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Types of information support for a tourist organization. Information systems in tourism, their hardware and software. Features of tourist service

The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the use of travel companies Internet networks as a channel for the distribution of its services, it helps tourists and all interested parties to obtain the necessary information, which is very important for the promotion and development of Ukrainian outbound tourism.

The structure of the tourist area is similar to the organization of any other economic sphere activities. Information flows provide links between manufacturers tourism services, as well as links between producers and consumers of these services, and they are not only in the form of data flows, but also act in the form of services and payments. The relevance of this topic lies in the fact that the use of the Internet by travel companies as a channel for distributing their services helps tourists and all interested parties to obtain the necessary information, which is very important for the promotion and development of Ukrainian outbound tourism.

The growing use of information technology is evidenced by the fact that tourism is one of the top five, and according to some data, is already in the top three areas with the largest sale of goods and services via the Internet. The advantages of using this network for the subjects of the tourist market of Ukraine are obvious: it gave unlimited access to information, allows you to save money in long-distance and international negotiations, provides information on advanced technologies, and allows you to exchange views with colleagues. It should also be noted that advertising on the Internet is cheaper than usual, and in most cases more effective, since it is aimed at the target audience.

Using information technology, any travel company can complete their tours using the global Internet. Information about a particular company in the network can be presented on a web page, website, business card or full-size website.

A significant step forward in the field of information technology in Ukraine is the creation of the Ukrainian Tourist Information System, which began operating in 1999. The creation of a database of tourist services and companies in Ukraine with the subsequent sale of their product in the domestic and foreign markets, as well as extensive advertising in the global tourism systems, contribute to the promotion of the tourism product.

Information Systems in tourism are created for both general and professional users. The components of information technology systems in the tourism sector are computer reservation systems, management information systems, electronic airline information systems, electronic money transfer, telephone networks, teleconferencing systems, etc. Most actively information technologies are used by travel agents and tour operators. On the international market tourism currently operates four global reservation systems. In Ukraine, only one is officially represented - AMADEUS. However, the functioning and effectiveness of this and other systems require that tourism service providers have at least a minimum level of technology in order to access and be represented on such systems.

The study of information technologies, in particular in hotel complexes, which must satisfy the vital needs of tourists for a certain level of service, logistics, range and quality of services provided, showed that the main task in managing a hotel complex is to coordinate the actions of its different parts. This problem can be solved by introducing modern management systems and technologies, the use of modern computer technology, the use of automated control systems.

In practice, it is advisable to manage hotel reservations, keep records of visitors and the distribution of rooms, and inventory records using computers. Special software allows you to keep accounting records of the hotel complex, including the necessary final reporting for government agencies, timesheets of working hours, calculation of taxes and staff salaries.

Automated management systems for hotel complexes designed to facilitate the work of its structural subdivisions, increase the level of service, eliminate staff abuse, etc.

Another problem in hotel business related to the use of information technology, there is the creation of a business center in hotels, which in turn provides for electronic means of communication, copying equipment, meeting rooms, computers, telefax.

In the field of management in the tourism business, there have also been dramatic changes. Modern level development of the tourist industry and fierce competition in this area attach particular importance to the information systems of travel agencies. These systems not only speed up the process of calculations and the formation of documents, but can also reduce the cost of services (tour package) by choosing the best option for the price of delivering customers, accommodation, etc. Currently, there are a number of well-established software products. The development of specialized software products for the tourism business is currently being carried out by several Russian companies: Megatek, Arim-Soft, Samo-Soft, Tourist Technologies, etc.

There are several computer systems on the software market that allow you to automate internal activities travel company. As a rule, these systems ensure the maintenance of reference databases on clients, partners, hotels, transport, embassies, as well as the maintenance of tours and accounting of payments, taking orders and working with clients, generating output documents, etc. Almost all software systems provide the formation of financial statements and often export-import data into specialized accounting programs, such as 1C, etc.

Along with the automation of tourist firms, a similar development of programs for the automation of the activities of hotels, restaurants and other tourist business enterprises is being carried out. The use of information systems in this area leads to significant changes in management, and also improves the quality of service.

