CC MUSIC AGENCY STRATEGIC

SYSTEM INTEGRATION PLAN (SSIP)

SHENECE GORDON

Word Count: 3141

University of Salford in Exclusive Partnership with Robert

Kennedy College
Operations and Information Management
Table of Contents
CC MUSIC BUSINESS PROCESS MODELS .............................................................................. 2

Current Business Process Model – CC Music ............................................................................ 2

Proposed Business Process Models- CC Music ......................................................................... 4

Strategic analysis of cc music ......................................................................................................... 7

SWOT ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................... 7

Strengths ................................................................................................................................. 7

Weaknesses ............................................................................................................................. 8

Opportunities........................................................................................................................... 8

Threats..................................................................................................................................... 8

cc music Business software solution............................................................................................... 9

STRATEGIC SYSTEM INTEGRATION PLANNING (cc music agency) ................................ 12

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 12

Current State of CC Music Agency .......................................................................................... 12

Future of CC Music Agency ..................................................................................................... 13

Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................................... 15

 CC MUSIC BUSINESS PROCESS MODELS
Current Business Process Model – CC Music

Figure 1 Showing the current Business Process Model for CC Music

The current business process model in place at CC Music as seen in figure 1 above, utilized
manuals processes which are explained in the following paragraphs. A simple process where a
customer calls to wants to make a booking is very complicated as to compared to many
organizations today.
The agents are contacted via phone call by the clients or gig brokers to make a booking. Contracts
are negotiated over the phone and then the payment and contracts are sent via post. After receipt
management must convey receipt to client and inform the band of schedule updates via phone.
This process is very time consuming and reduces efficiency and competitiveness.

Hence, the models below demonstrate how CC Music will eradicate those outdate manual
processes and implement a new strategic framework which is centered around the development of
an Information Strategy Planning. Business Process Modelling Notation was used to construct
these models since it can be easily understood by all users (Onggo & Karpat, 2011). The three key
players within CC Music operations were analyzed and as such three separate processes were
developed.

Information technology provides the framework for which information is processed and
transferred. In figure 2 below we see how staff and facilities (transformed resources) will be
influenced by transforming resources (information, customer, material). The model shows how
information is transferred through the various departments as facilitated by the system. For e.g.
when a client books a gig via the website, the payment details, contract and booking information
are all stored within the system. Various departments receive specific information based on their
department needs. Finance will receive payment details, while HR and Communications will
receive contract details and project management team, booking details. These are just some of the
various processes that are taken place within the entire organization. This information is
transferred and processed faster than traditional means as seen in figure 1.

Figure 3 and 4 show how the bands and clients are introduced to new methods of gaining and
accessing information, making bookings, registering, making payments, signing contracts,
receiving schedule updates etc. However, artist and bands can still register at the office. The reason
being that CC Music is still a small company that is emerging within the industry and must
therefore be able to satisfy the needs of every customer since some of them may not be tech-savvy
and therefore prefer manual processes.
Proposed Business Process Models- CC Music
Figure 2 showing Proposed Business Process Model for CC Music- Organization
Figure 3 showing Proposed Business Process Model for CC Music- Gig Broker/ Client
Figure 4 showing Proposed Business Process Model for CC Music- Artist
 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS OF CC MUSIC
In order to get a much better understanding of the current state of CC Music, a strategic analysis
technique must be applied. Romero, et al., (2016) believes that strategic planning framework for
service organizations such as CC Music must be defined by four main elements; external drivers,
internal enablers, key processes and driving forces. ‘These four strategic planning framework
elements can be brought together by means of a SWOT analysis towards the service organisation
conceptualisation and strategy formulation, clarifying the gap between where the firm is and where
it should be’(Romero, et al., 2016). SWOT Analysis is considered as one of the three most
commonly used strategic planning tools (Hussein, 2015). ‘SWOT analysis as described by David
(2009), as cited in Widyastuti, Haryono & Tiarawati (2017) is to maximize the existing or owned
strengths and opportunities (internal) and minimize the weaknesses and threats (external) that will
come’ (Herliana, et al., 2018).

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths
 Both Chris and Clive have experience within the music industry as they both have worked
as music teachers. They come from two different fields within the same music industry as
one teaches music while the other music technology and as such bring two different
perspectives to the company
 They have both been involved in managing and playing in the same band for many years
and are aware of necessary requirements and challenges that bands/artiste and customers
face
 A Northern Sol band is already one of their clients and therefore they won’t have to start
off registering their first client to get the business going. This also means that they already
have contacts within the industry since many bands want to be signed to them.
 The Northern Sol band is somewhat advertised and publicized since they perform on the
radio and TV
 Democratic technique of management allows for little to no conflict within the company
Weaknesses
 CC Music currently utilizes outdated manual processes such as; booking over the phone,
receiving cheques and contacts via posts rather than new information technology software
 Chris and Clive are new entrants to the agent market and therefore lack experience and
expertise of established music agents
 They also have experience managing one band and will find difficulties in managing
multiple clients manually
 The company currently operate a website as the main source of advertisement; no social
media integration
 Poor organizational structure in place to follow since the company is relatively new

Opportunities
 Family members are willing to support the business and manage in the future which will
allow for trustworthiness within the company. This means that processes can be divided
between the four members rather than two
 Youth integration into the management of the CC Music can influence different types of
artists, bands and customers to become involved
 Implementing IT software can allow the agents to effectively and efficiently manage the
day to day operations of CC Music at a faster rate
 Through IT software solution, integrating features such as marketing, CC Music will be
able to reach a greater audience thereby increasing clients and customers
 With more clients onboard, CC Music will be able to satisfy the demand of various
customers

Threats
 CC Music can lose customers and clients due to the manual processes utilized since many
companies use integrated business software solutions that offer rapid information and
material flow (transformed resources)
 Established music agencies provide competition and therefore CC Music must remain
competitive in terms of cost, quality, dependability, speed and serviceability
 Laws and Regulations as heralded by Brexit uncertainty can have negative impacts upon
the UK music industry
 CC MUSIC BUSINESS SOFTWARE SOLUTION

A business software solution is most definitely required at CC Music to allow the company to be
able to manage all its operations effectively, efficiently and competitively (Basahel & Irani, 2009).
Therefore, there must be a link of all the resources that a company utilizes and the must significant
processes must be identified. In selecting the Open Source Software (OSS) solution for CC Music,
I have explored the main operations of CC Music and incorporated their requirements. OSS as
stated by Yilmaz (2011), explains that ‘the source code is distributed along with the executable
program. It is free to use. It includes a license allowing anyone to modify and redistribute the
software.’ OSS would be an excellent choice for CC Music since they are a startup company and
would therefore need to minimize cost while maximizing efficiency. Some of the key
characteristics that must be present within the business software solution are; cost effective, high
functionality, ease of use, customization, security, support and internationalization. According to
Yilmaz (2011), these are some of the main methods used to evaluate software.

The four OSS listed in table 1 below, have some specific characteristics that match those required
by CC Music. They are all web-based OSS and are suitable for Small to Medium Enterprises
(SME) as well. They include; Compiere, vTiger, Odoo and ERP Next.

Compiere is an incorporated open source ERP and CRM business solution based on a ground-
breaking Model-driven Application Platform that gives you the abilities to maintain YOUR
business, YOUR way (Compiere, 2013). It can be considered as a solution for organizations and
especially for SMEs as it manages day to day operational details (Yilmaz, 2011). There is vast
array of functionality offered as seen in table 1 however, the user interface can be quite difficult
to adapt to.

Yilmaz (2011) states that vTiger is one of the most commonly utilized OSS business solutions on
the market. The main issue with vTiger as compared to the others is that it offers mainly CRM
solutions rather than a combination of both ERP and CRM. However, the software is relatively
cheap as seen in table 1 and can be used by beginners. It also allows for full customization and
security and it can be translated into various languages.
Table 1 Comparison of Key Features of four Open Source Software (OSS)

Key Features Compiere vTiger Odoo Online ERPNext Services

Pricing $50.00/ month/ Maximum *$7.50/ month/ Maximum $25.00/
user $42.00/month/ user, minimum month/ user
user $4.00/ month/ app
Ease of Use *Intermediate Beginner Level Beginner Level Beginner Level
Level
Key Functionality Sales Force *Sales Force, CRM, Website, Various Solutions,
Automation, Manages Accounting, CRM, Website,
Service Marketing, Studio, Calendar, Accounting,
Automation, Inventory, Invoicing, Events, Studio, Calendar,
Order Activity, Security Help Desk, Invoicing, Events,
Management and Reports, Contracts, Help Desk,
Customer Support Marketing, HR Contracts,
etc. Marketing, HR etc.
Customization Modified Modified Modified Unlimited
according to according to according to Customization
company needs company needs company needs
Security User access User access User access User access
controlled controlled controlled controlled
Support Manuals, Blogs, Forums, 24hrs Customer Manuals, Online,
Community based manuals support Phone
Internationalization > 10 languages > 10 languages < 10 languages >70
supported supported supported languages
supported
*Highlights disadvantages of each software

