Network design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Network design - Coursework Example The following is an analysis of the new network design solution for the Storage and Logistics Company: BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION Scenario: The business scenario of this analysis is based on a storage and logistics company located in London. The company has twenty vans that make deliveries in the Greater London area. The company also has one warehouse located directly outside of London. In this case the company goal is to offer temporary storage and delivery to customers with the best quality of service. Company Profile: The Storage and Logistics Company is a warehousing and delivery corporation located in London. This corporation was first established in 1932. It manages the flow of goods and information for several prominent clients. The company has eight warehouse locations including seven in the surrounding Greater London area and one located directly outside of London. The current warehouse borough locations are Harrow, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Waltham Forest, Sutton, Lewis ham, and Barking and Dagenham. The United Kingdom location is Sunbury. The company operates on a mid-sized level employing four-thousand, five hundred employees corporation wide. Of these five employ three delivery vans, two employ two, and one employs one. Competition Evaluation: Based on what information will go into this case the United Parcel Service and Federal Express could initially be competitors for this company. These companies employ the same geographical techniques that will be employed by the Storage and Logistics Company. REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS Currently, storage and logistics companies need to establish a system that is of low cost. These systems also need to allow the company to expand with the growth of demand. The information technology (IT) system that the company uses should possess the following qualities as directly cited by the IDC (2006: 1): 1. Simple and scalable solutions for painless and low cost storage consolidation that also accommodates the performance r equirements of diverse application. 2. Intelligent storage solutions that enhance the reliability and pace of data migration and data protection across multiple tiers of storage. 3. Storage management systems that boost IT staff efficiency and reduce the time required for administrators to configure and manage expanding storage assets. These strategies toward technologies will allow the client to grow at any desirable rate by while being able to manage large and complex accounts. An upgrade in technology will enable the company to track and deliver the desired accurate information for the client at better than acceptable speeds. Competitiveness from this aspect will be unmatched due to efficient and reliable transportation of data. NETWORK ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN For the purposes of the intended company functions, several implementations should be made on all tiers. These implementations should be established in order to centralize all company data and extend the reach of all compan y departments. The following are the suggested IT upgrades for the Storage and Logistics Company: 1. A wireless scanners and data input systems should be implemented in all storage facilities. 2. A Delivery Information Acquisition device (DIAD) IV should be implemented into all delivery vans. 3. An online transaction processing system (OLTP) should be arranged for the new IT system. 4. An Extended Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) should be integrated into the company’