Question 1: How IT and IS may be used to help the company operate and achieve its

objectives?

Answer: A company may use IT and IS in various way to operate and achieve its objective. It
basically depends on the management which way they choose to use the technologies available.

A business firm or accompany has a lot of data to work with. From inventory count to customer
information, it deals with a lot of data on a daily basis. They use this data and turns them into
various important information.

For communicating a firm may use IS and IT. This communication could be between
employees, suppliers and customers. This usage of technology saves a lot of time from business
hours of a company. This easy yet practical use of IT and IS helps to improve the relationship
of a company with its customers.

The use of modern, updated technologies is very efficient and time saving. There was a time
when companies had to maintain their documents on paper file and that was risky to handle as
things were tangible. Now all the information are turned into various data which has a security
almost for a lifetime. And since every documents or data are on a company’s desktop, it has
become very easy to manage anything and everything in a simpler way.

Today, world’s business depends mostly on the research and development sector of a company.
The company with better R&D is more likely to sustain in a longer run, just like Walmart in
the description. Their job is to bring more updated way of management and reduce the costing
to bring more profit. They also does the job of developing the business structure to keep up
with incoming new companies who uses more advanced technologies.

Companies like Walmart uses IT and IS for storing all kinds of data and reports, depending on
the need they can further retrieve any of those data and reports. A company just like Walmart
uses IT to keep count of inventory in their chain of supply anywhere all over the world. And
by proper usage of technologies, Walmart has set themselves up as benchmark to the world
and they are considered to be trend setter in retail industry.

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Question 2: Discuss the challenges faced by the CIO - which are the most important and
why?

Answer: A chief information officer has some responsibilities. He is mostly associated with
the information technology and computer system. He basically select the strategies for the IT
department. So, selecting the correct strategies is important. Otherwise the goals of the
companies will not be achieved. Moreover, the company will see downfall. Apart from
selecting the strategies CIO has a responsibility of letting the company know about the daily
programs. So that, everyone is well updated and they can work accordingly. It actually
increases the overall productivity. Often different problem arises at different time.

CIO needs to predict all those possible conflicts which might arise. Because this is connected
with the overall performance. He has to predict all those possible issues and at the same time
he should maintain the business operations so that the transformation and attainment of goals
can be done simultaneously. We are seeing different changes in business. Digitalization is one
of them. CIO is responsible for building the digital transformation. Making analysis based on
cost benefit, and also using the tools, and build the frame work accordingly.

Data Security is a biggest challenge for the CIO. It is important to assure the operations are
effective and data security is managed properly. Data security is a major concern for every
company. Data security is also managed by the CIOs. Businesses are attacked on a regular
basis. So, it is important to build a proactive threat detection. Which will help to monitor the
data throughout its lifecycle.

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Question 3: What role does information technology play in the business? How is it helping
Walmart refine its business strategies?
Answer: Information Technology is a crucial component for a businesses’ competitive
advantage. To be successful in modern day’s business information technologies plays the most
vital roles. If we look around the globe the most successful business are the ones that were
innovative at their time and constantly seeking innovation till now through the use of massive
databases and information systems. Information technology gives competitive advantage to a
business over its competitors.

High-tech Information technology has always been an essential ingredient for Wal-Mart's
growth. Since its inception, it has used the IT systems well enough for the Inventory,
administrative, customers and suppliers’ management to gain massive success throughout the
years.

Wal-Mart has been refining its business strategies over the years through information
technologies.

a) Wal-Mart's investment in technology and continuous adoption of latest technologies

has made Wal-Mart a market leader in the whole retail industry.

b) Wal-Mart developed a well-equipped computerized Point of Sale (POS) system capable

of identifying each unit sold, creation of accurate sales receipt and storing all the information
item-by-item for sales analysis and inventory reordering purposes.

c) Wal-Mart was the first in retail industry to adopt electronic radio frequency
identification or RFID technology, which is still being used and it helps them keep track of
inventory movement across its supply chain.

d) Wal-Mart has got a strategic plan of introducing a concept of self-service. Self-service

technology, aimed at eliminating paper and paper forms, will be provided to their associates,
prospective associates, customers and members.

e) Wal-Mart provides Self-service, Customer-service, best shopping environment and

experience, one-stop shopping, best value products, customer convenience of online shopping,
good customer relations using cutting-edge technology.

Finally we can say that, Wal-Mart has been outstanding in its investments in Information
technology from all prospects. It has become a sustainable competitive advantage for them over

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their competitors and a reason of their growth and profitability through the blessings of
Information and technology.

Question 4: Summarize the main purposes of information systems in organizations?

Answer: The main purposes of information systems in organizations to make raw, separated
data into a useful data collection, that will help the organization to make strategic decision,
overview, monitor and help to organization grow. In modern era, organizations are trying to
adapt new system that will give those advantages in information system over competitors. Also
other purposes of information system in organization are record keeping, analysis, keeping
data. These helps the organizations.

The more modern information system the more it will help the organization to remove the
manual work and save tons of times of the organization and keep it up to date. The more
automation added in the information system, the more it will be helpful for the organization.
New systems adapt by the organizations which are really helpful in terms of keeping loyal
customer close, adding new customer, keeping records of feedbacks, find different ways that
will help the organization to achieve their strategic goals. To get a good decision making and
setting goals tom make the organization success a good and information system is needed for
the organization.

Also, A Management Information System, or MIS, gathers information from a wide range of
sources and afterward forms and sorts out that information to assist organizations with
deciding. Nowadays, innovation and information assortment are pervasive to such an extent
that organizations huge and little are utilizing Management Information Systems to improve
their results. A decent MIS can give your business an upper hand since it transforms a large
number of information focuses into supportive, usable data that can be utilized to change your
system and increment benefits. These are the main purposes of an information system in an
organization to remove painful work and make people lives easier.

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