Technology Transfer and Controlling Enterprise Resources

Questions: 1. What would be the most appropriate technologies you would recommend to the owners that manage multiple sites or integrate supply chains?2.How might this network coordinate their technology transfer to not only provide the most reliable information, but also provide proper control through the enterprise?3.How might your recommendations be supported through web technologies? In presenting your recommendations, how might you explain the importance of obtaining relevant data through the enterprise system to the owners of the food retailer? Answers: Introduction Understanding various types of supply chains across different industries is of great importance for ensuring the effective management of the various resources available within the enterprise. As supply chains get complex, the reliance on technology to control and manage the resources as well as integrating them efficiently also increases significantly. 1. Customers and their outlooks are changing dynamically. This change calls for appropriate changes in outlook and ideology by top management, coupled with the adoption of appropriate and relevant technologies (Ghilic-Micu, Mircea, Nisioiu, Silvestru, Stoica, 2010). In the age of the internet and cloud computing most of the technologies are dependent on the internet. This includes technology for management of multiple sites as well as integration of supply chains. The integration of supply chains would be easily managed using software related to inventory management. This would help in automation of several processes as well as ensure that information regarding deliveries and orders are easily tracked. This process would further aid in accurately forecasting demand for and supply of the commodity, thus ensuring suitable inventory levels (Kristianto, Ajmal, Addo Tenkorang, Hussain, 2012). This simple process would be a key component to ensure that fast moving commodities are availab le in suitable quantity and techniques like Just-In-Time management are utilized to the maximum while reducing the requirements for warehouse space. Using advanced inventory management techniques and ERP also ensures a significant decrease in manual errors as well as costs incurred as part of administration or inventory storage (Raki, 2014). Transparency in operations is a significant help in enhancing the customer experience through speedy and timely delivery of commodities. Automated systems in inventory management include the integration of accounting along with inventory, thus doing away with duplication of data and resulting redundancy (Sundtoft Hald Mouritsen, 2013). One such technology is the RFID (radio frequency identification) that is being increasingly used by many organizations to track products using sensors. The tracking process works throughout the supply chain across multiple sites and helps ensure that bottlenecks within the system are minimized. 2. As is commonly seen in all emerging technologies, there exists considerable confusion as well as misleading information with regards to RFID as well. RFID is being consistently used for all processes during the entire product lifecycle. While each process is distinct, the core values of the technology remain the same. In logistics, for instance, RFID used at automated toll collection points helps track the movement of goods across various locations. On the other hand, the same technology used in-house tracks the movement of raw materials being supplied to its use in various processes as well as the final products. Thus, RFID helps in controlling inventory levels, modulating purchases and ensuring availability of final product. The considerable improvement in efficiencies and the transparency in tracking the commodities helps minimize bottlenecks as well as improve the response of supply chains, thereby ensuring easy availability of reliable information as well as providing adequat e control of the resources of the enterprise (Sabbaghi Vaidyanathan, 2008). 3. Balancing inventory cost and profits are part of cost efficiency in inventory management. Inventory carrying cost is a major contributor to inventory cost and includes storage cost, taxes and insurance as well as cost of capital invested in inventory (Grant, 2011). The integration of RIFD with cloud computing has been instrumental in ensuring that web technologies are capable of supporting RIFD. In the case of food retailers, which tend to have a lower shelf life, the use of this technology, helps ensure that wastage from food items past their expiry date are easily overcome. The inventory carrying cost is also significantly reduced (Adebanjo Michaelides, 2010). Conclusion The reduction of bottlenecks in the various business processes in the organization is essential for ensuring cost efficiency and profits. The use of various technologies like ERP systems and RIFD are a positive step in the strategic management of the resources in the enterprise as they ensure that the various raw materials, their movement and the various processes they are involved in are all tracked and monitored. References Adebanjo, D. Michaelides, R. (2010). Analysis of Web 2.0 enabled e-clusters: A case study. Technovation, 30(4), 238-248. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2009.09.001 Ghilic-Micu, B., Mircea, M., Nisioiu,, C., Silvestru, C., Stoica, M. (2010). Designing flexible e-business workflow systems. Journal Of Applied Computer Science Mathematics, (9), 72-77. Grant, K. (2011). ICIME 2011-Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Information Management and Evaluation (1st ed., pp. 300-310). Academic Conferences Limited. Kristianto, Y., Ajmal, M., Addo Tenkorang, R., Hussain, M. (2012). A study of technology adoption in manufacturing firms. Journal Of Manufacturing Technology Management, 23(2), 198-211. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17410381211202197 Raki, H. (2014). An application of RFID in supply chain management to reduce inventory estimation error. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 2(2), 97-104. https://dx.doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2014.1.001 Sabbaghi, A. Vaidyanathan, G. (2008). Effectiveness and Efficiency of RFID technology in Supply Chain Management: Strategic vales and Challenges. Journal Of Theoretical And Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 3(2). https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/s0718-18762008000100007 Sundtoft Hald, K. Mouritsen, J. (2013). Enterprise resource planning, operations and management. International Journal Of Operations Production Management, 33(8), 1075-1104. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-11-2011-0430