Running Head: MIS IN CROSS-FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION 1

In your role as Director of Operations, your communication skills are essential to project completion.
Your organization is cross-functional; thus, you communicate directly with many department heads
that require you to formulate collaborative solutions to complex problems. Your organization has
strategic initiatives that rely heavily on business intelligence, technology, and connectivity between
departments. Please develop an APA-formatted paper that investigates and provides detailed
analyses of the following topics:

 Management Information Systems in terms of sustaining a cross-functional organization 

 The use and implementation of BI in terms of decision-making 
 CRM and its use and implementation in terms of a sustainable competitive advantage 
 Social Media in terms of competing on the global-stage

MIS in Cross-Functional Organization

Shreesh Prasad Shrestha

BN190188

BUS 530 Managing Information Systems and Technology

Prof. Prakash Bhetwal

Prof. Dr. Omid Gohardani

Westcliff University

November 24, 2019

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Abstract

In this paper we have discussed about what MIS really is, and how it is helpful in the

cross functional organization. Cross functional organization has also been discussed in this

paper. We have also discussed on how MIS helps to sustain the cross functional organization

and how it provides advantage over its competition. Implementation of BI is how it provides

value to the organization, and how it helps in decision making. Also, we have talked how the

global competition has been through social media.

Keywords: MIS, decision making, system, organization

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MIS in Cross-Functional Organization

Management Information System (MIS) is normally the overall computer system,

which consists of a software, and the hardware, which acts as the backbone of the

organization. According to [ CITATION Jal11 \l 1033 ], “MIS, is the key factors which helps

in facilitating and achieving efficient decision making in any organization”. Also, according

to [ CITATION Ste70 \l 1033 ], “MIS is an automated system which will aid the manager to

look at the information, both internal and external to business, which will in turn help him in

making specific set of routine decision”. And according to [ CITATION Yas17 \l 1033 ],

“MIS plays a vital role in making managerial decisions, and the concept of MIS has received

improved attention in many different fields rather than just a specific field”. It has been found

out that there are six major roles of information system within an organization, they are

managing operations, collaboration, improving individuals productivity, supporting customer

interactions, competitive advantage, and decision making. According to [CITATION Ces11 \l

1033 ], “Cross functional system can be defined as the arranged order of several functional

system or departments within the organization and their function for operating, which helps

to promote the processing of the information and also helps the people in charge to make the

decision”. In a cross-functional organization, it is difficult to know what the other

departments are really doing, as the communication and monitoring the process would be

difficult. Hence, by the help of MIS, the limitation of communication barrier can be cut off,

and also other departments might know what other departments are doing.

Sustainability using MIS in cross-functional organization

Within an organization there are different departments such as sales, reception,

administration, production, maintenance, HR, inventory, financing, purchasing. If the

organization is to function properly, there needs to be perfect harmony between all of the
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department in an organization. Lagging of communication, collaboration, and Knowledge

about other department will seriously hinder in the production or service, the company

provides. The most frequently used example of a shopping mall, let’s take in few departments

for example such as, sales, inventory management, administrator, finance, purchasing. Firstly

the sales department is out of stock for a certain product, they need to run to the inventory

management department or contact them to ask for more of the same product to keep in

display, if the inventory management department does not have the same product, they have

to contact the purchasing department to buy the product, then they should then contact the

finance department to release the funds, and they will in turn as the manager to approve the

purchase, the manger will need to ask few people to validate whether the product is really

finished, and also look in to the sales of previous lot. Once that is confirmed, then the

approval is then confirmed. And then the purchasing department will buy the product, and

send it to the inventory management department, and a certain portion would be passed on to

the sales department. While this process is carried out, the customer of the shopping mall will

have moved on to the other place and bought the things they need. But if the shopping mall

had an MIS system in palace, the sales department would enter all the incoming and sales of

the product, and if quantity of certain product in the sales department is getting low, through

notification or request the inventory management department will be automatically notified

so that they can refill the stock. Also, if the stock in the inventory management department is

getting low, the purchasing department can know about it, and follow the necessary process,

notifying and taking approval from both finance, and the managerial department. This

process will make the whole process run smoothly, faster, well communicated, and

documented, and highly less chance of error. This will also help to maintain competitive

advantage over is rival, here competitive advantage according to [ CITATION Kar11 \l

1033 ], is “about being in top position in the competitive market by being different than other
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business”. Also through the data that is gained it will be easy for analysis which will then

help to make easy for management to make decisions based on it.