The need to automate management processes has already become an axiom, but the methodology and circumstances of the transition to new technologies still remain problematic. Any automation of a travel agency involves the introduction of automated workplaces into its activities, thanks to which a complex of supporting and functional information technologies will be implemented to ensure the performance of certain management tasks. The purpose of travel agency automation is information support for the formation and decision-making by management.

Currently, the Russian tourism market can be identified next steps automation of a typical travel agency:

1) The use of standard software, such as the use of Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, ready-made Access databases, translation programs, accounting, financial, document management systems, knowledge.
2) Application of special standard information technologies of management in tourism: "MASTER - TOUR", "SAMO - TOUR" AND OTHERS;
3) Use of global computer reservation systems: "AMADEUS", "GALILEO", "SABRE" and others;
4) interfacing of typical management information technologies with booking systems;
5) participation in electronic commerce or electronic business.

A variety of information technologies used in tourism (software systems associated with global computer booking systems and local programs such as accounting or fax programs) allow all business processes in tourism to be turned into electronic ones, for the implementation of paperless technologies, technologies for exchanging information on e-mail and the possibilities of the Internet.

The choice of software products by travel agencies and the specifics of their use depend on a number of factors, in particular:

a) on the direction of the travel agency, the set of tasks to be solved, the original technology, the total sales volume, financial condition travel agencies;
b) from the awareness of the management of the travel agency about the software that exists on the market of information technology management in tourism, about its advantages and disadvantages;
c) on the mode of operation of computers (standalone or networked).

When choosing software, it is advisable to pay attention to the following points:

friendliness, simplicity, standard interface. The interface is a way of communication between a person and programs, therefore a number of requirements are imposed on it, in particular, simplicity, understandability, standardization;

acceptable cost of information technology for managing a travel agency and its maintenance.

The total cost of travel agency automation consists of the cost of software, equipment, training, and maintenance services. In this cost, you can allocate the amount that will immediately be spent on the purchase of equipment and software product, and the amount of fixed costs for the maintenance of hardware and software. Comparing different information technologies should be done only by their total cost or cost of ownership.

At present, standard information management technologies are actively promoted in the Russian tourism market for automation of travel agencies, the main purpose of which is to serve the activities of these travel agencies. A typical management information technology should meet the following requirements:

? comply with regulations Russian legislation;
? cover all aspects of production, economic and financial activities travel agencies, while providing:

° functional completeness (provision of a separate program (subsystem or module) for automation of the most complete set of functions of any division of the travel agency)

° efficiency (high performance of the automated system when performing all functions)

° complexity (ensuring close interconnection (integration) of individual modules)

° modularity (completion of a separate program (module, subsystem), the possibility of purchasing and mastering programs included in the software package in parts)

° flexibility and openness of the architecture (the ability to supplement the system with new modules that fit into overall structure already installed control system)

° scalability (equally efficient operation for any amount of processed information and regardless of the number of participants in the process)

Be modern and competitive information product in your class using:

° modern advanced technologies of tourism business

° advanced information technologies;

? be able to modernize programs due to the high rates scientific and technological progress, which causes a change in equipment and technologies;
? ensure the reliability and security of data storage, have protection against unauthorized access both for individual technological operations and for the control system as a whole, and in case of unauthorized access, be able to detect it;
? have a flexible and quick setting of parameters for the features of a particular travel agency;
? have a branded technical support(conducting consultations, seminars, organizing " hotline", departure of a specialist, availability of new versions of software, the cost of which is significantly lower than the first purchase of software);
? have powerful statistical and analytical units for operational analysis of the activities of the travel agency and making strategic decisions, which is especially important in a competitive environment;
? be applied on the basis of the "Client-server" architecture, ensuring the processing of information located in different places without performance loss.

These typical information technologies for managing travel agencies have an undeniable advantage - they are beneficial with financial point of view, since maintaining and developing systems custom-made for a particular travel agency is often a very expensive process and not economically profitable.

Already accumulated positive experience in the implementation of information technology in hundreds of travel agencies, over the years of development and operation, they have acquired a high level of functionality and got rid of bottlenecks. So far, not all Russian travel agencies use special information management technologies, but almost all of them have an office automated to one degree or another, where standard software is mainly used.

