System Management Plan for International Plastics Inc.

System Management Plan for International Plastics Inc.

In the dynamic modern business environment, the effectiveness and extensibility of an organization’s IT infrastructure are critical factors that drive the organizational and operational performance of the Company. International Plastics Inc., a globally spread manufacturer, realizes a need to update its IT systems to stay competitive and achieve operational excellence. This system management plan provides detailed information on Enterprise System integration, including Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, and enhanced data management solutions. This would present an overview to the executive team about the various upgrades proposed and the associated benefits expected.

Infrastructure Integration of Systems

ERP

The current setup of International Plastics Inc. is a SAP-based ERP running on a UNIX server. Although functional, it does have inherent limitations to scalability, accessibility, and integration with a new breed of applications; therefore, upgrading can overcome these deficiencies since the Company will move to a cloud-based ERP solution like either the SAP S/4HANA or the Oracle ERP Cloud (Buttle & Maklan, 2019). Cloud-based ERP systems have many advantages, such as real-time data processing, increased scalability, and improved ability for integration, which in turn becomes important for the sustenance of dynamic business needs in a company.

An integrated business process and cloud-based ERP system will improve the Company’s control and overview. It will enhance its data analysis and reporting functions to provide relevant data-based insights to the executive level of the firm in real-time so that effective decisions can be taken. Also, easy scaling up to more significant resources reassures that it can support business growth and seasonal fluctuations. This flexibility is crucial for a manufacturing company with widespread operations across continents.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

International Plastics Inc. currently has reduced CRM capability, which affects the Company’s effort in managing its customer relationships. The proposed Salesforce CRM implementation will boost these capabilities to a great extent. Salesforce is known for its strong features and integration possibilities with other business applications; it is also use-case-friendly. Through the implementation of Salesforce CRM, International Plastics Inc. shall enable improved customer service, allow better sales tracking, and give better insight into customers’ behavior and preferences. These characteristics shall help develop customized marketing programs and enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Currently, International Plastics Inc. has low SCM capabilities, which may bring about inefficiencies in managing the inventory and logistics. Integrate Oracle SCM Cloud for improved supply chain operations, better visibility, and supplier and logistics management. This can provide operational efficiencies through decreased delays and errors and improve overall supply chain efficiency with real-time inventory and order tracking. There is usually increased transparency and the possibility that handling supply chain disruptors will be more efficient. Next, enhanced supplier management skills will ensure better coordination and collaboration with suppliers, which is a prerequisite in nature to having a smooth supply chain.

Data Management

The Company has local NAS systems installed at each location for data backup. While it works, this approach can still be bettered by using a centralized data management system with automated backup solutions with cloud integration. Solutions like AWS or Microsoft Azure Backup offer solid data protection and disaster recovery solutions. Stronger integrity of backup data via automation and central management minimizes the risk of data loss. Moreover, cloud-based data management is available from any geographic location and is suitable for remote work or collaboration. Moreover, enhanced security features safeguard against cyber threats and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Software Applications and IT Infrastructure

The software applications are an intrinsic part of the IT infrastructure at International Plastics Inc., which supports all business activities, from resource to customer relationship management, supply chain optimization, data integrity, and other business operations. The ERP system is the central column of the IT infrastructure, centralizing all business processes and integrating them with other applications. It would need high-performance servers, reliable network connectivity, and secure data storage for its operation. The CRM system is integrated with the ERP so that customer information can be presented in a single view to help improve customer service and sales operations. Cloud deployment ensures accessibility and scalability, crucial in managing customer encounters and insight information (Katuu, 2021).

It is an SCM system that pits the efficiency of the supply chain because it has to be incorporated with the ERP and CRM systems. This requires strong network infrastructure and high data processing capabilities as it tracks inventory, manages orders, and coordinates with the suppliers in real-time (Christopher, 2016). It provides secure, reliable data storage at the very back of every business application and thus forms the backbone of data management. State-of-the-art NAS systems, cloud storage, and backup solutions protect data storage availability, integrity, and security from various kinds of failures and even hacking attacks on network infrastructures.

Ethical and Regulatory Issues

There are various ethical and compliance considerations in every new enterprise system that make it imperative to the reputation and good standing of the Company with the law. One of the core aspects is protecting customer and employee data against access and possible misuse. Transparency upfront in any system change, clearly bringing out the policy for using and maintaining the data, strikes a relationship of trust among the stakeholders. This ensures equal access to the system resources and chances of targeted training opportunities that ensure fairness to all employees.

One of the highest risks is from data protection and privacy laws, such as GDPR and CCPA. There are huge fines and damage to reputation for failure to act in compliance. On this line, the Company shall achieve effective data encryption and access controls, along with regular audits for compliance adherence (Kuner et al., 2020). The other area that puts a medium risk to the Company is the industry-specific provisions under ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 for quality and information security, respectively. Non-compliance may result in the revocation of certifications and may also cause business disruption. System compliance with industry standards and periodic reviews may reduce such risks (Marsden & Shahtout, 2024). Another area of high risk is cybersecurity standards like NIST and PCI-DSS. Data breaches and cyber-attacks may result in financial loss and legal implications. Advanced firewalls, intrusion detection systems, proper security policies, and frequent security assessments will help maintain a tight security posture.

Regulatory Concerns

Data Protection and Privacy Laws (GDPR, CCPA)

• Risk Level: High
• Potential Impact: Non-compliance can result in significant fines and reputational damage.
• Mitigation: Implementing robust data encryption, access controls, and regular audits to ensure compliance.

Industry-Specific Regulations (ISO 9001, ISO 27001)

• Risk Level: Medium
• Potential Impact: Failure to comply can lead to loss of certifications and business disruptions.
• Mitigation: Ensuring system compliance with industry standards and conducting regular reviews.

Cybersecurity Regulations (NIST, PCI-DSS)

• Risk Level: High
• Potential Impact: Data breaches and cyber-attacks can lead to financial losses and legal consequences.
• Mitigation: Deploying advanced firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and conducting regular security assessments.

Justification of the Plan in the Context of Improved Business Performance

The proposed system management plan is justified by its significant improvements to business performance. The enhanced automation and integration of business processes that reduce manual errors increase productivity. A cloud-based ERP system will lighten operations and make real-time data insights available for better decision-making (Kumar, 2012). The cloud solution offers flexibility, which involves scaling resources either up or down with the needs of the business to ensure that the IT infrastructure can accommodate growth and adjust to the changing market conditions.

Advanced analytics tools integrated with new systems will provide deeper insights into business operations, thus supporting data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. Improved CRM and SCM systems will better position customer service and supply chain operations, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Conformance to regulatory requirements will reduce risks and protect the Company from legal and financial penalties for non-compliance and its reputation and operational integrity.

Current Trends and Security Concerns

Current trends occupying center stage in IT, such as Cloud Computing, AI, and IoT integration, are very important in forming the future of business operations. This trend toward cloud-based solutions will bring scalability, cost efficiency, and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities. Leaning on AI with respect to predictive analytics for enhancing decision-making will deliver a competitive advantage (Katuu, 2021). Tracking and monitoring the supply chain in real-time using IoT devices increases operational visibility and efficiency.

Advancements, however, come with security concerns. Advanced security measures form part of the ways to keep off the ever-sophisticated level of cyber-attacks through multi-factor authentication, among others, and encryption. In this respect, it is important to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access and breaches to help customers develop trust and for compliance reasons, as provided by Herzog & de Meuron (2015). Compliance with various regulatory requirements is important since failure can lead to prosecution, penalty, and damage to operational integrity (Kuner et al., 2020).

A successfully implemented system management plan will ensure that International Plastics Inc. has an IT infrastructure that is efficient, secure, and scalable enough to handle business objectives and meet regulatory requirements. Only through such a comprehensive upgrade of the IT infrastructure could an added advantage in operational efficiency be drawn, and only then would a sound platform for further growth and sustainability of the Company be built in the intensely competitive manufacturing segment.

References

Buttle, F., & Maklan, S. (2019). Customer relationship management: concepts and technologies. Routledge.

Christopher, M. (2016). Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Pearson UK.

Katuu, S. (2021). Trends in the enterprise resource planning market landscape. Journal of Information and Organizational Sciences, 45(1), 55-75.

Kumar, D. (2012). NAS Storage and Data Recovery. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Embedded Systems, Cyber-physical Systems, and Applications (ESCS) (p. 1). The Steering Committee of The World Congress in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Applied Computing (WorldComp).

Kuner, C., Bygrave, L., Docksey, C., & Drechsler, L. (2020). The EU general data protection regulation: a commentary. Oxford University Press. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-eu-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-9780198826491.

Marsden, A., & Shahtout, A. (2024). International organization for standardization. Clinical laboratory management, 271-277.

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Imagine this scenario: The CEO of International Plastics, Inc. has asked you to review the business application and the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, and provide a system management plan. This plan provides the executive team with the details of a new or upgraded system implementation and helps determine if it’s a viable solution for the business. A plan of this nature is typically 4 or 5 pages in length with charts, when appropriate.

System Management Plan for International Plastics Inc

Develop a system management plan for a new enterprise system for International Plastics Inc. Ensure you do the following in your plan:
Incorporate the following systems into the infrastructure for International Plastics Inc.:
ERP
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Supply chain management (SCM)
Data management
Summarize how software applications utilize the IT infrastructure.
Describe the ethical and regulatory concerns associated with the plan.
List and rank each regulatory concern by its level of risk and potential impact.
Justify the plan in the context of improved business performance.
Address current trends and security concerns.