Information flow manager. Information management

Under information management refers to the organization and use of information support systems for production and business processes in an enterprise. It is based on a systems approach that covers all activities related to planning and managing processes aimed at providing the enterprise with relevant information. Each enterprise should have its own strategy for integrating information support for decision-making, determined by the passport data of the product, its life cycle and manufacturing technology, the chosen method of data processing, the means of transmitting information to customers and partners, and other factors.

The importance of information support of the logistics process is extremely high. Emphasizing the independent importance for the effective functioning of an enterprise of managing information flows and resources, many experts single out a special, informational logistics.

Indeed, at the center of an effective controlled material flow should be an effectively controlled flow of information. There are three options for the interaction of material and information flows, when information is ahead, accompanies and explains the material flow after it has passed.

The information flow ahead of the material aims to eliminate bottlenecks in the production process. The advancing information flow in the opposite direction contains, as a rule, information about the order; advanced information flow in the forward direction - these are preliminary messages about the upcoming arrival of the cargo.

Accompanying, when simultaneously with the material flow there is information about the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the material flow, it allows you to quickly and correctly identify inventory items and send them to their destination.

The passage of the information flow lagging behind the material flow is usually allowed only to evaluate the latter. Following the material flow in the opposite direction, information on the results of cargo acceptance in terms of quantity and quality, various claims, confirmations, information on mutual settlements, etc. can pass.

The purpose of information support in logistics is to enable the management, control and integrated planning of the movement of materials and products. This requires complete control of the entire mass of created and transmitted information. The problem of continuous accounting of the results of the functioning of the system becomes more and more urgent, which contributes to the prompt introduction of changes both in the construction and in the implementation of the course of production processes and product distribution. Today, those companies succeed that are able to collect and process reliable information as quickly as possible (on the state of finances and warehouses, on the movement of materials, on prices from competitors, etc.) and, after analyzing it, make one or another decision - so as not to fall behind and play ahead.

The transformation of parameters and data into control information follows certain principles. The main one is the principle of the minimum required amount of information, which is based on the principles of universalization and optimal detailing of information. Equally important is the principle of the reliability of the information collected. A high degree of randomness of emerging events often leads to unstable indicators of a temporary nature, which can have a significant impact on the value of other indicators, although temporary, but significant. From the dynamics and random variability of modern production follows the need to comply with the principle of constancy in the collection of industrial and commercial information.

Information flow management involves the implementation of the following basic typical functions:

Flow filtering, i.e. selective processing of some and rejection of other information data and documents;
- accumulation of information and storage of data in the information array;
- combining and separating information flows in the structure of the information system and in communication networks;
- transportation of information flows;
- various elementary-informational transformations;
- processing of information aimed at obtaining data related to the implementation of logistics operations.

Information service of the logistics system must meet certain organizational requirements.

The main ones include the following:

A) systematic service, which manifests itself:
- in the complexity of types of information services, taking into account the nature of the activities of consumers and the tasks they solve in logistics processes;
- in the comprehensive satisfaction of information needs arising from employees in the logistics system;
b) reliability of service, which implies such provision of information, when at each stage of the work the consumer receives all the information he needs at the right time and in the most convenient form for him;
c) completeness of service, which means:
- completeness of coverage of works performed by the consumer;
- the completeness of bringing to the specific consumer the necessary information selected for him from the information flow;
d) the differentiation of service, which consists in the fact that each consumer is individually provided with information that contributes to the solution of the tasks assigned to him in the logistics process.

The main components of the information component of logistics are systems for processing information and transmitting logistics data. Making managerial decisions requires not only the availability of conventional technology for generating, collecting and processing data, but also the creation of an information infrastructure, i.e. creating a system for collecting and processing data at predetermined points in the supply chain, exchanging information between points and transferring information to various levels of management.

The great variety and volume of collected data require a systematic approach to their processing. In the world, the volume of a wide variety of information transmitted through the information and telecommunications infrastructure is doubling every 2-3 years. The problem of "information overload" is being solved today by extracting from the entire data array the information necessary for the needs of the user through the use of perfect means of circulation, further processing and timely updating of information. Modern technologies allow solving the issues of compression of internal and external information, the use of commercially beneficial interfaces, the transfer of shared knowledge between organizational units and cooperation partners.

The rapid development of networks of local systems with a super-regional and even international structure leads to the rejection of the classical working fields of informatics and the widespread use of telecommunications. The creation and operation of an appropriate communication structure are related to the tasks of information management, however, in contrast to the generally accepted understanding of information management in information logistics, information flows between actions (operations) for intra- and inter-firm coordination are in the foreground.

Processing of logistics information

In the logistics system, the entire course of preparation and decision-making is largely a process of processing the information flow. Complete and timely processing of information should ensure a stable connection between supply processes, taking into account the needs of production, and satisfying existing orders for. Under these conditions, the gap in information or its prompt receipt can lead to a disruption in the supply of an enterprise with a certain type of resources, failures in the production process, and a decrease in the quality of consumer service.

Efficient Management material flows is impossible in the absence of a powerful information system that provides managers of various levels with the necessary and reliable information for planning and monitoring the functioning of the logistics system. Management decision-making is unthinkable without a proper exchange of information between different levels of management, without the presence of an information structure defined by a system of information flows both between sources and recipients from top to bottom (process management), from bottom to top (process control), and between parallel divisions of different functional purposes.

Ideally, the information system plays the role of the "central nervous system", linking together the production plan, the logistics plan and sales, and provides an integrated management of material and information flows circulating in the logistics system.

An enterprise information system today provides optimal management of production, inventory, vehicles, product quality, sorting and packaging, elimination of downtime, production maintenance, etc. It not only plans production according to improved methods, monitors the implementation of the work plan, draws up technological maps, manages finances and labor resources, but also performs a number of "non-production" functions. Among them - service control, distribution finished products and marketing.

It must be borne in mind that the creation of a corporate information system requires significant costs, the justification of which depends on a clear identification of the information needs of logistics.

The process of identifying information needs can be thought of as a "trade-off" between the cost of obtaining the relevant information and the risk reduction benefit that comes from having that information. Questions about the amount of information stored in the information system, the speed of its transmission, processing, etc. are solved similarly.

At the same time, when creating an information system, one should take into account the fact that the need for the quantity and quality of information at various levels of management hierarchical structure is not the same. This means that the information system must provide each hierarchical level with the information necessary to make a decision at that particular level.

Modern information systems are, in essence, the result of the evolutionary development of automated enterprise management systems. New economic conditions have led to a change in the tasks of enterprise management. As a result, new requirements for automated information systems have arisen.

The modern information system is involved in the integrated management of logistics and production, ensuring rational business processes.

Modern information technology provides three advantages. This is a reduction in costs by optimizing business processes, including "compressing" them in time, guaranteed fulfillment of orders in the right amount and on time, ensuring product quality through the quality of production and management technologies.

The introduction of an automatic enterprise management system allows increasing sales by at least 15%, and the economic effect of reducing losses pays for all costs for the system within 1-2 quarters after the start of its full-scale operation. At the same time, operational losses or lost profits are reduced by 80-90%, and strategic losses - by 60-90%.

For example, studies show that the overall effect of the implementation of the system by reducing losses in the sales process is at least 2% of sales. This is primarily due to the minimization of losses that are caused by disruptions in the supply of products due to failures and errors in supply planning, incomplete or lost information, due to the low speed of processing applications, low flexibility in taking into account customer needs, etc. Almost the same figure is obtained when calculating the economic effect of reducing losses in the field of inventory management. The system allows you to receive in monitoring mode information about the state of a particular material resource at any storage location in accordance with all external and internal documents on its movement, which allows you to provide a continuous inventory mode.

The information system should ensure the recording, storage and processing of all information essential for making managerial decisions.

State educational institution

additional vocational education

Intersectoral Institute for Advanced Studies

and retraining of managers and specialists

Russian Economic Academy. G.V. Plekhanov

Faculty of Business Administration

Course work

discipline: "Logistics"

On the topic: "Information logistics system"

Performed

group student

46/VO FUB course

Zakharova D.S.

Teacher

Fetisov N.A.

Introduction

Chapter 1. The concept and structure of the logistics information system

1.1 The concept of information logistics and logistics information system

1.2 Functional and organizational structure of the logistics information system

2.2 Organization and application of computerized information logistics

2.3 Information flows in logistics and their classification

Chapter 3. Features and problems of using modern IT technologies in logistics and information processing with their help

3.1 Features of the use of modern information technologies in logistics

3.3 Problems of modern information technologies of logistics management and ways to solve them

Conclusion

Introduction

Information logistics organizes the data flow that accompanies arterial flows, is engaged in the creation and management of information systems that technically and programmatically provide the transfer and processing of logistics information. The subject of the study of information logistics are the features of the construction and operation of information systems that ensure the functioning of the logistics system. The purpose of information logistics is the construction and operation of information systems that ensure the availability of:

1) the necessary information (for material flow management);

2) in the right place;

3) at the right time;

4) the necessary content (for the person making the decision);

5) with minimal cost.

With the help of information logistics and the improvement on its basis of planning and management methods in companies of leading industrial countries, a process is currently taking place, the essence of which is the replacement of physical stocks with reliable information.

2 Functional and organizational structure of the logistics information system

The functional structure is presented in the form of a pyramid. At the base of the functional pyramid of the logistics information system is a system of operations between the links of the logistics system, which determines the relationship between the functional divisions of the company (in terms of the implementation of logistics functions), logistics intermediaries and consumers of the company's products. These two functional levels of the logistics information system are usually directly related to the distribution system of the company's finished products, in particular, with the activities of distribution centers. At the level of analysis, the logistics regional or administrative managers of the firm mainly use information for tactical purposes for marketing, forecasting financial and operational performance. Finally, at the top strategic level, logistics determines management strategy and is linked to strategic corporate planning and the firm's mission.

The characteristics of the system levels of the functional structure of the logistics information system are associated with the achievement of certain strategic and tactical goals of the company and competitive advantage.

The organizational structure of the logistics information system can be broadly formed from four subsystems: order management, research and communication, logistics decision support, and generation of output forms and reports. These interconnected subsystems carry out information and computer support for all the functions of logistics management and communication with the micro- and macrologistic environment.

In the organizational structure of the logistics information system, the subsystem for managing order procedures is singled out as one of the main subsystems, which is due to the direct contact of this subsystem with consumers in the processes of processing and fulfilling orders. Of great importance here is the use of the concept of "electronic data interchange" and the ED1 standards based on it.

The subsystem of scientific research and communications reflects the influence of external and internal environment firms on the process of logistics management and carries out interaction between the links of the logistics system and management functions due to:

integration of logistics planning with corporate planning;

interaction of logistics management with other corporate functions;

· strategic guidelines for the organizational structure of the logistics system and personnel;

integration of information technologies;

preparation or purchase of technological solutions and the use of intermediaries;

adaptation to the conditions of the company forms of logistics chains, channels and networks, as well as management functions;

· emphasis on productivity and quality of services in logistics.

The considered subsystem plays an important role in reflecting the changes and requirements of both the external and internal environment of the company. The logistics manager can use this subsystem to scan the firm's micro and macro environment in four ways:

1) indirect consideration based on a general analysis of the information received, when there is no specific target;

2) direct consideration, when information about the external and internal environment of the company is actively analyzed with a predetermined goal;

3) informal research on limited and unstructured data;

4) formal research using a predetermined plan, procedures and methods for processing and analyzing the information received.

To optimize the results of assessing the impact of the external and internal environment of the company on the behavior of the logistics system, the logistics manager must use the key information sources of the subsystem in the monitoring process. Two aspects must be taken into account here. First, the use of information by the firm's personnel to evaluate the effectiveness of their logistics decisions. For example, accounting information or information about prices for finished products of competitors can give an exhaustive answer about the effectiveness of management; information on the size of freight shipments can be used by the company's transport departments, etc. Secondly, the company's logistics partners, such as suppliers of material resources, resellers, carriers and consumers of finished products, can also use subsystem information to improve coordination and reduce their own costs. An important place in the subsystem under consideration belongs to forecasting, in particular, to such aspects as collecting initial information, assessing accuracy, reliability, and using the most effective forecasting methods.

The third component of the logistics information system is the logistics decision support subsystem, which is an interactive computer information system that includes databases and analytical models that, as a rule, implement optimization tasks that arise in the process of logistics management. The subsystem generates, updates and maintains differently structured, centralized and distributed databases for four main file types:

basic files containing external and internal information necessary for making logistics decisions;

· critical factors that determine the main actions, goals and constraints in decision-making;

· policies/settings containing the main logistical operating procedures for key areas;

· decision files that store information about previous (periodic) decisions for various logistics functions.

This subsystem uses a large number of economic and mathematical models and methods (in particular, forecasting to support decisions made by logistics management). All these models and methods can be divided into classes: optimization, heuristic and simulation. Optimization decision-making models are based on the methods of operational calculus: programming, mathematical statistics, calculus of variations, optimal control, queuing theory, scheduling, etc. In particular, the following tasks can be specified for various logistic functions:

Optimal dispatching in production, transportation, cargo handling;

Optimal placement of objects in production, distribution, warehousing;

Building optimal logistics chains, channels, networks;

Building an optimal organizational structure of the logistics system;

Optimal routing;

Determination of the optimal duration of the components of logistics cycles;

Optimization of procedures for collecting, processing and fulfilling orders;

Optimization of parameters of inventory management systems;

Optimal choice of carrier, forwarder, supplier, etc.

In the subsystem under consideration, interactive (dialogue) procedures for information support of decision-making by logistics management are widely used.

The fourth element of the organizational structure of the logistics information system is the subsystem for generating output forms and reports.

The information support system in logistics to perform the above functions must be organized accordingly. The specificity of this system lies in the fact that in the course of its activities it should be able to influence all functional subsystems of the logistics organization. Based on this, three ways of its organization are possible: centralized, decentralized and specialized.

With a centralized method of organization, information support activities are concentrated in one department (division) and report directly to the top management of the organization through the vice president (deputy director) for information systems (technologies). The advantage of this method of organization is to ensure high efficiency of work on the introduction of new information systems and technologies. The disadvantages include high costs for the maintenance of the management apparatus.

With a decentralized way of organizing the information support subsystem, specialists from different functional departments perform the functions of managing information flows in their subject area. The advantage of this method of organization is the high level of knowledge of the subject area of ​​the information systems manager, the disadvantage is the duplication of tasks and functions of the same type in different departments of the organization.

With a specialized method, there are no divisions for information systems (technologies) in the organization. If it is necessary to develop and implement a new information system, these organizations turn to specialized firms and perform work on a contractual basis (outsourcing). This is typical for small organizations that cannot have their own full-time IT specialists and resort to the services of consultants. The advantage of this method of organizing the information support system is the high level of scientific and methodological developments, the disadvantage is the difficulty of taking into account the specific features of the object.

The choice of one or another method of organizing an information support system depends on many factors, primarily on the size of the organization, the business processes existing in it, and the availability of free funds. It should be noted that the information support system has now reached such a level of specialization that it requires attention to its organization - this is understood by modern leaders. Therefore, any small organization has information services in its composition. The information system necessary for the adequate performance of logistics functions must meet the following requirements:

information flows must be compatible in terms of information;

· internal interconnections and interdependencies of information flows should be of a causal nature;

· The hierarchical subordination of information flows should be clear.

The formation of an information system in logistics is carried out according to a hierarchical principle, and in logistics information systems the numbering of levels starts from the lowest. This principle was adopted in order to ensure the possibility of building up an information system with higher ranks and its inclusion as a subsystem in generalizing systems and networks of a higher order, if necessary.

In accordance with such a structural decomposition in information systems in logistics, there are three levels:

1. The first level is the level of the workplace (in a broad sense), for example, a place of storage, a machine for machining, a place or installation for packaging and marking, etc. At this level, one or another logistics operation is carried out with a controlled material flow, namely its element (a part, a single package, a working table-satellite or some other cargo unit) is moved, reloaded, packaged, undergoes one or another processing.

2. The second level is the level of the production site, workshop, warehouse, etc., where the processing, packaging and transportation of cargo units take place and workplaces are located.

3. The third level is the system of transportation and movement of cargo units in the entire production and marketing system as a whole from the loading of raw materials, materials and components to delivery finished products consumers and payments for them.

The levels of the value chain and management, to which their levels of the information system correspond, determine the functional and operational completeness of the information subsystems.

At the top level of the information system, a planning information subsystem is implemented. Here, the logistics management of the total material flow is carried out in order to organize production and marketing activities aimed at the most effective satisfaction of market needs.

At the second level of the information system, the so-called dispositive (disposite - to place, dispose) information subsystems are presented. These subsystems detail the plans drawn up at the top level, and bring them to the level of individual production sites, workshops, warehouses mechanized to one degree or another, and other production units etc., and also determine the methods of action of these units.

On the lower level information systems host the so-called executive information subsystems. They bring tasks, rules and instructions to specific workplaces and performers, also monitor the progress of the technological process at workplaces and provide feedback, forming primary information from these workplaces.