Odoo on the other hand is quite expensive but offers the company both CRM and ERP solutions
as seen in table 1 above. Each app needs to be paid for separately and costs vary by app
functionality. The software is relatively easy to use and can be monitored and controlled by
management. It also can be translated into languages and has more than 4 million users worldwide
(odoo, 2019). (Odoo, 2016)
After carefully analyzing these four (4) business software listed in the table, I decided to select
ERPNext as the most suitable option for CC Music. This is due to its wide variety of CRM and
ERP solutions that are tailored to meet each industry whether retail, manufacturing, services,
healthcare etc. ERPNext Services would allow CC Music to elevate its current business level since
it ticks all the boxes required. The software is relatively cheap and therefore can be maintained by
the company although they are an SME. It offers unlimited customization and can be accessed by
the largest audience as compared to the others due to its language support (ERPNext, 2019). Also,
as seen in table 2 below from the full list of services offered, there is multi-currency support which
is seen as the cream of the software’s capabilities along with marketing, sales and HR management
features (FinanceOnline, 2019).

Table 2 showing a full overview of the main ERP Next Features

Source: Finance Online Reviews for Business, 2019.

 STRATEGIC SYSTEM INTEGRATION PLANNING (CC MUSIC AGENCY)

Introduction
Growing CC Music into a full-time SME with fully integration information system from a part-
time, manually operated business is a difficult task which needs to be properly analyzed through a
Strategic System Integration Plan as seen in figure 4 below.

Figure 4. Strategic System Integration Planning Process

According to (Romero, et al., 2016) there are three questions which CC Music must answer;

1. Where they are?

2. Where they want to go?
3. How they are going?

This study seeks answer these three questions. The current state of CC Music will be discussed in
the following sections along with the strategic roadmap and conclusion and recommendations.

Current State of CC Music Agency

CC Music is at stage where there is an urgent need for SSIP as the company is seeking to take a
much more professional approach to managing all aspects of the company. I believe that CC Music
can be considered as a ‘brownfield project’ since the agency is an entirely new company which is
being modelled based on the current operations of Chris and Clive. In a report published by Arc
View Associates LLC, (2009) brownfield projects are those ‘already in operation and have been
using some, often ill-defined, approach that is generally driven by an immediate need of the
business due to product, market, regulatory or competitive change.’

Manual processes were used by Chris and Clive to complete various operations. Bookings were
made via phone while cheques and contracts were sent via posts. Given that they were responsible
for one band performing atleast 12 gigs per year, the previous methodology was compelling for
that sort of arrangement. The agents were able to communication via phone with customers who
required basic information as well as those who made bookings. Also the band was informed of
any changes to their schedule via phone as well while basic advertising was done via a website.
These processses will be increase as the company grows and the current system will not be able to
facilitate such changes.

Future of CC Music Agency

In order to deal with these processes effectively and efficiently, CC Music must develop and
implement a new business approach which will begin with defining the organizational goals and
creating a new organizational structure. This structure must be facilitated by the integration of the
ERP Next software solution as described in the previous section. ERP Next integrates features of
both ERP and CRM softwares. According to (Jeng, 2017) ‘managing each customer with a
standard process is not beneficial. By leveraging the functionalities of both CRM and ERP, a
company can conduct the most effective sales…CRM and ERP systems use different approaches
to increase the overall profitability of a business. CRM is more focused on the front-end whereas
ERP focuses on the back-end functions and departments of a company.’ In so doing, there appears
to be a need to link all of the resources in a way that allows these to be controlled, creatively,
flexibly, and educationally. From this point of view, there is also a need to determine the significant
processes within the entire organization (Basahel & Irani, 2009). These processes have been
identified in the Proposed Business Process Models above.

