Comparison Of Two Online Employees Monitoring Products

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Coursework Assignment 2

Student name: Derek Lee Hock Hai UOL Student Number: 120320886

Table of Contents

Introduction

With the increase using of IT and information system within organizations to help maximize the resources used or even to expand its business. IT and information systems plays a big role in almost all the organization around the globe, Employees now have access to various type of technology for example Internet, E-mail and IM (instant messaging) to aid complete individual task in a more productive manner. Various type of systems had surfaced to provide to different type of organizations. Potential benefits of IT and information system can only be realized if such systems are not compromised. This reports seeks to explore various approaches in benefitting, helping and protecting STAR’s business by implementing the right systems, monitoring its employees ethically and developing a suitable web page.

Analysis and comparison of online monitoring products to check ethicality for monitoring of employees.

With the tremendous growth of technology in workplaces around the world, there would be negative and positive impact for both employers and employees. Changes of work done had been improved by performance and swiftness, management of employees had too improved with the help of IT and information system. However, it is shown that sixty-four percent of employees had been reported going online for personal reason such as doing virtual shopping and book trips. (Schulman, 2001) Over a third of employees with online access reported playing computer games at work. (John Weckert, 2004, pg4) Sixty-five percent of Human Resource (HR) departments surveyed had disciplined an employee for improper online usage (Panko, 2004). Therefore, with the increase of workers STAR will have from expanding globally, it is essential to install a proper monitoring software.

Comparison of two online employees monitoring products

The two software that is selected for this report are Spector CNE Investigator ( http://www.spectorcne.com/ ) and Activity Monitor (http://www.softactivity.com/employee-monitoring.asp ), they are known and used widely in many other organizations.

Both have the main ability that STAR required which is online monitoring of its employees, however Spector CNE Investigator has additional function such as Filtering and Blocking from social network but its yearly subscription is much expensive than Activity Monitor. The table shown in figure 1 below is a detailed comparison of 2 products.

Figure 1 comparison of price (Adapted from Employee Monitoring Software Review 2013)

Table 1 showed the distinct features of what a monitoring software could do, these features are summarize under 3 sub category. Online Monitoring & Blocking, PC tracking and management and Reporting Methods.

Features

There are various features and functions that are really useful, however some might pose an ethical issues between employees and organization.

Online monitoring and blocking features

Online monitoring & blocking features are really useful as it can monitor what website employees are visiting, even to the extent of not ethical activities such as online gambling and pornography. It also has the ability to monitor usage of social network such as Facebook and many others, File transferring and E-mail attachment. However by monitoring the user and password of employees would affect the trust of its employees with the organization.

PC tracking and management

PC tracking and management is a powerful computer tracking features that include recording the launched application as well as the frequency and duration usages. These features are really useful to track how much time employees wasted on non-productive activities such as playing games and watching videos. Other features included such as displaying screenshots of employee’s desktop and document tracking could determine an employee performance. However, feature such as key logger could detect every key stoke by an employee, an ethical issues could surface upon the organization if an employee are to do online transaction using internet banking. Key logger could track the user’s ID and password which had breach the security of its employees.

Reporting methods

Reporting methods provide employer to have various methods from getting the information of an employees on their computers. Screenshot playback would be pose as a threat to its employees the same as key logger.

Transparency between organization and employees

Many unique and effective features from these monitoring software would come in handy for STAR to monitor its employees, nevertheless some could really tarnish STAR image if STAR uses some features included in the software. STAR would have to consider the features mentions above and also to openly let their employees know they have such tracking software installed on their computer and what it does.

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Implementation and installation of ERP, SCM and CRM systems.

ERP

ERP refers to Enterprise Resource Planning which is a system aim to develop an integrated enterprise whereby every different departments are integrated onto a single computer system. (Christian 2005, pg1) Different departments are operated differently to achieve each department goals. Even though this is not completely wrong, but at the long run in a big organization, confusion within departments would surface working towards the same goal prior each other.