Note that the planning, dispositive and executive subsystems are connected by direct and reverse vertical information flows.

Separate task complexes within the specified functional subsystems are connected by horizontal information flows.

1.3 Types of information logistics systems and principles of their construction

Infopmatsionnye cictemy (IP) logictike ppedpolagayut byctpyyu and adekvatnyyu hazardous reactions nA tpebovanie pynka, clezhenie za vpemenem doctavki, optimizatsiyu fynktsy in tselyax kachectvennoy doctavki and cvoevpemennogo cnabzheniya and dpygoe.

Most often, IS is divided into two subsystems: functional and providing. The functional subsystem consists of a set of tasks to be solved, grouped according to the common goal. The supporting subsystem includes the following elements: technical support, i.e. a set of technical means that ensure the processing and transmission of information flows; information support, including various directories, classifiers, codifiers, means of formalized data description; mathematical software, i.e., a set of methods for solving functional problems.

At the micro level, the following three types of logistics information systems are distinguished:

1. Planned information systems. These systems are created at the administrative level of management and serve to make long-term decisions of a strategic nature. Among the tasks to be solved may be the following: creation and optimization of links in the logistics chain; control of conditionally constants, i.e. little changing data; production planning; general stock management; reserve management and other tasks.

2. Dispositive information systems. These systems are created at the level of warehouse or workshop management and serve to ensure smooth operation of logistics systems. Here the following tasks can be solved: detailed management of stocks (storage places); disposal of intra-warehouse (or intra-factory) transport; selection of cargoes according to orders and their picking, accounting of shipped cargoes and other tasks.

3. Executive information systems. They are created at the level of administrative or operational management. The processing of information in these systems is carried out at a pace determined by the speed of its arrival in the computer. Eto, tak nazyvaemy, UTILITY paboty in pealnom macshtabe vpemeni, Who pozvolyaet polychat neobxodimyyu infopmatsiyu o dvizhenii gpyzov in tekyschy moment vpemeni and cvoevpemenno vydavat cootvetctvyyuschie adminictpativnye and yppavlyayuschie vozdeyctviya nA obekt yppavleniya. These systems can solve various tasks related to the control of material flows, the operational management of production maintenance, and the management of movement.

When building logistic information systems, it is necessary to observe certain principles:

1. The principle of completeness and suitability of information for the user. The logistics manager must have the necessary and complete (sufficient) information for decision-making, and in the form he needs. For example, information about inventory or customer orders often needs to be pre-processed and is usually located in a location other than where the logistics manager makes the decision.

2. The principle of accuracy. The accuracy of the initial information is of fundamental importance for making the right decisions. For example, information about the level of stocks in the distribution network in modern logistics systems max allows no more than 1% of errors or uncertainties to make effective decisions in physical distribution, stocking and satisfying customer requests. Of great importance is the accuracy and reliability of the initial data for forecasting demand, planning the needs for material resources, etc.

3. The principle of timeliness. Logistics information must enter the management system on time, as required by many logistics technologies, especially those based on the concept of "just in time". The timeliness of information is important for almost all complex logistics functions. In addition, many tasks in transportation, operational management, order and stock management are solved in real time ("on line"). This is also required by numerous tasks of logistical monitoring. The requirements for timely receipt and processing of information are implemented by modern logistics technologies of scanning, satellite navigation, bar coding, and the implementation of EDI / EDIFACT standards.

4. The principle of orientation. Information in the logistics information system should be aimed at identifying additional features improving the quality of products, service, reducing logistics costs. Methods for receiving, transmitting, displaying and pre-processing information should help identify "bottlenecks", reserves for saving resources, etc.

5. The principle of flexibility. The information circulating in the logistics information system should be tailored to specific users, have the most convenient form for them. This applies to both the company's personnel and logistics intermediaries and end users. Paper and electronic document management, intermediate and output forms, reports, certificates and other documents should be maximally adapted to the requirements of all participants in the logistics process and adapted to the possible interactive mode for many users.

6. The principle of a suitable data format. The format of data and messages used in computer and telecommunication networks of a logistics information system should make the most efficient use of the performance of technical means (memory size, speed, bandwidth, etc.). The types and forms of documents, the arrangement of details on paper documents, the dimension of data and other parameters should facilitate the machine processing of information. In addition, information compatibility of computer and telecommunication systems of logistics intermediaries and other users is required in terms of data formats in the logistics information system.

7. The principle of using hardware and software modules. A hardware module is understood as a unified functional unit of radio-electronic equipment, made in the form of an independent product. A software module can be considered a unified, to a certain extent independent, software element that performs a specific function in a common software. Compliance with the principle of using software and hardware modules will allow: to ensure the compatibility of computing equipment and software at different levels of control; increase the efficiency of the functioning of logistics information systems; reduce their cost; speed up their construction.

8. The principle of the possibility of a phased creation of the system. Logistics information systems built on the basis of modern electronic systems, like other automated control systems, are constantly evolving systems. IT'S oznachaet chto DURING THEIR ppoektipovanii neobxodimo ppedycmotpet vozmozhnoct poctoyannogo yvelicheniya record high-obektov avtomatizatsii, vozmozhnoct pacshipeniya coctava pealizyemyx infopmatsionnoy cictemoy fynktsy and kolichectva peshaemyx zadach.

9. The principle of clearly establishing the junction points. At the junction, the material and information flow crosses the boundaries of the powers and responsibilities of individual divisions of the enterprise or through the boundaries of independent organizations. Ensuring a smooth passage of the junction is one of the important tasks of logistics.

Chapter 2. Computer information logistics. Types of information flows and their classification

2.1 Information logistics and workflow management

Information logistics refers to the organization and management of enterprise IT systems to ensure the effective implementation of its business processes. Among the main tasks of information logistics are: ensuring and coordinating information flows throughout the entire logistics chain at all hierarchical levels; their delivery to the required place and time, in the required volume; accumulation of structured data for full-scale analysis; analysis and decision making; bringing decisions to the executors and control of execution.

At the same time, logistics covers all levels of planning and management of enterprise information processes.

In a modern enterprise, "information flow" is primarily a flow electronic documents, e-mail, use of group work systems, etc. It is necessary to dwell on this aspect of the use of information logistics, since it is the "paperless" document flow of an enterprise that is the only means of ensuring the minimum delivery time and processing of information at minimal cost. And this, in fact, is the ultimate goal of the concept of information logistics.

Naturally, the implementation of such an idea requires a special technology that allows you to manage and control the joint work of personnel and software. Such a tool is "workflow management" (Workflow Management), which is the management of the logistics of enterprise business processes based on IT.

Workflow systems are also sometimes referred to as "business operating systems" or "logistics control systems".

However, between these concepts it is impossible to put a sign of identity. Not all business processes of an enterprise can be implemented within a workflow management system. Information logistics can be described as the management of workflows without the interaction of personnel with IT tools, as it itself covers all information processes of an enterprise, not necessarily related to the use of computers. By connecting business process participants with the help of IT, workflow management turns into an effective means of implementing the concepts embodied in business process logistics. When IT tools are included in this scheme, new components are formed that must be taken into account in the framework of computerized information logistics: software and hardware; support of operational properties of computer systems; ensuring the functioning of data transmission channels, etc. (Fig. 1.)

Rice. 1. Relationship between workflow system and information logistics

To manage the actions of personnel, that is, to ensure the correct performance by employees of their technological functions defined by the business process model, is not the task of information logistics. This is the task of a workflow system that integrates and manages software at the workplaces of personnel. Otherwise, logistics covers all levels of business process information support, including support for the operational properties of computer systems, on the basis of which workflow management is built.

It should be noted that information logistics management could be described as managing the flow of work without necessarily using computers. When using computers, information technology comes to the fore. Of course, physical (paper) documents can be used as part of workflow management. But it is the "paperless" enterprise that is actually the ultimate goal of the concept. In this case, the division into material goods and intangible information becomes impossible. However, the analogy with the traditional logistics of material flows still remains.

2 Organization and application of computerized information logistics

The effectiveness of a computerized information logistics system is evaluated by a number of parameters:

reduction of process execution time;

· flexibility, high adaptability of the computerized process model;

Reducing the time of information transfer;

The quality of the output results that are of value to the consumer.

The level of these indicators depends on the degree of organization and structured business processes of the enterprise. At present, many Russian organizations concerned about not optimizing their internal processes, but rather the formation and systematization of existing ones. When moving to a computerized representation of a business process within a workflow system, we must make sure that the process is periodically repeated (otherwise it is inappropriate to describe it), that an organizational and functional model can be built for this process, and besides, the process is structured in in accordance with the level of adaptability of the workflow system.

Workflow management begins with building a business process model. There are many modeling methodologies. An ideal option for understanding can be considered a graphical notation that visually defines the interaction of participants in a business process with information resources. The IDEF family of methodologies is most commonly used.

The organization of production processes and computer-based information logistics is, as a rule, a complex project that requires a phased solution of problems. When planning, various options for the corresponding procedure are usually outlined. At the same time, the transition from traditional to electronic information processing is associated with a significant reorientation of personnel, which can be characterized as the reengineering of the business process.

Organizational phase

1. Planning. With the use of informatics, the organization of the workflow is determined. This happens in the following steps:

Stage 1 - analysis of the economic situation and setting goals. On the basis of the current organization of the production process, the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise are analyzed, which creates the basis for the formulation of goals and the subsequent organization of the process. The goals are primarily related to timing, productivity, quality and costs.

2nd stage - preliminary planning. A general description of the economic process is given without taking into account the specifics of implementation. The following questions come to the fore:

what places for processing objects of labor need to be created;

what information is needed for the various processing sites;

which processing sites prepare the requested information;

what individual places of processing "produce" (products, documents, data, etc.).

As a result, the organization of the process is roughly modeled, with emphasis on the interaction between processing sites.

Within the framework of computerized information logistics, semi-formal and formal graphic or textual language is used for documentation. For a graphical description, modern tools have convenient editor programs that provide input and processing of model elements.

3rd stage - final planning. The input data is refined and specified taking into account the implementation conditions until the information flow and processing procedure are adjusted in all details. The results of the final planning (depending on the instrumentation) are, as a rule, the following:

detailed definition of the organization of the process (process level) - sequence of work, participants, sequential and parallel procedures, conditions for delegation and substitution of functions;

linking processing tools (functional level) with the process (for example, word processing, compiling tables, graphs, database programs, etc.). In the ideal case, the toolkit is included in the work directly by the system;

precise definition of the data flow (data level) - sources and addressees of documents, control data, etc. are to be established. The flow of data is organized so that, ideally, they automatically arrive at the appropriate processing tool, and upon completion of the task, follow the specified route. The handler no longer has to look up and send data;

establishing areas of contact with the external environment (the level of the system environment);

defining areas of contact between a person and a computer.

Such planned activities presuppose the existence of an appropriate information structure. These are, first of all, networks equipped with workstations and high-performance server stations (mainly workflow servers and data banks).

2. Evaluation. It consists in the analysis and actual evaluation of process options (workflow).

Stage 1 - analysis of process options (workflow), which is carried out by static and dynamic methods:

static analysis includes verification of processes through audit supervision and revisions;

in dynamic control, they use the capabilities of workflow management tools, primarily imitation of processes, and, if necessary, their approximation to the real situation. Such methods make it possible to study and analyze the behavior of the process over time, avoid excess capacity and shortages, calculate average work times and stochastic deviations, analyze especially important orders separately, etc.

Stage 2 - evaluation of process options (workflow) for productivity, advantages and disadvantages, costs and benefits. It could be a benefit analysis or a simple balance of pros and cons. If a variant is found that meets the set goals, then proceed to the implementation and testing of the process.

3. Implementation and testing are aimed at solving the following tasks:

creation of the necessary machine and software prerequisites for the system;

inclusion of a workflow solution in the server system and individual workstations;

process (workflow) tests, identification of technical and conceptual errors. In the first case, this is a check of the results of implementation (whether the process really works as it was intended), in the second, a search for logical errors (they actually correspond to the general solution of the designed organization of the process).

It often makes sense to implement workflow solutions first on small, non-critical projects because technical problems can be more easily identified and fixed. At the same time, minor projects provide an opportunity to gain valuable experience for further expansion of the computerized information logistics system.

Operational phase

Operation of the system requires software to process business tasks. The process manager initiates the formulation of the task, controls its implementation, and comes into contact with users. The latter use application programs (standard or individual) to process tasks, or they perform some operations manually. At the end of the processing of the business task, work continues (ideally by electronic means) and the system is transferred to a new working state.

With the productive use of the workflow management system, the possibilities of computer support are identified, and therefore this system can be considered in the following qualities:

as a documentation tool - the interaction of processors and graphical interpretation within the entire system allow you to fully document the process, which is of particular importance given the certification of the International Organization for Standards;

as a means of visualizing production - the so-called invisible stocks at the processing sites are clearly visible on the monitors, which makes it possible to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in a timely manner, making appropriate adjustments;

as a monitoring system - each order can be requested at any time, thanks to which it is possible to assess the status of the portfolio of orders and take further steps to process it;

as a control system - logging processes allows you to receive specific information (processing time, start and finish times, malfunctions, causes of problems, subsequent processing, etc.);

as a quality information system - the accumulated information and experience of employees can be considered in "quality circles" in the spirit of the Japanese Kaizen system. The flexibility of workflow management tools allows you to quickly and easily make changes to the process;

as a means of supporting users who are exempted from the data management function. The system automatically launches the appropriate processing tool, and also searches for and provides access to the data to be processed, guarantees the completeness of the tasks to be solved.

Continuous control of the computerized process allows for systematic improvement. Since all the key information about the organization of the process is presented in machine form, it can be very quickly evaluated using a computer. Users themselves with the help of available tools can easily make changes to the implemented processes. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the human factor. Technical and organizational adaptation of business processes should always be carried out in combination with personnel measures. Continuous employee training should be important integral part ongoing process improvement.

The training of personnel in a workflow management project begins at a very early stage. Involving personnel to participate in the process already in the organization phase gives a certain learning effect. However, this is clearly not enough. The introduction of the system means, as a rule, a radical departure from the traditional organization of work. Even in the most favorable conditions of use new system intensive training of personnel (at least process managers and users) is needed, which should primarily address the following issues:

understanding the process as a whole in terms of computer implementation;

the logic of using the system at each workplace;

application of application software required for task processing.

In conclusion, it should be emphasized once again that the planning, implementation and operation of a workflow management system involves significant difficulties that are not only related to technical aspects. For the success of such a system, human prerequisites are also extremely important - the ability to learn, the culture of group work, openness to innovation, etc.

2. 3 Information flows in logistics and their classification

The effective use of information logistics lies in the rational management of the information flow throughout the logistics network at all hierarchical levels.

The information flow is a set of messages circulating in the logistics system, between the logistics system and the external environment, necessary for the management, analysis and control of logistics operations. The information flow can exist in the form of paper and electronic documents (carriers).

Information flows in logistics systems have their own specific features that distinguish them from all other types of information flows. These features depend on the properties of logistics systems. Logistic information flows have the following characteristics:

Heterogeneity (information used in logistics systems is qualitatively heterogeneous.);

· plurality of subdivisions - information providers;

· plurality of subdivisions - consumers of information;

· complexity and difficulty of practical visibility of information routes;

· the multiplicity of the number of transfers of units of documentation for each route;

· multivariate optimization of information flows.

The logistical information flow itself is a rather complex system and is divided into a number of components: props, indicator, document and array.

A prop is an elementary unit of a message. The requisite characterizes the quantitative or qualitative component of the information set. For example, details - the name of the organization, the name of the product, the price of the product, etc. Each attribute can be represented by a set of characters: numeric, alphabetic, special.

Documents used in the management process may include one or more indicators with mandatory certification (signature or seal) of the person responsible for the information contained in the documents. Since obtaining initial data is a human activity, most of the documents are created at the stage of data collection and registration, although a considerable proportion of documents enter the system from external (superior, etc.) organizations. For example, in accounting, an indicator, its base is the result of counting, weighing, etc. It serves as the basis for obtaining summary accounting and statistical data, which, in turn, will be incoming information when compiling statistical reports by organization, industry, region, etc.

An array is a set of homogeneous data having a single technological basis and united by a single semantic content. Data (processes, phenomena, facts, etc.) presented in a formalized form suitable for transmission over communication channels and for processing on a computer. The main elements of arrays that determine their content are records.

Records are array elements that users operate on when processing information. Elements of records that have a single semantic meaning are information fields.

Data belonging to the same array is written according to general rules(in accordance with the technology of accumulation, storage and processing of data adopted in the organization). The array type is determined by its content (for example, an array of material standards, an array of material suppliers), functions in the data processing process (input, output, intermediate arrays). An information array provided with a symbolic name that uniquely identifies it in the information system is called a file.

