Analysis

With a lot of competition in the car rental industry, companies are improving their technology in order to bring up their sales. Enterprise Rent-A-Car has updated their technology in order to serve its customer more efficiently and compete against major car companies. Our biggest change in the past 10 years was going from multiple information systems to just one main information system called the Account Rental Management System (ARMS) that performs all car rental necessities. This has organized the company and prevented miss communication from happening in the work place.

Collaboration:

Collaboration within enterprise is key in order for the customer to have a smooth rental process. Communication between employees in the front desk that put in orders that customer want, to the team that has to check and be accountable for every car each store has in stock. Also having communication with other Enterprise branches in case a specific Enterprise does carry a car that a customer wants we can have other stores bring in that specific car for the customer.

        

Silos:

Information silos are a major problem to information systems in most companies. Miss interpretation of information can be vital in Enterprise with having miss communication between departments in the company can mess up an order for a customer. In the past information silos from having multiple information system has cost time and money for Enterprise also misunderstanding and frustration to its employees. Since Enterprise has switched to one main information system, departments work closer together and we have eliminated a silos within the company. With having one main information system employee, customer, and company information wont be lost or misplaced within the database.

Information System:

The information system that enterprise works with is called Account Rental Management System (ARMS). They use it on a everyday basis for car rental needs. This information system organizes and prevents mistakes and miss communications from happening in the work place.

Information System Components:

The five information system components: Hardware, Software, Data, Procedures, and People. Which all are used and play a critical role in Enterprise Rent-A-Car and how it runs its business.

Hardware:

Hardware currently used by Enterprise that holds all customer information is housed in an external server. This external server is actually located outside our site in Flemington, New Jersey. It is located in St. Louis, Missouri in Enterprise main headquarters where it’s stored safely and securely. Enterprise also uses personal computers and lap tops on a day-to-day bases. Personal computers are used for onsite work in which employees store and provide information to customers in which customers need answers to. Laptops are used for on the go to meet up in different Enterprise locations to share information with other Enterprise branches.  It also is used for providing information to customers and deals when they pick them up. 

Another part of the hardware are the servers that are used. Enterprise has been using the IBM server RS/6000 for multiple years.

Software:

The current software that enterprise uses is Windows 7 as its computer system.  The most important part of Enterprise software is ARMS in which it keeps customer information, create schedules, and also create rate deals for customer. With ARMS Enterprise keeps all company files and customer files organized to try to prevent errors and miss communication.  Enterprise also uses QuickBooks, which is software that deals with employee payroll.

Data:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car uses ARMS, which helps employees, customers and company operations. Data that Enterprise works with is keeping track of customer information/Rentals, customer addresses and cars rented out to customers. They also keep track of vehicle records, complete and immediate control over the fleet, making sure what cars Enterprise have available for customers. ARMS is a web-based reservation systems which is a quick and organized way of doing the rental process with potential customers coming in.

Procedures:    

The definition of procedures is instructions that someone is to follow. There are several procedures Enterprise Rent A Car employees experience on a daily basis. When an employee is hired he/she is required to follow in the assistant mangers footsteps to make sure they understand how to help customers on a daily basis. Experienced employees have to let every customer view the entire parking lot of cars and let them pick the one they want, unless the car already rented out to someone over the phone. Employees then have to abide by strict rules to have customers present their credit car and drivers license to be able to rent a car. Once employees have customer’s information they have to make sure they put it in ARMS so that the customer will always be in Enterprises systems if they return for another visit. 

People: 

People make Enterprise Rent-A-Car the business it is. In the rental car industry you have to have a great personality and the ability to communicate with your coworkers and customers. The most important part of the Enterprise Information System is that if there weren't any people there wouldn't be any data, and procedures, hardware, software wouldn't work. Enterprise Rent-A-Car has about 68,000 employees to its millions of customers which makes Enterprise so successful in what it does. The overall goal Enterprise has is to make customers as happy as possible and having a phenomenal work environment.

Social Media:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has its own Facebook account homepage. I which it provides information about the company and also a directory of all the different locations we have nation wide. (Under location link)

Enterprise Rent-A-Car also has its own Twitter account. In which it connects with its customers and employees, to have a better relationship with them.

Through these social media outlets, Enterprise Rent-A-Car wants to be ahead of the competition and be as close to the customers as possible.

Problem Analysis:

Account Rental Management System (ARMS) has been used for about 10 years in Enterprise Rent-A-Car. It’s a system in which organizes and prevents miss communication with Enterprise branches, employees and customers. We live in a fast pace environment in which everyone does not have time to sit down and fill out multiple pages just to rent one car. ARMS make it easier for the customer and the employee, because it stores all the information from the customers that have already rented cars from enterprise. This eliminates redundant paper work that might have needed to have been filled out to rent a car. This provides good customer service and relationship with the employee and the customer.