With ERP, as the common database are shared within all departments, the same piece of information could be access or update by employees among every department at the same time immediately, therefore it would be cost effective for the organization as it eliminates the need for each department to handle and maintain its own database. (Christian, 2005, pg1) However, if an error surface in a common database, the whole system would be error prone, thus it is crucial that information entered in the common database must have consistency and with such a complex system to be implemented properly, a longer planning time would be needed for development.

SCM

SCM refers to Supply Chain Management, it is usually supported by ERP. SCM deals with the process of obtaining material, manufacturing the products and lastly delivering and distributing the products to retailer and customers. In order for all these to be processed effectively and efficiency, a strong relationship between vendors and suppliers is necessary. Scheduling and information must be planned and received or sent properly, these activities involve data and information sharing from the organization to its manufacturer and suppliers. Therefore a proper ERP system would be necessary and required to support SCM.

In the environment of business today is highly competitive, businesses are competing based on speed, quality and cost. (Christian, 2005, pg4) Organization now have to source for multiple suppliers and vendors to deliver high quality products and lower the cost for its customers. The effectiveness, profitability and productivity of an organization would be significantly affected by the efficiency of its supply chain network.

CRM

CRM stands for Customer Relation Management, it is a resourceful process by market researcher that focuses on two-way exchanges with customers so that organization could have associate relationship with its customers to gain knowledge and anticipate on their needs, wants and buying pattern. (Lakshman, 2008, pg1)

Strategic CRM would also allow organization to gain competitive advantage against its competitors. It is dedicated in winning and keeping customers by developing values better than competitors. (Francis, 2003, pg4) CRM would help to determine trends, interests and predict results so that business can identify potential customers and increase respond rates by obtaining valuable information from customer’s feedbacks, buying pattern and purchase histories.

System installation sequence

Based on the current situation and following plans STAR have, the appropriate sequence of system to be install and implement would be firstly ERP, secondly SCM and lastly CRM. All the three systems are crucial and necessary for STAR to expand its business globally, however as STAR currently only had the experience of doing business locally and only in Leeds, visible effect would not be seen if CRM would to be implemented first, STAR would need to start running its business globally before implementing CRM in order to benefit from such systems. STAR would need to build up its customer base so that customer’s buying pattern and interest would be more obvious, thus it will be easier and safer for STAR to determine the diversity of products that would attract customers.

Hence, ERP would be the focus due to the shortage of experiences STAR has from running business globally, by expanding its business globally means that more employees would be needed, more employees might result in more tendency of errors due to larger scale of hierarchy and that means that it will take longer to fulfill task. ERP would notably help STAR’s employees to obtain consistent information globally efficiently. Furthermore, for an effective SCM to be achieved, In order for its supply chain network to communicate in the fastest time possible, ERP must be implemented first. The importunateness of ERP being implement first is significant given the current situation and further plans for STAR.

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Modeling the systems with object-orientated or a traditional structured

The most prominent methodologies for designing and modelling software are traditional structured and object-orientated approach. (Laudon, 2011, pg502) These two approach are widely known and used in all software development companies to design and develop software for their client base on individual requirement.

Structured

Structured analysis can be consider as a traditional system development technique as it is used since the 1970s. The techniques being use are step by step, the following step relies on the previous step to be build. (Laudon, 2011, pg502) The system development life cycle consist of series of phases from planning, analyzing, designing, implementing to supporting an information system. (Shelly, 2009, pg 19) Frequent phase iteration would surface along the whole process of development. Structured development methods separate data from process, whenever an action on a particular piece of data is required, a separate set of programming procedure must be drafted.

Although structured methodology is a traditional method which has been very popular, it also proceed completely on written documentation and flexibility would be possible due to the recurrent of phase iteration. However, the cost for changes would be extremely high especially in the later phases, due to then nature of the approach and techniques being used. Programmer would need a longer time to change the codes if the planning were to be change, beside examples of features and function could not be seen by user during the development phases.

