Information_Systems_and_Sotware_Applications

Information Systems and Software Applications Mike Johnston BUS/219 May 5, 2010 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore the information systems and software applications available to firms for the various organizational departments such as finance, human resources, marketing, management, and accounting. This research will discuss several of the organizational departments listed to demonstrate better the application software and its function within the company. Information Systems and Software Applications Information systems and software applications allow businesses to function more efficiently and to increase productivity. The volume of data collected and distributed by firms in this era of technology exceeds the capacity of old school filing cabinets and ledgers. Whether the company is a small family-owned operation, or a huge organization such as WalMart, there are appropriate information systems and software applications available to enhance the functions of all organizational departments. The three organizational departments researched in this paper are as follows: • Accounting • Marketing • Human resources Accounting Accounting tasks include issues such as purchase orders, accounts receivable and payable, and various ledgers. Accounting software makes it easier to monitor and track the flow of funds in and out of the company. Appropriate software application streamlines tasks such as point of sales order entries and billing applications. Application software accurately tracks company finances and evaluates the firm’s needs. Intuit QuickBooks is one of the most popular accounting software applications for small business use. QuickBooks grew out of the Quicken personal finance software, which monitors individual outflow incoming funds by category. Microsoft Dynamics Nav (formerly Navison) is a software application used by many midsized to large firms. This is a versatile application that communicates well with other applications and is diverse in function. Marketing Marketing executives use available resources within an organization to build effective futures. In doing so, they must evaluate current products and the impact on the company before addressing plans for change. Marketing software must be able to convert data collected into charts and graphs for statistical analysis by marketing executives. Marketing executives decide the direction the firm will go, but they do not necessarily understand the fine workings of software. Therefore, the marketing applications used must be comprehensive in the presentation they provide to executive management. Marketing Pilot marketing software is a widely used application in midsized companies. It can be customized to particular interface needs of the business. Human Resources Human resources includes management of all information concerning employees of a company. This data management begins with tracking applications and the review of resumes. This includes company policy and benefits. It also includes attendance, salary and performance reviews (Heathfield, 2009). Few companies can experience growth and success without a strong workforce. The software application concerning human resources is an important choice and should be chosen based on the size and needs of the firm. One popularly used program is Sage ABRA. This widely used software integrates payroll as well as the other necessary data collection and storage requirements of human resources. Conclusion The world today is based on technology. Technology enables firms and companies to function in a more efficient manner; it also increases output. This increase also means an increase in data and a necessity to better manage and store such information. Information systems and software applications are relevant and necessary to manage and to store extensive data. Departments of organizational usage are finance, human resources, marketing, management, and accounting (Ranier & Turban, 2008). Whether the company is a sole proprietorship or a retail giant such as Walmart, information systems and software applications can store data and analyze statistics for future decision making in a precise and effective manner. References Heathfield, S. M. (2009). . Retrieved from http://About.com Guide Ranier, R.K., & Turban, E. (2008). Introduction to Information Systems (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.