Automation Tasks

The introduction of modern information technologies should ensure the fulfillment of a number of requirements, including:

* internal document management
* ensuring security using various methods of control and differentiation of access to information resources,
* distributed support information processing,
* receiving and processing up-to-date information from tour operators
* use of client-server architecture,
* modular principle building systems,
* Internet technology support
* control of user actions. The head of the travel agency at any time can see who and what is doing. The system allows you to move away from the oral setting of tasks. You can send a request to the manager by internal mail.
* saving staff time,
* ensuring printing of all required documents(how much effort and time it takes to manually issue several hundred vouchers and tour packages or issue a couple of hundred air tickets per day),
* reducing the likelihood of errors in the work of personnel.
* the presence of a convenient and friendly interface.
* data analysis and obtaining statistical reports.

Automation should include the following set of tasks:

Task number 1 - monitoring the state of the market.

Task number 2 - automation of internal workflow. This is an extract of the documents necessary for the tourist: vouchers, incoming / outgoing cash orders, contracts, vouchers, etc. This and tracking life cycle client requests. Here you can use the functions offered by tour search and booking systems, or you can choose a separate software package, the functions of which are not limited to those listed above. At the same time, it is very important to understand the difference between the software that is installed on your computers and has its own database of the agency, and the resource of a third-party organization with which the agency works via the Internet. Sometimes agencies do not see the difference between information retrieval and in-office systems. Perhaps this is because a number of in-office systems are linked to search and reservation systems. In turn, intra-office systems of agencies sometimes allow the use of data from online resources of tour operators. This gives an additional advantage to agencies. So, having booked a tour online, the travel agent actually performs the work of the tour operator in entering the application into the database, and does not leave anything for himself. In some cases, it is possible to save data in the in-office program of the travel agency. True, not in all programs and not in all tour operators.

Task number 3 - CRM (Customer Relationship Management). The task of building interaction with customers becomes one of the main ones with an increase in sales. The in-office system used by the agency should allow the travel agency to maintain client base data and history of relationships with their customers. This is necessary when the agency issues discount cards, the discount on which depends on the amount spent by the client on tours. This is also important when it is necessary to notify clients about a change in the agency's address or the release of a special offer that could be of interest to a regular client, based on his previous orders. As in any other business, regular customers travel agencies are its main wealth, and information about them must be treated accordingly.

Task number 4 - automation of relationships with tour operators. Automation is by no means limited to creating and printing an application form. As mentioned above, this is an automatic tracking of the passage of the application from the moment it is formed to the moment it is sent to the archive. Here you can use the modes of on-line booking of tour operators, and intra-office systems, and systems for searching and booking tours, if they have the necessary set of functions. In addition, the statistics of working with tour operators are important, but more on that below.

Task number 5 - accounting automation. Better than specialized accounting programs, no programs can handle accounting automation. But, in a number of cases, travel agencies operating under a simplified taxation system use the services of audit companies, handing over only primary documentation to them. In this case, the functions of intra-office programs in terms of accounting for finances are more than enough. This includes receiving an advance payment, and recalculating different currencies, and an extract primary documents. It is also possible to pair specialized tourist intra-office programs with accounting ones at the level of file exchange.

Task No. 6 - automation of data analysis and obtaining statistics. To make the right strategic decisions, the software used by the travel agency must generate an exhaustive number of statistical reports that will show the company's profitability over a period of time, the average profitability of applications by destinations and tour operators, and much more. This will allow the agency to correctly navigate the market and develop the necessary areas of activity, building relationships with the "right" tour operators, at the right time to give the right advertising and evaluate how it "works". Even an analysis of the time of receipt of calls and their essence will help a thinking manager make the right decision on the issue of reorganization within the company.

The development of tourism business is impossible without the use of scientific, technical and market information and modern telecommunication systems, the influence of which on all aspects of human life is constantly increasing. Economists consider telecommunications, which transform information and quickly deliver it to everyone via satellites, as the most important factor of production, along with land, labor and capital.

