MIS Related Issues: ASOS.com Essay Example

of offering outfits similar to those worn by celebrities. Asos.com focuses on 16 to 34-year-olds and provides women's fashion, menswear, accessories, jewelry, and beauty products. The website offers a range of unique features for potential customers browsing its content.

The site features a single catwalk model showcasing most clothing items and a fashion blog with regular updates on celebrity and entertainment-related articles. Asos.com is highly regarded for its wide range of fashion and beauty products, as well as its ability to quickly adapt to the latest fashion trends. It is a publicly traded company listed on the AIM (Alternate Investment Market) of the London Stock Exchange. AIM has less stringent regulations compared to the main market, allowing smaller companies to raise capital through share sales. Asos.com decided to focus on the online channel due to research findings that online sales have been growing faster than any other sector.

Asos.com has targeted young people, who make up approximately 60% of online shoppers, by offering a wide range of brands and products. It ensures a fun shopping experience by exceeding customer expectations. The website provides a greater selection, competitive prices, trendy styles, and above all, convenience. As Asos.com has grown, it has also adapted to technological advances to keep up with changes.

The website of Asos.com is regularly updated with new products and product lines in order to stay current. To drive growth, the company utilizes various communication channels such as a monthly 116-page magazine, a weekly email newsletter sent to 1.8 million users, and the distribution of PR pieces in other publications. Asos.com also encourages word-of-mouth recommendations. The design of successful websites that provide information about products and services

is a new industry that presents challenges for designers. It is widely acknowledged that certain websites are more effective than others.

The available literature on web design and the factors that contribute to a successful website is not very detailed. Nevertheless, various studies have been conducted to scientifically confirm the characteristics frequently mentioned by trade journals and sellers as essential for designing a successful website. The functions of a website are plentiful and important; they encompass selling research, marketing tool, public relations tool, and payment method.

Web sites act as a bridge between organizations and customers, utilizing Internet technology to facilitate business activities. They promote and sell products or services, provide catalogs and technical support, and gather valuable feedback from consumers. According to Udo and Marquis (2001/2), there are eight factors that contribute to the design of an effective web site: download time (response time), navigation, graphics use, interactivity, coherence, consistency, use of frames, and amount of ads.

Tilson also highlights the significance of simplicity, satisfaction (feedback), and versatility (flexibility) in designing e-commerce sites. Tilson outlines eight factors that aid in achieving these objectives: simplicity (while maintaining functionality), support (proactive user control), obviousness (visibility and intuitiveness of objects and controls), encouragement (predictable and reversible actions), satisfaction (feedback) to create a sense of progress and accomplishment, and accessibility (all objects accessible at all times). The web site offers various unique features to potential clients such as catwalk videos, a fashion blog, a wide range of brands and products, an enjoyable shopping experience, competitive prices,e new styles,and convenience. These features aim to attract more users while setting the website apart from others in the same industry.

The company stays current with

technological changes by regularly updating the website. The website is also kept up-to-date by continually adding new products and product lines that follow the latest fashion trends. E-commerce is gaining rapid importance in today's business environment. It has been around since 1965 and has captured the interest of numerous entrepreneurs. Most companies embraced and implemented e-commerce technology faster than any other technology in history because of its significant benefits. Having a website allows companies to be visible globally, attract new customers, reduce transaction costs, meet customer expectations and needs, offer new services and products, and maintain competitiveness.

The rise of e-commerce in contemporary society provides extensive opportunities for consumers and businesses. Consumers can engage in various activities on online platforms, such as purchasing groceries, books, cars, credit cards, loans, and more. However, the advancement of internet technology also poses challenges regarding privacy protection. Every day, computer data is generated from transactions like credit card purchases, phone calls, magazine subscriptions, video rentals,and banking activities at local,state and federal levels.If this data is collected and managed properly,it can potentially reveal personal information about users including their shopping habits,personal preferences,social connections,political affiliations,and other relevant details.

The internet enables a range of activities, including browsing websites, accessing newsgroups and files, and making online purchases. Some organizations utilize this data to enhance their offerings, while others keep track of employee internet usage. NORA is an advanced information analysis technique that offers even more sophisticated profiling capabilities for both authorities and the private sector. With NORA, it becomes possible to collect data from various sources such as job applications, phone records, customer lists, and wanted lists. By correlating relationships among these sources, hidden

connections can be identified which could assist in identifying criminals or terrorists.

