Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Conclusion

LG is on cutting edge of all new technology in the display field. The research put into its designs is unique as with most companies in the technological field. The business practices are the same, but with a wider global approach since LG is based in several Asian, and Pacific countries. LG is the number two maker of displays in the world, but many large companies such as Apple have contracts with LG to make their computer screens. The interesting thing is LG has computer management systems designed and in place to monitor every facet of their business from sales to inventory. There is complete reliability in knowing the exact data needed to make management decisions. The job of a mid-level manager is now as high-tech as ever!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Technology-Network

Network
LG Display uses a computer network where multiple computers are connected communicating with each other sharing information, hardware as well as software. As an international company with offices and manufacturing plants around the globe, the type of network used by LG Display is most definitely Wide Area Network (WAN). Different form Local Area Network (LAN) which is a network of close proximity, WAN is a set of connected networks serving areas not in immediate proximity to each other.
The company most likely employs a switched network due to the fact that several computers need to have different conversations at the same time and large amount of data needs to be transmitted simultaneously. A switch is ideal in this situation as it is a network device that connects computers and passes messages by repeating each computer’s transmission to the intended recipient. While some local subsidiaries of LG Display may use wired communication media such as twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable and optical fiber to transmit information over a closed, connected path, the headquarter and some other subsidiaries may more likely be using wireless communication media such as microware and satellite to transmit large amount of information through the across greater distance.

Communications Software, Connecting Devices & Voice over IP
LG Display uses a Management Execution System (MES), through Symantec, which manages all of their products stages in production. A product cannot move on to the next step unless the MES "orders" it to.
From April to December 2008, LG Display deployed Oracle Customer Data Hub and Oracle Product Data Hub, and then launched the system in January 2009.
Oracle Customer Hub now provides a new set of composite web services to help speed Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) enablement and supports out-of-the-box integration with Oracle’s Siebel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and the Oracle E-Business Suite through Oracle Application Integration 2.3 (AIA). This version also provides new usability and fast implementation enhancements, helping speed time to value for MDM projects.
Oracle Integration Repository, an integral part of Oracle Product Hub, is a compilation of information about the numerous interface endpoints exposed by Oracle Product Hub. It provides a complete catalog of Oracle Product Hub business interfaces, and a comprehensive view of the interface mechanisms available. You can use this tool to easily discover and deploy the appropriate business interface from the catalog for integration with any system, application, or business partner. Exposed interfaces types are: Java Service Interfaces, XML Gateway Message Maps, Web Services, PL/SQL Procedures and Functions, Java Methods, Concurrent Programs, Open Interface Tables, Interface Views, etc.
As a multinational company, LG Display does a large amount of business over the world that a voice over IP seems like a logical thing to use in place of flying to business meetings. The business people can now talk and hear just like they were actually there. The company can save money on calls they would already have made with a normal telephone.

Network Security
Availability is how easily it is for a person to have access to a piece of information. LG makes the financial statement available for potential investors. The product information is also on the website in an easy to read format. The website is rarely a target for spyware and attacks since very few people use the website to buy items off it.

Confidentiality means information is being accessed by only those authorized to have that information. LG encrypts private documents so that only those with a password can access them. The locks and keys are in proper hands of those who need to have them.

Authenticity is source material really coming from where it says to be coming from. The source of all of LG material is marked by accredited agencies. LG also does not have a history of fabricating any of their legal or financial documents. Transparency of LG is apparent with the amount of data released to the public on its website.

Integrity is when the documents are not altered in an effort to affect what they mean. The web site is transparent with numbers being authentic. The web server LG use has very tough protection keeping hackers from crashing the site.

Domain Name
The domain name is http://www.lgdisplay.com. The .com part meaning it a commercial site on the world wide web.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Technology-Database, Hardware & Software

Files
A file is a collection of related records. Some files we believe are used in LG Display are:

Supplier
The supplier file includes records of LG’s suppliers, their name, location, contact person and the nature of the business.
Customer
This file includes records of corporations that LG Display sells its products to, which includes sectors such as multi-media, medical, automotive, aerospace, retail and etc.)
Sales
This file includes sales records such as sale price, quantity, representatives and other sales-related records.
Marketing
This includes records of marketing tactics used, results and marketing budgets and expenses.
Order
The file is used to track customers’ order which contains order number, date, product model and transaction amount.
Product
The product file includes product model, number, materials or technologies involved and product description.
Operation
The operation file includes records of running a business, the periodical financial results, company’s forecasted verses actual revenue, cost, profit and other operational records of running a business.
R & D
The file includes records of types of R & D involved, the technologies applied, the results, the budget and other related records.
Employee
The file stores records of LG Display’s employee info across the globe such as their name, position, benefit and contribution record.

Database and Database Software
A database is a collection of related files. LG Display uses relational database, which uses a serious of logically related two-dimensional files to store information in the form of a database. One of the ways LG provides easy access to information is through the help of databases such as Oracle Database 10gR2. It runs on Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), which the IT team manages using Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle RAC. In January 2009, the company begins employing Oracle E-Business Suite R12, which allows LG to increase productivity while reduce manufacturing downtime. Although it is unclear whether LG Display uses other Database Management Systems (DBMS), it is clear Oracle’s relational database is an important part of its technology.