International and domestic tourism is a powerful industry in trade in services,

basis tourism industry firms are: tour operators and travel agents engaged in tourist trips, selling them in the form of vouchers and tours, providing services for the accommodation and meals of tourists, their movement around the country, as well as management bodies, information, advertising for the study of tourism and training for it, enterprises for the production and sale of goods of tourist demand (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2

In addition, individual components tourism industry are closely interconnected with each other - after all, many tourism producers are vertically or horizontally involved in each other's activities. All this allows us to consider tourism as a highly integrated service, which makes it even more receptive to the use of information technology in organization and management. Other industries also work for tourism, for which serving tourists is not the main activity (enterprises of culture, trade, etc.). Thus, tourism is an extremely information-rich activity. There are few other industries in which the collection, processing, application and transmission of information is as important to daily functioning as in the tourism industry. A service in tourism cannot be displayed and considered at the point of sale as consumer or industrial goods. It is usually bought in advance and away from the place of consumption.

It is information flows, and not goods, that provide links between tourism service providers, because it is not the services and payments themselves that are sent to their destination, but only information about them is translated. And this means that tourism in the market is almost entirely dependent on images, descriptions, means of communication and information transfer.

The efficiency of work in the market of tourist services largely depends on the speed and quality of information transfer.

The information environment in which computer technology is implemented is characterized by the presence of the following support: information, technical, mathematical, software, linguistic, organizational, methodological, legal and ergonomic.

Information support -- a set of methods and means of building the information fund of the system, organizing its functioning and use. There are concepts: "information fund" and "information base". The information fund includes all the information of the economic object, recorded both on paper documents and on machine media. The infobase reflects only information recorded on machine media.

Information support is divided into two large groups: non-machine and intramachine support. Off-machine software is represented by a system of classifiers and codifiers of information, a documentation system, and the organization of workflow. The automated accounting system uses all-Union, industry and local classifiers. The first two types of classifiers are developed centrally, the last - on a specific economic object. In this case, the compatibility of all classifiers must be ensured. The documentation system is represented by primary, output and reference documents. Primary documents can be standard intersectoral and sectoral documents, as well as documents developed at the economic facility itself. Cross-industry documents are contained in albums unified forms primary accounting documentation, which are part of the unified documentation system. Output documents are generated by a computer and presented in the form of a printed document, they reflect the resulting information. They are divided into standard reports corresponding to accounting registers; specialized reports; regulated reports. The latter include state reporting, which has unified standard forms, industry and regional reporting.

Regulatory reference documents contain conditionally permanent information about the norms and norms of monetary, material, labor costs, prices, tariffs, etc.

Document flow involves rationally organized schemes for the passage of documents from the moment they arise to execution and delivery to the archive.

Internally, the hardware includes the information base of automated systems.

Information base -- a set of data placed on machine media in accordance with certain rules storage. In information systems, it is represented by arrays of conditionally constant and current information.

The first group includes classifiers of all types, organized in a special way and stored in the long-term memory of computers.

The second group includes arrays of current data on business transactions and arrays of primary documents. Ways of organizing and storing this data can be different and are determined by the features of the software used.

Technical support - complex technical means providing information technology. These are technical means for collecting and registering information, transmitting data, processing information, as well as office equipment and specialized network equipment.

Mathematical software is a set of mathematical tools used in describing algorithms for solving problems of automated technology, as well as models for compiling and interpreting information used in software.

In addition to algorithms for solving accounting problems defined by regulatory framework technology, automated systems includes a whole group of models that reflect the main features of the subject area, but differently implemented in software:

1. Conceptual model of automated processing of credentials;
2. A model for organizing document management, which determines the procedure for the formation, storage, processing and transformation of documents into a system of records;
3. Decision model functional tasks;
4. Models of the working period;
5. Models of data separation and integration.

The features of the implementation of the listed models determine the specifics of the technology for using the software. Mathematical support is reflected in technical documentation, which describes the tasks, provides models and algorithms for solving them, as well as test and control examples. For the development of software, specialists are involved who know the subject area, who own mathematical methods and able to give a formalized description of the procedure for solving control problems,

Software is a set of processing programs, including data transfer. According to its purpose, the software is divided into system, auxiliary and specialized.

System software is the operating systems that control the operation of computers, network equipment, and application software.

