ipact of Information Technology

8/3/2019 ipact of Information Technology

1/8

IMPACT OF IT ON INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Information technology

Information technology (IT) is concerned with technology to treat information. The

acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numericalinformation by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications areits main fields.[1] The term in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in theHarvard Business Review, in which authors Leavitt and Whisler commented that "the newtechnology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology(IT).".[2] Some of the modern and emerging fields of Information technology are next generationweb technologies, bioinformatics, cloud computing, global information systems, large scaleknowledgebases, etc. Advancements are mainly driven in the field of computer science.

IT is the area of managing technology and spans wide variety of areas that include computersoftware, information systems, computer hardware, programming languages but are not limitedto things such as processes, and data constructs. In short, anything that renders data, information

or perceived knowledge in any visual format whatsoever, via any multimedia distributionmechanism, is considered part of the IT domain. IT provides businesses with four sets of coreservices to help execute the business strategy: business process automation, providinginformation, connecting with customers, and productivity tools.

IT professionals perform a variety of functions (IT Disciplines/Competencies) that ranges frominstalling applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. Afew of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking,engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as management andadministration of entire systems. Information technology is starting to spread further than theconventional personal computer and network technologies, and more into integrations of othertechnologies such as the use of cell phones, televisions, automobiles, and more

Inventory Control System

An inventory control system is a set of hardware and software based tools that automate the

process of tracking inventory. The kinds of inventory tracked with an inventory control system

can include almost any type of quantifiable good, including food, clothing, books, equipment,

and any other item that consumers, retailers, or wholesalers may purchase. Modern inventory

control systems are almost exclusively based on barcode technology. Though barcodes were

initially developed to automate the process of grocery store checkout, their ability to encode a

wide variety of alphabetic and numeric symbols makes them ideal for encoding merchandise for

inventory applications. Inventory control systems work in real-time using wireless technology to

transmit information to a central computer system as transactions occur.

Why is Inventory Control Important?

Inventory control is important to ensure quality control in businesses that handle transactionsrevolving around consumer goods. Without proper inventory control, a large retail store may runout of stock on an important item. A good inventory control system will alert the retailer when itis time to reorder. Inventory control is also an important means of automatically tracking largeshipments. For example, if a business orders ten pairs of socks for retail resale, but only receivesnine pairs, this will be obvious upon inspecting the contents of the package, and error is not


2/8

likely. On the other hand, say a wholesaler orders 100,000 pairs of socks and 10,000 are missing.Manually counting each pair of socks is likely to result in error. An automated inventory controlsystem helps to minimize the risk of error. In retail stores, an inventory control system also helpstrack theft of retail merchandise, providing valuable information about store profits and the needfor theft-prevention systems.

How Does an Inventory Control System Work?

Automated inventory control systems work by scanning a barcode either on the item. A barcodescanner is used to read the barcode, and the information encoded by the barcode is read by themachine. This information is then tracked by a central computer system. For example, a purchaseorder may contain a list of items to be pulled for packing and shipping. The inventory controlsystem can serve a variety of functions in this case. It can help a worker locate the items on theorder list in the warehouse, it can encode shipping information like tracking numbers anddelivery addresses, and it can remove these purchased items from the inventory tally to keep anaccurate count of in-stock items. All of this data works in tandem to provide businesses withreal-time inventory tracking information. Inventory control systems make it simple to locate andanalyze inventory information in real-time with a simple database search

Impact of IT on inventory management

Traditional inventory management practices are being made obsolete by increasing global supply

chains and contract manufacturing, more dynamic product life cycles, and multi-channel

distribution. Inventory management processes and technologies are being actively re-evaluated

by companies today.

The different types of technology used to control inventory includes barcode and radio frequency

identification (RFID) technology. Barcodes have been in use for some time. They speed up the

data entry process and they also eliminate errors that are often associated with manual entries.

RFID technology is much newer and also more expensive. With RFID technology instead ofhaving to directly scan each individual piece of inventory, the inventory only has to be in the

general vicinity of the RFID reader. This makes counting and controlling for inventory even

faster than with barcode technology.

Managing inventory can make or break the fortune of a company. There are a lot of different

systems available to control inventory: intuition, reserves, and computer operated. After you

have decided on a system, youll also need to determine which technology will best fit your

organization.

Instruments used in inventory management
http://www.barcodesinc.com/cats/barcode-scanners/


3/8


4/8

We carry a full line of direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode labels. We have 1000's oflabels in-stock and available to ship today. Use our label selector or custom label quote requestform to find labels that suit your needs.

Product Index

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Intel Software Network

Communities

Intel AppUp developer program

Visual Computing

Parallel Programming

Intel vPro Developers

Intel Tablet & Handheld Android* Developers

Server Developer Community

Ultrabook

Academic

Earn Reputation Intel Black Belt Program

More...

