able to notice things that were previously missed. Returning allows us to go through the same path of the original Discovery Phase in this different light.

Process Cycles

This will involve reviewing audit results, process measures and customer satisfaction to determine possible adjustments to the mission, objectives and action plans as well as effectiveness criteria. You will want to assess the appropriateness of these elements now that you have completed your “outbound journey” through the Planning, Development and Implementation Phases. What will you see differently? How will you prepare for the cycle to begin again next year?

Project Cycles

The Re-Discovery Phase will culminate a project that started 6-12 months ago. As in all Phases it is wise to identify a Project Leader to manage document controls, lead the audits, and report to management. After all, remember you project goal: to build an effective management system.

Project Management & Tools

1 Project Management

This is the first of three key topics that form Project and Quality Management in the

Technology Syllabus core. These are,

•Project Management

•Quality Management

•Reliability Management

Many of the concepts involved form a foundation for the related option in

Manufacturing Systems where they are treated in greater depth.

1.1 Introduction:

This document is intended to be used as a resource by the Teacher and is written with this in mind. Accordingly, each of the topics is covered in enough depth to facilitate the subsequent delivery of them in the school. The accompanying set of student notes and workbook has a different emphasis and should complement the material given here.

As there will inevitably be a variation in the level and type of projects encountered in the classroom, it is important to establish the general principles involved in project management before applying them to specific examples. By having an understanding of the underlying principles of project management and planning and where they came from, the teacher will be better equipped to deal with the application of them on a day to day basis.

The approach taken here is as follows:

First the concept of project management is outlined and some key ideas are described
Then two key techniques for the planning of projects are described.
Next, these techniques are applied to a typical school design & make project.

Finally, having worked some problems by hand, the process is automated by a software package

1.2Overview of Project Management

Project management techniques originated in industry to address the need for managing increasingly complex activities such as civil and mechanical engineering projects. The techniques involved are something quite different in scope and purpose from the ‘Design Process’ that is familiar to the teacher. Project management concentrates on the management of resources and time over the lifetime of a project in a systematic manner. While the approaches outlined were originally developed to aid in the management of large scale projects, they can also be effectively applied in the classroom.

In order to understand the techniques it is helpful to look at what constitutes a project

and what makes a project different from the ‘routine’ activities of an organization

1.2.1What is a Project?

A project is any task within an organiz ation that does not fit neatly into ‘business-as-usual’. The Luas system and the Dublin port tunnel are two examples of large scale projects. On smaller scale, an individual might self-build a new house, a car manufacturer may want to develop a new engine or a company may want to set up a quality system. In the school context, pupils are given a design and make project which needs to be managed – albeit on a smaller scale – using many of the same principles as the larger projects.

All projects have a number of characteristics in common. These are:

•Each task is specific and unique

•Each task has a specific deliverable item when complete

•This deliverable is aimed at meeting a specific need or purpose.

•There is usually a specific due date for completion of the project.

Note that design is not necessarily a central part of the project activity. A project may involve carrying out a tried and trusted procedure that has been used many times before in similar situations.

1.2.3What is Managed?

Project management refers to the administration of the project, its supervision and organization. It means analyzing the objectives of the project, defining the tasks needed to achieve these objectives and controlling the execution.

Projects have three interrelated objectives, these are to:

•Finish on time

•Meet the specifications that satisfy the brief

•Meet the budget

As work progresses on a project, unexpected problems will usually arise that willth reaten to throw the project off schedule or specifications. Project management involves applying a systematic approach to achieving the objectives of the project, and when project management is done properly, the probability of a successful outcome to the project is increased.

A project can be broken down into a number of subsidiary tasks. A number of project management tools exist to allow the scheduling and resourcing of each of these tasks. Problems such as bottlenecks or conflict between resources can be identified and dealt with. One activity that is central to all of this is Project planning. Project Planning techniques will be the focus of the remainder of this section