Based on the heterogeneity and multiplicity of suppliers and consumers of logistics information flows, as well as being guided by the main goal of classification - the ordering of logistics information flows, the first step in the classification grouping is division according to a feature that allows to form information flows that are homogeneous in terms of activities (or functions).

It is known that the information flow, as a rule, is expressed in a certain type of documentation (waybills, invoices, orders, etc.). In accordance with the existing division of documentation by type of activity, logistics information flows can be classified into:

Administrative (orders, instructions);

Organizational (instructions, protocols, regulations);

Analytical (reviews, summaries, memorandums);

Reference (reference);

Scientific (articles, abstracts);

Technical (safety documentation).

The transmission and reception of information flows is carried out with the help of human memory carriers, documents, magnetic media, oral speech, etc. By type of information carrier, logistical information flows can be transferred to paper, electronic, mixed. An information carrier is any material means that fixes information. Currently, paper and electronic media are used to register information. The information flow may consist of paper and electronic media that duplicate or complement each other.

In order for a person to perceive any kind of information, its indication must be carried out. Depending on the indication, information flows are divided into:

· digital (digital record in the document, digital image on the monitor);

Alphabetical (verbal record in a document, on a monitor screen);

symbolic (conditional image on the drawings, organizational charts);

Object-visual (television, photography).

The structure of information flows determines their homogeneity and heterogeneity. Homogeneous information flows are characterized by a single type of carrier, a single functional affiliation, a single type of documentation support. Heterogeneous information flows, respectively, do not meet all of the above requirements.

According to the frequency, information flows are divided into:

· regular - corresponding to the data transmission regulated in time;

operational - providing communication at any necessary time.

According to the degree of interconnection, information flows are divided into:

interrelated;

unrelated.

The degree of relationship is characterized by the number of types of information related to this type of information.

By volume, information flows are divided into:

· low-volume;

Medium volume

high-volume.

The amount of information is measured by the number of characters (alphabetic, numeric and service characters) or bytes.

There are types of information flows depending on:

From the type of systems connected by the flow:

· horizontal - the flow of messages between partners in economic relations of the same level of management;

vertical - the flow of messages coming from the management to the links of the logistics system subordinate to it.

From place of origin:

· external - the flow proceeding in external, in relation to logistical system, environment;

internal - the flow of messages circulating within one logistics system or one of the subsystems.

From flow direction:

input - the flow of messages included in the logistics system, or in one of the subsystems;

output - the flow of messages that go beyond the logistics system or one of the subsystems.

From urgency:

ordinary;

urgent;

very urgent.

From the degree of secrecy:

ordinary;

From the importance of email messages:

simple;

· customized;

valuable.

From transfer rate:

traditional (mail);

· fast (fax, e-mail, telegraph, telephone...).

From scope:

local;

non-residents;

distant;

international.

To process information flows, modern logistics systems incorporate an information logistics center. The task of such a center is the accumulation of received data and their pragmatic filtering, i.e., turning it into information necessary for solving logistical problems. At the same time, the connection of the center with information sources can be one-way, two-way and multilateral. Modern logistics systems use the latter method of communication.

Thus, logistics operates with numerous indicators and characteristics of information flows: the nomenclature of transmitted messages, data types, documents, data arrays; the intensity and speed of data transfer; special characteristics (bandwidth of information channels, protection against unauthorized access, noise immunity, etc.).

Information flows in logistics are formed in the form of streams of electronic data arrays, paper documents in a certain way, as well as in the form of flows consisting of both of these types of information quanta.

Such information includes:

telephone messages and faxes;

Invoices that come with the goods;

information on the receipt and placement of goods in warehouses;

data on transport tariffs and on possible routes and types of transport;

· changes in dynamic models of the state of stocks;

· Libraries of control programs for technological equipment with numerical control and catalogs of these libraries;

Various normative and reference production information;

Changes in dynamic models of the market and in its segmentation;

current information about production capacities;

current information about suppliers and producers;

· changes in dynamic models of the portfolio of orders;

current information about work in progress;

information about release plans;

current data on warehouses;

data on the volumes and types of finished products;

data on the actual sale of products to consumers;

data on financial flows.

Thus, the information created, stored, circulating and used in the logistics system can be considered useful if it is possible to include it in the current production and marketing processes.

For the successful and efficient implementation of logistics management based on the analysis of information flows, certain factors and prerequisites are required, namely:

availability of relevant information characteristics of the process;

an adequate level of systematization and formalization of the logistics management process;

· organizational forms and a system of logistics management methods;

· the possibility of reducing the duration of transient processes and prompt feedback on the results of logistics activities.

The information flow is defined by the following parameters:

1. Source of occurrence.

3. The rate of transmission, i.e. the amount of information transmitted per unit of time.

4. The total volume, i.e., the total amount of information that forms this stream.

A variety of information flows are the links that unite various functional subsystems into a single whole. In each of these functional subsystems, material flows are realized that correspond to the goals provided by these subsystems. Information flows unite these subsystems into a single whole, so that the individual goals of each subsystem are subject to common purpose the entire production and marketing complex. This is the basic concept of logistics.

Information flows in logistics should be formed by answering the following questions:

what caused the need for this information (and not who set the corresponding task);

what inside information can be counted on, how complete and reliable it is;

what real data of external information can actually be obtained, how and what secondary information can be reliably used;

what technique, personnel and resources can be applied when creating and using information flows;

what are the requirements for the degree of efficiency of the information received, for its durability.

The types of information flows circulating in logistics systems have some difference from all other types of flows. The difference lies in the very object of movement - the exchange of information between various parts of the logistics system.

2.4 Used types of information flows (Communication of information flow and material)

The main condition for the material flow management process is the processing of information circulating in logistics systems. There is no isomorphism between the information and material flow (i.e., one-to-one correspondence, synchronism in the time of occurrence). As a rule, the information flow either outstrips the material flow or lags behind it. In particular, the very origin of the material flow is usually a consequence of information flows during, for example, negotiations on transactions for the sale of goods, drafting contracts, etc. The presence of several information flows accompanying the material flow is typical.

Also, the information flow can move in the opposite direction relative to the material one. The information flow, moving towards the material, can be not only preliminary, but also lagging behind. For example, the flow of information formed by documents on the results of acceptance or refusal to accept cargo, various claims, warranty documents, etc.

Information flows can lead, lag behind or be synchronous with the corresponding material flows. Each of these types of information flows can move in the same direction as the corresponding material flow, be opposite to it, or move in a direction that does not coincide with it.

Each type of information flow is characterized by its F combination of these two qualities. Accordingly, the following types of information flows can be named:

leading with the same direction;

Leading counter;

leading, differing in direction;

· synchronous with the same direction;

· synchronous counter;

· synchronous, differing in direction;

lagging behind with the same direction;

lagging behind;

lagging behind, differing in direction.

The path along which the information flow moves, in the general case, may not coincide with the route of the material flow. The information flow is characterized by the following indicators:

The source of occurrence

the direction of the flow;

the speed of transmission and reception;

flow intensity, etc.

The moving information flow in the opposite direction contains, as a rule, information about the order. The advanced information flow in the forward direction is preliminary messages about the upcoming arrival of the cargo. Simultaneously with the material flow, there is information in the forward direction about the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the material flow. Following the material flow in the opposite direction, information on the results of cargo acceptance by quantity, various claims, confirmations can pass.

The formation of information systems is impossible without the study of flows in the context of certain indicators. For example, it is impossible to solve the problem of equipping a certain workplace with computer technology without knowing the volume of information passing through this workplace, as well as without determining the required speed of its processing.

Information flow can be managed promptly and efficiently through the following operations:

information flow redirection;

by limiting the transmission rate to the appropriate reception rate;

Reducing or increasing the amount of information in certain areas of the passage of information;

· limiting the volume of flow to the value of the throughput of an individual node or section of the path.

Chapter 3. Problems of information technology and ways to solve them

1 Features of the use of modern information technologies in logistics

The development of trade relations with the help of the Internet gave a tangible impetus to the formation of logistics in a new way and made adjustments to the logistics component of online and offline business. Over the past three or four years, the turnover of transactions concluded via the Internet has grown more than 20 times. Significantly increased turnover in the sector of e-commerce between enterprises.

Virtual logistics in B2C. Often, buyers make a purchase decision without leaving their homes, offices, Internet cafes - in a variety of online stores. Internet users are increasingly inclined to the argument that it is easier to "go around" 6 online stores in search of the right product than the same number of regular ones. Today, e-mail, virtual money and the Internet can significantly reduce the time of order execution. Traditional cost management, based on the analysis of the means used, more often moves away from the analysis of funds to building relationships with customers. Under these conditions, entrepreneurs - suppliers of goods and services - are focusing their efforts on maintaining the trust of customers, offering them additional services in purchasing products through virtual stores and settlements through electronic payment systems.

However, with obvious significant advantages (reducing inventory and storage time, the number of service personnel), online store owners have to pay great attention to the process of transporting goods to the client. Therefore, Internet marketing logistics is developing everywhere, replacing classical logistics - customer service logistics, taking into account the geographical location of outlets. Now it implies not only accelerated delivery, but also tight control over the entire chain of product promotion.

Under these conditions, there is an accelerated development of express delivery of small goods by post or courier services (books, CDs, games, flowers, etc.) or payment for services (cellular communications, the Internet, housing and communal services, satellite television) over the delivery of large-sized products. This is due only to the fact that the cost of delivering goods to another city on a personal order increases the price of the product, sometimes by an amount that is too significant for the buyer. Under these conditions, transport companies are very cautious about the prospects for the development of electronic commerce in the field of B2C, which does not promise them a significant increase in traffic, but develops competition from postal and courier services.

It should be noted that similar processes of growth in the development of online orders are also observed in the market of transport services designed to service trade between enterprises.

Development of electronic logistics in the field of B2B. Logistics costs in flexible manufacturing systems account for a significant proportion of the cost of production, and the time spent on logistics operations reaches 30% of the duration of the production cycle. To minimize costs, various local and online access programs were created to automate the calculations of road transportation, railway. tariffs, customs procedures. One of the typical representatives of these systems is TM-software (railway transportation) and truckmarket.ru (truck fare). Thus, logistics, equipped with programs for calculating transportation, reaches a new level of speed in calculating and predicting the costly part of the transportation mechanism.

In addition, the possibilities of the Internet can be used for more efficient work with related information. Both shippers and consignees believe that the most important part of shipping is the ability to be informed about the location and status of a shipment at any time. Back in 2000, Optima first introduced solutions based on radio frequency identification technologies for various segments of the transport market. The proposed solutions used the principle of radio frequency identification and recording information in an electronic label located on a moving object.

Electronic identification and issuance of an electronic passport make it possible to track the movement of goods along the entire route and, at the request of the user, provide information in real time.

Both virtual settlements and identification systems made it possible not only to reduce the time for calculating transport components, but also to have a real idea of ​​the location of a consignment of goods, which means more accurate planning of the turnover of goods and money.

Transportation virtual boards. In addition to automated systems for calculating and accounting for rolling stock, Internet logistics is reflected in the creation of transport portals built on the principle of bulletin boards.

Previously, the decisive factors in the successful implementation of the project as a whole were the competent choice and interaction with a transport company that has an excellent reputation in the transport and logistics services market and offers low transportation rates. Now, when the prices of different companies for transportation are almost equal, one of the main conditions for the successful prosperity of the company has become the availability of information about free cars or loads at a given time in a particular city. Demand creates supply. Therefore, to meet the growing need for information, transport portals began to appear (Perevozki.Ru, AvtoTransInfo, the transport system Internet Logistic Service, etc.).

These systems were created for the rapid exchange of information about the operational demand and supply in the transportation market, are equipped with a service classifier and a search form, have "black" and "white" lists.

With their help, you can carry out a quick search in the field of trucking in Russia, the CIS countries and neighboring countries, as well as find partners in the field of forwarding services. The owner of the cargo will find free transport: - truck, trailer, awning, container, refrigerator, tank - and the carrier will instantly find the cargo in accordance with his transport and routes. Thus, both of them can choose for themselves the most profitable option for searching and further cooperation.

Combining billing systems and bulletin boards. However, virtual logistics has taken another step towards reducing the cost of finding customers and calculating overheads. It's no secret that, even in the presence of various settlement systems for transportation and portals with offers of goods, about 5-10% of profitable transactions concluded are still not calculated for a banal reason - lack of necessary information on goods and lack of working time.

A manager working in such a market segment has to calculate a huge number of combinations of potential deals every day. To complete any purchase and sale transaction, all preparatory processes should be controlled. It is necessary to find information as soon as possible, calculate the cost of the transaction, agree on the terms and analyze each possible option - this takes 80% of the working time. Let's say that the manager received 10 buy offers and 10 sell offers, i.e. 100 possible combinations with many different variables that significantly affect the final profit. In this case, you must also take into account the cost of transportation, loading, unloading, interest on the loan. Not a single person is able to cope with such a volume of work in a day. This problem can be solved by entrusting the search for a client and the calculation of overhead costs to a computer, forcing it to calculate millions of combinations per second.

The use of such logistics in the agro-industrial complex is of great importance. In a number of countries, in some years, over 30% of all agricultural products are lost due to underdeveloped infrastructure. For example, the Russian grain market accounts for about 7% of the total annual budget Russian Federation, and this market is not very transparent. Notice boards of grain portals do not give a complete picture of supply and demand (price, cost, GOST of the offered goods, delivery basis, Incoterms terms) for individual goods and regions. The number of producers and buyers is measured in tens of thousands. Cereals and oilseeds are often transported over 1,000 km. To assess and improve the efficiency of this market segment, it is necessary to use to the maximum all modern opportunities associated with the introduction of IT technologies.

New level logistics system. To minimize the time to find the most profitable partner, taking into account overhead costs in the grain segment of the market, a trading platform www.idk.ru was created. This is the only system in Russia and the CIS (most likely in the world) that has imposed virtual transportation calculations on the bulletin board. Such an idea is not new. Large oil companies have tried to create the same settlement systems for internal use, but there is no information about successful and operating systems of this kind.

The IDK.ru trading platform allows you to calculate any order in Russia and the CIS countries, its parameters relative to other orders, taking into account the quality characteristics of the goods and overhead costs. In order to achieve this result, all offered products were classified and calculation was integrated into the system. rail transport, auto route and customs procedures. In late spring 2005, this software product was launched on the Internet.

The principle of operation of the site is simple: a person anywhere in the world and from any computer with Internet access can enter the system and enter an order for the purchase or sale of goods, indicating the quantity, price and delivery basis.

Taking into account the application data, the system allows sorting all offers in one second. Moreover, the calculations take into account all the parameters of the application, including quality characteristics. The system will "calculate" the cost of transportation and "build" the results of potential contractors, starting with the most profitable ones. If the selling price in the market is always higher than the asking price for buying, then the opposite situation occurs on IDK.

Each new application is instantly included in the calculation relative to all others. New proposals change the overall situation on the market. Thus, the market becomes transparent. Users of the system should only not miss their counterparty and start negotiating with him in time.

The site provides an opportunity to bargain. Participants can adjust the terms of the transaction and send counter offers to each other. To facilitate negotiations, the IDK marketplace has a built-in internal mail and video conferencing system. This allows both participants to get to know each other in advance and discuss the details of the transaction using a microphone and a webcam. In addition to the main settlement system, the components of this logistics system are laid out on the site separately: auto route, railway. tariff, customs.

Autoroute. The auto route map has a super-fast mode of data processing and display of the selected route. At the moment, visualization across Russia is possible. The map is instantly scaled without loading visible to the user with the display of data. Route planning is very simple: enter the starting point "A" and the destination "B" or more complex routes consisting of several cities, adding them in turn. In addition, you can give a ban in the search for passing through certain cities, regions and entire countries, as well as permission or ban on the use of ferries. As a result, the system will provide instant accurate calculation with a visual interface in the form of a route on the map. Under the map of the mainland is a table with a breakdown by settlements, distance for each segment of the path, total mileage and time.

Railway fare. Settlement center trading platform allows you to calculate simultaneously 1000 routes per second, which allows a large number of users to work in the system at the same time. The program database includes over 9000 stations. The user gets a complete picture of the route, indicating all the crossing stations, distances and time of transportation, as well as the calculation of the cost of transportation, both for the entire batch and for the conventional unit of measurement of the cargo.

Customs. The platform is able to calculate the economics of export-import contracts. This will allow the participants of the trading system to receive, in addition to information on the cost of the railway tariff, loading and unloading, also customs duty for the import or export of cargo, depending on the volume, cost and category of goods. Now the logistics of possible transactions is also considered under export-import contracts.

The system aroused genuine interest on the part of Western companies, and in confirmation of this, several proposals were received to further increase the structure of settlements at European freight rates and freight operations. One of the further tasks of programmers when reaching certain agreements with large transport companies is to visualize all empty shipments on the auto route map, indicating the destinations and the type of transport. This will significantly reduce the number of "idle" runs, and as a result, increase the profits of transport companies and reduce tariffs for "direct" transportation of goods. As well as the possibility of calculating the combined transportation of sea-railway-cars with finding the most optimal combinations.

