Name: Ricardo Reid

School: Oberlin High School

Teacher: Ms. Grey

Centre #: 100086

Candidate #:

Date: April 1, 2014

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Territory: Jamaica

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Table of content Titles Pages

Acknowledgement......................................................................................................

Abstract……..............................................................................................................

Problem Definition.....................................................................................................

Table of activities.......................................................................................................

Ghant Chart................................................................................................................

Analysis of Problem..................................................................................................

Presentation of Data..................................................................................................

Identification of possible solutions..........................................................................

Evaluation of solutions............................................................................................

Justification of solutions...........................................................................................

Selection of most feasible solutions...........................................................................

Appendices...............................................................................................................

Questionnaire

Interview Questions

Presentation of Data

Bibliography...............................................................................................................

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Introduction

Information technology (IT) is the application of computers and telecommunications

equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business

or other enterprise. Problems deemed impossible to solve were solved.

Information technology will justify and solve greater problems. The application of

information technology to solve these problems requires a great deal of focus as one mistake

may lead to the entire process being faulty. Information technology aims at making work

easier as evident in the assessment carried out to find an appropriate solution to the long

standing problem of accountability at the Excel Auto Parts. 

This assessment will show how information technology can be used to hold persons better

accountable for inflow and outflow of items in a warehouse. It also shows how information

technology can be used to secure persons as well as personal file. In addition it shows how

faulty documentation may lead to loss of items in a warehouse.

Problem statement

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The long standing problem of accountability and security is one of the major problems that

occur at the Excel Auto Parts. They are faced with problems such as overcrowding of stocks,

misplaced stocks, last of capital and thief.

The accountability problems occur because the checking off of stocks is done manually by

the workers. There is one person who is responsible for checking off stocks as they entire the

warehouse. This task is very over-whelming for any worker on shift that day and sometimes

results in errors being made on the quantity and type. These errors affect the person who

check off as well as the company because the person who check off would then have to do a

recount off quantity and adjust the books as possible so that the mangers don’t find and as

well as they may be held accountable for stocks that may then be shown to be missing which

really didn’t entire the warehouse.

These errors leads to customers waiting for hours to get there goods and some even send

elsewhere as they are informed that the organization does not currently have it in stuck just

because the workers simple cannot find this items or the items are damaged due to an

overcrowding in the warehouse. Being that the stocks is believed to be out but then they are

just simple misplaced. These errors may lead to a major lat of capital.

There are situations where more than one group is assigned to check stocks; this system of

dual check in order to verify that the quantity and type that is record is accurate. It is also

possible to assign the manager or supervisors to be responsible for recording the inflow of

stocks. As this would possible decrease the miscount of stocks.

These issues may also be corrected by having all workers being computer literate and having

a software that allows the managers after receiving the records (type and quantity of stocks)

entering the warehouse to input this into the systems which would then be accessible to all

workers in order to be aware of the quantity of each items in stuck and its specific location.

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The problems of security maybe address through the use of surveillance cameras to provide

security to workers shoppers and owners. This would allow the mangers to track stocks going

in and out of the ware house and where specific goods are place within the warehouse. It

would act as a form of documentation to see what is done in the ware house.

 

Table of Activities

Activities Start Date Duration/ Days

Task A Identification of Problem 10/18/14 4

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Task B Definition of Problem 10/22/14 6

Task C Write Interview Question 10/28/14 8

Task D Write Questionnaire Question 11/5/14 8

Task F Select Sample Group 11/13/14 4

Task G Observation 11/17/14 2

Task H Administer Questionnaire 11/19/14 4

Task I Conduct Interview 11/23/14 2

Task J Report on Interview 11/25/14 6

Task K Report on Questionnaire 11/30/14 8

Task L Analyzing Observation 12/8/14 12

Task M Identification of Possible Solution 12/20/14 4

Task N Evaluation of Solutions 12/24/14 10

Task O Select Possible Solution 1/4/14 6

Task P Organization Of Data 2/1/14 2

Ghant Chart

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Analysis of problems

For the duration of the research which is to analyse the problem of record keeping at

Excel auto Parts. The researcher chose numerous techniques used in gathering data but only

three of these techniques were used to collect the data needed to analyse the problem. The

techniques that were used are an interview with two the manager of the company, an

observation at the company for a week and questionnaire were distributed to six workers

within the organisation. These techniques will find out the problems and possible solutions to

solving them.

  An interview is an official meeting in which one or more persons question, consult, or

evaluates another person to get background information. Interview maybe time consuming,

however an interview gives the interviewer a feel and sense of the situation.

An interview with Managing director Mr. A. Bell and Mr. D. Bell about the problems faced

with the record keeping process of the organization reveals that all workers has access to the

warehouse and there is no one person who monitoring the inflow and outflow of the ware

house. Additionally h e stated that the documentation of items kept in the warehouse are not

as accurate and that the company as been losing fanatically due to either lost of sale, wrong

stock leaving the warehouse, larceny and even damage to goods due to over crowding in the

warehouse.