Ancillary software is a collection software tools necessary for the operation of programs and providing additional services to users. These include database management systems (DBMS), interpreters of programs developed by means of interpretive programming systems, various external libraries necessary for the operation of programs, tools for archiving and protecting data from unauthorized access, etc.

Many programs can generate reports in MS Excel format. Therefore, to view these reports, you must have a computer, either the Excel spreadsheet itself or an Excel file viewer. Some modern programs to be able to view reports and even to enter data, they require some kind of Internet Web browser to be installed on the computer, and without them they cannot function normally.

Specialized software is a set of programs that directly implement algorithms for solving functional problems of tourism management. Among them:

GDS Amadeus www.amsdeus.ra , Worldspan www.worldspan.com, Galileo www.galileo.ru, Saber

Russian booking systems tourism services Alean www.alean.ru, Sirena www.sirena2000.ru, Matisse, Express, Cypress, Boarding house, TIS Navigator

Standard software from Megatek, Arimsoft, SAMOsoft, Intoursoft, Continent ANT

Linguistic support is a system of artificial languages, terms and definitions used in the process

development and operation of the information system. It includes: languages for describing the structural units of information (details, indicators, documents); management

(manipulating) information base data; descriptions of solution algorithms accounting; information retrieval systems; special purpose.

Organizational support is a set of methods and tools that regulate the interaction of operating and maintenance personnel with hardware, software and among themselves in the process of functioning of the information system.

The operating personnel are employees of management units who directly use the system in solving their professional tasks.

Service personnel - employees who perform the functions of ensuring the functioning of the system: support for the normal operation of hardware, software, safety and integrity of the information base. At major economic facilities service staff is usually part of a specialized unit that maintains an automated enterprise management system. As a rule, these are technical specialists with professional skills in maintaining communications, computing and office equipment. Activity technical specialists carried out in two directions:

1. Construction and development of the information system (information department);
2. Maintenance of hardware and software (department of operation).

With the use of computers modern means communication and other technical and software tools, the procedure for the formation of a tourist product is greatly simplified and the speed of its entry into the market increases. tourist market. Therefore, technological progress is firmly gaining its position in the tourism industry. International systems booking, Internet, electronic bases data on regulations in tourism, automated settlement systems directly affect the creation and promotion of any offers from tour operators and travel agents and reach the consumer.

Accordingly, the use of modern software and technical tools is the most important in the field of tourism, providing productivity growth in the tourism industry.

In the field of tourism, information is used at two levels: managing the activities of the company and working with clients.

The company's management needs a special collection of data related to the solution of a particular problem. AT modern conditions this is the most important strategic factor, since every business operation is associated with the successful collection, storage and use of information. Its quality depends on such factors as accuracy, timeliness, completeness, integrity and brevity.

Since information accumulates rather quickly, there is a need to create specialized information systems. There are information systems of the following categories:

- A business information system that handles daily business data streams, including inventory information, wages and sales volume;
- office systems for office workers;
- production and design system for creating new products and projects;
- management information system for compiling periodic reports intended for middle and lower managers;
- an administrative information system adapted to the service of senior management.

Directly related to information is the operation of the system of orders and sales of tourist services in transport companies, hotels, restaurants, travel agencies. In recent years, powerful computer systems have been used to receive and process large volumes of business information, covering all areas of travel agencies. Usually the initiators of their creation are the airlines. So, AMR in the early 1960s. implemented integrated system Saber for booking tickets. In the late 1980s leading European companies led by Air France and Lufthansa formed a common information system Start Amadeus, and a group of companies led by British Airways formed the Galileo system. Currently, the most famous systems are Start Amadeus, Galileo, Saber Jnc, System One. The world's largest information system for transport and tourism services is Saber Inc. Although such systems are created by large firms for themselves, hundreds of other companies from different industries can use their services. For example, the Saber and Amadeus systems are linked by a joint operation agreement. All Saber users are allowed access to the Amadeus database and vice versa. In addition, Saber acquired a majority stake in the German communications company Dillon Communication System (DCS), thereby gaining real-time access to more comprehensive business databases located in other European countries - aviation, rail, shipping companies, hotels, car rental companies, theaters, various clubs, etc. Saber is also connected to similar systems in Japan and Australia. More than 330 million tours have been booked through this system. Its share in the global information services market reached 31.4%. There is an obvious increase in income from the sale of a new highly profitable product to tourist firms and individuals - information.

