INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Introduction

    Information Technology or also known as IT has many roles in logistics operation. IT may ease people’s task since our world is facing the development in the technology. Everything we use in our daily life is somehow related to technology, but we do not realize it. For example, we use message to communicate with other people that is not in front of us. By that, we are set in mind that by use message to communicate with others, it will ease our life and save our time and energy.

Transport Management Systems (TMS)

    In HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd., they also have the same thought about the information technology in our life. They have been implementing information technology in their daily work routine. Most of their task is done by using systems. One of the most used systems is Transport Management System which is known as TMS. TMS has helped HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd. In completing and fulfilling the requirements and specifications from their clients that use their service. TMS is a system that can track any shipments or the movement of the vehicles under HTH management control. It is an amazing system since it can track and avoid any problems or uncertainties that may make their operation interrupted. For example, HTH can track where did their client’s goods and what is the estimated time of the goods to be delivered at their client’s warehouse. Hence, it may provide highest customer satisfaction by offering the best service quality to their clients.

Influence of information technology on HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd.

     Next, if there is no information technology used in HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd., HTH may not be as success as current HTH now. For HTH, information technology is one of the elements that have made them become a successful logistics company. As we all know, information technology can improve the smoothness of production in a service company. There are many technologies that have been implemented in HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd. Based on the interviews with employees of HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd., most of their technologies are systems. They use many systems such as Transport Management Systems (TMS) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). Systems gives many benefits to HTH like controlling and tracking the movements of their transport and observing the process of flow of goods in their warehouse.

Handling equipments technology in HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd.

    Other than that, there are also some material handlings equipment in their warehouse such as forklifts and conveyer belt. As we all know, the forklifts is used to lifting and moving goods in the warehouse. For conveyer belt, it is used to move goods in horizontally or vertically along its path on the conveyer belt. It is permanently attached to a fixed point in their warehouse. But, if HTH are facing any material handlings breakdown during their production, they will use the manpower to finish the interrupted task. This is because it may take time to repairing the equipment and may delay the task. Hence, it can lead to make the production become not smooth and they cannot achieve the estimated time to deliver their client’s goods.

Advantage and disadvantage of information technology

    And lastly, based on HTH’s opinion on advantage and disadvantage of implementation of information technology in HTH Transport Sdn. Bhd., normally information technology can ease our daily routine work. For example, information technology such as phones, fax and emails has reduced our burden in work just to communicate with people that are far from us. It can save our time and energy just to walk and find them in order to deliver some information that are needed by them. This situation usually happens among different departments in a company where the information flow is continuously happen to make sure there is no interruption in flow of production.

    Next part is the disadvantages of information technology. Without we realize, all of us are actually relying strongly on the Internet. If there are any troubleshoot happen in the middle of the busy day, it may disturb the work process and delay the flow of information. Hence, the production cannot run smoothly due to lack of information from the management. Other than that, if HTH using many systems, they need to invest on the server that may include in costing of their company. Hence, they need to make sure they will get higher return on investment since they occupied may server in order to implement the high-quality systems that may help them to become successful among logistics company in Malaysia.