Page 38 - Information Management 3rd Edition

Information Management
certain standards, such as quality, quantity and time. For this you need procedures and methods that need to be followed by the employees in the different functions. The way in which the integration of the functions works in most businesses is
discussed below.
2.10.1 The information/administrative function
The information manager plays an important and pertinent role in the integration
and coordination of the different functional divisions. It is the responsibility
of the information manager to ensure that the information required by the
different functions reaches them at the right time. For this, it is essential that the
functions also send the required information to the information manager at the
right time, so that there is enough time to process the information and to ensure
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2.10.2 The marketing function
that the correct information is available at the right time. The data manager and
the information systems manager can assist the information manager. The data
manager gathers information through observation and measurement. The data
comprises the unprocessed primary facts, which cannot be used in their present
form by the decision-makers. The information systems manager now processes the
data, in other words, he/she places the data in context and makes it available to
the functional divisions of the business. This aspect requires that the information
system be designed in such a way that it allows integration with the sections of the business with which it works closely.
The marketing strategy selected by the manager is very important, since it often
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reflects the overall strategy of the business. Together with the financial and
information managers, the marketing manager must consider the capital needs
implications of the marketing policy and marketing strategy. A large scope of
marketing costs may have a beneficial effect on credit sales, but at the same time, the accompanying capital needs may influence the profitability of the business negatively. The purchasing manager and the production manager must also be aware of increased sales, so that the necessary precautionary measures can be taken.
2.10.3 The production/operations function
Production is the key function in the business because it is the process whereby input is converted into valuable output. The production manager must plan and control his/ her activities according to the marketing budget and the production capacity and he/she must determine the extent to which the different processes must be integrated. The strategy to be followed by the production manager can also be regarded as an extension of the marketing strategy. The production manager therefore depends on information from the marketing, information and financial managers. The production manager, in turn, must provide the purchasing function with information about the resources and materials that are required.
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