Thompson Packaging

Thompson Packaging is an established business providing custom packaging to various industries. There are oOnly a few computerized operations are in the business. In an effort to become more efficient and profitable, the vice-president, Julia Thompson, has hired a systems analyst, Robert Hanover.

Background

Director

Julia and Robert have made progress in the development of a strategic plan for Thompson Packaging. Robert is anxious to define the requirements for the new system He has gathered more information and has created the following organizational chart for Thompson Packaging.

Robert: Julia, it’s time to start moving on the system investigation. The mission statement is finalized and strategic planning is well underway. I can see that the directors are beginning to think about how their departments can benefit from better information management.

Julia: You’re right! John McClean found out that we lost a big order the other day because the customer was able to get the estimate much more quickly from a company in the Midwest because of their online presence. He’s wondering just how many sales we are losing because of timeliness issues. I had Anna’s group gather numbers for the directors about how many times our profit margin has been reduced because of human error somewhere along the order process. We are profitable, but could be more so by reducing error and becoming more competitive with timely information to our potential customers.

Robert: John’s area of sales is a logical place to start the investigation. I need to interview sales reps and the customer service rep to get an idea of the requirements for the new information system. What kind of information will we put ininclude? What do we want to get out? What processes need to be managed? What are our business needs?

Julia: This will take some time, and a lot of information needs to be gathered. You should make sure you spend some time with the accounting clerks too, because they fill in if the customer service rep is out sick or on vacation.

Robert: I’m ready to get started!

Assignments

1. In a preliminary systems investigation, one step is to perform fact finding. Robert will need to interview the staff at Thompson Packaging. In preparation for the interviews, Robert will compile a list of questions. Review the case details provided up to now, select three staff members in addition to John McClean, and prepare a list of open-ended questions that will encourage the generation of ideas and opportunities for improvement.

2. You are assisting in the development of a questionnaire for the customers of Thompson Packaging. The focus is to determine the level of customer satisfaction. Define these elements of the questionnaire as itemized below.

a. Write the heading for the questionnaire. Include a title, a brief explanation to the customers, the purpose of the form, the name and telephone number of a contact person, and other critical information.

b. Write a paragraph defending the use of either a signed or an anonymous form. Explain why one choice is better than another in various situations.

3. Identify other fact-finding techniques that Robert can use in this investigation. What advantages and disadvantages are there to each of the choices?

4. After gathering the information, Robert will need to compile the documentation. Detail two options available to Robert.