Clerical

As a business owner, information must be managed as a resource for future reference. When running a business it is important to know not only how well the business is doing at the current time, but be able to compare and contrast between previous years. Information must be able to be accessed and obtained without any problems, and at all times. To new and existing business owners information can be the key assets out of everything else. For example, when you learn something new you need to be able to remember it for future reference. If you have nothing that would be of assistance in the years to come, you will not remember the information. That is basically how information is the key with business owners. The information the owner stores needs to be detailed and also available at any time. If the owner cannot go to a certain point or year and obtain information, his business may be at stake.

The internet and other sources of technology may be of great assistance in my business by allowing easy communication for all employees and staff. The internet can be hooked up to allow all of the other franchises to have a web chat to discuss current figures, ratings, sales and any necessary adjustments. It will also allow employees to give their feedback and comments directly to the department it is directed towards by allowing access to a company intranet website. To further provide safety and privacy the web site will be secure and also extend technical help and assistance when necessary. On the internet the company can also allow delivery drivers to input their current shipments and expected delivery date and time. This is great for bad weather and changes in schedules. The drivers would simply login to the intranet and update any changes in the shipments and also add comments and extra notes. Sometimes when merchandise does not arrive the managers or owner have to constantly call around and try to get in touch with someone. It would not be necessary if there was a way to alert the business ahead of time. For my business I would also like to allow my employees to have access to their current stats so they know where they stand as far as utilization (how well they perform their job and their attendance), their current quotas and goals, any current promotions or employee benefits. To maintain a successful business, I would also like to allow an opportunity for my employees to nominate an employee of the month online. When one is chosen they will have their picture online and viewed with other nominees from other franchises. This will allow every location to recognize the achievements not only in their area, but around the world too. Allowing many things to be electronic does take a load off of the owner's shoulders when they do not have to worry about papers being lost, stolen or ruined. Electronic files can also be created for the secure and private documents that only can be accessed by upper level management. The use of technology speeds up many processes, and allows transactions to run smoothly.

Information can improve productivity and performance in my business by simply making things less time consuming. Meetings held online will allow all the locations to join, and also cuts down the extra time in getting each location to gather the attendees and find a place for them to hold the meeting. Now the different locations can be notified at once of any changes both minor and major. Allowing the employees to input their opinion gives the director and managers ideas on how to improve and find the best possible solution.