An observation is the act or process of watching a thing or person carefully in order to

acquire vital information. An observation was carried out at the organisation for a week to

obtain additional information into the problems faced by the company. During the

observation period the companies full staff of thirty (30) workers: fourteen (14) sales clerk,

eight (8) ware house clerks, five (5) drivers, one (1) supervisor and two ( 2) mangers were all

observed. During the observation period all fourteen (14) sales representative, eight (8)

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drivers and supervisors enter the warehouse undocumented for various reasons and in some

situation sales representative and drivers are supervising out and in flow of goods which is

the job of the warehouse clerk or supervisors. The observation also highlight that there is no

one person who check off stocks coming into the warehouse and any one person may do it

which makes it susceptible to miss count or wrong parts being documented. Further

observation disclosed that the keys to the ware house delivery doors are left in the hands of

any member of staff and that there are not security cameras in place in the event of burglary

to give evidence.

A questionnaire consisting of four open ended questions and twelve closed ended

questions were issued to all twenty eight (28) members of staff and were returned within a

week fully completed.

A questionnaire is a set of printed or written questions with answers, constructed for

the purpose of a survey or research, a sample of the questionnaire maybe seen in the

appendices figure 1.1. The questionnaire showed that apart from the eight (8) warehouse

clerks who are employed to work in the ware house sixty (60%) of the other workers access

the ware house daily while another twenty (20%) access it but not on a daily basis and the

other twenty (20%) does not access the warehouse. So it is concluded that eighty (80%) of

workers not employed to the warehouse do access the warehouse.

All workers indicate that they do not need permission to access the ware house.

Workers assume that the company managers and owners are not interested in investing in the

security of there workers has they further explain the company is earning more than enough

capital to invest in a proper security system and this may negatively impact both on the

company and its workers.

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Identification of Possible Solution

The following are to solution that if implemented could correct the system.

Surveillance Camera’s

Also called closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit a

signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. This will allow the mangers to

adequately supervise goods entering and exiting the warehouse thus Lessing the possibility of

larceny and the wrong stocks being send out of the ware house at a given time.

Specialize Software (Mtech)

This Mtech will allow management to adequately keep track of parts that are present

in the warehouse. In addition it would allow for them to entire the type of parts and quantity

that has arrive in the warehouse and would store this and would be updated automatically

every time a sale is made this would be similar to a database. This system is costly to set up

but will be far greater in the return of revenue.

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Evaluation of Solution

Surveillance Camera’s

The installation of security cameras are considered as an excellent solution to the

current problems face by the company. This will record all the activities that take place in the

warehouse. This will also reduce thief by driving fear of getting catch into individual.

The installation of surveillance cameras requires several hardware and software tools

some of which includes: 12 cameras, 3 television15 yards of cable wire 2 DVD players an

external storage for videos preferable off sight. A surveillance firm would be hired to conduct

the installations of the surveillance system at a cost of $60,000. The company would expect

to spend an additional $70,000 for the surveillance equipments, as well as $ 100,000 for the

purchase and set up of an industrial generator in case there is a power cut. There will also be

a cost of $5000 to the Macks Man Security Firm monthly. The expected capital to undertake

this project sits at approximately $118,000.

This solution would ensure full productivity and efficiency of staff and as a security

measure. The three close circuit televisions would be installed in both managers office and in

the show room, the will be connected to the twelve surveillance cameras set at angles over

look the ware house, as well as entrances to the ware house. The DVD players used would be

a three disc player thus leaving no room between disc changes during recording. Records

would send to and external main frame at Macks Man Security Firm to ensure proper storage

and prevent tampering.

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Specialize software (Mtech)

The implementation of Mtech would require a programmer which would create Mtech

such that it would allow the user to entire the  name and quantity of stocks and this would be

saved into the data base. The program would initially have the cost per items, its storage

location and would be able to be used to general bills and invoices. The program would

automatically updates the quantity in stock and leave option for the storage location to be

changed by the user. Mtech would be install on all computers in there ware house assessable

by all workers but updating privilege granted to only top level mangers.  

This would allow for the company to keep track of all parts in there were house and the

quantity thus leaving little room for overcrowding in the ware house because the system

would be check before parts are ordered and would also allow management to properly locate

parts in the ware house. This system would dramatically decrease the profit lose in the

organization thus increasing profits.

The capital to undertake this project is and high one but the returns from this project

will far precede the initial cast in the first year of the project running efficiently. The initial

cost for this project will see the company upgrading their current system off nine, computers

in there show room as well as the one at the supervisors desk and both managers to windows

8 the version more effective to run this system at a cost of $2000 per computer in addition

they will need to purchase 4 computers to allow for the stock taking process not affect the

day to day operations.

The company will also have to employ a technician to come in occasionally to ensure

the system runs effectively and also they would have to ensure that their workers are

technology incline. One worker would have to be in charge of stock taking when ever stocks

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come in. The expected capital to create and install Mtech on all the computers is

approximately 1 million dollars.