Cookies are tiny files that get stored on a computer's hard drive when someone visits certain websites. They help identify the user's web browser software and keep track of their website visits. When returning to the site, the website software looks for the cookie on the computer so it can recall the user's previous actions. With this information, the website can customize its content according to each visitor's preferences.

Various ethical and legal issues arise when using IT. One concern is safeguarding intellectual property, such as software, e-books, music, and images that can be easily copied and distributed. Moreover, challenges emerge regarding spam messages and the illegal acquisition of personal credit card information through computer theft or fraud.

Asos.com places a high priority on privacy and security when customers make credit card purchases on their website. The political sector has made efforts to protect the privacy and security of internet users, while the online industry has opted for self-regulation instead of privacy laws in order to ensure consumer protection.

In 1998, the online industry established the Online Privacy Alliance with the aim of promoting self-regulation and creating privacy guidelines for its members. This alliance encourages websites to obtain online seals such as TRUSTe, which certify compliance with specific privacy rules.

Another industry association called the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) was created to develop its own privacy policies. It offers consumers options to opt out of advertising web programs and provides solutions for any instances of abuse.

In addition to legal protections, new technologies can help protect user privacy on websites. These tools are used to encrypt emails and make

web browsing and email activities anonymous. They also prevent cookies from being received on customer computers. Asos.com intends to utilize these measures in the near future to ensure privacy for its visitors.

According to Laudon and Laudon (2005), the implementation of new software and hardware can bring about significant changes in an organization. Managers must be willing to take on risky acquisitions that will greatly impact the company. In order to reduce the time needed to develop critical applications, there has been a shift towards outsourcing and forming strategic alliances. Purchasing instead of creating is one strategy to implement change more quickly within the company.

When considering purchasing software, it is generally important to consult experts in the field. Numerous companies offer software products, particularly operating systems from manufacturers of large computers. Organizations such as Computer Associates specialize in selling a significant amount of software specifically tailored for large-scale computers.

The primary benefit of purchasing pre-made bundles is that it eliminates the necessity for costly and time-consuming custom system development. Whenever a ready-made bundle is accessible, it should be taken into consideration. The main advantage of utilizing a bundle is cost savings as developers anticipate selling multiple bundles to recoup their investment in its development.

The cost is spread out over multiple users, but for the developer, it is usually higher than developing a single application because the bundle needs to be able to be used by multiple clients. This increased generalization can make the bundle larger, more complex, and often less efficient compared to an application specifically developed for a single client. The decision to make or purchase is always a difficult one for management. (Henry and Lucas,

2000)

Many companies now prefer to purchase existing software instead of developing it themselves due to advancements in technology and a shift in company focus. This is because developing software from scratch requires high costs and significant time investment. Asos.com faced similar challenges when deciding whether to develop their own custom system or acquire pre-existing software that could be modified according to their needs. They had the choice of outsourcing the development and operation of their applications or partially outsourcing certain activities, which I believe would have been the best decision for the company. Unfortunately, there is limited information available on the Asos.com website regarding the development process of their software systems. Information ethics refers to ethical standards governing information processing practices.

Organizations must address ethical concerns regarding employees, clients, and suppliers as they can harm reputation and employee morale. Ethical considerations are complex because they are subjective and influenced by individuals, cultures, and countries. What one person considers ethical may be viewed as unethical by someone else (Turban et al, 2001). IT provides multiple advantages to organizations.

One advantage of IT is exemplified by the reengineering of work. This allows operations to achieve benefits such as eliminating production waste and reducing operating costs. However, the redesigning of business processes could lead to numerous employees losing their jobs. While some argue that skilled workers will be replaced by better opportunities in fast-growth industries, this does not apply to unskilled workers and older, less knowledgeable managers.

Consequently, Information Technology (IT) has given rise to new ethical dilemmas, as it creates a conflict between different interests. For example, many large telephone companies in the USA are using IT to reduce

their workforce. They employ voice recognition software to replace human operators by allowing computers to understand customer responses to automated questions. This situation brings forth conflicting values, causing people to take sides in the argument. The companies argue that replacing employees with IT is justified because they have the right to use Information Systems (IS) to increase productivity and reduce costs in order to stay in business.

