Allen_Marcus 1_2 Rustic Americana Technology Management Plan

[Audio] This is a presentation for the Rustic Americana Technology Plan..

[Audio] Hi, my name is Marcus Allen, I am the acting C-I-O for RA. I come onboard to this company with 10 years of (I-T ) consulting, with a background of Manufacturing, internal (I-T ) process improvement and data risk analysis..

[Audio] Executive Summary Rustic Americana (R-A---), a subsidiary of Largo Corporation, is experiencing operational challenges due to outdated technology and inconsistent processes, impacting sales and customer satisfaction. Key improvements include retraining call center staff on existing technologies, specifically the unix inventory system, data synchronization, and the VoIP phone system. The strategic focus is to align technology with business objectives by implementing (I-T ) best practices and recommending infrastructure upgrades. Enhancing customer interactions and modernizing inventory and call management systems are priority steps toward restoring operational efficiency, improving the customer experience, and supporting RA's goal of achieving sales growth..

[Audio] The introduction As acting C-I-O of Rustic Americana (R-A---), a subsidiary of Largo Corporation, my priority is to resolve critical technology and operational issues in the company's call center and (I-T ) operations. Key challenges include an outdated unix inventory system, inadequate call-handling infrastructure, and insufficient system downtime monitoring, leading to missed sales and low customer satisfaction. My approach involves implementing a modern cloud-based inventory system, upgrading the VoIP system, and fostering cross-department collaboration for streamlined operations. By aligning technology with business objectives, prioritizing customer satisfaction, and enhancing teamwork, RA aims to restore operational efficiency and support sustainable growth in a competitive market..

[Audio] Now, let's look at several current challenges in this project. The inventory system faces data inconsistencies and delayed processing, hindering efficient order fulfillment. Solutions include implementing real-time tracking, automation, and staff training. The VoIP system lacks scalability for peak call volumes, impacting customer wait times and satisfaction; upgrading to a more scalable solution and utilizing call routing strategies can help. Additionally, system downtime arises from inadequate monitoring, leading to missed sales opportunities. Implementing comprehensive monitoring, redundancy measures, and regular maintenance can mitigate these issues. Addressing these challenges will enhance operational efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, and ensure a more reliable computing environment..

[Audio] Also let's look at ethnical and personnel challenges.. The former CIO's suspected misuse of company time, resource mismanagement, and conflicting responsibilities. Additionally, lack of customer-focused technology and downtime monitoring negatively impacted service quality and trust. Improved leadership, clearer accountability, and customer-centric (I-T ) solutions are essential for progress..

[Audio] This slide is a breakdown of all the issues in a matrix ranging from High Severity to Low Rustic Americana's Issue Matrix highlights critical operational and technological challenges impacting efficiency and customer satisfaction. Key issues include outdated inventory and call management systems, which lead to stock inaccuracies and long wait times, affecting customer experience. The lack of mobile support for warehouse operations further hinders processing, while frequent network downtimes cause service interruptions and missed sales. Additional concerns involve limited staffing resources, internal communication gaps, and an outdated C-R-M system, slowing customer interactions. Addressing these issues through system upgrades, enhanced policies, and cross-departmental collaboration is essential to restore service quality and support Rustic Americana's growth objectives..

[Audio] Here are some best practices for Technology Management I-T-I-L Framework: Places great emphasis on continuous service improvement and alignment of the (I-T ) services according to business needs is critical. Its core key activities revolve around incident management, problem management, change management, and service level management. I-T-I-L implementation would facilitate economies in call center operations, enhance customer satisfaction, and improve the quality of the (I-T ) service. Cloud Computing: This will ensure scalability, reliability, and reduced downtimes when C-M-S--, email servers, or even I-M-S are moved to cloud. Disaster recovery solutions are often better in cloud-based systems, and updates can be deployed without disrupting the services. Unified Communication Systems : Migrating to a single unified communication platform that integrates call routing, voicemail, and customer service software could further operational efficiency through real-time performance monitoring. Automation and C-R-M Solutions : Moving to a Customer Relationship Management tool will be able to automate processes, reduce cumbersome data entry, enhance the relationship with your customers, and give a better view into the needs and demands of your customers. Data Analytics: Real-time analytics would allow managers to track call center performance, staff resourcing, customer behavior, and product availability.