Selection of best solution

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The most suitable solution for the problem identified would be the implementation of

specialize software. The system would adequately seek to correct all the companies’

problems, and does not require much to operate and maintain. This system though more

expensive to set up will generate more lost capitals and is easily operated and user friendly.

This would allow it to be easier to be aware of amounts of parts in warehouse, know when

parts are needed and also know what parts are in higher demand than others. This would

prevent persons from having to manually update the books which is very time consuming and

also leaves from for error.

Justification of Solution

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The Specialize software (Mtech) would be best suitable solution for the problem at the Excel

Auto Part. This solution would seek to effectively correct all the problems such as

documentation of goods entering the ware house and overcrowding and also lost of sales. 

Mtech would be more effective than surveillance cameras as it only requires the programmer

to write the for the company and install in once while the surveillance camera would require

the purchase of cameras and other component such as wires, monitors, DV’s etc. the DVD

would have to be position at central areas thus to effective monitor the ware house, with the

more key areas the more cameras would be required to avoid having blind spots in the

surveillance system which would leave space for things to go missing while with Mtech there

is a smaller window for error and if there are any at all it would be on the path of the

managers and supervisors has they are the only one that is able to edited information entered

in the system by the supervisor.

Mtech does not require a major external storage like that required by the surveillance system

which would see the company paying Macks Man Security Firm $5000 monthly, this funds

would be put to paying the cost of engineered who would come in to check up on the system

ever two months at a cost of $5000 per visit. This would be less expensive than the $500 per

month and would save the company approximately $30,000 per annum.

While the surveillance system would require an industrial generator at a cost of $100,000 that

would be place in the company’s account as this system would just require a small time

generator just to run the computers so that business transaction wouldn’t be disrupted in the

event of a power failure.

Mtech is the most appropriate solution to the problems at the warehouse where all the

surveillance cameras would only address problems of surety and documentation of persons

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entering the warehouse. It would adequately address the problems of overcrowding, lost of

sales and documentation of the in and out flow of goods in the warehouse.

The solution was chosen due to various facts some of which includes that it is economical,

user friendly and easy to maintain thus making it the most effective solution for the problems

face by the Excel Auto Parts Company.

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Presentation of Data

Figure 1.1

In relation to question 4 on the questionnair illustrating

the percentages of workers other than warehouse workers who

access the warehouse.

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Figure 2.1

In relation to question two on the interview question

showing the problems faced in the Excel Auto Parts Warehouse.

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Figure 3.1

In relation with question three on the interview question

illustrating the fluctuation in the problems over the time period from

2002-presen

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Figure 4.1

In relation to question one on the interview questions showing

the amount and category of workers within gthe organization.

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Figure 5.1

In relation to question eleven representing the

persentage of workers who thinks specialise software is better able

to adjust the companies problems rather than survalliance system.

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Interview Question

1. How many persons are employed at your organization

2. What are some of the problems face by your organization?

3. How long as this problem surfaced?

4. Is there a specific person in charge of the warehouse?

5. Does everyone as access to the warehouse?

6. How does your company account for staff security?

7. Are there security cameras in place?

8. Are they any form documentation on workers or items entering or exiting the ware house?

9. Who does the checking off of stocks?

10. Have your company ever suffered from a case of thief?

11. What would consider to be the best solution to adequately correct all the problems faced

specialise software or surveillance camera?

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Sample Questionnaire

INSTRUCTION: The following is a questionnaire which is a part of a research which is comes under the information technology course I am currently perusing I ask u to facilitate me by placing a tick in the box () which best suites your response

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1. What category of worker do you fall under? Ware house clerk Sales representative Driver

2. How would you note your level of accountability within your position held at excel?

Good Great Excellent Other

3. Do you need permission to access the warehouse? No Yes

4. How often do you access the warehouse? None at all 1-3 times per day 4-6times per day 7 times and over

5. What are your views on the problem the company faces?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

6. Does the problem affect you? Yes No

7. If yes, how does this problem affect you?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

8. How do the company intake stocks? Rarely Often Very often Never

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9. Do you think the implementation of a information system will alter accountability?

Yes No

10. Give reasons for your answer.________________________________________________________________________________________.

11. What form of security is used at the company? Security Guard Security camera Guard Dogs

12. Being a member of the Excel Auto Parts employee staff compliment on what scale do you role the level of accountability?

One Two Three Four other

13. What is the major problem that the company face due to poor record keeping? Loss of sales Larceny or thief Damage to goods Over crowding

14. What solution do you think should be implemented to alter the ways of unaccountability?________________________________________________________________________________________.

15. Do you think the company should implement measure to aid in their accountability?

Yes No

16. What would you say is the best solution to the problem of data security that the company now face?

Security camera Logging arrivals and departure Specialize software

Bibliography

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Glenda Grey and Ronald Blades Oxford Information Technology for CSEC, Published by

Worldwide in Oxford New York, 2005

Thomas and Dewey .I.T Today and Tomorrow, Sixth Edition, Published by Harper

Collins Publisher Limited, 2004