Enterprise systems also known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, solve problems by collecting data from various key business processes in manufacturing and production, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, and human resources and storing the data in a single central data repository. This makes it possible for information that was previously fragmented in different systems to be shared across the firm and for different parts of the business to work more closely together.

Enterprise systems speed communication of information throughout the company, making it easier for businesses to coordinate their daily operations. When a customer places an order, the data flow automatically to other parts of the company that are affected by them. The order transaction triggers the warehouse to pick the ordered products and schedule shipment. The warehouse informs the factory to replenish whatever had depleted. The account department is notified to send the customer an invoice. Customer service representatives track the progress of the order through every step to inform customers about the status of their orders.

Enterprise systems give companies the flexibility to respond rapidly to customer requests while producing and stocking inventory only with what is needed to fulfill existing orders. Their ability to increase acurate and on-time shipments, minimize costs, and increase satisfaction adds to firm profitability.

Enterprise systems provide valuable information for improving management decision making. Corporate headquarters has access to up-to-the-minute data on sales, inventory, and production and uses this information to create more accurate sales and production forecasts. Enterprise systems provide company-wide information for managers analyze overall product profitability or cost structures.

E-commerce means business over the Internet. It’s a new way of doing business without the physical limitations of business location or operating time. So why is it different? Here are 7 unique features of e-commerce:

1. Ubiquitous - it is available just about everywhere a computer can connect to the internet.

2. Global Reach – permitting commercial transactions to cross cultural and national boundaries far more conveniently and cost effectively than is true in traditional commerce.

3. Universal Standards - it operates according to universal standards shared by all nations around the world, whereas most traditional commerce technologies differ from one nation to the next.

4. Information Richness - enabling an online merchant to deliver to an audience of millions complex and rich marketing messages with text, video, and audio in a way not possible with traditional commerce technologies, such as radio, television, or magazines.

5. Interactivity - it allows for two-way communication between merchant and consumer and enables the merchant to engage to consumer in ways similar to a face-to-face experience but on a much more massive, global scale.

6. Information Density - vastly increase the total amount and quality of information available to all market participants, consumers, and merchants alike.

7. Personalization or Customization - merchants can target their marketing messages to specific individuals by adjusting the message to a person’s name, interests and past purchases.

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Exactly, how do information systems enhance business processes? Primarily, in two ways:

1. Increasing the efficiency of existing processes.
2. Enabling entirely new processes that are capable of transforming the business.

Information systems automate many steps in business processes that were formerly performed manually such as checking client’s credit, or generating an invoice and shipping order. But today, information technology can do much more. New technology can actually change the flow of information, making it possible for many more people to access and share information replacing sequential steps with tasks that can be performed simultaneously in parallel, and eliminating delays in decision making.

That’s why it’s so important to pay close attention to business processes. By analyzing business processes in your firm, you can achieve a very clear understanding of how your business actually works!

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If you’re a veteran retailer, you know the problem: Your inventory doesn’t match your tallies. Sales are going unrecorded. Your staff is spending far too much time chasing mistakes instead of tending to customers. Something is seriously wrong, and you’re just not sure what the problem is.

Here are 7 reasons to use a point-of-sale system.

1. Record-Keeping
POS not only record all sales and provide timely and accurate sales tracking, POS also lets you readily identify inventory levels at anytime, even when your books do not match your stock.
2. Discount Management
POS allows specific pricing model for specific items and automates discounts introduction, so POS knows which item has been discounted and records them accordingly.

3. Promotion Management
POS manages and reconciles short-term specials like coupons and special offers, so POS can track and tell you exactly how well each promotion perform.
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