Strategic IS plan for Reynolds Tool & Die. Computer Science Coursework

STRATEGIC IS PLAN FOR REYNOLDS TOOL & DIE
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Summary of the company goals
* To ensure the computing hardware is capable of supporting the latest versions of software at all times -this would be achieved through scheduling continuous upgrades and replacements to ensure the hardware is not a bottleneck in the IS strategic vision.
* To leverage cloud computing to ensure the company reaps the competitive advantage of the technology
* To ensure 99.9% reliability of the network infrastructure
* To chase the latest stable releases of administrative and design software
* To invest in protecting the integrity of the data by purchasing and continually updating security systems
At the moment the company is capable of purchasing new hardware that can support the latest design software. CAD software needs powerful computers, and the company needs to invest in upgrading the hardware by purchasing new graphics cards, new processors, motherboards, RAM chips, Solid State Disks, etc. to ensure they can smoothly run the latest design software. Higher computing power is more necessary in the design department. Some motherboards are not compatible with some hardware components that can be added to the system for better efficiency and therefore new desktop workstations may be needed.
Since the current ERP software by SAP is outdated and nearly two versions behind, there is a need to move to the future-oriented system. The best approach would be to move to the cloud-based version of the current ERP. The new version is cloud-based, and it has more features that align with the strategic IT goals of the company. For example, it is in the cloud, and it is mobile based hence the future of BYOD and outdatedness will be avoided. The system is continually updated by SAP, and it hence cuts on the cost of continuous maintenance locally. The purchase is subscription based, and our company can be assured of perfect availability of the system and elaborate and robust redundant system. The company will also save cost on the continuous upgrades and maintenance (no need of a software engineer) of an off-the-shelf version of the ERP system.
At the moment the email exchange servers are located at every site which adds to the work of maintaining the systems. To align this issue with the strategic plan of the company, email hosting services would be outsourced to a third-party email hosting company. The terms of engagement would be subscription per user. This will ensure no downtime which can be catastrophic to business operations. It wil...