BE COMPETITIVE. TO SURVIVE

This blog is about the importance and use of Information Technology in the market nowadays. It is our second blog that will be submitted to our professor Mr. Ramon Duremdes in DATAMIN class offered at De La Salle – Canlubang.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

According to Stephen Haag, Information Technology is any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization.

Today at the 21st century, it is where the technology evolution started and competitive advantage is on the go. Uniqueness is one of the bases in the market for the products or services to be patronize by the buyers. The new innovation should answer the problem of the buyer and whether it is affordable for them. A strong competitive competition are in the market and there is a strong rivalry competition among existing competitors especially if there are many substitutes product and new entrants. Businesses are everywhere in different industries. There are a lot of ways how to survive in that competition using Information Technology and your performance on executing the optimal strategies that fits to your business or rather situation with the help of Business Intelligence.

I.T Experience

As far as I can remember, elementary at Holy Infant Academy School was my first hands-on in the computer and all we do is doodling using the software that I forgot what is called. I really had fun during that time, all I do is draw that would satisfy me and I’m not thinking what else that computer can do for me or even to our society. As I grew up, lots of technology devices entered the market and there was a stiff competition. Many businesses started to grow and some did not survive.

When I reached high school, computers are widely used because of the Internet connection and ASP (Application Software Provider) patronizes by the customers. I was 3rd year high school when we had our first thesis for our Biotechnology subject, at that time our group conducted a survey to our campus regarding on our topic “Ingredients used in Shampoo/Soap" (something like that) and those gathered data were encoded in Microsoft Excel and collected data are used for analyzing to turn into knowledge data. Formulas are also formulated in Microsoft Excel to show the result that we needed. Some results like percentage and geographical status helped a lot in our decision making and in concluding for our thesis to answer the problem and in recommendation about the said thesis. I remember that when ever there is no computer available, our group compute manually or we use calculator using a long formula and it takes us about one session in the classroom just for calculation and there are a lot of errors too.

Using computer tools applications really helped our group to work in the easiest, fastest way and prone to errors.

According to Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor “Our behavior changes in a new context. It doesn’t transform from the old context. That’s a key way to visualize how new technology gets deployed in new markets.”

Yes it is, whenever there are new products or services and it reached the stability level in the market, customers tend to adapt to it. When there are evolutions in technologies, people will also evolve due to the changes to its environment. But buyers won’t patronize products or services that will make them turn into something negatively that they doesn't want to happen. New technology are introduced for the better.

Based on the book "Management Information Systems for the Information Age by Stephen Haag" that I read, one of the successful companies is Talbott Necktie Manufacturing Company; they used (CAD) Computer Aided Design System to increase their Value-Added in their Value Chain. Using the CAD system, the company was able to create new designs meeting the customer’s wants which also brings a good relationship to its buyers and this I.T helps the company to be back on track to the competition.


I.T in Government

The Philippine government used Business Intelligence in different division such as LTO (Land Transportation Office), BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), DOH (Department of Health), NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), DOJ (Department of Justice) and a lot more. BIR is one of the example that uses Information Technology.

BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) is responsible for collection of tax regarding individual and businesses and provide service to taxpayers that monitors financial laws with excellence performance and integrity that concerns the Philippine nation.

There was a downfall that results to a higher budget deficits and lower revenues in the Philippine government that BIR encounter before. Then the BIR decided to seek for help in order for them to recover and eliminate the entire unnecessary deficit and to come up with the optimal solution at their situation. After implementing SAS software, BIR experience the easiest and most effective system. The allegation in all the undeclared taxes, incorrect auditing and incorrect monitoring of taxes are all resolved. BIR are now very confident to serve and ready gain trust from the nation.

SAS also caters software that will determine the correct VAT (Value Added Tax) and income tax of corporate companies that are found out of not declaring their proper taxes. RELIEF system and Integrated Tax System databases are the software that BIR uses offered by SAS.

I.T IN GOVERNMENT CORPORATION

Philhealth (Philippine Health) is one of the government corporations here in our country that serves with whole-hearted attitude towards customers. The company makes sure that all the customers received the best service that they can offer.

As Philhealth expand its services, the used of I.T to survive in the competition. Database, software and other computer tools applications are used in tracking, encoding, retrieving and deleting collected information of customer. If there is no I.T, Philhealth might still produce bunch of papers and loads of works might be left undone with a lot of mistakes. The government also decided to make use of e-government that offers e-card so that their customer will be more accessible to Philhealth’s service. It is very important to use the appropriate I.T based on the situation and flow of process within the organization.

Those are just some of the examples of Information Technology used in the government. But other software available in the market still has its weaknesses that are hard to avoid. Hacking is one of the examples, like what is been reported in Russia and America, there are hackers in the banks that stole credit cards, deposited bank accounts and customer information. Banks are using software or computer tools applications with Internet connection for communication to be faster and easier but applying.

I learn that in most of the situation and industry, there is Information Technology available in the market that will surely help you in decision making. Information Technology can be reliable if there is integrity and security in the computer software or application. In most of the cases, I.T is in demand because it brings the businesses and organization to success and competitive advantage. Having the suitable application, right situation, right strategies, right execution and knowledge personnel in charge, there is a greater possibility of targeting your goals.