Project 3- System Definition

Stryker

Executive Summary

This report includes the definition of the Business System. The example for a business system used in this report is Stryker. Section one of the report covers the Input-Processing-Output model with a visual representation, as well as short descriptions of the processes involved. Section two covers the definition of Stryker’s business mission. Section three covers the definition of Stryker’s major views of world, behavior, and business dimensions. All information for this report was obtained at http://www.stryker.com.

INPUT-PROCESSING-OUTPUT Model

Stryker’s Mission

Stryker’s goal is to help make patients healthier by encouraging more active lives with the manufacturing of products as well as providing services that make surgery and recovery simpler, quicker, and more efficient.

The exact mission statement is as follows, “Stryker Corporation develops, manufactures and markets specialty surgical and medical products for the global market and provides outpatient physical therapy services in the United States” (Stryker.com).

Measurable Results

One of the main goals for the corporation is to continue growth abroad. They continue to expand throughout the globe. Stryker maintains a presence in the United States, Germany, Ireland, Canada, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Japan. Since 1977, Stryker Corporation has consistently grown faster than the medical market with an extraordinary achievement of 20% increase each year.

“Approximately 90% of Stryker’s annual sales come from the $19.0 billion worldwide Orthopedic Implant and Equipment market” (Stryker.com). The Company is one of the market leaders in this dynamic and rapidly growing industry. Stryker has the top selling products in a large number of the sub-categories within the business.

The Company participates in three important segments: the $7.3 billion worldwide Endoscopic market segment, the $4.8 billion Physical Therapy Services market segment in the United States and the $830 million Medical Bed & Stretcher market segment in North America . Stryker has experienced a successful growth in these three segments in addition to the total market during the past several years (Stryker.com).

The future prediction for successive growth in the industry where Stryker currently does businesses is excellent. Expansion is being driven by favorable demographic trends as the baby-boom generation comes into the prime age for orthopedic and other medical procedures.

“More active lifestyles, improvements in technology and the continued development of markets throughout the world also provide favorable indications of future opportunities for the Company. (Stryker.com).

According to statistics, in 2003 Stryker corporation sales record was $3.6 billion. The Company believes that this increased demand will lead to further increases in sales and profits. Stryker has a positive outlook for the future, both technologically and profit based.

Business Dimension Views – Marketing and Product

One of the largest business dimensions in any company, small or large, is marketing.  Marketing is an essential part of businesses getting their products out to their customers.  Information systems can really help the marketing department of large companies like Stryker.  Stryker uses information systems to keep specific information about their customers, which is turn is used for marketing purposes.

Being a B2B company, Stryker caters to those who make large purchases, or who are prominent in the medical field. They also are quite technical on their website in regard to the different products. If you are actually going to request more information on something then they believe that you will have some knowledge of what you are looking at, hence the jargon.

The company has an extensive privacy statement regarding personal information, and how it is to be used. According to their website personal information is used only to respond to your requests, contact you, via e-mail, regular mail, and telephone or otherwise provide you with information that we believe may be of interest to you. To develop records, including records of your personal information develop and improve programs, products, services and content. To enforce the privacy statement and the terms of use and other rules about your use of this site, the information is also used to protect Stryker's rights or property, to protect someone's health, safety or welfare, and to comply with a law or regulation, court order or other legal process (Stryker.com).

Due to the fact that the company doesn’t usually deal with people, only businesses, they use the “personal” information to create emails, catalogues, and telemarketing calls of that they think may interest the companies they serve. Stryker then stores the data collected from companies in databases until it is needed again, and it is always there in case it is needed. T he use of information systems to obtain this data is greatly effective to the marketing aspect of a business, and it helps marketing to the larger companies Stryker wants to serve. The information system used by many large businesses including Stryker is a good system to improve all aspects of the medical business, not just marketing.

The most important thing Stryker can do is to produce a quality product. Being in the medical field, a quality, respected product means the difference between life and death. If Maytag make a faulty washer, your clothes may get stained, but if Stryker makes a defective cervical tether you may die. So how does Stryker create a quality product? They listen to the doctor and surgeons who need them, and create products to their specifications. Then after a few doctors uses the product, and like it, they tell other doctors and before long, the company is successful, and respected for making quality products. Then they can use the resources they have to market new or redesigned products to their established consumer base. They can also use the new revenue to branch out, and market to others who may not have seen information about their product.

In a B2B setting the personal touch is not needed as much as is the cases with B2C, the companies doing business with Stryker are not looking for flashiest website, or best advertising. They expect a level of professionalism, but also timeliness. A quality product delivered when needed, as time is usually a crucial factor in the medical field. The product that Stryker makes is not only the core of their business, but also the core of the rehabilitation of thousands of people every year.

World and Behavioral Dimension Views

Within Stryker’s organization it is imperative that technology and communication have an interdependent relationship. The technology view is defined as a function of the business dimension, which includes advanced applications such as product construction, the manufacturing process or information systems and services. The communications view is part

of the behavioral dimensions and reflects a firm’s ability to communicate goals, objectives, strategies polices and feedback that determine performance.

The two views are dependent on one another because technology development is a major element of the company Stryker, and in order for the development of technology to be in compliance with company objectives, effective communication must be implemented. Stryker has had a tradition of innovation and technological breakthroughs, which would have not been possible without effective communication. It is important for employees to have open communication with managers, co-workers and team members.

It gives them a chance to share and build on each others ideas which could lead to a faster completion of a project or a technological breakthrough. Also when employees receive positive feedback or get pointed in the right direction, efficiency will most likely increase thus improving technology developments.

Stryker promotes communication and technology by putting employees into teams and having them work interdependently on projects and developments. Stryker also gives employees a written copy of their code of conduct that establishes policies and procedures that are intended to guide employees, officers and directors in the performance of their duties and responsibilities and ensure compliance with the company.

An obstacle Stryker or any other large enterprise could run into is the challenge of not being able to effectively communicate with all employees. If employees are unclear of where a company stands, what goals the need to achieve or what procedures and strategies to use, technology will fail to improve.

Relationship Model