Thus, the Internet becomes for companies not only a means of global search for partners, but also a new logistics channel. Many goods and services are already provided to the client over the Web, and often they are paid for with virtual money.

"Logistically oriented" companies are already quite actively using the possibilities of local and open global network information technologies. Reducing the number of management levels, reducing the number of service personnel, increasing transparency and flexibility, user orientation, reducing the time to find a client, calculating the delivery of a batch of goods, reducing the average cost of processing shipping documents, reducing inventory - all this became possible thanks to the integration of new online logistics - decisions in the work of the enterprise.

3.2 Directions for optimizing information processing based on IT technologies

At the moment, there are two main areas for optimizing information processing in logistics: the introduction and use of information technology in your own enterprise and logistics consulting, which, in turn, are divided into many other components.

Implementation and use of information technologies in your own enterprise.

Receipt of the necessary information and modern technologies for its processing. Fulfillment of this requirement in logistics systems allows firms to derive considerable benefits. Therefore, successfully functioning logistics divisions consider computerization as an important source of realizing the potential of logistics in increasing profits. Using networks of electronic data exchange with consumers, for example, it is possible to increase competitiveness and market share. Creative application of computer-based models can also improve the quality of customer service.

Considering the proper degree of information support as one of the important conditions for making a profit, companies have increasingly begun to invest capital in information management systems, accordingly reducing the costs of more familiar and traditional systems, which immediately affects the results of firms. For example, by investing in the improvement of information processing systems that link the administration, logistics departments, suppliers, companies achieve a sharp reduction in the level of raw material stocks (sometimes by 15-20 times).

Many companies direct their funds to the development and implementation of computer networks based on the latest tools communications, to account for and control multimillion-dollar logistics costs. Such costs pay off in 3-4 months of using the system, which allows the saved funds to be directed to their modernization.

In the past, most computers in the logistics industry were designed to process data related directly to the transaction itself (for example, processing information on a work order, purchases, stock holding, etc.). At present, the situation is changing rapidly. Many companies are developing systems options that take full advantage of new generations of electronic technology, with increased data processing speed and technical support for long-distance communications. This makes it possible to use them for making managerial decisions. Foreign experts believe that such decision support networks are turning into "export systems" designed to play an even more important role in making logistics decisions.

As an example of the introduction of modern IT technologies in your own enterprise, you can consider methods for optimizing four interrelated stages of the warehouse technological process: identification of incoming products, placement of goods for storage and order picking.

I. Identification. Of course, there is no need to explain the significance of such an operation as the identification of incoming products. Without carrying out this operation, any warehouse will simply "suffocate", since in the future it will be impossible to carry out either accounting and control over the movement and condition of products in the warehouse, or searching for them during picking and inventory. However, the choice of identification method should be approached by carefully weighing the tasks facing the warehouse, its technical, technological and financial capabilities, the nature of the product range, and much more. There are three main methods of identification in the warehouse technological process, each of which can be effective depending on the capabilities of a particular warehouse, the goals and objectives facing it.

1. Individual coding. This is the most primitive method of identification, while implying a minimum amount of costs for its implementation and use. The essence of individual coding is as follows: each commodity item is assigned an individual code, which may contain information ("semantic" code), and not carry any information ("non-semantic" coding). When developing a "meaningful" code, it is necessary to determine what information is the most important and needs to be stored in the code. For example, a nine-digit code is created that includes information about the supplier (the first 3 digits), information about the product group (2 digits) and commodity item (3 digits), the status of this product (for example, its value, storage order, etc. .)

It is absolutely not necessary for operational workers to have knowledge of the code structure: loaders, order pickers, etc. - it is important that the structure of the code and the meaning of each digit are recorded in normative document enterprises, and the head of the warehouse, his deputies or other persons, if necessary, could always determine the information on a particular cargo unit. The main purpose of this type of identification is the possibility of accounting for products in the warehouse, its individualization when picking orders. A similar function is played by "non-sense" coding, when each commodity item is assigned its own individual number, which makes it possible to individualize it among other products with a homogeneous appearance.

The cost of implementing and using this method is low. As a rule, the cost of introducing individual coding includes only the purchase of a label tape and printing product codes on it, as well as the purchase of several label guns.

The label (label) with the code of the commodity item printed on it is pasted with the help of an etiquette gun on each cargo unit, after the completion of operations for the acceptance of products and their sorting.

2. Bar coding (BC). The introduction of a bar code in a warehouse can significantly speed up the process of accepting products (if the incoming cargo units already have a barcode), significantly reduce the risk of "human" errors in the process of performing technological operations and during inventory, as well as simplify the search (determination) the desired product on the rack or in the rack cell. The introduction of bar code is also justified by the fact that increasingly large clients of trading and manufacturing companies put prerequisite when purchasing products, the presence of a barcode. However, the implementation of the barcode system entails quite serious direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include the purchase of equipment (data collection terminals, scanners, server, label printer), software compatible with the barcode system, payment for services and fees to the Uniscan EAN Association. Indirect costs include staff training, consultant services to prepare the warehouse for the implementation of bar code, etc.

3. Radio frequency identification (RFID). The RFID system appeared relatively recently and is currently practically not used in Russian warehouses. However, the successful experience of implementing this system by a number of large companies in Europe (in particular, Italy and Germany) allows us to conclude that in the medium term, the widespread use of the RFID system will also begin in Russia.

The RFID system consists of three elements - a label (tag), an antenna (reader) and a computer.

System operation. The tag contains the necessary data about the cargo unit, after which the tag data can be transmitted to a computer using an antenna.

Advantages of RFID:

The data of the identification mark can be changed and supplemented;

Much more data can be written on a label compared to a barcode;

The data on the tag can be classified;

RFID tags are more durable;

The location of the label does not matter for reading (the label can be inside the box or pallet);

the label is better protected from impact environment;

tags can be reusable;

· When using RFID, it becomes possible to control the movement of cargo.

Disadvantages of RFID:

Relatively high cost

Impossibility of placement under metal and electrically conductive surfaces;

susceptibility to interference in the form of electromagnetic fields;

local use of RFID.

II. The placement of goods for storage must be carried out in such a way that during subsequent technological operations the number of movements of warehouse employees is minimal. For this purpose, all commodity items are divided into 3 groups, after which "hot" and "cold" storage zones are allocated for their storage. In order to make the optimal division of the entire nomenclature, it is necessary to use the ABC, XYZ analysis method. In this case, i.e. in relation to the technological process, the main criterion for dividing commodity items into groups will be the number of approaches / movements of warehouse personnel when performing technological operations, in particular, during the procedure for picking orders for production or customers. The XYZ analysis technique is also used, the division criterion in which will be the number of shipped universal units.

In order to solve the final problem of placing goods in "hot" and "cold" zones, it is necessary to compile a matrix of results of ABC, XYZ analysis. Usually, comparison of the results of the analysis performed is carried out in MS Excel using the sorting function and takes a minimum amount of time.

When conducting ABC, XYZ analysis, at least two rules should be followed: first, statistical data should be taken for at least the previous year, divided by quarters and months, because. it is during the entire annual cycle that it is possible to single out seasons of demand for each commodity item and place products in storage zones not statically all year, but move them between zones in accordance with the seasonality of demand; second, the units of measurement must be unified. If products arrive at the warehouse and are stored in, say, 15 different types of boxes, the geometric parameters of each of them should be measured and the dimensions of the unified box should be selected, in which the quantity of shipped products will be measured.

After ABC, XYZ analysis, the stock rate is calculated for each commodity item, which is in the warehouse at a time, then the number of storage places for each commodity item is determined and placement is performed based on the analysis. The "hot" zone, as a rule, is located closer to the shipping zone, on the racks located in the central passage, in the lower tiers of the racks. This placement allows you to significantly reduce the time for performing technological operations (placement for storage, picking, etc.). It should also be noted that at present, most information systems of the ERP or WMS class have the function of conducting ABC, XYZ analysis according to various specified criteria.

III. Order picking. In most warehouses of wholesale trade and manufacturing enterprises, as well as in the warehouses of logistics centers, this operation is key, since the level of logistics services depends on it (speed of order fulfillment, absence of errors during collection, etc.). At the same time, this operation is one of the labor-intensive in the warehouse technological process.

There are two systems for completing technological operations for picking: "person to product" and "product to person".

The goods-to-person system is fully automated. The movement of goods is controlled by the operator using the control panel, while the operator himself does not make any movements, the goods arrive at the delivery window automatically. At present, the use of such systems in Russia has found little use.

The "man to product" system. According to the results of the timing of the picker's work, carried out at 23 warehouses of enterprises wholesale trade, the following averaged results were obtained: 50 percent of the picker's time is spent moving between picking points, 20 percent - forced downtime (waiting), 20 percent - working with documents, 10 percent - withdrawal from the picking place. However, there are methods for optimizing the picking procedure that reduce the overall order picking time by eliminating downtime and reducing travel time between picking locations.

Let's consider a typical scheme of the order picking process

1. The picking procedure begins with the receipt of an invoice for the release of goods (request, picking list, etc.), a prerequisite is the arrangement of commodity items in the document in accordance with the placement of products in the warehouse, otherwise a situation arises when the invoice is drawn up in this order, in which it exists in the information system, and the picker is forced to make an inefficient path, that is, repeatedly return to previously traveled places, etc.

2. Drawing up a route map. In most warehouses, this procedure is not used at all. However, the optimal compilation of the path of the picker can significantly reduce the time for assembling the order. The criterion for compiling a route map will be not only the placement of the addresses of the goods in accordance with their location in the warehouse, but also, more importantly, the principle of "commodity neighborhood".

3. Picking up cargo from storage areas.

4. Completion of the assembled order, its packaging and labeling.

Differentiation in the performance of the last two operations will depend on the type of configuration - individual or complex. Individual order picking consists in the sequential selection of one order by one assembler. Complex picking - assembly of one order in parts by different pickers in separate sectors of the warehouse. With individual assembly, the picker is forced to travel significant distances, and, consequently, spend a lot of time moving between picking points, in addition, the likelihood of crossing flows increases, and, consequently, the occurrence of situations of waiting for the release of the technological zone by other employees.

An integrated way of order picking is more efficient. With this method, the warehouse is divided into several zones, each of which employs one picker. At the same time, the geometric dimensions of the zones can be different, it is important to calculate the same number of operations for each zone, or rather, the time to complete them.

The incoming order is divided into parts corresponding to the warehouse zones. After assembly in each section, the assembled part is transferred to the acceptance section in the square, the number of which is indicated on the picking list for each picker who collects a single order. After the assembly of the entire order, the storekeeper checks the correctness of the assembled order, then pre-shipment operations are performed. The advantages of this method are obvious: firstly, the speed of order fulfillment is reduced by several times, due to a reduction in the number of movements between picking points and the elimination of forced downtime; secondly, each picker "attached" to a particular zone will find out the item stored in it much faster and actually have the opportunity to work without a route sheet; thirdly, it becomes possible to assign individual responsibility for the state of each warehouse zone. The disadvantage of this system, some managers of warehouses call the possibility of a sudden absence from work of a part of the warehouse personnel and the absence of a picker in the zone. However, this is already an administrative and organizational issue, most of the managers of large warehouses, introducing this system, were able to cope with this negative factor by methods of motivation and administrative penalties. In any case, there remains the possibility of an "emergency" transfer of personnel from another zone.

Logistic consulting.

Logistics consulting is a new direction in business infrastructure development. The functioning of a modern market economy cannot be imagined without the supporting infrastructure, one of the most important elements of which is consulting.

Logistics consulting is one of the areas of management consulting, which can also include information, marketing, innovation, financial, investment and other types of consulting.

In a concentrated form, "logistics consulting" can be described as the provision of intellectual services in the field of providing assistance to business leaders in the development of complex and systemic solutions to logistics problems in order to optimize logistics activities.

Logistics consulting is designed to optimize the functional areas of logistics - purchasing, warehouse, production, transport, marketing, inventory management. Optimization can be carried out fragmentarily - for example, the technological design of a warehouse system, or comprehensively - the formation of a company's logistics concept and its development strategy with the optimization of relevant business processes.

The main methods for solving the tasks set in the framework of logistics consulting are:

· business process modeling using IDEF and ARIS methodologies;

· expert methods;

· modeling of the activities of enterprises in the field of logistics using probabilistic-statistical simulation methods;

· methods of heuristic analysis and synthesis;

methods of linear, nonlinear, dynamic and stochastic programming for solving optimization problems economic tasks;

· methods of structural analysis and structural optimization.

In logistics consulting projects, the quality of the material and technical base for conducting research is of great importance. It includes means of fixing and moving information (digital camera, video camera, voice recorder, etc.), software, among which it is necessary to note the modeling tools for logistics business processes (ARIS, ERwin / BPwin, Rational Rose).

All logistics consulting projects are unique, since the goals and objectives of the logistics of different enterprises are diverse, and the budgets for implementing changes are different. This causes a difference in approaches to the scope of work and the mechanism for their implementation, even within the same consulting organization. In general, we can offer the following scheme of approach to logistics consulting:

1. Analysis of the customer's primary requirements and development of a work plan.

2. Diagnostics of the company's logistics system.

3. Analysis of the current situation in the field of logistics at the enterprise, identification of "bottlenecks" and promising areas of logistics.

5. Implementation of the developed proposals for optimization.

6. Supervision of implementation and preparation of the final report.

7. Post-project business support.

The main requirements for external consultants when conducting logistics consulting are:

1) the ability to analyze the state of logistics at the enterprise, identify problems;

2) based on the analysis, formulate recommendations for solving problems and outline ways to further improve the enterprise's logistics system.

The main difficulty in conducting logistics consulting is that in the course of diagnosing logistics problems, many types of information cannot be obtained due to the fact that enterprises often do not have a system for analyzing intra-company information. Information, if stored, is mostly on paper, and this greatly complicates its analysis.

The information obtained during the diagnostics of the company's logistics system is the basis for making recommendations. For the successful organization of the process of collecting and processing logistics information in a company conducting logistics consulting, a research infrastructure is needed.

Today in Russia there is an acute shortage of firms conducting consulting in the field of logistics. It is obvious that the market for such services will develop, since to a large extent its capacity will be affected by the existing discrepancy between the processes of the real need for intellectual support for the necessary changes in the field of logistics at enterprises and professional level staff training. In the future, logistics consulting may well claim the role of an independent applied science, which has its own subject of scientific research, methods of cognition of phenomena and a knowledge system.

It is promising to create consulting structures based on outsourcing of analytical and innovative functions. This will allow enterprises that do not have the ability to maintain specialists of the appropriate level to introduce the latest achievements in the field of logistics, focusing on the main functions of the enterprise.

Examination of the company's logistics system in order to identify "bottlenecks" and develop recommendations for improving the state of logistics will allow the client's management to see the "tangibility" of logistics business processes in a relatively short time (even without using the entire range of scientific methods), which is usually lost in a huge mass of managerial and financial documents. This will make it possible to set guidelines for the development of not only the logistics system, but also all aspects of the company's activities as a whole.

With the spread of logistics systems in enterprises, the need to develop and put into practice logistics information systems, which would organically combine all logistics subsystems (supply logistics, production logistics, distribution logistics, etc.) became increasingly felt. Information logistics organizes the data flow that accompanies the material flow, and is the essential link for the enterprise that connects supply, production and sales. It covers the management of all processes of movement and storage of real goods at the enterprise, allowing to ensure the timely delivery of these goods in the required quantity, required configuration and quality from the place of their production to the place of consumption with minimal costs and optimal service. For this, the system of material support for production is subjected to a general hierarchical structuring. Logistics sub-tasks (transportation, reloading, warehousing and distribution) are performed using highly automated functional elements. The combination of these elements in the subsystem forms a network structure that covers the sub-areas of the material support of production.

The logistics system in production is effective only when conditions are created for its integration into current production processes. This problem is solved by creating an appropriate information base. This includes "up-to-date overviews" of funds (availability of actual and planned orders, maintenance of production main and intermediate warehouses) and deadlines (deliveries, processing, waiting and downtime) and monitoring their compliance. To collect this data, the production system throughout the enterprise has "sensors and measuring" tools "that monitor the volumes and timing of current processes and transmit this information for further interpretation. The logistics system makes the following requirements for its "measuring" network:

– fast and reliable (manual or automated) collection of data on vehicles and means of production:

– structuring the intra-industrial information" decision support system, which at any time contains up-to-date information on the progress of production processes for each of the sections.

The Logistics Information System improves the management of increasingly complex logistics. For compact and highly organized production systems such as synchronous production and Just-In-Time deliveries, incoming material flow control is becoming increasingly important. Thanks to the activities of information logistics in the exchange of supply data, the efficiency of inventory management is increased. Instant receipt of data on the movement of goods inspires confidence in the timely delivery of goods and, as it were, allows you to replace real stocks with information flows. The exchange of supply data, extended to a network of firms - suppliers and transport companies, allows the manufacturer to reduce the costs associated with ensuring the operation of a complete supply chain. By increasing its efficiency, the manufacturer receives tangible savings. This saving is actually divided in certain proportions between three parties: the manufacturer, the supplier and the transport company, offsetting the costs of creating and maintaining modern information systems and creating additional profit from their use. Obtaining the effect from the action of information logistics stimulates all participants in the logistics process to maintain the achieved level of this process, as well as invest new funds to optimize it.

