Function It

Function IT

Function IT includes information systems that improve the productivity of individual users in performing stand-alone tasks. Examples include using computer-aided design (CAD) software, word processors, spreadsheet software, decision support systems, and e-learning systems. One company that makes good use of function IT is Care Rehab, a small manu- facturer of traction, electrotherapy, and biofeedback products that patients use for physi- cal therapy and rehabilitation. Care Rehab engineers and scientists generate a constant stream of product innovations—they come out with a new medical device every six months and release upgrades for older devices every couple of months. Product designers use CAD software to create virtual product prototypes that are good enough to eliminate the need for physical prototypes. The firm can move directly into production using its CAD designs, cutting weeks off the time it takes to put new devices on the market.5

A decision support system (DSS) employs models and analytic tools to help users gain insights into data, draw conclusions from the data, and make recommendations. For example, a buyer might use a DSS to analyze supplier bids and select the least expensive provider for raw materials. The system must account for the suppliers’ raw material costs and the cost of transporting the material from the supplier to the manufacturer. The DSS then quickly selects one or more suppliers that can provide the needed volume of raw materials for the best price. Without the DSS, such a task could otherwise take a buyer days or weeks. The DSS can even let a decision maker evaluate alternatives to the least expen- sive solution. Such “what if” analysis can provide the buyer with valuable options; for example, it can reduce the risk of a disruption in production by suggesting multiple suppli- ers instead of just one.

E-learning systems encompass a number of computer-enhanced learning techniques, including computer-based simulations,...