[Audio] Next is the Best Practices for People and Organization Management Conflict Resolution: The ability to handle conflict situations amicably and in a professional way contributes to retaining morale and satisfying your pool of customers. Training and Development: As technologies are known to change constantly, call center representatives should be trained constantly on new technologies, customer service techniques, and ethical behaviors. Performance Monitoring: Perform regular performance evaluations using Key Performance Indicators, Indicators like response time per call, first-call resolution, and customer satisfaction rates, will help indicate areas for improvement..

[Audio] Ethnical Best Practices Operation Transparency: It is important to schedule regular status reports on the progress of projects, system upgrades, and downtime to instill a culture of openness. Data Security/Confidentiality: Employees must be trained in keeping their customer information private. In this aspect, data encryption and the use of efficient authentication mechanisms for transmission become serious concerns regarding sensitive information. Employee Internet Usage: A policy for the acceptable use of technological resources should be established to prevent misuse. Employees cannot watch movies at work or use company resources for personal e-mails or other social media posting sites. Fair Labor Practices: Call center staff should not be overworked, and all performance metrics should be used fairly and transparently to review the performance of the job..

[Audio] The following are actionable recommendations summarizing key findings based on the I-T-I-L framework, system upgrades, and ethical considerations. Implementation of I-T-I-L for Improved Service Delivery, Upgrade Legacy Systems for Real-time Operations, Enhancement of Call Handling Capacity, Implementing Wireless Technologies to Automate Inventory and Order Fulfillment, and Real-Time Monitoring and Feedback Systems..

[Audio] The I-T-I-L framework provides a structured approach to managing (I-T ) services, focusing on aligning (I-T ) operations with business needs. Key I-T-I-L processes that can benefit the call center include: Incident Management: This will allow for better handling of system issues such as downtime or software failures. By setting up a system to log, prioritize, and resolve incidents quickly, you can minimize operational disruptions and ensure continuous service availability Manage Service Requests: This will smoothen the processes through which employees and customers request assistance. Automation of this process could be through platforms such as ServiceNow or Jira. Problem Management: Root cause analysis to detect recurring issues instituted prevents incidents from happening again, hence making the services reliable..

[Audio] Let's go over the Improvements to the call technology and legacy systems. Limited VoIP trunk capacity, the call center needs a solution to communication that can scale. For that reason, the currently provisioned VoIP system for Cisco needs to be upgraded to a more scalable cloud VoIP solution like Microsoft Teams or RingCentral. In this case, it will be dynamically scaled up or down depending on the volume of calls. It means the system can manage peak periods of calls without necessarily compromising the quality of service. To deal with the issues first replace the unix-based I-M-S with a state-of-the-art real-time cloud-based inventory system such as Oracle Cloud or SAP ERP. It will be integrated with the C-M-S so the C-S-Rs will have updated information about product availability..

[Audio] Real-Time Monitoring Recommendations Inadequate real-time monitoring and feedback mechanisms hinder prompt action on issues. This would mean the establishment of a dashboard which would track the K-P-Is like the wait time for calls, system updates, and customer satisfaction. This would give valuable insight to the management..

[Audio] The following recommendations on Rustic Americana is for it's Ethnical, People and internal Day to Day Operations includes training, compliance, and (I-T ) governance practices..