List of used literature

1. Encyclopedic Dictionary - M., 2001

2. Anikin B.A., Tyapukhin A.P. Commercial Logistics: Textbook - M.: TK Welby, Prospect Publishing House, 2005. - 432 p.

3. Gadzhinsky A.M. Logistics: Textbook for higher and secondary specialized institutions. – M.: Dashkov i K, 2004.

4. Kurt Hassig, Martin Arnold. Information logistics and workflow management. - Problems of the theory and practice of management, 1997, No. 5

5. Popov G. Logistics for business processes. – Desktop magazine of the IT manager "IS Director", 2004, No. 2

6. Popov S.M., Perovskaya E.I. Logistics management and scheduling in production systems. http://www.mnogosmenka.ru/

7. Serbin V.D. Fundamentals of logistics. Tutorial. Taganrog: Publishing House of TRUTH

8. Sergeev V.I. Logistics in business: Textbook. - M.: INFRA-M, 2001. - 608

9. Logistics: Textbook / Ed. prof. B.A. Anikina: 3rd ed., revised. and additional – M.: INFRA-M, 2002. – 368 p.

10. Adviss logistics logistics portal: Information systems. http://www.adviss.ru/

11. Library "Bookinist's Regiment": Management of the organization. Logistics

12. Global Information Saratov System: Business: Tutorials: Logistics: Types of information logistics systems

13. Remote Consulting: Remote Consulting Portal

14. Portal "Information technologies and systems in transport logistics". http://mirkaspb.ru

15. Portal "Logistics. Tasks and Functions". Heading "Information logistics" http://www.aqz.ru

16. Portal "On-line business education". Heading "Logistics" http://www.bizeducation.ru/

17. Portal "ABC of logistics" http://theory.alogistica.ru/

5. IT CAN BE KNOWED AT ANY MOMENT. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
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The importance and role of automated control systems in the success of the restaurant and entertainment business is currently underestimated by many restaurateurs. Even in the professional standards proposed by the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, “Have an idea” about them is established only for managers of the fourth level involved in strategy. However, the actual practice of work shows that even a modern waiter must not only “have an idea”, but also work with the appropriate means, of course, at his level. In this regard, the main task of this section is to analyze the state, possibilities and foundations for the use of automated systems for managing enterprises of G&R.
For its implementation, the section reveals the basics of using information technology in the restaurant and entertainment business. Their essence and role in enterprise management are considered. The list of management tasks is analyzed, the solution of which can be effective only with the use of a management automation system. Further, their structure is discussed in detail and specific examples of solving managerial problems are given, the solution of which is easily and simply provided with the help of an automated system.

5.1. Introductory provisions
Every craftsman who does his job well needs a high-quality high-performance working tool. For a modern manager, this, of course, is an automated control system. Indeed, as shown in Section 1.3, management is a completely informational process. Consequently, the timeliness, completeness, reliability, relevance, reliability of information completely determine the quality of decisions made and the effectiveness of management in general.
The dynamics of modern life in general and business in particular lead to the fact that the amount of necessary information coming to the manager per unit of time has increased dramatically and continues to increase. Studies show that often no more than 10% of the information received influences the decision. The rest, for which a lot of money was spent, simply disappears due to the inability of the human brain to process all this. Well, the information saturation of the processes of managing an enterprise of hospitality and entertainment is many times greater than that of large industrial enterprises. This is shown in subsection 1.1. The only means of solving this problem is the use of Information Technologies and the specialized Control Automation System that implements them.
However, it should be borne in mind that the effectiveness of the application of management automation significantly depends on the degree of readiness of the enterprise for its implementation. And this is the satisfaction of the requirements set out in subsection 1.5, i.e. performing those actions and works that were discussed in sections 3 and 4. This does not mean that a properly prepared implementation will not have a positive effect in terms of increasing the profitability of the enterprise. Not at all, but this effect will be many times greater when debugging the control system itself with the use of information technology is combined. We repeat, the automated control system that implements them is highly efficient and modern conditions an irreplaceable tool for a manager.
Thus, the huge volumes and variety of information that is subject to accounting and timely processing in the Management Accounting System of the G&D enterprise require the use of modern information technologies. Only by increasing the speed of information turnover due to the use of an automated control system is an increase in the volume of current working capital up to 25%. In Enterprise Networks, some aspects of management of which are discussed in Section 9, this effect is even higher.
The answer to the question - Why is it necessary? – gives an elementary and banal example. It is given in the article "New technologies: automation of the restaurant business" (Magazine "Everything for a store, restaurant, hotel, warehouse" No. 2 (16), April-May 2002). Consider it in a somewhat revised and abbreviated form.
Conditions and solution of the problem. A medium-sized hospitality and entertainment facility with 50 seats is opened. The expected value of the average check is 150 rubles. Working time 12 hours. We will take the average occupancy during the day equal to 50%. Then the average turnover per day should be about 9,000 rubles, per month, about 300,000 rubles. Let the margin for kitchen products be 200% markup coefficient 3), for bar products - 150% (markup coefficient 2.5). Projected distribution of sales: 60% - kitchen products, 40% - bar assortment. Therefore, on average, the expected monthly turnover will be approximately 180,000 rubles. due to the kitchen and 120,000 r. by the bar. The planned variable costs for the purchase of raw materials will be approximately 97,000 rubles. per month. Of these, for the kitchen 55,000 rubles. and for the bar 42000 r. The technological maps for the bar and kitchen include a “saving” of raw materials of 10%.
The staff, in the absence of proper control, easily implements the "saved" in their favor. Moreover, practice shows that insufficiently effective sales control allows staff to sell unrecorded products (bring "their own") at least 20% of the turnover. Consequently, the enterprise will receive less than 54,000 rubles. monthly turnover and will lose approximately 9000 r. the cost of purchasing raw materials to replenish 10% of unauthorized sold. Thus, the real marginal profit will be 300,000-97,000-54,000-9,000 = 140,000 rubles. per month instead of 300,000-97,000 = 203,000 rubles, i.e. the shortfall in marginal profit for the month will be 57,000 rubles, and for the year - 584,000 rubles. The numbers are serious.
As experience shows, the so-called educational work with personnel does little in terms of solving the stated problem. It is necessary to create conditions that exclude the very possibility of implementing the abuses described in the problem. This problem can be solved quite simply by introducing management accounting based on an automated control system. Its cost for an average enterprise is 150,000-200,000 rubles. Obviously, this amount will pay off within 3-6 months only by eliminating the conditions for abuse shown in the problem. In fact, there are many more similar possibilities. Accordingly, the lost income is larger or the payback period of the automated system is shorter.
Now let's answer the question - What is it, an automated hospitality and entertainment enterprise management system? To do this, we introduce a definition and formulate the purpose.
An automated enterprise management system (APCS) is a set of technical and software tools, which provides the collection, accumulation, storage and processing of information on the business processes of the enterprise, as well as the automatic execution of their individual subprocesses. In the context of this work, the enterprise of Hospitality and Entertainment is considered.
Based on the introduced definition, it can be stated that a fully functional automated restaurant and entertainment business management system is designed to:
. automation of enterprise management processes (enterprise networks) hospitality and entertainment (restaurants, cafes, bars, pizzerias, billiards and other clubs, bowling alleys, music lounges, saunas, fast food enterprises, complex entertainment centers and other complex enterprises in any combination of the above or a network of such enterprises);
. automated implementation of the main business processes of individual enterprises and networks (reception and service of guests, control of the reception and service of guests, control and analysis own production and sales, management accounting and analysis, financial planning, logistics, marketing, organization of club work with regular guests of the enterprise, interaction with counterparties, work with personnel, etc.).
The technical basis of the automated control system is made up of ordinary and specialized computers, printers for various purposes, fiscal registrars, power management devices, devices and components that allow you to combine the above into a local area network (LAN). When automating the management of networks of geographically dispersed enterprises, various standard communication channels for public information networks (telephone, Internet, etc.) are still used.
But the market for software products that make this technique a truly automated control system and are the result of intellectual work is now quite extensive. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to make a choice. On the other hand, this situation creates a competitive environment that stimulates the rapid expansion of the capabilities of automated control systems by G&D enterprises. Here are some characteristics of the market under consideration.
Immediately, we note that the technical means listed above are used in all systems the same, in the sense that they are produced by the same companies. Another thing is that the system supplier may purchase cheaper equipment and, therefore, of lower quality. Therefore, before purchasing it, if you do not have your own knowledge, it is advisable to consult an independent specialist on the choice of equipment types.
The market for software products that are installed on computers and completely determine the capabilities of the system in terms of solving management problems at R&D enterprises is currently quite extensive. A general analysis allows us to distinguish 3 main classes of such systems:
1. Fully functional original systems. Fully initially developed to solve the considered profile tasks. They have full-fledged workstations for the work of contact personnel (Front office - see the dictionary) and managers (Back office - see the dictionary). The most common representative of this class is "R-keeper". Advantages: functionality; a well-established program, as it has been on the market since the early 90s; extensive dealer network in the regions; integrated with many related software products (management of hotels, cinemas, etc.). Disadvantages: high prices; many channels for abuse of personnel are not "blocked"; the front office is not convenient enough; the component of ensuring and supporting guest loyalty is poorly developed. The next representatives can be called "Tillypad" and "Expert". The advantages and disadvantages are almost the same as those of the "R-keeper".
This group also includes software products offered on the market by RST Company LLC. These are RST: Restaurateur and RST: Magnat. Advantages: developed directly in an automated environment, since the supplier company is part of the Holding, which owns a network of G&D enterprises; advanced system ensuring and maintaining guest loyalty (Club); convenient and easy-to-use system for constructing any reports; convenient and easy-to-learn front-office for contact personnel; relatively low prices. "RST: Restaurateur" is supplied in a boxed version, the installation of which does not require high qualifications in the field of information technology. In addition, the product kit comes with four books that provide the user with the full range of necessary knowledge to prepare the enterprise for the implementation of the system, prepare for its installation, installation and operation. The RST:Magnat system currently has no equivalent analogues on the profile market, designed to automate the management of G&R network enterprises. In addition to the usual functionality for such systems, it contains modules for operational planning of enterprises, a financial module for solving problems of financial planning (budgeting) and data replication. This provides an automated solution to the problems of management accounting and analysis both for an individual enterprise and for a very complex network of geographically dispersed enterprises. "RST:Magnat" is successfully operated in the "Edelweiss" shopping center.
2. Systems based on the well-known software product "1-C". Typical representatives of the class are: "Rarus-Public Catering", "Astor", "Traktir" and some others. Their strongest advantage, inherited from the progenitor, is a well-established automation of accounting. Therefore, at enterprises where exactly it is put as the basis for management information support, such systems have proven themselves quite well. Otherwise, at comparable sale prices, they are significantly inferior to the systems listed in the first paragraph.
3. Software products borrowed from the West. The Aloha system can be called a typical representative of the class. Without going into details, one can note their main drawback. This is the inheritance of basic capabilities from the ancestors. In the West, automated business processes of HoReCa enterprises are organized quite differently. Therefore, the consumer either has to restructure his thinking for a software product, or not use many of the paid features of the system.
Naturally brought brief analysis market cannot claim to be complete, even in a meager sense. In general, most of the software products presented on the market and, consequently, the automation systems supplied on their basis, with varying degrees of automation, allow solving typical management tasks. Their brief analysis is given in the next subsection.

5.2. Control tasks, the solution of which is provided by an automated system
An automated system usually allows you to conveniently, easily and simply solve the following management tasks:
1. Operational control and management of the enterprise in real time. In full-featured systems, such an opportunity is provided from anywhere in the world with Internet access. It is implemented through the provision of remote access to the information resources of the server in the enterprise. In RST:Magnat, where data replication is implemented (see the dictionary), it is provided through a workstation (AWP) on the user's laptop. At the same time, it is possible to connect to a video surveillance system, if such is installed at the enterprise.
2. Ensuring a significant long-term and stable increase in revenue while reducing fixed and variable costs. This is achieved by blocking most of the channels for personnel abuse, increasing the speed of management information turnover, optimizing business processes and with virtually no additional costs. Only one-time costs are required for the purchase of an automation system, insignificant costs for its operation and subsequent active analytical work with the information provided.
3. Reducing fixed costs. This effect is due to the fact that there is no need for a number of managerial positions in the enterprise, its needs for contact personnel are reduced. There are some other opportunities to reduce fixed costs, for example, using the club subsystem. Examples of such solutions are provided in subsection 5.8 and in section 8.
4. Receipt, processing and analysis of any data on the state and results of the enterprise in real time. This ensures the diversity and convenience of information presentation forms - texts, tables, graphs, videos, etc. This possibility is implemented for the current state of the business (currently emerging), for an absolute period (from date to date), for a relative period (for example, last week, regardless of its start date). In all these modes, values ​​are observed and trends in any financial and non-financial indicators characterizing the activity of the enterprise are analyzed. In the RST:Magnat system, this is possible both for the Network of enterprises as a whole, and with the layout for individual business centers, for each business center separately, for the same type of points of sale for the network as a whole or for a separate enterprise of the network. In some cases, information is taken into account and accumulated even up to a separate seat at the table. Such indicators are, for example:
. revenue with the possibility of decomposition by the corresponding centers of financial responsibility (revenue centers);
. condition of warehouses in natural and monetary terms;
. information on the reduction of stocks below the minimum allowable level for individual nomenclatures and groups of products and goods;
. the amount of marginal profit;
. the amount of operating profit;
. costs in general or structured by types and / or centers of financial responsibility (cost centers);
. condition of the hall(s) this moment with the ability to connect to a video surveillance system, if installed;
. the amount of a personalized contribution to the revenue of each employee or a personalized breakdown of costs to analyze their effectiveness;
. and much more.
5. Increasing the volume of working capital and increasing the speed of their turnover. This is achieved, in particular, by optimizing inventory. The system usually allows you to automatically determine the minimum required warehouse stocks by groups and nomenclatures of products, goods, materials, and subsequently strictly control their balances. This provides an opportunity to minimize the funds "frozen" in stocks.
6. Maintaining a full-fledged management accounting and analysis. This allows you to really observe where, how much, on what and who spends financial resources, to develop and implement measures to minimize costs. Cost management, the cornerstone of Management Accounting and the basis for increasing the profitability of the enterprise. Item-by-item structuring of variable and fixed costs, automatically accounted for in the System, will allow them to be managed in a civilized way at the modern level. Business costs are inevitable, but they should not be more than necessary.
7. Holding marketing research by objectively determining a number of indicators necessary for the effective marketing activity of the enterprise in a single information space of the system. In particular, these are:
. the value of the flow of guests for the period (provides: conducting statistical research and determining the indicators of the company's occupancy by days of the week and calendar periods; assessing the effectiveness of the work of the head of the enterprise in attracting guests, etc.);
. the number of regular guests with a layout according to the groups and categories established at the enterprise (allows you to evaluate the functioning of the system for ensuring and supporting guest loyalty and the performance of the manager responsible for personal work with them);
. the value of the average check per order (makes it possible to personally determine the effectiveness of the work of contact personnel);
. the value of the average check per guest (allows you to evaluate the target audience of guests of the enterprise by income level, which subsequently makes it possible to purposefully plan marketing activities to change or strengthen it).
8. Timely identification of "bottlenecks" in the operating activities of the enterprise, development and implementation of effective management decisions for the appropriate improvement of the business, prevention of abuse, etc. This is ensured by the ability to receive any information about the activities of the enterprise in real time using the report designer.
9. Implementation of objective financial, operational and marketing planning of the activity of an enterprise or a network of enterprises as a whole and for individual enterprises for any horizon from a day to a year or more.
10. Ensuring comprehensive automation of management processes for a network of geographically dispersed enterprises, individual unitary or integrated enterprise. This is achieved through full-fledged management information support. The system allows you to always see: what happened, why and whose actions led to this, regardless of the distances and opposition of unscrupulous personnel.
11. Attracting and motivating guests, personnel management, etc. based on objective data from the built-in system for ensuring and supporting their loyalty and other system tools. In the context of increasing competition, the possibility of an automated solution of such a problem acquires special meaning.
12. Development of a business development strategy based on objective data. Such, for example, are the results of statistical studies of the content and trends in the main financial indicators of the enterprise's operating activities.
13. Increase business value with minimal cost. This is achieved by obtaining long-term competitive advantages that are difficult to overcome by creating the most “advanced” management system in terms of level and quality. Well-established management on its basis increases the value of the business many times over due to the synergistic effect.
14. Support for flexible configuration and reconfiguration of the automated control system to the needs and characteristics of a particular enterprise or network of enterprises and when changing their configuration.
15. Rapid expansion of control system capabilities as the business or enterprise needs expand. As practice shows, such a need arises quite often. The principles of modular construction of the corresponding software products make it easy to solve this problem.
16. Ensuring guaranteed security of information about the activities of the enterprise. This is achieved by the multi-loop implemented solutions. First, in a system-wide sense, these are guarantees from world-famous manufacturers of the software components used. Secondly, these are the guarantees of communication providers when managing a geographically dispersed network of enterprises. Thirdly, the system is not fiscal, as it was originally developed for management accounting and analysis. However, if the consumer wishes, fiscal registrars can be connected to it without any problems with all the ensuing consequences. Fourth, it usually provides for the possibility of maintaining management accounting along several lines, which gives a certain flexibility in the disposal of information resources. Fifthly, the built-in multifunctional and flexible in configuration subsystem of access control allows you to strictly "meter" the access of employees to information.
17. Solving many other management tasks of increasing profitability and acquiring (strengthening) the competitive advantages of an enterprise based on the use of modern information technologies.
To solve these problems, an automated system must have a certain composition and interconnections of elements. The reader will get an idea of ​​this in the following subsections. They briefly consider the general, functional and information structure of the automated control system for unitary enterprises G&D and its features in automating the management of a network of such enterprises.

