Cast study: Colgate-Palmolive

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE

Running Head : Colgate-Palmolive

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE

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Executive Summary

This discuss Information Technology and its application in Colgate-Palmolive Company , a multinational corporations currently active in providing their consumers with consumer products like soaps detergents , and oral hygiene products . Today , the company is in the beginning of is last stages of IT development . During the last decade the company has been operating with the support of high-tech IT operations throughout their global markets

In this stage , there are little or no more IT inventions and initiatives

br that would generate large changes in the company in the future . The IT strategy of the company is build on the basis of Colgate-Palmolive 's fundamental operation philosophy , integration . Under the SAP system installed in 1994 , the company is able to manage their relationship with internal departments and external parties under a single and standardized software design . The IT strategy also allows the company greater efficiency in facing environmental changes and competitive challenges

Colgate-Palmolive

Introduction

I .1 . Information Technology

The term information technology is no stranger to business managers today . It has become a growing necessity for many businesses due to the increasingly rapid growth of economy and market expansion . It is a tool of business survival and a tool of enhancing corporate competitive advantages

According to Jim Kelton (2005 , companies living in today 's economy generally have three major phases of growth , they are : the Initial Expansion phase , the Growth phase and the Contraction phase . Information technology grows and evolves along with these three phases of growth . In the first phase , Initial Expansion , after a few months of successful business , demands accelerate and production and staffing both increase In this phase , IT projects are generally put on hold until cash flow improves . Employees take advantage of only the existing computers and other information management equipment until financial opportunity comes

In the second phase , the Growth phase , volume and prices have reach the condition that allows better financial conditions . As production activities increase , employees perform more meetings and do more work involving existing information technology equipments . IT projects are seen as a necessity to capture growth and there is much more attention and investment in developing them (Kelton , 2005

In the last phase , the Contraction phase , the IT projects started in the Growth phase are generally completed . However , the business reaches its maturity stages . Business slowdown decreases staffing and production activities . New projects are put on hold or cancelled and there are no new investments on IT (Kelton , 2005

I .2 . Corporate Background

Within this , we are discussing about IT implementation in the Colgate-Palmolive company . Colgate Palmolive is an 11 .4 billion worth of multinational company , having customers in more than 200 countries and territories . The company produces consumer products and mostly healthcare products , like toothpaste , bar and liquid soaps , deodorants antiperspirants , dishwashing detergents , household cleaners , fabric conditioners and specialty pet food . Corporate activities are divided into three core business oral Care , Personal Care and Home Care Pet Nutrition (`Colgate...