The employees who are being displaced argue that their employers have obligations towards their welfare and that replacing them with IT is unethical (Laudon and Laudon, 2005). As an online company, Asos.com requires fewer staff than traditional fashion and beauty industries. The company recruits highly educated IT experts to manage the software and keep the website up to date with the latest features. Replacing employees with IT is not a problem for Asos.com. However, the current trend of transitioning into the digital economy could be a concern as fewer workers are needed. Computer-based ISs have been enhancing competitiveness and providing strategic advantages for many years.

A competitory scheme refers to a comprehensive plan on how a business will compete, including its goals and the necessary plans or policies to achieve those goals. By implementing a competitory strategy, an organization aims to gain an advantage over its competitors in areas such as cost, quality, or speed. A strategic IS (Information System) can assist an organization in achieving a competitive advantage by contributing to its strategic goals and improving performance and productivity (Turban et al, 2001).

Porter's competitive forces model is a widely used framework for analyzing competition. Its purpose is to help organizations develop strategies to gain a competitive edge. The model

identifies five major forces that can threaten an organization's position in an industry. These forces include the threat of new rivals entering the market, the bargaining power of suppliers and customers, the threat of substitute products or services, and the competition among existing firms in the industry.

Asos.com, being an online-only corporation, has a strong competitive advantage over its traditional clothing store competitors.

Asos.com has a competitive advantage in terms of cost because it does not have physical stores and does not employ sellers or other staff, such as cleaning staff or security. Internet technologies provide powerful tools for Asos.com to increase success through traditional competitive advantages. In addition to low cost, Asos.com also has excellent customer service and superior supply chain management. The low costs contribute to other advantages, such as competitive prices and high quality for the company's products. When it comes to IT strategy, an organization can choose to be a leader, a follower, or an experimenter. Strategic management involves making decisions that span across functions and help the organization achieve its long-term goals.

IT plays a significant role in shaping the strategic direction of a company through various means. These include leveraging advanced applications and competitive tools, implementing process changes, establishing strong connections with business partners, achieving cost reductions, fostering relationships with suppliers and customers, introducing new products, and gathering competitive intelligence. According to Porter's model, there are forces that impact competitive advantage within the marketplace. Therefore, managers aim to devise a strategy that positions their company profitably and sustainably against these five forces. To achieve this, a company must implement activities differently from their competitors.

In my opinion, the main takeaway from this text

is that utilizing IT has both advantages and disadvantages. Information technology and the use of information systems can bring about rapid changes in organizations, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Having a website on the World Wide Web offers numerous advantages, which is why many medium and large organizations, as well as small ones, create websites. On the other hand, there are numerous concerns associated with implementing IT. Issues such as global software system choices, e-commerce, strategy and IS enterprises, ethical, social, and political factors are just a few of the topics that raise concerns. However, there are plenty of options to consider for using IT, and most of these issues can be resolved.

Decision

The text provides a brief background of ASOS.com and examines five selected subjects with Myocardial infarction, analyzing the issues that occur. Additionally, it presents a discussion on whether each issue is a problem or not for ASOS.com. Finally, the text outlines some brooding thoughts. Lastly, it mentions the importance of acknowledging that we are living in the era of cybernation in the twenty-first century.

There is a lot of room for future development in the areas of IT and IS. Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), for example, refers to the use of Information and Communication Technologies in socioeconomic development or international development. It is closely tied to applications in underdeveloped countries and focuses on using IT approaches to reduce poverty. ICT can be applied directly (directly benefiting the impoverished population) or indirectly (improving general socio-economic conditions). In many impoverished regions, legislative and political measures are needed to enable or facilitate the use of ICT.

Mentions

, Dong, J., Martins, S., and Kieke, E. (1998) Factors and Principles Affecting the Usability of Four E-commerce Sites, Proc. Of the 4th Conference on Human Factors and the Web.

, Wetherbe, J. (2001) Information Technology for Management: Transforming Business in the Digital Economy, Wiley, 3rd edition, Ch. 1, 2.