5.3. General structure of an automated control system
The general structure of the automated control system for a unitary enterprise G&D is shown in fig. 5.1. It reflects the components of its technical equipment, software and the relationship between all these components. They are in the diagram, figuratively speaking, "tied" to the main business processes of the enterprise and include (by numbers in the figure in circles from left to right from top to bottom):
1. Dot matrix or thermal POS printers at production points. They are connected to the computers of the closest automated workstations (AWP) of contact personnel (points of sale). Used to print jobs for the production of dishes ordered by guests (kitchen), dishes, drinks and goods (bar) and services.
2. Cable connections of POS printers and other additional equipment directly to computers.

3. Workstation of contact personnel at points of sale. They are equipped on the basis of specialized monoblock POS-terminals with a touch screen monitor (recommended) or on the basis of conventional computers. For example, monoblocks manufactured by Posiflex, models TP6015, TP5815 are used.
4. Workstation of logistics managers and warehouse workers. Usual computers that meet the technical requirements of the System are used. Similar workstations are equipped with managers who manage the implementation of other business processes in the event that they are presented at the enterprise.
5. Dot matrix or thermal POS printers at points of sale. They are connected directly to the computers of the workstation of the contact personnel. Used to print checks (pre-checks, invoices) for settlements with guests and print some reports.
6. Optional equipment for automatic power management (for example, light over billiard tables or in other cases). Switched relays of the KE-Mitek or ICPcon type are usually used.
7. Fiscal registrar. Connects directly to workstation computers via a serial port using the supplied cables. The system "knows how" to work with printers that are compatible with the command sets of Spark and Barcode printers.
8. Server. A dedicated computer where all data on the enterprise's operating activities are stored and processed. It is installed in the office with the maximum possible restrictions on physical access to it by the staff.
9. Workstation of enterprise management managers. Usual computers that meet the technical requirements for the System equipment are used.
10. Cable connections of the local computer network Ethernet with a bandwidth of 100Mbps. It is laid using a twisted pair cable (UTP-5cat).
11. Switch local network. Provides information interaction of elements of one local network or several local networks among themselves.

5.4. Functional structure of an automated control system
On fig. 5.2. shows a functional diagram of an automated enterprise management system for Hospitality and Entertainment. According to the composition of the equipment, it completely copies the one considered in the previous subsection. This figure also reflects the information and functional interaction of the main business processes within the automated enterprise. The corresponding functions largely coincide both for a unitary enterprise and for a separate network enterprise. The difference is that in the network version, some functions are fully or partially implemented centrally from the management company. These functional relationships for business processes include:
1. Receipt from suppliers purchased by the enterprise. Primary manual entry into the System of relevant information by posting everything purchased (formulation of electronic documents and their entry into the Database).
2. Registration of documentary movement of products to points of production, goods and products to points of sale, organization of movements with personalized accounting.
3. Processing of products moved for the manufacture of semi-finished products. Posting of manufactured semi-finished products in the system and automatic write-off of used products.
4. Setting a task for production in accordance with the composition of the completed sale (order) and additional conditions for serving dishes to guests. Automatic transmission of relevant jobs to production points.
5. Setting a task for the preparation of goods in accordance with the composition of the completed sale (order). Automatic transmission of relevant information to points of sale.

6. Work with an order (sale) on the workstation of contact personnel (opening, processing, transferring tasks to production and sales points, serving guests, paying a guest, closing with entering marketing information, printing receipts). Automatic entry of relevant information into the System Database.
7. Closing (implementation) of the sale. Automatic write-off of products, goods, consumables used in the sale with the corresponding changes in the Database, recording marketing and club information about guests in the Database, processing the receipt of money by payment options, etc.
8. Transfer to guests through service of order elements from points of production and points of sale. Not automated. Automatic write-off from points of production and sales of used products and materials, sold goods.
9. Automatic organization and management of information and functional processes in the system (information interaction with all workstations on the operational activities of the enterprise, system automatic control of computers of all workstations by transmitting system commands and receiving information about their status, information support for the work of contact personnel and other participants in operational activities hospitality and guest services).
10. Monitoring the flow of all business processes for compliance with the tasks. Not automated, but based on the analytical processing of information from the Database.
11. Entering information into the System Database (filling in directories, setting access rights to information and other settings, implementing club work, etc.). Formation of requests for obtaining information necessary for full control and planning of the enterprise's operations. Ongoing management of sales processes in the guest service rooms of the enterprise. Control of the movement of products and goods, information support to prevent the abuse of personnel and the implementation of other management functions.
12. Collection, processing, analysis and entry into the System Database of the necessary information about the state of the market and other components of the External Environment.

5.5. Information structure of the automated control system
Figure 5.3 shows the same diagram as the previous two. However, it focuses on the information interconnections of the elements (information flows) of the system within the automated enterprise, which are shown by thick solid lines with double-sided arrows. They are the same both for a unitary enterprise and for a separate one included in the network. Information flows are “tied” to equipment and core business processes. Their composition and content is as follows:
1. Direct two-way communication between the computers of the workstation of contact personnel and printers at production points (kitchen, bar, etc.). Transfer from the workstation of information on the content of the completed sale (order) necessary for the production of goods (dishes) at a given point of production, on the sequence and timing of their submission to guests, etc. Returning a report on the status of printing to the AWP computer.
2. Two-way communication over a local network between the Database on the server and the workstation of the “Manager” type, which are equipped with workplaces responsible for business processes (at least logistics and / or the main warehouse). Transfer to the server from the specified users of the workstation requests for processing and providing information on all issues of the status, history and course of the enterprise's operations, making changes to the Database on the server within the established access rights. Return to the workstation of the results of sampling and processing of the requested information within the established access rights of the respective users, return of confirmations about changing the information in the Database or refusing to change it, indicating the reasons.

3. Direct two-way communication between the server and power management devices (for billiards, bowling, sauna, etc.). Transfer from the server of commands to turn on/off the power supply separately to each control line of the corresponding device. Return to the server information (report) about the current state of each controlled line.
4. Two-way communication over a local network between the Database on the server and the workstation of contact personnel (such as "Waiter", "Bartender", "Fast Food", etc.). Transfer to the server for entering into the Database comprehensive information about sales, their current status and closure, club and marketing information, etc. Transfer from the server of reference information necessary to ensure the normal operation of contact personnel at the workstation (on the main directories of the system (staff, menus, products), the warehouse module (incoming / outgoing products), club and additional modules of the System).
5. Intra-server exchange of information between the Database and the Power Management Module about the beginning of the execution of an order of the "Tariff" type, its status and completion conditions, completion of the order, status of managed devices.
6. Two-way communication over a local network between the Database on the server and the workstation of the "Manager" type, which are equipped with workplaces of enterprise management managers. Transferring requests to the server for processing and providing information on all issues of the enterprise's operating activities, making changes to the Database on the server within the established access rights. Return to the workstation the results of sampling and processing of the requested information within the established access rights of the respective users, return of confirmations about changing the information in the Database or refusing to change it, indicating the reason.

5.6. The general structure of the automated control system for the Network of enterprises
Figure 5.4 summarizes the structure of automation of management of a multi-profile network of hospitality and entertainment enterprises based on the RST:Magnat System. Some hypothetical Network is taken as a basis, containing all possible components: a management company (central office), several subnets of various profiles and a dedicated production. Each of the subnets can combine a number of separate (single) enterprises of the same type or different types. At each enterprise and in the Management Company, the PCT:Magnat System must be installed with the obligatory inclusion of a data replication module. In the Management Company, the composition and structure of the installed components of the System is determined by specific conditions. The considered generalized structure of the System includes:
1. Central server of the Enterprise Network. It is located in the Management Company (Central Office) and is the main repository of information intended to ensure the management of the Network's operations. The specified information is automatically sent to it from the servers included in the Network of enterprises through various communication channels.
2. Local computer network of the Management Company. On its components, the PCT:Magnat System is installed in the composition and with the differentiation of access to information, determined by specific conditions.
3. Communication channels of various physical nature. In the simplest case (the cheapest option), Internet channels are used. It is also possible to work on leased channels of various communication systems. Such a need may arise in case of a large distance

managed enterprise or if there is no Internet at its location. The system even allows the use of portable physical media (floppies, CDs, USB Flash Drives, etc.) delivered by couriers. This option is considered as a backup.
4. Communication means of various types, which is determined by the communication channels available for use at the locations of enterprises. Does not apply to an automated system.
5. Local computer networks of enterprises and a subnet of dedicated production, if it exists.
6. Separate enterprises of the Network (sub-networks) with the installed automation system. The composition of the latter is determined by the needs of a particular enterprise. The data replication module installed on the local server of the enterprise is required. Data from it is transmitted to the Central Server in the Management Company.
7. Various production of goods needed by network enterprises. The automation system is usually installed on them in an abbreviated version, which ensures the setting of tasks (orders) for production from the Management Company and / or enterprises and the maintenance of management accounting in the required volume.

5.7. Information structure of the automated control system for the network of enterprises
Figure 5.5 shows the same circuit as the previous one. However, it focuses on the content of the main network information flows and elements of information processing at the levels of the automation system. The general, informational and functional structures of the system within a separate network enterprise are the same as those shown in Figures 5.1-5.3. The difference is in the software, which must contain the data replication module. Other

the content is acquired by information flows according to the state of business processes, since some of them are fully or partially transferred to the competence of the Management Company (see subsection 9.3). Information flows and processes in the enterprise network include:
1. Information center of the Network of enterprises (Central server). Ensures the implementation of the functions of automatic collection, accumulation, storage and processing of information on the status and results of the Network's operating activities as a whole and for each of its enterprises, as well as on the formation and transfer to the servers of enterprises of control and installation information on the organization and content of business processes at enterprises (for example, assortment list). The basis for automated information management of the Network in all its aspects.
2. Analytical processing of information about the activities of enterprises included in the network by relevant officials Management company, preparation and entry into the system of installation information for enterprises. Automated based on the use of the local computer network of the Management Company, which includes the Central Server
3. Two-way information flows between enterprises and the Management Company. From the bottom up, information is transmitted about the state of enterprises and the business processes implemented on them. From top to bottom - management and installation information for enterprises from the Management Company, which ensures the implementation of the assortment, price, marketing and other types of policies of the management and shareholders of the Network.
4. Information flows and processes, information support for management within an individual enterprise included in the Network.