Intra-company information is intended for owners and managers and is used in decision-making. For example, in management accounting, which is the process of registering, systematizing and evaluating the financial activities of a company, as well as summarizing data on sales, purchases and other transactions. Accounting is intended for internal use and covers a wide range of financial transactions. Well-established accounting helps, on the one hand, owners and managers to correctly evaluate the results of the previous stage of the company's development, its current state, outline prospects for the future and exercise regular control economic activity all departments. AT large companies top management only uses key indicators. This helps to increase the efficiency of decision-making.

The accounting department of the company constantly accumulates a large number of records that record various transactions, the information obtained is then summarized in financial reports. These documents present the main events of the past year and the state of the company at the moment. Financial reports allow you to compare the planned indicators with the results achieved and, after analyzing the causes of deviations, make adjustments.

Information about the results of the company's activities is intended not only for its managers. It is also used to influence the external environment. Financial statements firm allows investors and shareholders, suppliers and creditors to evaluate, government bodies her financial position. In addition, reports show how effective the activities of hired senior managers are. The most important are the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement (cash statement). These three financial documents represent the most important sources of information about the state of affairs of a particular company.

In many countries, the tourist information service has a state status, i.e. a network of information bureaus serving foreign tourists has been created at the expense of the state budget. At the same time, a customer information service system is being created within the framework of each tourist enterprise. This is achieved by collecting the necessary reference and information materials on all issues related to the organization of the reception and servicing of foreign tourists and studying these materials by the relevant employees of the enterprise. These materials primarily include:

information on passport and visa, customs and currency regulation;

conditions, tariffs and schedule passenger traffic on international and domestic lines;

information about the conditions of autotourism on buses, own or rented cars (car rental, car routes, ordering a taxi);

information about accommodation facilities (hotels, motels, campsites, private houses), their addresses, class, tariffs;

information about excursion, cultural and entertainment services (museums, art galleries, architectural, historical monuments, theaters and concert halls, exhibitions, etc.);

information about restaurants, cafes, bars and other catering establishments;

information about natural attractions (national parks, reserves, botanical gardens, waterfalls, grottoes, caves, etc.);

information about the types of tourism (cognitive, recreation, treatment, hunting, sports, business tourism, scientific tourism, etc.);

information about travel routes;

Information about medical care, types of insurance, postal and telegraph services and other available opportunities for servicing foreign tourists, meteorological information;

calendar of national, religious holidays, cultural events;

exchange rate of foreign currencies.

The carriers of such information can be various reference books, guidebooks, booklets, city plans, maps, memos, oral answers.

It should be pointed out that one of the criticisms expressed by foreign tourists regarding the service in our country, until now, has been the incompetence of the staff, i.e. his failure to provide the necessary information. Tourists complained that on almost any issue they were sent from one employee to another and nowhere they could get an intelligible answer. It follows that the mastery of information material and its provision at the first request of a foreign tourist is an absolute requirement for the creation of a tourist product and its successful implementation, and therefore this should be reflected in the marketing strategy being developed.

In connection with the ever-increasing volume of information, its collection, systematization and use are becoming technically more and more laborious for Russian firms. Therefore, the only way out of this situation can be considered the widespread introduction and use of computer information systems.

Many Russian travel agencies have already created and operate computer programs that make it possible to enter, store and use information about hotels, transport, display objects. Wide opportunities in the information support of travel agencies are opened up by the Internet with specialized servers and sites through which users can obtain the necessary information about tourist centers in various regions of Russia.

CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………….3

CHAPTER 1
THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF INFORMATION SUPPORT OF ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT ……………………………………………………..5
1.1. Analysis of the essence and features of information support for enterprise management …………………………………………………..……...5
1.2. Decentralized and centralized information management systems ……………………………………………………………………………...9
1.3. Organization of the work of the information support department of the company ... .11

CHAPTER 2
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FEATURES OF INFORMATION SUPPORT OF A TOURIST ENTERPRISE ON THE EXAMPLE OF "ENERGO - TOUR" ……………………………………………………………………..16
2.1. The role of information technology in the management of a travel agency……………...16
2.2. Features of the information needs of travel agency employees ...... 19
2.3. Organization information support travel agency "Energo-Tour"…..21

CHAPTER 3
METHODS AND WAYS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATION SUPPORT OF A TOURIST COMPANY …………………………………………………………………24
3.1. Trends in the development of information technology ………………………..24
3.2. Problems of information support for a travel agency and ways to solve them.28
3.3.Methods for improving the efficiency of information support for travel agencies …………………………………………………………………………….

