Management Information Systems Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Information Systems - Coursework Example Laudon and Laudon (2007) also placed emphasis on the importance of information technology in ensuring business survival. The speed with which businesses have to respond to customers requests makes this a very important point. Information is the lifeblood of an organisation and without information important decisions that determine the continuation of the business cannot be made. The major types of information systems that exist at a company that I am familiar with are inventory management, sales and accounting. These information systems are required in order for management to obtain information on a timely basis so that the right decisions can be made. The major types of problems that these information systems have helped to resolve in an organisation that I am familiar with include: i. The provision of inventory information in real time; ii. The provision of sales information; iii. The provision of timely accounting information. Inventory information is important in the prevention o f under-stocking and over-stocking of items. Stock-outs result in loss sales which eventually go to competitors. Additionally, holding too much of a particular item means that warehouse space is used to hold items that are not moving as fast as expected. The cost of holding stock can be very high especially for inventory items that are moving slowly. Furthermore, items that are moving slow takes up space that other fast moving and profitable stock items could do well with. An inventory management information system helps businesses to manage inventory effectively. Information relating to sales is important for management in service, production and retail businesses to determine if sales targets are being met. In the case of an organisation that provides services it helps management to determine which service area is generating the most revenue and which area is generating the least revenue. In the case of production and retail organisations it provides information on which products are doing well and which ones are doing poorly. Additionally, they will also be able to determine which geographic region they are performing best and worst in. It allows management to make decisions that are well informed and allow them to channel more resources if necessary towards the areas that are performing well and make corrective actions in other areas. Management require accounting information in order to determine which expenses have almost reached or have surpassed the budget. Information on receivables from customers and the amounts payable to suppliers can also be obtained. They also need to know the amount of profit that the business is making on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. It therefore means that an accounting system that is linked to other areas of the business becomes critical. When a sale is made and when a purchase takes place the information goes straight to the accounting system and updates the records of customers and suppliers. This allows informatio n to be readily available on critical areas of the business. Therefore, management is able to take the necessary information to achieve the level of profit required. If targets are not attained in a particular month management can then focus on putting the necessary controls in place. Part 2 In order for businesses to compete effectively they need information from within the organisation as well as from outside. This information has to be available quickly in order to enable management to make the right decisions. Therefore, the need exists for

1.Indirect Investing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

1.Indirect Investing - Research Paper Example Such investment points towards the fact that the investors are investing in a product whose performance to a certain extent is linked with the performance of the property. The example of indirect investing is purchasing units in the property funds, purchasing shares in any of the property company that is publicly quoted and contributing to any pension plant that has a property in its portfolio (Indirect Property Investments). Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS): These are considered to be the public property companies that are primarily listed on Stock Exchange. The investors buy shares in these companies that may be traded through the investor’s stock broker. The examples of such public companies are Great Portland Estate, Land Securities and Derwent London plc. The Land Securities is one of UK’s largest property companies that invest in almost all the classes and types of properties present across the country. However on the other hand Derwent London plc only invests in property present in Central London and that too mostly in offices. Unit Trusts: There are several other means of indirectly investing in property. These means may take several other forms that are suited for a number of investors. Some examples of unit trusts are mentioned below: The authorized and unauthorized investment funds can be further divided into open and close ended funds. The open ended funds are the ones which do not have a definite life span, which means that they may go on forever and their units can be traded in the open market. The example of Open ended funds is Standard Life Property Income Unit Trust. The close ended funds may have a definite life span, for instance 10 years. After this duration the property is sold and the unit holders are paid out. The example of Close Ended Funds is Schroders WELput Unit Trust. The investment in office property present in London will come to an end in the year 2023, after selling the whole