[Audio] The following are recommendation to Ethics, People Management and Day to Day Operations First is the Ethical and (I-T ) Governance concern Create an Acceptable Use Policy: Implementation and enforcement of A-U-P will organize how employees use the company's information technology systems. This policy should include the prohibition of personal activities on workstations during work hours and define what happens if one acts unethically online. Data Privacy and Security Training: The personnel need training on how to handle information about the customers. Through regular training in data protection laws and regulations, for instance, G-D-P-R-, C-C-P-A-, and internal policies, there will be minimal risks of disclosure of data breaches and poor handling sensitive information. Next is the People Management Recommendations Training and Development of Staff: Continuous training in both technical and soft skills, such as the new C-R-M system, I-M-S--, and soft skills like conflict resolution and interaction with customers. Flexible Scheduling with W-F-M Tools: The W-F-M solution will be implemented to optimize staffing to meet peak period demands without overstaffing during periods of lower demand. Finally, the Day-to-Day Operations Barcodes Scanning: Dependance on the call center to do it manually but integration of I-M-S with integrated wireless scanners can automates the process. This speeds up the processing and reduces human errors in the inventory management process. Mobile Integration for Warehouse Operations: Order processing is very inefficient without the support of mobile facilities. Providing mobile facilities to the workers at the warehouse facilitates tracking orders in real time and helps in maintaining the accuracy of the orders. Routine System Audits: System audits must be done on a quarterly basis to identify a bottleneck or even a particular vulnerability within the (I-T ) infrastructure. Audits will make sure that obsolete software or hardware is replaced well in advance. Disaster Recovery and Backup Plans: A proper disaster recovery plan must be in place in case any failure or outage occurs within the highly technologically dependent system. Backups on the cloud save time and reduce losses due to decreased downtime. Security Patches and Updates: Run all systems on the latest available patches for smooth functioning. The unix system is rather ancient and does carry a number of risks; upgrading or patching it can cut down the level of vulnerabilities. Chavda, K (2024, May 7). Mobile Inventory Management System: A Comprehensive Overview. Prismetric. prismetric.

[Audio] This slide is the priority steps to implement the plan which is broken down in months. Please review this with at your earliest convenance..

[Audio] In conclusion, consolidation of I-T-I-L on the service delivery side, upgrade of outdated systems, call handling, and stress on ethics shall make Rustic Americana's call center more stable, reliable, and customer-oriented. These recommendations cater to the reduction of inefficiency, lesser downtime, and increasing customer satisfaction without losing sight of an appropriate and future-friendly technology infrastructure. Thank you for reviewing this Technology Plan for Rustic Americana..

[Audio] The End.. References. Ahmad, N., Amer, N. T., Qutaifan, F., & Alhilali, A. (2013). Technology adoption model and a road map to successful implementation of ITIL. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 26(5), 553–576. https://doi.org/10.1108/jeim-07-2013-0041 Alexiou, S. (2019, May 1). Practical patch management and mitigation. ISACA. https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2019/volume-3/practical-patch-management-and-mitigation Ambasht, A. (2023). Real-Time Data Integration and Analytics: Empowering Data-Driven Decision making. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology, 71(7), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.14445/22312803/ijctt-v71i7p102 Chavda, K. (2024, May 7). Mobile Inventory Management System: A Comprehensive Overview. Prismetric. https://www.prismetric.com/mobile-inventory-management-system/ Golightly, L., Chang, V., Xu, Q. A., Gao, X., & Liu, B. S. (2022). Adoption of cloud computing as innovation in the organization. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 14. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790221093992 InsightsSuccess. (2024). Best Practices for Conflict Resolution in the Workplace-2024. Insightssuccess Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. https://insightssuccess.com/conflict-resolution-in-the-workplace-best-practices-for-leaders/ Pechacek, W. & University of Georgia. (2023). Unfair labor practices: Impact on employees, employers, and society. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 29(1), 1–2. https://www.abacademies.org/articles/Unfair-labor-practices-impact-on-employees-employers-and-society-1532-5822-29-1-102.pdf Sirk, C., & Hajric, S. (2024, July 30). What Is CRM? Full Meaning of CRM System & Applications | CRM.org. CRM.org. https://crm.org/crmland/what-is-a-crm.