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………………32
LIST OF USED SOURCES ……………………………..34
INTRODUCTION

In order to make effective management decisions in the conditions of the dynamic development of a market economy, an enterprise needs an appropriate information support system that objectively reflects the current economic situation. Good information support is not only the key to the success and competitiveness of the company, but sometimes acts as a means of survival in the face of fierce competition. Therefore, the problem of improving the information support of enterprise management, considered by me in this work, is relevant.
Management information support is the connection of information with enterprise management systems and the management process as a whole. It can be considered not only as a whole, covering all management functions, but also for individual functional management activities, such as forecasting and planning, accounting and analysis. This makes it possible to shade the specific moments inherent in the information support of functional management, revealing at the same time its general properties, which allows directing research in depth.
In modern conditions, information support has become an important area, which consists in the collection and processing of information necessary for making informed management decisions. The transfer of information about the position and activities of the company to the highest level of management and the mutual exchange of information between all interconnected divisions of the company are carried out on the basis of modern electronic computers and other technical means of communication.
The theoretical and methodological basis of the work are the works of P. N. Afonin, N. A. Rodigin, G. A. Titorenko, A. M. Karminsky and others, as well as materials from periodicals in Russia and Ukraine.
aim term paper is to study the problem of improving the information support of the organization's management. In accordance with the set goal, the following tasks are to be solved in the work:
1. To study the theoretical foundations of information support for enterprise management;
2. Consider the features of information support for a tourist enterprise on the example of the travel agency "Energo - Tour";
3. Analyze the methods and means of improving the information support of a travel company.
The object of the study is information support.
The subject of the study is the information support of the travel agency "Energo - Tour".
When writing a term paper, the following methods of scientific research were used: literary descriptive, systematic, comparative.
The course work consists of an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, a list of references (16 titles) and 2 figures. The total amount of work is 36 pages.

CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT

1.1. The essence and features of information support for enterprise management

The improvement of forms and methods of management is based on the achievements of scientific and technological progress, further development computer science, which studies the laws, methods and methods of accumulation, processing and transmission of information using various technical means.
Various information and technical innovations should be perceived as a means of reducing and reducing the cost of the administrative apparatus. For example, the advent of the telephone, radio, television, personal computers, local computer networks and the global Internet, in turn, led to the improvement of the information support system for enterprise management. Ultimately, the role of information in organizational management the company is constantly increasing, which is associated with changes in the socio-economic nature, the emergence of the latest achievements in the field of engineering and technology, the results of scientific research. The scientific and technological revolution has put forward information as the most important factor in the production process. The information process is necessary as an indispensable condition for the operation of modern technology, as a means of improving the quality of the workforce, as a prerequisite for the successful organization of the production process itself.
Information support is a set of processes for collecting, processing, storing, analyzing and issuing information necessary to ensure management activities and technological processes. It provides for preliminary analytical processing of documents, their sets, with the subsequent issuance of not so much the documents themselves as the information contained in them.
Information service is a necessary component of information support, the end result of which is the issuance of documents or addresses.
The main term in the information support system is the concept of information. There are many approaches to the definition of the concept of information. However, the most appropriate definition is the following: information (from the Latin word information - clarification, awareness, presentation) is a change in the volume and structure of knowledge about a certain subject area (objects, facts, events, phenomena, processes) of the perceiving system (person, organizational structure) regardless of the form and method of providing knowledge.