Object-orientated

Object-orientated development combines data and the processes that act on those data into an object. (Laudon, 2011, pg504) Object-orientated can be used by system analysts to model real-world business operation and process which result in a set of software objects that substitute actual things, people, events and tractions. Programmer then write code that create these objects using object-orientated programming language such as Java. (Shelly, 2009, pg 21) Object-oriented modeling is based on the concepts of class and inheritance. An objects is a member of certain class, which is a group of categorized similar objects, objects contain information called properties which inherit the behaviors and structure of its class. An example as shown in figure 2, the class called PERSON contain STUDENT and LECTURER. The PERSON class has properties that is being inherited by LECTURER and STUDENT but have their own properties as well.

Figure 2 Class and Objects (Adapted Shelly 2009 Pg21)

Therefore, new classes of objects are created in reference of existing class if available, thus it will save a lot of time and work for programmer instead of starting from scratch.

Object-oriented methodology could reduce cost and development time because the code can be reuse and is modular, maintaining, expanding and even changes are possible in fact easy as new objects can be duplicate using inherited properties, however object-oriented is somewhat a newer method that might be less familiar to developer, and the interaction of classes and objects can be complex in larger systems.

Ideal approach to use

Objected-oriented approach would be the ideal approach to design the systems for STAR. Since STAR is totally new in expanding its business globally, there is no confirmation on how things would work out, changes on the structure of the systems would definitely be necessary to aid STAR to success. Moreover, the distinct ability of object-oriented which code could be change easily using object-oriented approach, STAR will be able to see examples of the systems and further customize it into the final phase. Compare to the traditional structure approach, the development of the systems will certainly cost more.

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The importunacy of a well design webpage

In a competitive digital world today, many organizations uses web-base application as part of their infrastructure. To enable them to get valuable information from their customers for products development, enhance customers buying experience and provide remarkable customer services. To be able to achieve all these, a high quality web design and the functionality is essential. (Dave Lawrence, 2006, pg8) The following of the report will focus on the usability and functionality of the website and also the details of the functions that could help managers gather information from customers.

Overview of a webpage

Figure 3 is a checkout page of an online apparel shop. This webpage is design with the aimed of providing the customers to purchase the products easily and yet quickly with a simple but yet detail layout. Customer can also navigate through the side clearly. The management of the company would be able to obtain all the information on the website such as the billing and shipping information (name, address, country etc), E-mail, mode of payment of the customers. It also provide information such as colors, category, quality and total cost. Important details like the company Terms and Condition is also listed to protect the company and customers and also a link Contact Us is for customer to contact the company directly if they have any queries relating to products,

Figure 3

Overview snapshot of a webpage that could gather valuable information for managers

Product details

The products details shows the name and category of the products. The details will be reflected on the database upon completion of all checkout. This information can help company to know what type of designs or categories the customers is more interested in by tracking which products is purchased more often, Not only that, this information can help company to determine the kind of trend. Quality of the products purchase by customers is very crucial for the company. It allow the company to know the quantity of a product purchased by the customer and proceed with the amount to deliver. The quantity of the products will be deducted accordingly in the database after a purchase is completed, this allow company to keep track of the product stocks.

Billing details

Billing details is essential for company to deliver the products to the right address. The mode of payment would allow company to know which type of payment is used more often and implement new mode of payment to enhance customer shopping experience.

Feedback

Under the Account webpage shown in Figure 4 below, there is a feedback tab that will prompt user to update once the product is delivered. The feedback tab shows the products purchased by the customer, the customer is required to rate the products and write a short message review about the products. This function would help the company a lot for their research and analysis to develop future products.

Figure 4 Webpage of feedback

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Conclusion

Online monitoring products can benefit organization to keep track of employee’s access to the computer and internet, maintain employees work performance but at the same time it could also lead to ethical issues between organization and employees. Organization have to use the monitoring system correctly and most importantly transparency between organization and employees is needed.

The sequence of the systems to be installed and the approach suggested for designing and modelling is purely based on the current situation and future plans of STAR.

The web page designed in this report is based on aesthetic, usability and functionality for the user. Most importantly the web pages are able to gather valuable information for an organization to maintain consistency of stock flow, billing and shipping addressed and a feedback tab that required user to rate and review the products purchased. These information can enhance the customer shopping experience, it also aid organization keep track of customers purchased products which allow organization to develop future products.