UPS's Information Systems Essay Example

Introduction

The United Parcel Service is an American multinational company that offers logistic and supply chain management solutions. The company's headquarters is based in Sandy Spring Georgia with other branches spread across the United States (United Parcel Service, 2010). The company's information system has been a success because of it's managerial, organizational and social complementary assets.

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Organizational, Aspects That Help Make UPS's Information Systems So Successful

The United States Parcel services have an organizational structure that has been critical in ensuring its information system is successful. The company is led by a team of management committee who are tasked with running the daily activities of the organization (United Parcel Service, 2010). The team consists of a chief executive officer, the chief operating officer, senior vice president, and sales and marketing director. The roles of each individual are clearly spelled out to avoid redundancy and ensure there is efficiency. The CEO is responsible for the growth and expansion of the organization. The senior vice president and the customer relationship managers ensure there is smooth delivery system and the customer service is of high quality. The management team ensures the information system is smooth, efficient and is constantly updated. Since the role of each person is clearly spelled out, the management team is able to ensure the company stays ahead of the competition by tapping into the information technology sector that guarantees safety for the package and reliability.

Management, Aspects That Help Make UPS's Information Systems So Successful

United Parcel Services has tasked its managers with ensuring their branches adhere to the set code of conduct and implement the headquarters decisions. Information System is a critical component of UPS services and has been embraced by all employees. The management trains the other staff how to use a barcode to ensure the parcels are delivered to the right person in the shortest time possible. The scannable barcode that is attached to a parcel contains the sender's information, the destination and the expected arrival time (United Parcel Service, 2018). Having this information is essential for a speedy delivery. The management ensures all the employees that handle the packages are well versed with the barcode system and how to implement it. The ability to use the system ensures workers understand the importance of information technology in their business. Furthermore, the management is responsible for the regular training of employees when new products are introduced in the chain structure to ensure the company goals and objectives are met. Each branch is expected to uphold a high degree of quality in handling customer packages. The management is also responsible for ensuring the drivers are trained to use 340 methods which have been developed by engineers to save time and money.

Social Complementary Assets, Aspects That Help Make UPS's Information Systems So Successful

Information technology is a critical component in the success of any business especially in the 21st century (Laudon & Laudon, 2016). The United Parcel Services have realized this and have been using social complimentary assets to ensure their information system is a success (Christmann, 2000). Some of the complementary services that have been employed include training the staff, adopting new technology and distributing the decision-making rights (United Parcel Service, 2010). The United Parcel Service has embraced technology such as the use of electric cars to save on fuel and maximize profit. The company has also dedicated a team of experts that train employees on the based practices. Drivers, for example, are trained in ways that they can determine routes with little traffic jam to reduce the time taken to deliver products. Finally, the company has been able to distribute the decision-making rights to managers in different branches which has increased the ease of making a decision.

References

Christmann, P. (2000). Effects of "Best Practices" of Environmental Management on Cost Advantage: The Role of Complementary Assets. Academy of Management Journal, 43(4), 663-680. doi:10.5465/1556360

Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2016). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm (7th ed.). NewYork: Pearson Education Limited.

United Parcel Service. (2010). Home: UPS. Retrieved from https://www.ups.com/us/en/Home.page

United Parcel Service. (2018). UPS's Values, Mission, and Strategy. Retrieved from https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=FactSheets&id=1426321650156-161