Implementation of BI for decision making

According to [ CITATION Wix12 \l 1033 ], “Business Intelligence (BI), represents a

vast area of technologies, and applications for collecting, analyzing, storing, and providing

information for improving business process”. And according to [ CITATION Rou16 \l

1033 ], “BI in today’s era has different contribution for supporting decision making as a

brand modern impression, and it is a data driven DSS which is combination of data gathering,

storing, an knowledge management which analysis for providing input to the decision

process”. In any organization, managing and getting the best value of the existing data is a

challenging thing, as the data volume also keeps on increasing. But once the company is able

to make use of the available data then, the managers will be able to see the results, analyze

them, find the place where they can improve, or the things that have been improved, and

make decision based on the findings. This will also help to give the organization a proper

vision of the business position, and make decisions based on the real time data which in hand

of the organization. Through Business Intelligence, the data of the company is stored in the

warehouse, and through data mining the necessary reports for analysis can be taken out,

which then can be processed by the data analyst, and also it can be represented in the system

visually, which will help the managers to make the proper decision.

Competitive advantage by CRM

In the current modern era, customers are the most important people a business needs

to sustain. It is through the customers the business survives, and maintain a healthy

relationship with the organizations customer is a must, and also customer satisfaction is

required to make them a loyal customers. For building a good customer relation, each of the
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customer must be handled with properly, and the organization have to make sure that the

customer leaves with a satisfaction, so as they would be coming for more. In any

organization, CRM is maintained and interdependent on the marketing, orders, support, and

sales. Also, through social media, web application, and informatics has helped it to give a

different perspective.

Through the help of MIS, CRM has become more easy, and competitive for all level

of organization. Through social media, web application, and the purchase they make the data

can be collected and used for betterment of the product, and to know the products

sustainability. Also, from social media, the comments and likes can be used to know the

interaction of the customers, and if there are any negative feedbacks, that can be solved

though the process. Through the registration of the customers, organization can track their

previous activities, and recommend similar activities, also, companies nowadays have started

to send out gives, or just a simple message or email wishing people on their birthdays, or

special occasions. This has definitely helped many customers to be happy. Also the

customers are notified about the new products, through email and message, which will let

them know about the upcoming events or the new products. My local departmental store

“Salesberry” also sends out birthday messages on my birthday. Also, few of the banks I have

account on wished me on my birthday as well, this really makes me happy, and also I feel

some sort of loyalty towards the organization.

Global stage competition through Social Media

Social media nowadays are very much used by peoples. They love spending time

going through their Facebook, Instagram, twitter and other social media. This also has been a

great place to promote the products of any organization, as there are many active users

involved in the social sites, gathering and analysis of the data also has been made easier. It
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has been one of the best place for data mining, sharing and introducing the new products.

According to [ CITATION Sch16 \l 1033 ], “The social media nowadays have been heavily

used by the consumers, and their activity also helps to define the success or failure of the

product. A customer might complain and how the company representative handles and solves

the issue plays an important part. Also there are many different passive users that are just

looking at the situation and depending on the outcome, they react”. Through social media the

trend of social media is fast changing. The advertisement from the past has been completely

changed, as the traditional paper based advertisement is not the only means to advertise.

Through social media, different targets can be approached to advertise specific kind of

products.

Conclusion

From this paper what we have come to see that the importance of MIS in a cross

functional organization is very high, as managing the overall process of the organization will

be smooth, and the productivity will also increase, and also the overall sustainability of the

organization. Also we have come to see that the importance of BI in any organization, and

how it will help the managers to make the decisions. CRM also helps to maintain the

customer relation as well as it provides competitive advantage over the rivals. And, in this

digital era where the social media plays a vital role, the competition has been spiked up

through it.
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