Database Management
A Database Administrator (DBA) is usually in charge of maintaining, testing, securing and backing up the database for the purpose of ensuring the system’s maximum performance and its most efficient use. For LG Display, a global Oracle business management platform is responsible for the database. LG currently uses a three-server cluster configuration; two nodes are used to run databases and applications, and the third is on back-up duty.Managers’ Reports Generally, managers get reports containing detailed information collected over a period of time. Stored in DBMS, the information is only useful after becoming business intelligence, processed and analyzed to allow managers to make effective and often strategic business-related decisions. Through the process of Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), information becomes business intelligence and gets stored in data warehouses. With the help of data warehouse, businesses such as LG can perform more in-depth, multi-dimensional queries to help support decision-making tasks. For LG Display, one way managers get reports is through an integrated HR DBMS. It is engineered to link HR strategies with business goals so the company can monitor workforce performance against specific objectives or campaigns. This gives the managers better insights into workforce numbers and the details, qualifications, and performance of individual employees, thereby assisting in informed decision making. Another way of getting reports is through Oracle's E-Business Suite, which targets to help better manage a global operation including accounting and multi-organization access control (MOAC).Some examples of the types of reports managers would get are sales report, marketing report, production report, financial report, employee performance/workflow report, and customer report.

OLAP, Data Mining, Data Warehouse, Data Marts
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is the manipulation of info to support decision-making. LG Display most likely uses OLAP in many areas of their businesses to help the management in making strategic business decisions. For instance, OLAP is used in Sales Department to analyze the time of sales made, its quantity and price; it is also used for decision on effective marketing champagne for a new product.


Data warehouse is a special form of a database that contains info gathered from operational databases for the purpose of supporting decision-making tasks. Thus, it is necessary for the support of OLAP. Since OLAP is an important part of LG Display’s technology, the company most definitely uses data warehouse to house all of its sales, research and development database, and any relevant strategic business intelligence that LG needs. The data warehouses are so vast that they become multidimensional databases that house all-important files. A data mart is a subset of a data warehouse in which only a focused portion of the data warehouse information is kept. It breaks down a data warehouse into each department-related file for ease of access. Data Mart is most likely in use by LG since it’s an easy way to departmentalize information for easy access for employees. Data-mining tools are the software tools a company uses to query information in a data warehouse. The simplest data-mining tools are query-and-reporting tools such as query-by-example, structure query language, or a report generator, which allow data to be searched within the data warehouse. Other data-mining tools include intelligent agents, multidimensional analysis tools, and statistical tools. Multidimensional analysis tools allow workers to utilize a slice-and-dice technique to view information that’s needed at the time. The worker slices the information needed bringing it to the front while not affecting any other information. Since LG Display is so large, they most likely use statistical tools to figure out trends in new products. Also variable relationships can be established by figuring out how certain data is connected to each other. The person in charge of data mining is a database analyst. The person oversees all the data mining that is done in data warehouse. Smaller companies use Microsoft Access for databases creation. Larger companies use either Cognos, or Informatica for data warehousing and data-mining tools. SAS is leading company in statistical tools software. Although we are unsure which business intelligence software LG Display uses, it is likely the company employs software from one of the companies above.

Hardware
Hardware consists of the physical devices that make up a computer. While LG Display employs hardware such as input, output, storage, processing, telecommunications and connecting devices to manage various aspects of the corporation’s daily business transactions, its revenue mainly comes from sales of an output device, monitors. The company specializes in producing thin and lightweight liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors & organic light-emitting diode (OLED) monitors. Major global brands such as Dell, Hewlett Packard and Kodak of the US and Japan’s Toshiba have formed strategic alliances or entered into long-term sales contracts with LG Display and uses LG monitors as part of their product.

In January 2009, a five-year agreement with Apple was made supply Apple with LG display panels. The types of computers that use LG monitors range from table PCs, laptop computers, netbooks, to personal digital assistant (PDA) and smartphones. In other words, LG monitors can be seen on any devices with a visual screen. The IT department is responsible for installing and maintaining the hardware and software system.

Software
System software handles tasks specific to technology management and coordinates the interaction of all technology devices. It includes both operating system software and utility software. While LG Display is not a software company, it undoubtedly employs operating system software such as Windows Vista or Mac OS for coordinating hardware devices to work together and run business. In addition, utility software which provides additional functionality to operating system software such as anti-virus software and spam blocker software are also used to protect company property from being damaged or invaded. As an open source operating system, Linux may also be used within the company, but we were unable to find any information on this aspect. Application software is the software that enables one to solve specific problems or perform specific tasks. It is likely that LG Display uses payroll software, inventory management software, accounts payable and receivable software and other types of horizontal market software to manage its day-to-day businesses. The brands are likely to include the two major software companies, Microsoft and Oracle.

LG Display Reduces Manufacturing Downtime by 50% with Oracle E-Business Suite R12
Competitor increases in the TFT-LCD market, led LG Display to find new systems that would increase efficiency, improve quality control, and enhance risk management, in order to meet customer demands for quality, cost, and fast delivery. This required a comprehensive review and restructure of the company's business processes and systems. In January 2009, LG Display went live on Oracle E-Business SR12 after an 18-month project to standardize its global operations on the platform. The Oracle system helped to increase productivity by 30%, reduced manufacturing downtime by 50%, and is expected to lower costs by 30% to 50%.