5.8. Examples of solving management problems based on information technology
Since the tools and functionality of the control automation systems existing on the profile market are different, to ensure certainty, the solutions to the problems proposed below are based on the use of one of them. This is RST: Restaurateur, which is equipped with the Edelweiss CRC.
The capabilities of the RST System: Restaurateur in solving management problems at hospitality and entertainment enterprises are very extensive. In this case, we are not talking about using its instrumental capabilities. Naturally, their assimilation is a necessary condition, just as, for example, a motorist in a car interior masters the practice of using the controls for their intended purpose: pedals, levers, buttons, etc. However, he does not yet become a driver. Driving a car in difficult road conditions using all the same controls is a different, much more difficult task. And everyone, having mastered the basics with an instructor, then develops his own methods of driving a car in different conditions, as a tool for effective movement in space.
It also provides a number of examples of solving situational management problems using the PCT: Restaurateur system as a tool. They are generated by the practice of the management of the Edelweiss CRC. Some of the given tasks are elementary and are solved by building and simple visual analysis of the corresponding report in the system, others are more complex and require ingenuity in the use of system elements, to solve the third, the system only provides data as information for reflection. All tasks have one thing in common: without an automation system, their solution is either much more difficult, or impossible at all in an acceptable time. In all the cases under consideration, it is assumed that the system is installed at the enterprise and the staff has mastered practical work with it at the level of a confident user. In almost all tasks, when solving, it is necessary to use the “Advanced Reports” subsystem.
1. Motivation of contact personnel for more efficient work through the analysis of personal contribution to revenue.
Situation. You have developed and are implementing a contact personnel motivation system, in which one of the main evaluation criteria is a personal contribution to the company's revenue for the period. A corresponding regulation has been developed, which defines the procedure for taking into account the main influencing factors, such as: banquet service, day of the week, etc.
Task. It is necessary to obtain structured information about the personal contribution of each waiter (bartender, marker, ...) to the company's revenue for the period.
Solution. In the journal of the "Dish Sales" System of the "Advanced Reports" subsystem, generate a report on sales for the selected period with the obligatory inclusion of the fields "Serving", "Amount", "Total", as well as others, at your discretion. It is advisable to sort the report in ascending order of the "Total" field. Analysis of the data of this simple report will allow you to solve the problem.
Advice. Practice shows that this type of motivation is advisable to apply weekly in the middle of the week. With a shorter period, the uneven filling of the enterprise with guests on the days of the week has a strong effect, with a longer period, the effectiveness of the motivating effect is partially lost.
2. Motivation of contact personnel to improve the quality of guest service.
Situation. You have developed and are implementing a contact staff reward system, in which one of the evaluation criteria is the amount of tips received during the period. The amount of tips given by guests to contact staff usually depends on the quality of service. An appropriate regulation has been developed, which defines the procedure for accounting for tips and the conditions for promotion.
Task. How to implement tip accounting and encouragement of contact personnel?
Solution. To do this, use the software module of the "Tipping" system. The idea of ​​motivation is that more tips are usually received by waiters who work better with guests. The tips they receive during the shift are handed over to the cashier and accounted for through the specified module. At the end of the shift, all tips are returned to the waiters, and those who receive the largest amount or an amount above a certain amount are rewarded. Practice shows that such a solution, ceteris paribus, increases the long-term profitability of the enterprise by 3-5% by improving the quality of guest service.
Advice. This type of motivation is advisable to apply daily. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the motivating effect is partially lost. In addition, at the initial stage, two points must be taken into account and prevented: frank extortion by waiters of tips from guests; waiters investing their own money in tips in order to receive a bonus. Such cases took place in the practice of the Edelweiss CRC, but the correct work with the contact personnel quickly brought everything back to normal.
3. Profitability analysis of points of sale (halls, dishes, services).
Situation. You have a fairly large enterprise that has several points of sale and / or, in addition to dishes and bar products, several types of services are produced and offered to guests (billiards, karaoke, ...). For one reason or another, it became necessary to reduce the costs of the enterprise. A general analysis of his condition showed that this can be done by reducing the number of points of sale and / or changing the structure of the services provided.
Task. It is necessary to determine what and how much to reduce with minimal damage to the profitability of the enterprise.
Solution. The essence of the solution is as follows. In the advanced reporting subsystem, we create a report on the company's revenue for a sufficiently long period (for example, a month or more) grouped by points of sale and / or services provided and sorted in ascending order. The results of the report will show which of the above brings more income to the enterprise. Naturally, in order to make a final decision, it is necessary to take into account other indirect factors that cannot be taken into account in an automated system. For example, reducing the point of sale draft beer in the billiard room can reduce the attendance of the latter.
Advice. Similarly, you can optimize the assortment list by analyzing the profitability of dishes, make decisions about investing in expanding any of the services provided, etc. There are known cases of similar optimization of the profitability of individual tables, seats at the bar or in the music lounge with karaoke. An appropriate analysis made it possible to develop decisions on rearranging the tables, installing partitions between them, changing lighting, etc., which then significantly increased the profitability of the enterprise with virtually no costs.
4. Analysis of purchase prices in order to control the work of logistics.
Situation. You have a manager at your enterprise who is responsible for solving the problems of purchasing products, goods, materials (logistics). There was a suspicion that he was overstating purchase prices (for well-known reasons) or that it was simply necessary to control the effectiveness of his work in this direction. You do not know the exact current average market prices for the required items purchased.
Task. Quickly get structured information about the price level at which products, goods, materials for the enterprise were purchased for a certain period (for example, a month).
Solution. It is necessary to carry out preparatory work in order to find out the real average market prices for those positions for which you want to check the work of logistics (recommendations for solving this problem were given in subsection 2.2). To do this, you can and should use the Internet, appropriate directories, calls to suppliers or colleagues, etc. It is important that you know the relevant average market prices at the current time. Then, in the "Advanced Reports" of the System, you generate a report on the warehouse for the period for all products or with a filter for selected products and the mandatory inclusion of the "Cost" or "Cost per unit" field.
Advice. It is advisable to carry out the recommended control once every half a year, even if you are absolutely sure of the integrity of the logistics. He must know that such control is carried out. Thus, you will exclude even the very thoughts of trying to abuse by inflating purchase prices. Similarly, you can and should periodically evaluate your purchase costs in general or for some selected items of the purchased item.
5. Control of the work of the bartender through the analysis of the movement of goods.
Situation. You have suspicions that the bartender is selling "his" brought goods. This usually happens with cigarettes, spirits and other hot items from the range of bar products.
Task. It is necessary to check this suspicion, or at least show the bartender that the situation with the goods in the bar is always under your control.
Solution. The RST: Restaurateur system allows you to quickly generate a report on the current balance of goods in any department / warehouse, as well as track the movement certain types goods in real time. Generate such a report for the bar on several positions of the most "suspicious" goods. Choose a product, for example, a specific brand of cigarettes, of which there are very few left in the bar. Put them on motion tracking. You will see on the computer screen they decrease as they sell. When there are a few packs left, take the block of matching cigarettes and take it to the bartender. When handing over cigarettes to him, tell him that he is running out of them and that you brought him from the warehouse to ensure uninterrupted trade. The corresponding movement of goods will be processed later.
Advice. It is advisable to carry out such an action occasionally with different goods. The psychological effect of it is extremely great. It becomes clear to the bartender that you know the state of the bar at any time down to the subtleties. This solution, combined with the action described in the next task, will prevent the abuses in question. It is always better than to deal with the already accomplished and proven fact of the sale of "left" goods.
6. Control of the work of the bartender through a sudden selective inventory (audit).
Situation. The content and conditions of the problem are similar to the previous problem.
Task. It is necessary either to prove the fact of abuse, or to make sure that there are none.
Solution. The RST: Restaurateur system allows you to quickly generate a report on the current balance of goods in any department / warehouse. Generate such a report on several positions of the most "suspicious" goods. Go to the bar and check the real leftovers. Comparing these values ​​will help you solve the problem.
Advice. It is advisable to carry out this action on individual positions of "dangerous" goods regularly, but randomly in time and positions of goods. The bartender will not even take risks, seeing that you always know everything exactly and at any time you can check the compliance of the leftovers.
7. Control of the conscientiousness of the work of the staff through viewing the state of the hall.
Situation. There were suspicions that in the hall of the enterprise there is a "service" in whole or in part of individual tables outside the accounting system. Even with the installed Control Automation System, this is possible and similar cases are known. This happens, for example, if there is collusion between the administrator of the hall, the bartender or chef and the waiter. Moreover, the order can be "left" only partially.
Task. It is necessary to make sure that there are or are not "left" sales when serving guests at tables in the hall.
Solution. To solve this problem, the RST System: Restaurateur has three complementary possibilities (sources of information). This is viewing a table with data on current open orders on the “Manager” workstation, viewing a graphic map of tables in the hall with information about occupied tables and the amounts of orders for them, visual inspection of the hall or viewing its current image through a video surveillance system. Naturally, the latter option is simpler and more effective, but it is available only in those enterprises where a video surveillance system is installed. The RST:Restaurant system allows you to receive the current video surveillance image on the screen. To solve the problem, you need to implement all three possibilities in the order in which they are written. If the information about open orders (occupied tables) for all three sources is the same, then everything is fine. To be sure, you can also suggest that the administrator of the hall bring several checks for verification after the orders are closed before transferring them to the guests. If the data do not match, then there are grounds for finding out the reasons.
Advice. It is advisable to carry out such control approximately two or three times a week, randomly according to the time and days of the week. Hall(s) managers need to know that you are doing this and that you have control over the status of the orders being served. This, in most cases, allows you to prevent the corresponding abuses. In addition, it is recommended to periodically analyze the number of split orders and the number of dishes removed from orders using the relevant tables in the System. If there are more than a few such cases per shift, then this is already a sign of probable abuse. This should especially alert you if this is repeated in a shift of personnel of the same composition.
8. Optimization of warehouse stocks.
Situation. It is well known that stocks of products, goods, materials are "frozen" working capital. On the one hand, the larger the inventory, the less likely it is that any guest order will not be fulfilled. But, on the other hand, it reduces the efficiency of the use of working capital.
Task. It is necessary to find such volumes of warehouse stocks for the main positions that would ensure, as they say, "both the satiety of the wolves and the integrity of the sheep."
Solution. To do this, it is required to accumulate statistics on the consumption of products and materials in production and sales of goods for the most important positions (ideally, for all). Without an automation system, the solution of such a problem is possible, but extremely difficult due to the huge amount of information. With its help, it is easy and elegant, since the corresponding accounting is kept automatically. You will find the order of practical actions for solving the problem in the documentation for the system.
Advice. These data should be analyzed for two to three months. Then the corresponding sample will be representative. It is advisable to work out the methodology of work on two or three dozen of the most popular positions. Further, it can be extended to everything purchased.
9. Control of the work of the bar (bars) through the coefficients of the relationship of sales.
Situation. As part of your company, at least one of the services is sold, the cost of which is charged by time (billiards, bowling, ...) or which is sold by entrance tickets (karaoke, dance floor, ...). They are usually called technological processes, since they are easily amenable to automated accounting and 100% control. Without such accounting for the corresponding sales, these processes are the most attractive for the abuse of contact personnel. With the installed Automation System, this is practically impossible. In addition, in this case, the data on sales of these services can be used for reliable control and prevention of abuse in related points of sale, such as bars. The fact is that the number of such sales statistically accurately indicates the size of the flow of guests who visited the corresponding zone of your enterprise during the shift. They, in turn, are sure to buy drinks, snacks and other types of bar products. The total volume of such purchases is statistically related to the size of the flow of guests.
Task. It is necessary to find a way to reliably control the amount of revenue of points of sale associated with the sale of technological services.
Solution. It is simple and elegant. It is necessary for a certain period (from a week to a month) to calculate the ratio of revenue from the technological process to the revenue of the associated point (s) of sales. Thus, you will receive a sequence of correlation coefficients for these revenues. The absolute values ​​of this value depend solely on the specific conditions of your enterprise (location, region, average solvency of your guests, etc.). Therefore, you cannot borrow them from another company. For example, in the Edelweiss shopping center they range from 3.8 to 4.3. You may have other values. The calculated sequence of coefficient values ​​will make it possible to determine the limits of its normal fluctuations - the “statistical corridor”. Here it is usually quite stable and is 0.3-0.5. By setting these values, you get a tool to control the reliability of the revenue of a non-technological sales process, for example, a bar that sells products for guests of a billiard room, i.e. technological process. If in the future there will be "outliers" of this coefficient, significantly exceeding the "statistical corridor", then there is a reliable reason to find out the reasons. If these “emissions” are repeated and clearly “tied” to the same shift of personnel, then the fact of abuses in this particular shift is practically certain.
Advice. Using a similar approach, you can develop many other methods for monitoring the operation of an enterprise based on data from the RST System: Restaurateur. In particular, if you use the InfoMarket module correctly, then you will always have information about the size of the flow of guests for the past shift. Knowing the value of the average check per guest of the enterprise on a given day of the week, you can always assess the reliability of the corresponding revenue.
10. Using the "Club-777" module to optimize relationships with external organizations.
Situation. It makes no sense to describe in detail the situations that often develop between the management of hospitality and entertainment enterprises with representatives of various supervisory and government bodies. They are well known to professionals.
Task. Find a way to enlist the loyalty of representatives of supervisory authorities to the enterprise. In no case is this a cover-up for malicious violations of established norms and rules. Gross violations are not allowed. We are talking about the exclusion of unfounded "nitpicks".
Solution. The club module of the RST: Restaurateur system allows you to issue personalized club cards to guests with the establishment of various discount options with adjustable parameters in size, time, brands, services, dishes, etc. Produce and solemnly hand over to the appropriate person a Club Card, taking into account his preferences and with the parameters that are most favorable for the enterprise. Thus, you will gain not only his loyalty, but also be able to solve a number of problems by communicating when he visits the enterprise as a club guest.
Advice. Before issuing a personal club card, find out the preferences of the respective person in food, drinks, games, etc. Keep this in mind when configuring the map settings. Set appropriate discounts for it at a time when the occupancy of the halls of the enterprise is low. This way, you minimize the loss in revenue. But a potential guest of this type should be warned about the time limits when presenting the card in order to avoid subsequent misunderstandings.
There are known examples of applying a similar approach to placing an enterprise’s advertisement on a television channel (barter exchange for a channel’s advertising time of a pack of time-limited club cards with a 100% discount on bowling), organizing lunch meals for employees near lying enterprises and organizations (solving the problem of enterprise occupancy in the daytime ) and a number of others.
In the section, a meager fraction of tasks are offered to your attention, which are effectively solved by using a control automation system. In reality, there are incommensurably more of them. The automation system is a highly efficient tool.

5.9. Reader Page 5
An amazing thing: control automation systems have become so firmly established in the daily life of a modern hospitality and entertainment enterprise that the POS-terminal at the bar counter today is already perceived more as an integral part of the interior, rather than as a working tool for contact personnel and business process automation of the enterprise.
Nevertheless, without further ado, we note that the automation systems of enterprises G&D, which so rapidly broke into our lives a few years ago, are perceived by many shareholders and business managers as a kind of tribute to fashion. Today, for example, it is fashionable to have combi steamers in the kitchen. It doesn't matter that chefs use only 10% of the possibilities of this unique invention, and they don't even know about the remaining 90%. But they are paid when buying the unit. It is also fashionable to hold brunches on weekends. And let no one come to these brunches, and the losses from the production of unsold products are comparable to the average monthly indicators of write-offs in the kitchen. But brunches are fashionable and glamorous, and modern restaurant business, as you know, is ruled by glamor.
Returning to automation systems as a tool for obtaining, organizing, accumulating and analyzing information, let's ask ourselves the traditional question - why? Why spend money on expensive equipment, software, training negligent personnel? After all, guests were somehow served 20, 30, 100 and 300 years ago. And it cannot be said that they served themselves at a loss.
Why is an ACS needed? Let's try to destroy the myth about the well-being of the archaic system of accounting and enterprise management G&D. It makes no sense to describe the Soviet period, since it is obvious to everyone that the Soviet system created the maximum number of prerequisites for all types of abuses in catering establishments. Consider the old Russian inns, restaurants, taverns and taverns.
Theft in pre-revolutionary institutions was impossible by definition. Firstly, the very name of the profession "innkeeper", as well as the modern word "restaurateur", suggests that the person in question is the owner of this establishment. And the owner is unlikely to steal from himself. It is obvious. In pre-revolutionary Russia, in addition to the owner, sex (waiters) and yard workers (housekeepers) worked in institutions, but they were strictly forbidden to take bribes from visitors. The payment for "drinking and eating" was always received by the owner or "tavern girl", the owner's daughter. This circumstance sheds light on the first and most important prerequisite for the emergence of automated accounting and enterprise management systems in a later period.
A business owner (shareholder, restaurateur) simply cannot trust his subordinates as well as himself and his family members. At the moment when a large-scale private enterprise required the personal presence of the owner in solving monetary issues in 5 places at the same time (to charge for the service, pay the supplier, pay the tax, etc.), there was a historical need for the emergence of automated control systems for all processes at the enterprise. At that moment, trusted persons appeared, to whom powers were delegated. From that moment on, general theft began at the enterprises of the hospitality and entertainment industry.
Conclusion 1. We cannot be in 5 places at the same time.
The centuries-old history of the existence of the state system of execution of punishments clearly proves the fact that theft is ineradicable in principle. Obviously, even the fear of punishment does not stop the cook or bartender from embarking on the slippery slope of abuse. At the same time, it is important to take into account the fact that in practice, even an employee caught by the hand, practically cannot be punished legally. For two years (2005 and 2006), according to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and the Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments, only 7 people from among the employees of the G&R enterprises were prosecuted under the article “theft”. At the same time, in all these cases, the court ruled on the measure of restraint “conditionally”.
Thus, the worker knows that his "petty pranks" do not threaten him with any severe punishment. And the manager and / or business owner himself, in the course of his activities, often violates many articles of at least the Civil Code. This is also well known to most employees of the enterprise. Considering the established practice of unwillingness of business representatives to make contact with law enforcement agencies even on the most harmless occasion, the situation really is like this: “you know everything about me, and I know about you, and both of us don’t want trouble.” There are alternative methods of punishing offending employees that do not take into account the presumption of innocence. The authors reliably know that at least 10 of the 20 leading restaurateurs in Russia use non-standard methods to combat theft. Between bartenders and waiters there are legends about broken arms, legs or noses of their frivolous colleagues. The authors of this work in no way encourage, justify or incite anyone to resolve issues of abuse outside the legal field. This approach is given as an example to demonstrate the real picture that has developed at many R&D enterprises.
Conclusion 2. Theft in the restaurant business is not punishable by law.
The business automation system certainly speeds up the work process. This is clear to any person for whom the benefits and necessity of using, for example, a home personal computer are obvious. Any person who recognizes technological progress understands that a computer, unlike a person, almost never makes mistakes and almost never fails. The computer will not perform malicious actions against a person, at least in the foreseeable future. Its modern capabilities allow you to process data with incredible speed, using several ways to analyze and verify them simultaneously. Computerization of any activity is an absolute blessing. A fact that none of the millions of users of mobile phones, microwave ovens, washing machines and televisions will deny. None of the skeptics would want to lose these computerized assistants.
Conclusion 3. Computerization of work is an achievement and a driving force of progress, and not a tribute to fashion.
At the end of the subsection, I would like to note that in addition to the mass of advantages of automation systems, the description of which can be found on hundreds of Internet pages, there are three main and most important ones. They should be the reason to automate the management of your enterprise:
ACS is the protection of profit, which means the protection of the shareholder of the business.
ACS is the protection of the interests of the guest, which means a guarantee of guest loyalty.
ACS is a protection against errors in the system, which means it is a guarantee of the stability of its work.
Automation of a restaurant (cafe, bar, ...) allows you to significantly increase the speed of serving guests, improve its quality. This is especially true in fast food chains and other high-traffic businesses. And such hospitality and entertainment enterprises as billiard rooms, bowling alleys and slot machine halls simply cannot exist without automated control systems, since their entire material and technical base is controlled by automation.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (SIM) - MODERN DIRECTION OF COMPANY MANAGEMENT. STATE OF SIM AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT
Koltsova L.N.
Office file #119-120 December 2008 - January 2009

The outbreak of the crisis will not only change the Russian economy, but will also serve as an impetus for innovative changes in the management system itself in organizations. Information in this case becomes not just an engine of progress, it is in fact a part of organizational management, which cannot function and depend on the "accident" of obtaining information or the "possession of information by a select few", but must work as a process - allowing decision makers to be provided with the necessary optimal practical information that will allow them to achieve their goals.

Information, communication - why is it needed?

We live in a world where everything is closely connected and the solution of a managerial problem directly depends on the awareness of the decision maker. At the same time, according to the data given on the HRM.ru portal:

« Employees of American companies most often learn about changes in their organizations from their colleagues, and not from management. Informal information channels are the main source of information for 68% of employees in government agencies, 65% of employees of high-tech companies and 46% of employees in the financial sector. As information channels, participants in a survey conducted by the research center International Survey Research (its participants were 16,000 employees from 104 American companies) most often mentioned "rumors", "gossip" and ""talks around the drinking water machine"" .

The problem is relevant not only for Western companies, I will give further not statistical data, but one of the examples of management in a Russian company:

“The finance department was tasked with reducing receivables, and the marketing and sales department was tasked with attracting new customers by providing an expanded list of benefits.” At first glance, the correctly set management tasks were not only not resolved, but also led to a serious conflict between the departments of the organization, due to: lack of coordination between the actions of the departments. Often, the lack of information about what the neighboring unit is doing leads not only to severe economic losses, but also a more complex loss: "losing faith that the well-being of one depends largely on the success of another." But it seemed that it was easier to establish the process of “internal information flows”, the main task of which is to bring to the attention of employees the relevant and reliable information they need for fruitful work, to depict a complete picture of what is happening in the organization. But information alone is not enough. Only when it is appropriately transformed and processed, ie. when communication links arise, the existence and effective operation of the organization is ensured. At the same time, under information we understand - a set of stored and transmitted information about the world and the processes occurring in it, perceived by a person or a special device. And under communication- means of communication and communication, information contacts, which include six elements: source, message, communication channel, recipient, as well as encoding and decoding processes.

Let's consider the ways of evolution of the process "information flow" into "information management" and for this we will use the scheme of the life cycle of organizational development (Fig. 1.) Proposed by Yemelyanov E.N. and Povarnitsyna S.E. (Organizational Development, 1996, No. 2).

Rice. one. Life cycles organizations

1 - organization formation, 2 - intensive growth, 3 - stabilization, 4 - crisis

The first cycle of development is the “party”.

At the stage of "hangout" - the organization can afford the individual work of an employee or unit for the collection, processing and transmission of information. The main efforts of management are focused in this case on honing professionalism in partners' communications. The main tasks that management solves in a business process that has not yet been identified are formulated as follows:

• Ensuring quality negotiations
• Application of interactive communication methods, incl. issues of full-time interactive forms of work (organization of work with groups of different levels, seminars, trainings, training of moderators from among the company's employees),
• Use of corporate media tools (discussions via newspaper, intranet, internet conferences, video conferences, suggestion boxes),

For the implementation of these tasks lying in the field of communications, specialists from the areas of advertising and PR and / or work with personnel are involved, since their professional skills allow solving these issues.

At this stage, the stage of "receiving and transmitting information" is very important, while the owners of information turn into key workers, and information is concentrated in departments according to their type of activity, i.e. if data on employee turnover is needed, it can only be obtained from the HR department. The management, experiencing information hunger, spends a lot of effort on training employees in ways to transfer information to each other, while employees who have often acquired the skills to transfer information begin to use it with “the maximum benefit for themselves”. Management, realizing the complexity of the situation, when it is essentially a hostage of an employee who can (wants) or cannot (does not want) provide information, tries to control this process. But control over the transfer, as well as the presence and absence of information, can be very difficult and the current situation forces the management to move to the next stage of development. mechanization of storage and processing of information data.

The second cycle of development - "mechanization"

At the stage " mechanization" the purpose of management is systematization of information data. The task of preserving, replenishing and promptly providing information at this stage is designed to be provided by IT services. To do this, IT specialists implement systems: for relationship management: with buyers (CRM) and suppliers (SRM), with personnel (HRM), for streamlining information flows, they introduce electronic document management, etc. At the same time, the storage of information is not a single unit, but business software - which is a working tool for controlling resources, incl. and informational. At the same time, the awareness of the consumer of information depends on the setting of “employee access rights” by the specialist of the IT department. A paradoxical situation is emerging - the “information flow” business process is already allocated, but it still does not have an owner, because specialists who previously performed individual tasks do not have the full range of knowledge and skills to manage it, and IT services do not want to deal with issues that go beyond their competence. At the same time, any change in communication channels (for example, in granting access rights to information) very often sins with inefficiency (on the part of IT specialists) and weak control (on the part of management). Having solved the issue of control over information and communications at the level of a key employee, the organization becomes a hostage to another service - IT. In addition, the question arises about professional management communication, both inside and outside the organization.

The third cycle of development is internal entrepreneurship or purpose management (IBO).

Upon reaching the third stage of development, the goal is formulated as follows - improving the process of transferring information, while we are talking about managing communications in each separately identified business process. The organization feels the need not only for the collection, storage and speed of transmission (processing) of information, it needs to know who is responsible for the quality of the transmission of this or that information. task quality within the framework of a dedicated business process, professionals are called upon to solve (they received specialized education in this area). This is how specialists in internal corporate, marketing and PR communications, as well as specialists in working with shareholders and employees, appear in the organization.

For them, information is information that reduces the uncertainty of consumer knowledge about certain objects or processes (for example, business), and as a result, all their efforts are in the implementation of information aspects: creating and maintaining corporate information funds, preparing analytical materials, creating advertising products in their field. Moreover, very often their actions are not coordinated. So, for example, an internal communications specialist may simply not be aware of the activities that a marketing communications specialist conducts, and a PR specialist may not know about programs conducted by an IR specialist. These problems often arise from the fact that each of the above-mentioned specialists implements its functionality within the department in which it works, and the general corporate policy "in the field of information and communications" is absent or known only to the first person. Control over the work of a specialist in the field of information and communications is carried out by the head, who manages a specific business process and whose goal is to achieve key performance indicators in his direction. Since the activity of any organization is aimed at optimizing the use of resources and therefore the management of the company faces the question of information management.

Fourth cycle of development - quality management

The qualitative use of resources at this stage is achieved through system management information and communications in the organization, i.e. raises the question of information management. Information management is a management process, not only by people who have information, but also by actions that make it possible to identify chains of business processes, under which organizational structures and IT support are adjusted. At the same time, information management is one of the few processes in an organization that exists within the framework of rigidly defined restrictions, such as:

• The input of the process is an information need, the output is a formed information service, which is provided to the customer and the end user.
• The process flows independently of the organizational structure and functional business tasks/operations.
• The process of information management can also proceed in the opposite direction: from the formed service, the IT infrastructure is analyzed and a new need is identified that has not been considered before or was unclaimed.

This goal is achieved in the process of information management (Information Management Process), which begins (at the input) with the identification or receipt of the information needs of the internal customer of the system, and at the output a list of tools and data is formed that is necessary to achieve the goals. The task in this case is to identify this process, its regulation, reengineering (radical restructuring of the process), as well as the creation and support of basic information services. Information flow management specialists (managers) are responsible for managing this process, and all this is realized through the introduction of an information management system (SIM), while it is an integral part of the overall management system.

Rice. 2. The role of SIM in decision making in an organization

The information management system (SIM) allows you to establish control over the passage of information due to: formalization of access to information, the availability of standards for the form and quality of the transmitted information, as well as a predetermined channel for its transmission.

Rice. 3. Components of a SIM in an organization

This is clearly seen in the example of the experience of implementing SIM on the basis of a Russian company with a network of branched divisions. The goal set by the company's management when introducing SIM was formulated as follows: To increase the speed and quality of information passing from the general director to the ordinary worker. To solve this problem, the specialists who carried out the implementation used the available descriptions of business processes and conducted research on the state of the information field in the company. As a result, data were obtained on:

• Availability of this or that information in subdivisions;
• Information needs of employees;
• Consequences in case of poor-quality performance of the functional: due to the lack of necessary information or excessive information content of the employee;
• Information flows flowing in the organization;
• Proposals of employees to improve the work with information;
• Satisfaction with the quality, quantity and speed of providing information.

Based on the data obtained, the tasks facing the organization as a whole were determined:

1. The need to carry out work on the implementation of business process management "Information flow and communication" with the allocation of those responsible for managing it.
2. Development of standards for receiving and transmitting information for each position and area of ​​activity, incl. creation of a bank of reports and other documentation in 1C:Enterprise8.
3. Changing the order of interaction with customers, suppliers and employees by switching to automated means of communication (creating sections within the current Internet page for individual work of personnel, customers, suppliers).
4. Changes in corporate culture due to:

• Development of horizontal and vertical communication channels with stationary subdivisions on the 1C:Enterprise8 platform in integration with external programs (Internet, mobile mail, client bank, online store, etc.)
• Implementation of the "Mobile mail" service for operational work with non-stationary workers.
• Closing the direction of the corporate newspaper (as an inefficient channel for informing employees), switching to SMS messages (for urgent transmission of information) and developing the direction of an individual web page (with organized Internet access or using mobile mail).

To implement the task set by the management of the enterprise, it was necessary not only to introduce "1C: Enterprise 8", but also to significantly expand it additional types: directories, documents and reports, organize online work of all remote departments, organize work with mobile mail, the Internet, carry out work on equipping remote departments with video cameras. For example, the introduction of work with mobile mail required not only the entry of data on the mobile phone of each employee (with the provision of certain access rights to an individual page), but also simple training on how to use the provided service. In addition to all employees of the company, representatives of customers and suppliers were also trained. In Fig.4. you can see how daily data is formed not only by company employees, but also by counterparties (customers, suppliers)

Rice. 4. The role of SIM in relations with contractors

The introduction of SIM was accompanied by a number of changes:

• Decreased resistance (inertia) to changes in the organization
• There have been changes in the corporate culture of the organization due to not just accepting the changes, but getting pleasure from the majority of employees from the introduction of "novelties" on its site. We can say that the company has become innovative
• Communication within and outside the company has changed. The company has learned to quickly implement effective IT and communication solutions necessary to achieve the company's business goals

The introduction of only "1C: Enterprise 8" would not solve the issue of improving the communication of departments. The integrated use of all possible channels of communication with employees for the organization gives a visible effect when carrying out global organizational changes.

Moreover, different groups of employees positively assessed the changes.

So managers first of all appreciated the opportunity to use the report “report to the manager” in the 1C:Enterprise8 program (it allows organizing the regular generation and delivery of information about the current state of affairs at the enterprise to responsible persons. It is important that for this the manager does not need to make requests and even just run "1C:Enterprise". Once configured, the mechanism "Report to the manager" can, in accordance with the specified regulations - for example, every day at 9:30 am automatically publish on the intranet or send a report to the specified e-mail addresses, in which diverse information about the activities of the enterprise is concentrated in a form that is convenient and visual for the head). It also turned out that it is possible to significantly reduce labor costs for business trips between offices. For the heads of departments, the effect was to increase the speed of the business process, so earlier the personnel department spent 1.5-2 hours on the registration of one employee, and this best case, and now a maximum of 40 minutes. The effect was achieved due to the fact that there was no need to call the departments: labor protection and safety, accounting, health and safety, the future mentor, because. data began to arrive promptly. The HR officer no longer leads candidates for briefing, and the safety engineer comes to the negotiation room and while HR registers the employee, the engineer conducts health and safety briefing. Yes, and ordinary performers felt the positive impact of the introduction of the information management system. For example, earlier, in order to receive any certificate, they had to repeatedly come to the head office (or try to reach them by phone), now the employee orders the necessary certificate on his web page and receives it by courier mail the next day.

Summing up, we can conclude that:

• The need to manage such a resource as information arises with the emergence of a need for high-quality management, which is especially important during a crisis.
• Not only managers, but also all employees of the organization are interested in the implementation of an information management system, as not only management efficiency is increased, but also the convenience of work.
• The introduction of an information management system in a company is a manifestation of its corporate culture, shows the innovativeness and modernity of the company, allows it to meet new challenges with dignity.

1) IR (Investor Relations) - a specialist in relations (relations) with investors who is responsible for increasing their understanding of the factors affecting the value of assets.

At first glance, the answer to this question is quite simple. An information manager is an employee of the company who deals with management issues related to information provision, information processing and automation of these processes.
However, in most Russian companies, not only small and medium, but also in large ones, you will not find an employee or a group of employees who would be engaged in specialized IP management. On the question of who is engaged in information support, most likely there will be no answer. The answer to the question of who deals with equipment and software for information processing will be simple - “programmers”. By "programmers" we mean software specialists in the broadest sense.
The situation when all issues of application of information technologies are solved by "programmers" has developed historically. Any IS is based on a set of applications that reflect its resources and are of direct interest to its owner and users. It is the applications that form the basis of the information system, and not computers, networks and programs, whose role is actually secondary. The "usefulness" of IP for the end user is determined precisely by applications. This often leads to the fact that the performance of IT departments is measured by the level of assistance provided to employees of the company with these applications. According to a study by specialists from large Western companies, the list of ten reasons for the most frequent calls to administrative personnel is as follows: I can’t type
DLL conflicts or mismatch Forgotten password Problems with logging in Problems with email Problems with remote access Questions like "how to do?" System freeze or crash
Hardware failure. The need to restore the deleted file.
Thus, both the end users of IS and the management of the company, as a rule, deal with a specialist in the components of the Software system.
Another factor influencing is that the emphasis in IP has shifted to the area of ​​software: programmers have spent a lot of effort to prove the independent value of programs as products. Programs have acquired intrinsic value, both from the point of view of programmers and from the point of view of managers. However, this point of view forgets the fact that the PAK is always a single entity.
With the above approach to the management of information support, information processing and automation of these processes, all decisions on the formation of the system fall on specialists in the field of Software. This implies that the programmer is encyclopedically educated. It makes all decisions on system architecture and configuration, performs detailed design, creates documentation, defines requirements for IT staff and end users, provides training for employees at all levels of the system, and so on.
Thus, the Software specialist takes over all the functions of the information manager. When creating large IS in a large enterprise, the danger of such an approach is fully recognized by the management of the enterprise. For small businesses, as a rule, this does not happen. From the point of view of the management of a small or medium-sized enterprise, it is enough to attract a “knowledgeable person” to the company who will solve all problems.
Experts in the field of development and implementation of IS analyzed in detail the consequences of such an approach. We list the most common of them.
The programmer creates an information system (including directly software products) “for himself”. The decisions are based on personal preferences.
There is no single concept of IP. The concept of IP and the details of its functioning are not agreed with anyone. Defects identified during the implementation are eliminated on the go.
Unaccounted for during the development of the requirements of end users are resolved "as we go along." Modification of individual programs and software packages are not consistent with the overall structure of the IS. Documentation is not created for either IC design solutions or software products. In this situation, the work of the company is largely dependent on one or more people. The departure of AIS authors could be a disaster.
In addition to the listed obvious negative aspects of transferring system control to a Software specialist, there are non-obvious ones. Lack of a clear IP development strategy
Weak connection of the solution in the field of AIS with the general tasks of the company's management: managers do not dedicate an information specialist to the tasks of the company, but he is not interested in them. Lack of economic justification for the effectiveness of AIS.
In the context of the growing dependence of the efficiency of the functioning of companies on IS, there is a need for almost daily planning of the activities of the IT department, including not only financial accounting, but also maintaining a work schedule consistent with the strategic goals of the entire organization. IT specialists must ensure the required level of service delivery within a certain time frame and in accordance with the planned costs.
The activities of the departments that ensure the functioning of the AIS of companies must be regulated. The high importance of rules and regulations is also determined by the fact that they allow the IT manager to evaluate the performance of the service and provide the top management of the company with objective data on the performance of the unit. The introduction of regulations into everyday life causes a headache for any manager. To turn IT employees into his allies, he must convince them of the need for regulations being introduced. It is easier to use a directive approach in the form of an order and strictly control its execution. However, in this case, the IT manager himself takes full responsibility for the final result, and in order to succeed, he must thoroughly know the structure of the IT department and have a good understanding of the specifics of the organization's business.
The method of regulation of work, the composition and content of the regulations should be chosen based on the specifics of the organization's activities. The following rules and regulations can be distinguished as the main ones:
rules for the work of personnel in emergency situations; rules for making changes to the information system;
access rules;
execution schedule Reserve copy data; rules for responding to user requests; regulations for interaction with other departments; Service Level Agreement
The development of rules and regulations, of course, is the task of the IM company.
Three-quarters emerging in IT infrastructure emergencies to one degree or another, they are associated with personnel errors - unskilled maintenance, unauthorized changes, testing of new solutions without appropriate training, incorrect strategic planning that does not take into account the dynamics of the development of the tasks being solved. Therefore, maintaining the high qualification of people involved in system support and ensuring their "combat capability" is also the task of an IT manager.
It is quite obvious that the solution of the tasks of coordinating the activities of the IT department and the entire company, the problems of financial accounting, drawing up a work schedule, regulations, the problem of maintaining high qualifications of personnel cannot be entrusted to either a Software specialist or a specialist in technological equipment.
Unfortunately, many people still perceive the science of management and organization as useless near-humanitarian verbiage. The IT manager must first and foremost be a highly effective production manager. As a result, companies lack confidence in the idea of ​​training IT managers by training organizations. Therefore, enterprises prefer to “grow” IT managers (= IT manager) on their own (mainly from technical specialists). This approach is entirely justified, since practical experience a really great teacher, and the results of the work characterize a person better than any exams. But learning by trial and error has its downsides. Many problems in IT management are typical, and the modern industry has already developed effective methods for solving them.
Today, an IT manager is a separate specialty that requires a specific set of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no single educational standard that regulates the training of IT managers yet.
The scale of tasks for managing the IT departments of companies speaks in favor of professional information management. To solve these problems, it is necessary
only knowledge in the field of IT, but also knowledge in the field of management, economics, finance, law.
The complexity of the tasks facing modern IT management gives rise to the need for adequate professional growth of the IM managers themselves. However, in most cases, business leaders are not willing to invest in IT management skills development. However, top management training programs up to the level of Master of Business Information (MBI) or Chief Information Officer (CIO) are gradually gaining popularity in Russia.
Thus: an employee who is engaged in planning in the field of information systems, makes decisions about the architecture and structure of the system, deals with the organization of the implementation, operation and maintenance of AIS, in general, those tasks that are allocated to the tasks of information systems - this is the manager of information systems. To effectively perform the functions of management, he should not take on issues Maintenance and programming.

More on the topic Chapter 1.5. Who is an information manager?:

1. Chapter 2.1. Formation of the technological environment of information systems
2. 3.1.2. Features of innovations in the field of information technology
3. CHAPTER II SIGNS AND TYPES OF STATE CREDIT. CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT

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