Dealing with corporate data presupposes facing a number of challenges, from the choice of a knowledge management framework to data security issues. Conceptual view of a database, known as a set of tables related to the database, helps arrange information, while conceptual view of a database means acknowledging database as a file concept of information storage.
Analyzing the way in which each of the architecture principles for the EIA applies to the American Express, one must admit that even such a successful enterprise as AE needs change its company policy a touch to meet every requirement mentioned in the list.
To start with, it is clear that the company uses the most efficient methods of knowledge sharing possible. New information is distributed quickly and efficiently across the entire company, including its affiliates, which means that the American express makes efficient use of its metadata.
Since information distribution process also demands exploiting analytics it can be deduced that the American Express also uses its analytical data to the company’s benefit.
When it comes to exploiting real time and using predictive analysis, it seems that the American Express could use more diligence in defining their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the customers’ demands.
Therefore, the Business Process Measurement that the American Express carries out regularly suffers from the lack of focus on one of the key performance indicators, i.e., the customers’ recurrent demands.
On the one hand, the American Express keeps in pace with the time, employing the latest technologies to satisfy the clientele; on the other hand, some of the customers’ complaints concerning the quality of services remain unanswered. For instance, the issue with the providing the services of decent quality needs being solved as soon as possible.
According to the recent news, the American express has been accused of offering its clients low-quality services (Markus, 2012). Therefore, to avoid making similar mistakes in the future, the company must adopt a more customer-focused approach, adopting a Soft System Methodology (SSM) together with the Hard System Methodology (HSM) (Wilson, 2008).
Speaking of the knowledge sharing process within the company, however, one must admit that American Express handles the task rather successfully by de-coupling data from applications.
In addition, the fast pace at which the information is distributed in the company owes much to the clever use of databases. With the help of the latter, information concerning the company can be accessed enterprise-wide, which allows for better knowledge distribution and, therefore, processing.
Despite a couple of evident flaws within the current knowledge management process, the American Express Company seems to have made an efficient use of its informational resources.
One of the basic concerns, however, is that the information acquired by the company concerns recent innovations yet seems to ignore customers’ demands, which is likely to lead to serious issues in the nearest future, as the problem with the illegal practices (Markus, 2012) shows.
The company, however, seems to have its information well secured according to the Information Security requirements, which the recent rise in the company’s efficiency shows.
The basic principles of the Information Privacy legislation do not seem to be stepped on, either. Despite the above-mentioned scandal in 2012, when the clients’ private information became available for hackers, the American Express seems to have restored its reputation.
As the existing evidence shows, the American Express seems to have the certificate of the IaaS, which also says much about the trustworthiness of the company. Apart from additional layer of security, the given method guarantees “reusable and shareable services for the business like other business services” (Godinez et al., 2010, 92).
The company clearly supports the function of transforming the submitted data into actionable information, which helps deliver one’s savings in a more efficient manner and control one’s spending so that any traces of possible fraud could be spotted immediately.
Though the American Express has failed to provide tight security of the customers’ money transfer in 2012, at present the firm seems to be working on the creation of actionable information. As a company well known and used all over the world, American Express also actively uses cloud computing, which helps search for the necessary information faster and with better results.
In addition, the American Express is known as one of the first companies who called its customers for greener consumption process, introducing the ZYNC charge card, which was supposed to be a call for the customers to start shopping green.
However, the “green” tendency is not the only improvement in the American Express infrastructure; the company has also been working on improving the knowledge sharing system by employing the latest technological advances.
The American Express can also be characterized as a service that delivers information of impressive data quality. According to the existing records, the American Express has never provided the clients with distorted data.
As it has been mentioned previously the American express also does everything possible to provide “End-to-end inter- and cross-enterprise information integration” (Godinez et al., 2012, 95).
Judging by the aforementioned, one can conclude that the company has sufficiently used the Enterprise Information Integration. Coordinating their processes, different affiliates of the company manage to provide impressive clockwork.
In addition, the American Express has a tendency to visualize its information, which can be clearly seen in their brochures, booklets and even cards. By suing original design that considers customer’s psychology, the owners of the American Express have managed to come up with the design that drives people’s attention to the company immediately.
It is also quite impressive that American Express manages to provide the access to both structured and unstructured data. It is necessary to admit, though, that the unstructured data needs better analysis, since at present it looks rather unorganized (Wilkinson, 2011).
The American Express has already provided the re-use of its cards. The complexity, however, is still there. To make the matters worse, the new design often causes confusions. It seems that American Express should go back to the old design for a while.
To the company’s credit, the business is run on the principles of openness and transparency. The given policy, naturally, has its drawbacks. For example, the flaws of the American Express are made public immediately after they have been revealed. However, such policy allows for trustworthy relationships with the clients.
In accordance with the EIA principles, the information stored in the American Express has its owner, who is the director of the company.
The solutions concerning informational technology seem to be in chord with the company’s business. By using the latest IT developments, the American Express provides its customers better access to their data, as well as keeps the third parties away.
Eventually, the American Express seems to use the agility and flexibility of the IT assets to the full by using them as the means to acquire data, transfer it and keep it intact.
Reference List
Godinez, M. et al. (2010). Enterprise information architecture: A conceptual and logical view. In Godinez, M. et al. (Eds.), The art of enterprise information architecture (77–102). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Markus, G. (2012). Order: American Express is responsible for compensating customers for illegal practices. Web.
Wilkinson, A. (2011). Now accepting American Express. Web.
Wilson, B. (2008). Soft system methodology: Conceptual model building and its contribution. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons.