IT Architectural Considerations and Solutions Details for Proposed Case Study

IT Architectural Considerations and Solutions Details for Proposed Technology Solution - Case Study Example Themistocleous et al (n.d.) indicates that ERP systems were introduced in businesses as a means of solving different types of problems and integrating their IT infrastructure. The EpicorVista is especially suited for all kinds of businesses including manufacturing, retail and services. The solutions encompass all the requirements pointed out in the memorandum which was sent earlier. The company is involved in all three areas and putting a system in place that would facilitate the efficient and effective operations of the businesses would be worth the expenditure. This would reduce SUH’s operating cost. Instead of having three different information systems there will be only one. The number of license required could be reduced with the introduction and use of the internet as a part of the architecture. Therefore, instead of having a license for each branch of each business unit there would be a maximum of three licenses, incorporating the three business units. The diagram in th e Appendix illustrates how the IT infrastructure will look. The Progress Database that is in use at CarbonTech could be considered for all three business units. According to Smart IT Consulting (2006) Progress RDBMS supports almost an infinite number of both users and transactions and requires little maintenance and administration. In addition to that it allows for flexibility and scalability of the system and has a lot more elements to recommend it. In fact, Laudon and Laudon (2006) indicate Relational DBMS offers more flexibility in that it facilitates various types of queries. It also combines information from a variety of sources, and allows for additional data to be included without causing disruptions (Laudon and Laudon 2006). Important IT Characteristics In arriving at a decision on the information system that is required certain characteristics are of paramount importance. The IT characteristics that are most important for the proposed solution at SUH are maintainability, po rtability, scalability and usability. These are discussed in detail as follows: i. Maintainability – The system has to be adequately maintained if it is to achieve the desired results. The business environment is changing and the system has to be capable of facilitating all the necessary changes that may be required. This has to be done quickly in order to facilitate timely reporting and decision making. Additionally, the company needs to see some improvements in its operations as a result of its implementation within a limited time period. ii. Portability – The system is capable of being used on various types of devices. It allows for use by sales staff that is in the field securing business. Internet connectivity will allow them to spend more time in the field instead of returning for updates. iii. Scalability – This is a major advantage of the EpicorVista software. It can be scaled upwards in order to facilitate increased business including additional users a nd transactions. Therefore, the success that CarbonTech has achieved with the use of this system can be achieved by the other business units which are much larger. iv. Usability –