Since CC Music is a small company of 4 members of staff, the organizational structure of the
company will allow for combination of departments which are usually independent in larger
organizations. I believe that given the current stage of CC Music, there are 6 important departments
which need to be monitored and managed by the staff so that the company can meet its business
goals. These are; (1) Project Management, (2) Finance, (3) IT, (4) Finance, (5) CRM and
Marketing and (6) Communications. Given the democratic style of management at CC Music, the
staff determines which tasks should be allocation to whom since there will be 4 members and 6
main departments. As CC Music evolves, the roles and workload within these departments will
change and require much more members and as such the staff will increase. However, the company
hasn’t reached that stage which would require a much more in-depth analysis. The subsequent
paragraphs explains how CC Music are going to achieve their goals. We must keep in mind that
aquiring additional personel at the startup stage of the company isnt necessary since the main
purpose of implementing the information system is to increase efficiency, competitiveness and
flexibility.

Project Management

This department will be controlled by Chris and Clive who would be responsible for managing all
gigs, studio sessions, TV and radio performances since they both have considerable experience
within the music industry. This will be easily integrated since the calendars will be automatically
updated whenever bookings are confirmed on the website. The system also maintains timesheets
that are utilized when undertaking various projects.

Finance Department

ERP Next allows CC Music to manage all of its financial accounting processes one place whether
it be sales invoices, purchases invoice, journal entries, reports, budgeting etc. Management no
longer have to send and receive cheques via post since the system allows for various payment
methods and also supports multiple currencies. This department will be required to manage all the
necessary expenses incurred by the company and also manage the revenue that will be generated
through sales.

Information Technology

With the implementation of the new software there may be technical issues which may arise at
some point. Therefore, there must be a department that deals with these issues. ERP Next customer
support will only assist with matters related to software and wont assist with computer related
issues. This function can be outsourced at this stage since the company is still small and may only
utilized approximately four computers. The department will also be responsible for making sure
that the software runs smoothly. Any issues regarding security and customization of the system to
meet the organizational needs can be addressed.

Marketing and Customer Services

CC Music must provide information and technical support to customers to help improve their
experience. This can now be done via the wesite, over the phone or at the office. Enhancing the
customer experience will increase the demand for CC Music services. Also marketing is very
important to the company since it is new to the industry. Promotions, advertising and marketing
all need to be managed by this department. CC Music must reach all social media platforms to
gain access to a wider audience of both customers, clients and future employees. The team must
promote the company as well as the clients signed to the company. Two of the four members are
youths whom can be integrated within this department since they may have a greater understanding
and knowledge of operating social media applications. Also market research needs to be done to
select the most suitable locations to focus on based on the clients on CC Music’s books.

HR and Communications

All members of staff must be able to communicate with each other effectively. Since the company
is run in a democratic manner, this will be a major requirement. The mobile app will allow for ease
of access to all information regardless of location. Hence, members can be able to access
information on clients, customers, co-workers, projects, finances etc and make decisions quickly.
At this stage, the management of clients, artists and bands contracts will be overseen by this
department.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Creating and implementing a Strategic System Integration Plan is an important decision as well as
significant investment which should be carefully considered and tailored to the unique business
needs of an organization or company. Company aims, and objectives must be clearly defined, and
budget must be established as well as company capabilities and competence.

To allow effective implementation of strategic system changes, CC Music must do a business

process redesign exercise before applying the business solution. Management must expect that
they will face challenges ahead such as; changes in their job profiles, some job redundancy such
as making booking over the phone and sending and receiving contracts through the post. Also,
they may face issues with loss of authority since some processes would be fully automated.
Becoming familiar with the new system and structure may be challenging as well. Providing online
and real time capabilities on a consistent basis may take some getting used to. Some customers
may also find it difficult to use the new system hence some manual processes such as booking via
walk-ins are still used to facilitate a gradual integration of an entirely automated information
management system. These are some of the key issues which lay ahead for CC Music Agency.

It is of utmost importance that CC Music implement a Business Process Reengineering technique

to eliminate the challenges which have been identified in the previous paragraphs. A BPR will
eliminate all processes that do not add value to customers. Also measuring key performance
indicators and reevaluating the business process can help to eliminate some of these challenges.
 REFERENCES
Arc View Associates LLC, 2009. Strategic Systems Integration Planning, s.l.: Arc View
Associates LLC.

Aversano, L. et al., 2015. Understanding Enterprise Open Source Software Evolution. Procedia
Computer Science, Volume 64, pp. 924-931.

