Case Study American Foods Company
Introduction
Every business needs accurate, complete, and timely information to make decisions and survive in today’s competitive business environment.
Management information system-organized standards and procedures, both computer-based and manual, for processing data into useful information-help fulfill this need.
But where does the power come from in a computer-based information system? Although your answer might be “hardware and the speed with which it can process data,” probably you will realize later on that the real power comes from the data, because information comes from data, and access to information offers power. But the amounts of data being handled by companies in computer-based system have grown so large in recent years that managing data properly bas become a sophisticated operation.
This study aims to know the role of managers and the key operators in American Foods Company in handling the data and other information that concerns mainly in their operation.
We have gathered some points to help determine and empower the efforts of the organization in handling data.
Company Background
The American Foods Company makes and sells well known brands of breakfast cereals, baking mixes, flour, prepared dough, frozen and canned vegetables, ice cream, frozen foods and various commodities and feed ingredients. The American Foods order entry system is composed of some 700 programs, such program is crucial to American Foods operation.
In March 1996 the American Foods Information Services Division (ISD) made the strategic decision too gradually convert its old batch systems to on-line data entry. Consequently, in early 1996 ISD decided to subcontract most of its batch data entry to a local data entry contractor and eliminate American Foods’ in-house data entry department. They have spent the month of April and May for planning the change and training the batch users.
During June and July a pilot test was done with prepared dough
Every business needs accurate, complete, and timely information to make decisions and survive in today’s competitive business environment.
Management information system-organized standards and procedures, both computer-based and manual, for processing data into useful information-help fulfill this need.
But where does the power come from in a computer-based information system? Although your answer might be “hardware and the speed with which it can process data,” probably you will realize later on that the real power comes from the data, because information comes from data, and access to information offers power. But the amounts of data being handled by companies in computer-based system have grown so large in recent years that managing data properly bas become a sophisticated operation.
This study aims to know the role of managers and the key operators in American Foods Company in handling the data and other information that concerns mainly in their operation.
We have gathered some points to help determine and empower the efforts of the organization in handling data.
Company Background
The American Foods Company makes and sells well known brands of breakfast cereals, baking mixes, flour, prepared dough, frozen and canned vegetables, ice cream, frozen foods and various commodities and feed ingredients. The American Foods order entry system is composed of some 700 programs, such program is crucial to American Foods operation.
In March 1996 the American Foods Information Services Division (ISD) made the strategic decision too gradually convert its old batch systems to on-line data entry. Consequently, in early 1996 ISD decided to subcontract most of its batch data entry to a local data entry contractor and eliminate American Foods’ in-house data entry department. They have spent the month of April and May for planning the change and training the batch users.
During June and July a pilot test was done with prepared dough