IT for business assignment – Vodafone
Executive summary
This report is compiled to understand the significance of information technology in the operations of Vodafone PLC and how the IT products and services influence the business of the organisation. The global telecommunication company Vodafone requires information technology tools and techniques to provide the telecommunication services to the customers and to enhance the connectivity of the internal members of the organisation as well as the people availing its services. In addition to this, the organisation also provides technical service support, which is also dependent upon the information technology tools. Therefore, the inherent needs of the organisation with regard to the information technology systems are to enhance the connectivity, communication and data sharing among the members that are working in the organisation and to make use of these tools to carry out business activities along with the product and service provisioning by the company. The report concludes that the IT systems of Vodafone contribute immensely to the success and play an essential role in the efficient and effective operations of the organisation.
Introduction and background
Vodafone Group plc is a Britain based multinational organisation operating in the telecommunication industry. Headquartered in London and Newbury, Vodafone carries out the operation of mobile networks in 25 countries throughout the world and also operate with the help of partner networks in 47 more countries. The Global enterprise division of Vodafone also provides services related to Telecom and information technology tools to multiple clients located in more than 150 countries throughout the world. The organisation was founded on 16th September 1991 and has a workforce of more than 99,000 employees. The products and services offered by Vodafone include the fixed-line telephone services, mobile phone services, internet TV services, Digital TV services, IPTV services and broadband services. The market capitalisation value of Vodafone is considered to be close to £52.5 billion. The organisation serves more than 640 million customers availing the mobile services and 21 million customers availing fixed-line and broadband services. This report is compiled to understand the significance of information technology in the operations of Vodafone PLC and how the IT products and services influence the business of the organisation (Vodafone Group, 2019).
Vodafone IT needs
The global telecommunication company Vodafone required information technology tools and techniques to provide the telecommunication services to the customers and to enhance the connectivity of the internal members of the organisation as well as the people availing its services. In addition to this, the organisation also provides technical service support, which is also dependent upon the information technology tools. Therefore, the inherent needs of the organisation with regard to the information technology systems are to enhance the connectivity, communication and data sharing among the members that are working in the organisation and to make use of these tools to carry out business activities along with the product and service provisioning by the company (Scheck, 2016). The IT services of the organisation and their telecom operations are all based on technical business solutions. The organisation has clearly fragmented the business activities and the internal and external Associates hired by the company make use of the IT capabilities to fulfil the ever-evolving needs of its customers with the latest technologies in the form of the cloud services, wired and wireless solutions, increase mobility of the enterprises and the value-added services that are central to the business operations.
Importance of IT for Vodafone
The Information Technology system for Vodafone PLC can be defined as all the components and IT tools that are interrelated and that collectively contribute to the process of decision making for extending better control and efficient working of the organisation. The information system for Vodafone determines the working of the business functions and also ensures that all the activities to be conducted by the company are carried out on time. It enables the improved management of the business transactions increasing the accuracy and the quality of decision-making. IT also enables Vodafone to stay ahead of the competition by maintaining a competitive advantage and providing the management with the information that is required for the monitoring and control of all the administrative activities (Lee, 2015). The decision support system of Vodafone PLC is strengthened by IT and it helps in gathering all the information and implementing it in the right way enhancing the outcomes of the decision making process. Vodafone also has a transaction processing system that enables the decision-makers of the company to keep track of all the ongoing elementary activities at the places where the company directly interacts with the customers. This IT-enabled information system also makes Vodafone address any enquiries and questions asked by the customers immediately.
IT requirements for application
The successful implementation and management of the IT applications of Vodafone PLC require the organisation to follow the steps mentioned in this action. The organisation needs to first define the exact requirements of the technology in the business and function that it plans to carry out with the help of it. After the determination of the requirements, it is important to develop a strategy for the achievement of the decided goals by defining the hardware and software improvements required by the system. Vodafone PLC develops a calendar scheduling all the activities related to the development and implementation of the information technology tools carrying out the advanced planning anticipating all the costs associated with the implementation (Birla, 2019). This enables the organisation to avoid any delay and also address any possible interactions in the work processes that may arise in future. The organisation can further improve this process by identifying the technological resources that will be impacted during the implementation so that the work can be planned on the basis of these interruptions. The employees of the organisation are provided with the necessary training to ensure that they are able to take advantage of the IT resources and the process of implementation is productive for the company. The organisation has to think about any vulnerabilities created as a result of the implementation process and the security risks that may arise defining the nature and gravity for improving the planning process.
Use of IT in Vodafone
The four distinct levels of the organisation Vodafone PLC that make use of the information technology systems are:
The strategic level
The latest technology is used to carry out the analysis of the business practices of the company and the information about the performance and the profitability of the company is used by the senior management and the board of directors of the company for making strategic decisions and for developing the long-term policies for Vodafone PLC (Alhgig & Mehta, 2018).
The tactical level
The tactical management level of the organisation deals with the allocation of resources so that the available human resource capital and the IT resources of the company can be successfully allocated, to maximize the efficiency of the business organisation in the long run.
