The Mission of E-Administration Projects in Business

Introduction

As Information Technology is gradually maturing and presenting a paradigm shift in its very ideation, the infrastructure has acquired a business character, a transcontinental personality, and a vending framework of wide-ranging, business, educational, scientific, and personal data. Now the use of IT covers not only the technical aspects of a business but maintaining HR records, financial reconciliation, analyzing marketing reports, making futuristic projections, preparing competitive strategies, etc. also involves the use of IT. Internet and intranets are the applications of IT that cover real-time computer conferencing, audio broadcasting, video broadcasting, real-time telephony, and of course real-time business. This prepares the ground for an e-administration within a business entity. The management is supposed to take a well-informed decision based on the inputs and analysis from different departments. These decisions are then communicated to managers and the workforce for implementation. In order to know about the details of the progress of the implementation and carry out the HR functions also IT proves to be very helpful. This sort of setup is known as e-administration.

Management Information System (MIS)

For any organization to work, a number of stakeholders have to pool their efforts. Terry & Franklin (1994) define management as a distinct process consisting of activists of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources. Similarly, Worthington and Cumberpatch (2006) defined management as;

• The roles fulfilled by individuals who manage the organization’s and
• A process that enables an organization to achieve its objectives.

Therefore the information system which helps the management in taking a decision, evaluating the performances, and organizing and managing the workforce for the effective functioning of the organization is known as MIS. E-administration and e-business are the two major components of MIS. E-administration tries to increase the efficiency of different administrative processes within the organization in such a manner that the workflow becomes smooth and that nobody feels overburdened. Similarly, electronic business in its purest form is the extensive use of computers, communication technology, networking technology, and computerized data to perform the business process. In other words, e-business is any system of employees, stakeholders, suppliers, distributors, sellers, or customers that use networking and IT as the basis of their operations.

E-administration is an amalgamation of different functions which are more than just e-commerce. It involves business processes spanning the entire value chain, electronic purchasing and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling customer services, managing human resources, working out the financial management, and cooperating with business partners. While oracle, lotus is the software assisting in managing different types of databases, there is financial accounting software that helps out in carrying out the tasks of financial management for the organization. Therefore the mission of e-administration is to make efforts for optimum output at a faster pace using IT-enabled services and other state of art technologies. E-administration aspires to make a delicate balance between system services and human services. For example, the internet might be changing the way we do business, but it hasn’t altered the fundamentals of human nature. People still respond to personalized services. They want to be treated as individuals instead of just business entities, and they appreciate intelligent assistance in finding products and services that meet their unique needs. Businesses that understand their customers and cater to their individual preferences benefit in two key ways;

• In the short term, they increase the sales potential of every customer interaction.
• In the long term, they establish a more loyal customer base.

Similarly, the e-administration regime helps in effective HR management by;

• Maintaining the general database about all the employees of the organization, which includes their qualifications, years of service, number of training, awards, other remarks
• Maintaining the performance appraisal records of all individuals with feedback from reporting managers, recommendations for training, etc.
• Maintaining the details of how some of the motivational techniques have helped in achieving better targets or the shortcomings being observed in recommending motivational steps to the employees.

Such steps will not only help in effectively deploying each individual in the organization but also helps in optimally utilizing the capabilities of individuals and groups towards the achievement of organizational objectives. The performance of an individual is a function of his ability and willingness to use his efforts towards achieving personal or organizational goals. This willingness or desire to act and to behave comes in the ambit of motivation. Such motivation helps in;

• Better performance for the organization
• The better working environment in the organization
• Sense of achievement for the organization as well as for the employee
• Honor and recognition for the workaholic employees
• Advancement of career opportunities for the employees and business opportunities for the organization
• Overall growth for the organization.

References:

1. Terry, George R. & Franklin, Stephen G. (1994), Principles of Management, US, Richard D Irwin Inc.
2. Worthington, I and Cumberpatch, Z (2006). ‘Business organizations: the internal environment’. The business Environment 5^th edition. Harlow, Pearson Education.