In the present hard competitive business environment, companies need to be increasingly flexible in order to react quickly to external threats. New technologies, such as Intranet networks development, propose new kind of organizations which answer this need perfectly. Intranet can be defined as a company's local and private network using Internet technologies. This communication network is intended for the company's exclusive use. Intranet is generally used to communicate within the company's different departments, and with its subsidiaries, branches or franchises. Intranet uses technologies directly coming from the Internet such as Web pages and e-mails. During a project in a FRAM agency, I was able to use the FRAM group intranet to share data, collect some information about company and products and make some reservations for final costumers. It was my first experience with such a network and even if this system consequently increases agency effectiveness and capacity to answer to costumers demand, it seems evident that this communication system could be improved. Indeed, FRAM communication network is not developed enough and is limited to intranet tools. That is why it will be interesting to provide some advice to the company in order to help it reach a more integrated communication system adapted to the group structure.
[...] - Firewall: it confers a restricted access to the intranet network. Indeed, the firewall is a security component allowing controlling and regulating the connection to local intranet. It is indispensable to protect company confidential data. - Business network: thanks to the intranet connection, franchises can have access to the business network to share information, collect data, communicate and reserve products for final costumers. C –Benefits provided by intranet for FRAM group As we observe previously, FRAM intranet allows relating the company with its local franchises to ensure a good communication in the total structure. [...]
[...] This sharing will increase each employee personal skills and knowledge, making them more flexible. Global network will increase their efficiency, so work time will be reduced and employees will be more autonomous. Indeed, they will be able to realise some tasks at home thanks to the intranet network. Moreover, this new kind of organization will stimulate teamwork, collaboration and personal development. - Production: The concentration of knowledge and the information accessibility have positive effects on the production: that increases quality because of the pooling of knowledge between FRAM company and its partners. [...]
[...] The group is following a franchises strategy; agencies are legally independent from the group, but they can use FRAM brand image and communication strategy to attract final costumers. In the other hand, FRAM agencies have to realise at least 55% of their annual turnover in selling FRAM products. Travels are created in FRAM head quarters in Paris according to the previous years' trends. FRAM proposes different kind of products: stays, tours, adapted trips .for two types of consumers, individuals and groups. B – FRAM Intranet operation FRAM communication network is essentially based on an intranet network. [...]
[...] - Logistics: it will provide great advantages in term of stocks management. In tourism industry, stocks are planes reservations, hotels services they do not have stock costs in term of storage, but they are more and more depreciating. Thanks to data sharing and communication, company will be able to forecast its needs for a determined period according to sales volumes, trends Moreover, having privileged relationships with suppliers represents a strength in term of provisioning; prices of partner suppliers are cheaper than those the company would have if it tries to negotiate with other independent suppliers. [...]
[...] Final objectives: increase productivity, company efficiency and costumers satisfaction by using intranet as a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, even if intranet is a very useful communication and data management tool, it has some limits due to a more and more computerized business environment. Intranet is necessary today in each business, but it needs to be support by other communication and data sharing tools to optimize business efficiency and create a real competitive advantage. That is why presently, FRAM should develop this network in order to create a more integrated communication system including all its business partners from suppliers to costumers. [...]
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