The knowledge level
The information technology tools enable Vodafone PLC to collect and share knowledge within the organisation. Add the knowledge level, information systems and all the distinct functions of the company including the human resource function, sales, marketing, finance and accounting functions can collaborate and exchange the information to increase the knowledge and capabilities of the company (Bellavista & Saracco, 2016).
The operational level
The last level of management for Vodafone PLC is the operational level that requires information for immediate decision-making. The managers of the respective departments, teams and functions of the company need to make decisions about the short-term functioning operations of the company. Information Technology tools and the collected information about the market and the organisation enables Vodafone PLC to make effective operational level decisions.
Benefits and advantages of IT implementation
The information technology systems help in improving the performance of Vodafone PLC and can also enable the organisation to create and sustain a competitive advantage in the industry. The company can carry out efficient data storage, analysis and knowledge implementation with the help of IT systems to ensure that it continues operating profitably. Information Systems by Vodafone can also help in improving the decision-making associated with marketing and promotion targeting the right set of customers that help in enhancing the efficiency of the marketing and promotion activities and the general resource allocation process of the company. With the right information system, Vodafone can also improve efficiency in the long run and maintain its top position in the telecommunication industry (Maritz, et al., 2004). Vodafone has been able to improve the organisational processes like the development of the cellular network, increasing the reach of the internet services and the automation of the billing procedure with the help of IT systems. The automated accounting process followed at Vodafone has also reduced the chances of blackouts and outages and the occurrence of human error in calculation and other activities.
Risks associated with IT for Vodafone
There are numerous risks that come with the adoption and implementation of the IT tools in the business organisation. Vodafone PLC is a well-known brand and the organisation needs to ensure that the non-financial assets of the company in the form of the brand name and goodwill of the company are not impacted due to the malfunctioning of the IT systems. The organisation should also prepare for any possible contingencies in the form of cyber-attacks that may result in interrupting the business processes and that may cause financial or non-financial damage to the company. The rapid increase in traffic on the network due to the IT implementation and the loss of connectivity are also possible contingencies and risks that are associated with IT for Vodafone PLC (United Nations, 2003). The organisation needs to anticipate the network demand and develop the IT systems and network on the basis of this analysis to ensure that there are sufficient resources available for the smooth functioning of the business without any outage or introduction in the regular business activities. It is very risky for Vodafone PLC to depend completely on the information technology but the nature of the business organisation makes it unavoidable. There are ethical issues that increase the risk when it comes to IT systems management is the entry of incorrect information in the database of the company can impact the decision making and the wrong information can be disastrous if all the strategic and tactical policies of the company are designed on the basis of it (Woodworth, 2005).
Recommendations for IT implementation
In order to address the above concerns discuss for Vodafone PLC, it is recommended that the organisation should carry out regular evaluation of all the technology systems beginning from the basic level to identify all the processes that are working in favour of the company along with the ones that are not. It is also recommended that the organisation provides productive support to the members of the company and adopt the model approaches to training that make all the employees comfortable with the technologies. By increasing the transparency in the processes, Vodafone PLC can help in addressing any friction that may arise due to the decision making related to IT implementation (Bellavista & Saracco, 2016). The organisation should also create and maintain a risk register that encourages the members to openly communicate about the identified risks and the expected impact of the actions associated with that. This ensures that the entire company is invested in the collective success and all the members are able to contribute to it.
Conclusion
Vodafone Group plc is a Britain based multinational organisation operating in the telecommunication industry. This report is compiled to understand the significance of information technology in the operations of Vodafone PLC and how the IT products and services influence the business of the organisation. The Information Technology system for Vodafone PLC can be defined as all the components and IT tools that are interrelated and that collectively contribute to the process of decision making for extending better control and efficient working of the organisation. It can be concluded that the IT systems of Vodafone contribute immensely to the success and play an essential role in the efficient and effective operations of the organisation.
References
Alhgig, A. & Mehta , R., 2018. A Study on Communications and Information Technology in Libya over the Past Decades. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 20(3), pp. 07-11.
Bellavista, P. & Saracco , R., 2016. Telecommunication systems and technologies. Volume 1, pp. 1-14.
Birla, K., 2019. Vodafone idea limited: Annual report.
Lee, C., 2015. Security in Telecommunications and Information Technology: An overview of issues and the deployment of existing ITU-T Recommendations for secure telecommunications.
Maritz, J., Lamprecht, T. & Singh, Y., 2004. The impact of advanced telecommunication technologies (ICTs) on transport and the built environment.
Scheck, S., 2016. 8 Major Impacts of Information Technology on Businesses.
United Nations, 2003. Information and communication technology development indices.
Vodafone Group, 2019. Vodafone Group is one of the world’s leading telecoms and technology service providers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.vodafone.com/about
Woodworth, B., 2005. The Importance of Information Technology and Telecommunications support in Crisis Management.