Partners

Intel Software Partner Program

Intel Technologies

Software Assessment Center

Resource Library Partner Finder

Software Finder

Program Overview

News

Support
http://www.intel.com/


5/8

Tools & Downloads

Tools

Intel Software Development Products

Free Evaluations

Tools Knowledge Base

Academic

Intel Visual Computing Source

Downloads

Code & Downloads

Free Non-Commercial

"WhatIf" Experimental Software

Drivers

Intel Driver Update Utility

Forums & Support

Software Forums

Intel AppUp developer program Forums

Knowledge Base

Support Resources

Blog

Intel Software Network blog

Intel AppUp developer program blog

Resources

Intel Software TV - Videos

Events Calendar

Intel Software Network Newsletter

Intel Press

Insight Magazine

Visual Adrenaline

Language:

English

Share

Print

Home Articles


6/8

Top of Form

Bottom of FormTop of Form

Intel Active Management Technology Use Case #3: Hardware Inventory Management(Discover)

Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT) improves the visibility of enterprise

hardware platforms, dramatically improving the completeness of hardware inventories.

Capabilities of Intel AMT help to reduce the impact of software-agent removals, powered-

down machines, non-functioning operating systems, and other system failures during hardware

inventories. These problems make as many as 15%-20% of all systems not visible down-the-wire

at any given time. Wireless environments and laptops make this even more challenging since at

any point in time, laptops may be connected over the wireless network (Mobile mode) or

remotely connected to a corporate LAN via VPN (Remote mode) or may not be connected to an

AC power source.

With Intel AMT, hardware inventories are more efficient to conduct; greatly assisting

compliance with government regulations, as well as management of recalls, warranties, and

configurations. This use-case includes hardware inventory to determine the type and quantity of

hardware in the environment, and the state of the hardware's warranty.

Conventional Hardware Inventory Management Limitations Conventional tools have

traditionally been available for hardware inventory work on an in-band basis only; that is, these

tools require the target system to be operational, and they fail if the platform is powered off or if

the operating system is non- functional. Moreover, users can intentionally or inadvertently

remove the software agents on which the tools depend.

As a result, IT organizations must traditionally depend on users to report their installed hardware,

or technicians must be sent to inventory the hardware manually. No common, persistent asset ID

exists, and there is no remote down-the-wire method to discover hardware-inventory information

for platforms that are powered off. Using Intel AMT to Overcome Limitations.

Using a third-party hardware inventory management application that supports Intel AMT, the

IT organization can discover platforms and their firmware-resident hardware information,

remotely down-the-wire in the following scenarios:

Desktop mode - Platforms are AC powered and connected to the corporate LAN via awired LAN via a wired LAN connection (not over VPN)


7/8

Mobile mode - Laptops in S0 that are on battery power or laptops on the corporatewireless network (not connected via VPN) and have access to their firmware-residentinformation remotely. Note that as of Intel AMT 4.0, Laptops can be in any Sx state forout-of-band connectivity.

Remote mode - laptops in S0/H0 that are connected to the corporate network via VPN.

Note that as of Intel AMT 4.0, Laptops can be in any Sx state for out-of-bandconnectivity.

Intel AMT makes this possible via out-of-band (OOB) remote access to the platform's

persistent, tamper-resistant asset ID and firmware-resident hardware information (as populated

by the BIOS during the last successful boot). Additional information per FRU can be stored in

Intel AMT's third-party data store by the remote management application or a third-party

hardware inventory client application, which can be retrieved at any time (e.g., warranty

information).

By gathering this inventory information accurately, quickly, and remotely, IT can more

efficiently and effectively detect configuration drift; as well as manage its hardware inventories,recalls, and warranties.

In case of laptops, since all of them might not be within the corporate network (Mobile mode) or

connected to the corporate LAN via VPN (Remote mode) when the inventory is taken, either

some manual checking might be necessary, or the inventory might span over multiple days in

order to catch all laptops connected appropriately.

Key Functionality Enabled by Intel AMT that Underlies this Use Case

The following table summarizes the features and functionality utilized in this use case that are

provided by Intel AMT or enabled by Intel AMT in third-party software:

Feature Functionality

Out-of band

(OOB) access

Accessing the persistent asset ID and field-replaceable unit (FRU) inventory

information when the operating system is unavailable or the platform is off

Remote hardware

inventory

Utilizing the existing FRU data stored in dedicated flash memory space to

discover the platform's FRUs

The Advantage of Intel AMT

The use of Intel AMT in this use case reduces or eliminates the need for manual inventory

audits, making asset inventory audits faster, more accurate, and timelier. Intel AMT makes this

possible through remote, down-the-wire access, assuming that the platforms are either in desktop

mode (AC powered (but not necessarily turned on) and connected to the corporate network via a

wired connection (not over VPN)), mobile mode (within the corporate environment on wireless

or battery connected (not VPN connected), or remote mode (connected via VPN - AC or DC


8/8

powered and wired or wirelessly connected) to the platform's tamper-resistant, persistent asset ID

and firmware-resident field-replaceable unit (FRU) list.

Inventory accuracy is improved, regardless of the platform's operating system or power state.

More accurate FRU inventory information enables better management of FRU inventories,

recalls, and warranties. In addition, these benefits facilitate regulatory compliance.

Business Value of the Intel AMT Solution

IT organizations can save substantially on hardware maintenance contracts (both platforms and

hardware) by knowing which platforms require what maintenance levels

Documents

ipact of Information Technology