Operational issues at John Lewis

Security of Information: Any piece of data, whether it is on computers or on papers will have to be secured and managed effectively as well as having it available when they need it. IT systems in which a large amount of information is stored on databases, business systems and generally on the computer is a main way of businesses storing their data, though there are certain risks like viruses that could cause problems. The partnership safety department at John Lewis are responsible for ensuring that the information is managed safely and they do this by monitoring and assisting those in the business systems. Keeping information safe and secure is so important so information is not stolen. If it’s stolen, personal information could be breached and there may be huge costs for John Lewis as well as a negative reputation. John Lewis can manage their systems via the use of system logins and password so each partner is individually recognised if there is a problem, but it is also implemented so any individual cannot access private information without a login and password.

Backups: Most businesses will be involved with redoing and producing backups of information so if it is lost due to an error then it can be recovered. The process is usually done by specific programmes which will track new and existing information and keep it stored on separate hardware. For John Lewis, they would probably use backup systems such as cloud-based storage which involves the computer machines directly or another method might be web-based backup services which are also useful in the process. They are useful because of the instant access to files as well as the recovery system which enables them to track back to the last save or drafts of information.

Health and safety: In terms of health and safety in regards to operational issues, this is about ensuring that computer equipment isn’t dangerous or at least a health hazard. There are specific health and safety laws with these issues including Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992. There will usually be regular assessments to ensure that equipment is setup properly and in the right position. John Lewis have their own occupational health service in which the employees in the department offer advice to partners on a wide range of health issues including whilst at work. They will also assess specific individuals at John Lewis in terms of health.

1 The first part is one of the most important aspects for employees as they are allowed health assessments on individuals. This shows that partners are regularly checked for any health issues which gives a huge incentive for people wanting to work at John Lewis.

Another point mentioned is their first aid at work programme which shows they have a priority into their own first aid methods. I believe this shows they have offered a good system of controlling health and safety for partners as well as in the work place.

Organisational policies: Organisational policies means any decisions that are made, usually legal requirements and relevant in terms of business information. These specific policies are implemented so staff can comply with legislation as well as having a better understanding which may increase work morale and load. In terms of John Lewis organisational policies, I would expect that employees have clear knowledge from the employer about handing customer data as well as communicating with customers effectively. These would comply with legal requirements such as the Data Protection Act.

This policy is about the privacy of data and it clearly shows that they have complied with legislation and laws by stating the confidentiality of personal information. They also state why and what information they use in terms of their customers.

Business continuance plans: A continuance plan is the process that businesses will follow so that they can survive the worst case scenario. Worst case scenarios are very vast which includes flooding, fires, natural disasters as well as breach of security in which someone or something is purposely hacking into business information systems. I would expect John Lewis would complete a risk assessment table with all the scenarios that could cause problems and they could individually go through them and see if they can tackle this problem. This is a table that I found which applies to a small water supply company and this

2 is something that John Lewis would be doing similar in terms of continuance plan though it would be bigger because of the size of the business.

Additional resources required: Additional resources for any business will usually mean spending money on new resources such as employment. This process might be a good investment in the long run because of sales or profit. Both equipment and employing new staff will apply to this term as they will both require money being spent by the employer to do this. John Lewis are a huge company and due to large controls in the markets they will be adding partners every year as they seem to be growing and developing so therefore new employees and equipment will be need to be added. Evidence of this that this year alone 6,300 new people have been employed which works out at 17 people a day which is a big figure. This is the Guardians report regarding yearly bonuses and employee figures.

Cost of development: Cost of development means spending money so they can further more develop specific products so it influences customers to buy it. This can also mean services which might include delivery. Because John Lewis are a department store and they sell other businesses products, it is often down to the manufacturers themselves to develop products though John Lewis do manufacture their own products including the value range. This is one of the value range products with the brand being John Lewis.

In terms of development of business systems and information, they could develop their security to a maximum, especially in computer systems so it becomes almost impossible for information to be stolen. This could be done by extra firewalls, website blockers and extensive support from security systems like AVG, Norton and Symantec.

3 This is a screenshot taken from Symantec’s official website. It shows the security solutions for businesses, though these won’t be for the size of businesses like John Lewis, but it would be similar.

Impact of increasing sophistication of systems: Increasing sophistication for a business usually means having a higher importance on technology and though this might increase the amount of work done it may require employees to be trained to use it. This will involve money being spent which may not be an option for some businesses. For John Lewis, they would be able to spend money and probably have allocated money from the budget for training to new and existing employees so they can be effective with the equipment. John Lewis have used Google docs software systems and this would have cost money, especially considering the amount of people that will use it on a daily basis.

Bibliography http://www.watermanenvironmentalgroup.com/images/upload/page_Business %20Continuity%20Plan.pdf http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/mar/06/john-lewis-staff-lower-bonus-eight- weeks-pay http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-the-basics-cutlery-set-16-piece/p230676419

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