Overview
This topic surveys the software and systems that power day-to-day business productivity, from word processors and spreadsheets to enterprise resource planning (ERP) suites. You'll learn core terminology, when to apply each tool, and how these applications streamline operations and decision‑making.
Key Concepts and Applications
- Productivity Software: Word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, and personal databases—often bundled in office suites.
- Office Systems: Email, groupware, video conferencing, document imaging/OCR, and voice recognition for collaborative workflows.
- Specialized Systems: Knowledge management (KM), expert systems (ES), transaction‑processing systems (TPS/OLTP), decision support systems (DSS), geographic information systems (GIS), and business intelligence/OLAP.
- E‑commerce: Electronic data interchange (EDI), B2B/B2C models, online payment gateways, shopping‑cart software, security standards.
- Enterprise‑Wide Systems: ERP for integrated back‑office processes, CRM for customer relationships, SCM for supply‑chain coordination.
- Business Strategies: IT‑enabled competitive advantage, business‑process reengineering, TQM, workflow and project management tools.
- Information‑Processing Methods: Real‑time vs. batch vs. transaction processing; selecting the right mode for speed versus throughput.
Step‑by‑Step Example
Scenario: A mid‑size retailer wants to reduce order‑to‑ship time by automating purchase orders and inventory updates. Which applications and processing methods should be used?
Step 1: Identify key processes: purchase order generation, inventory deduction, supplier notification.
Step 2: Choose ERP to integrate sales and inventory data, ensuring a single source of truth.
Step 3: Implement EDI for real‑time transmission of purchase orders to suppliers.
Step 4: Configure TPS/OLTP so each sale immediately updates stock counts (real‑time processing) and triggers automatic reorder points.
Final Answer: Combine an ERP core with EDI and real‑time TPS to automate and shorten the order‑to‑ship cycle.
Quick Tip
Match the scope of the tool to the scope of the business problem: use spreadsheets for small data sets, but deploy ERP or BI platforms when multiple departments need synchronized information.