Basahel, A. & Irani, Z., 2009. EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS

PLANNING (SISP) TECHNIQUES: DRIVER PERSPECTIVE. Izmir, European and Mediterranean
Conference on Information Systems , pp. 1-13.

Checkland, P. & Holwell, S., n.d. Organizations': The Main Context of Work on Information
Systems. In: Information, Systems and Information Systems. New York: Wiley and Sons, pp. 68-
83.

Compiere, 2013. Compiere. [Online]

Available at: http://www.compiere.com/products/capabilities/index.php
[Accessed 9 July 2019].

Da Silva, R. & Rahimi, I., n.d. Issues in Implementing CRM: A Case Study. Issues in Informing
Science and Information Technology, pp. 1053-1064.

ERPNext, 2019. ERPNext. [Online]

Available at: https://erpnext.com/services
[Accessed 9 July 2019].

FinanceOnline, 2019. Finances Online Reviews for Business. [Online]

Available at: https://reviews.financesonline.com/p/erpnext/#overview-benefits
[Accessed 9 July 2019].

Herliana, S., Lawiyah, N. & Aina, Q., 2018. SWOT ANALYSIS APPROACH ON SME’S
ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCY. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 24(2), pp. 1-6.

Hussein, A. M., 2015. APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLS AND CONCEPTS

IN SMES IN NAIROBI CBD, s.l.: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY.
Imanuel, 2019. Predictive Analytics Today Research. [Online]
Available at: https://www.predictiveanalyticstoday.com/erp-software-small-
business/#howtochoosetherighterpsoftwareforsmallmediumbusiness
[Accessed 7 July 2019].

Jeng, I., 2017. Benefits of having a CRM system in addition to an ERP system. Helsinki: Helsinki
Metropolia University.

Kazemzadeh, Y., Milton, S. K. & Johnson, L. W., 2015. Service Blueprinting and Business Process
Modeling Notation (BPMN): A Conceptual Comparison. Asian Social Science, 11(12), pp. 307-
318.

Lucas Jr, H. & Mein Goh, J., 2009. Disruptive technology: How Kodak missed the digital
photography revolution. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, Volume 18, pp. 46-55.

odoo, 2019. odoo. [Online]

Available at:
https://www.odoo.com/pricing#pl=74&num_users=1&hosting=online&odoosh_workers=1&odo
osh_storage=1&odoosh_staging=1&implementation_service=self&pack=25&force_country=TT
&integrating_partner_id=0&price_by=yearly
[Accessed 8 July 2019].

Odoo, S., 2016. CRM Comparison White Paper: Salesforce, Zoho CRM, SugarCRM, Pipedrive &
Odoo, s.l.: Odoo.

Onggo, B. & Karpat, O., 2011. AGENT-BASED CONCEPTUAL MODEL REPRESENTATION

USING BPMN. Liverpool, Winter Simulation Conference.

Romero, D. M. A., Pezzotta, G. & Cavalieri, S., 2016. Research Gate. [Online]
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303446363
[Accessed 10 July 2019].

vTiger, 2019. vTiger. [Online]

Available at: https://www.vtiger.com/all-in-one-crm-pricing/
[Accessed 8 July 2019].

White, S., n.d. Introduction to BPMN, s.l.: IBM Corporation.

Wynn, M. G., 2009. Developing and Implementing IS Strategy in SMEs. Management Research
News, 32(1), pp. 78-90.

Yilmaz, E., 2011. COMPARISON OF OPEN SOURCE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP

MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, s.l.: Kadir Has
University.
Appendix A: Reflection Self-Assessment Proforma

This entire module has really taught me a lot about the importance of prioritization and time
management. Operations and Information Management at first glance seem like a really robust
and difficult concept to understanding however, I was able to grasp the concept of both theories
and can apply to real world situations which is of utmost importance within any industry. I was
able to gain a practical understanding of the various operations processes and layout within my
organization (retail), as well as the important role of proper inventory management in the success
of any organization.

This final assignment allowed me to gain thorough understanding of information, systems and IS
management. The strategic relationship between information systems and organizational structure
was an entirely new concept which was interesting to me. The flexibility of OSS software was also
interesting. Taking on the role of consultant was a bit challenging to me especially in constructing
the BPMNs. However, it really helped to develop my analytical skills and strategic planning ability
while coping with pressure and challenges. After completing my first module I must say that I am
completely satisfied with the knowledge and skills that I have acquired and look forward to gaining
more in the next module.