Fig.1.1. The process of transmitting and receiving information
Compiled by the author

In the management process, information is constantly exchanged (see Fig. 1.1). Moreover, the direction of information movement can be vertical (from the head to subordinates or from subordinates to the head), and horizontal (between the heads of departments, subordinates of the same level). To successfully achieve strategic goals and tactical objectives, the company must track all possible sources of information getting into internal environment and make the most of it. This can only happen if all stakeholders within the organization have timely access to relevant information sources. In a favorable case, the analysis and use of information becomes an interactive process in which both management representatives and employees of all levels of management participate.
The information used by a company in its decision-making process can be represented as a stream of four main elements (see Figure 1.2).

Fig.1.2. The influence of information on the stages of developing a competitive strategy
Compiled by the author

Information from external sources enters the organization when analyzing the external environment and the target market. It measures the influence exerted on the firm by commercial (competitors), political, social, economic, and regulatory (government) forces. At the same time, once having got into the internal environment of the company, information can either circulate freely in it, or have a limited circulation, or even become secret. Finally, it may be ignored as "irrelevant". In parallel with this, information flows circulate within the company that influence the formation of competitive advantages. They arise from the analysis of costs and functional profits, as well as from the analysis of the technological capabilities of the organization. Information concerning the process of formation of competitive advantages provides an objective picture of the relative competitive position of the organization in the market.
The main requirements for the organization of information support are the following:
1. consistency - satisfaction of information needs that have arisen among specialists in the course of their activities, regardless of the scope of its application; systematic provision of information at all stages of research and other work; the complexity of the types of information support, taking into account the nature of the consumer's activity;
2. completeness - the optimal number of documents of information necessary for consumers to effectively fulfill their tasks;
3. differentiation - providing each consumer with information that contributes to the solution of the tasks assigned to him, taking into account a complex of objective conditions (working time resources, material and technical base, the importance of the work performed) and his individual characteristics;
4. timeliness - the coincidence of the timing of the provision of information with the performance by the consumer of the work for which this information is intended.
The effectiveness of management decisions is influenced by many indicators:
- quality, reliability and efficiency of obtaining information;
- knowledge, experience, personal qualities of the leader;
- qualification structure of subordinates;
- market situation.
Thus, the collection, storage, search, processing, transformation, dissemination and use of information in various fields of activity become crucial for success in the competitive struggle.
1.2. Decentralized and centralized information management systems

In small companies with a low workflow intensity (no more than 20 documents per day), information support functions are usually decentralized. This means that the units are mostly self-sustaining. The centralized component of this function is reduced to the distribution activities of the secretary in the transfer of incoming and outgoing mail, as well as connecting employees with external and internal subscribers.
The tradition of information self-sufficiency is not burdened with complex technologies, does not divert additional staff resources. Its advantage is the direct online access of users to sources of information that belongs to them according to the target and functional features. In this state of affairs, each solid department creates its own archive that meets the requirements of this particular service. However, with a large flow of documents and an office staffing of more than 30 people, the disadvantages of a decentralized information management system become more noticeable than its advantages.
Firstly, a significant part of the data suitable for multifunctional use becomes difficult to access due to the decentralized method of storage (in the archives of profiling departments). For example, information about the execution of contracts and the costs of their execution are needed simultaneously by the accounting, financial, planning, marketing and economic departments. Therefore, it is necessary to establish simultaneous access to data sources for different specialists. In a decentralized system, this leads to multiple mutual requests related to the search, preparation and transfer of information to subcontractors, which, of course, distracts employees from performing their main job duties. At the same time, control and accounting of the movement of documents is extremely difficult, and often completely absent.
Secondly, departments that have monopolized certain sources of information form databases taking into account only their own, narrow departmental needs. The formats of databases created in different divisions, as a rule, do not match. As a result, a lot of time is spent on re-issuing, supplementing or correcting information during repeated or parallel use. Often the same information is mechanically transferred (or even reprinted) from one table to another, formatted differently.
Thirdly, in some cases, due to interpersonal and interdepartmental contradictions, information is simply withheld.
Fourth, the incompatibility of formats limits the ability to use and extract data and new knowledge to maintain the functioning and further development of the company.
Fifth, decentralization in the management of the organization of the IT complex contributes to the development of many incompatible data processing software. And the more of them, the more obstacles to effective management.
Sixth, the function of maintaining and developing information technology, which is the basis of the management infrastructure, in a decentralized system does not have a responsible coordinator and develops spontaneously: at best, under the influence of the IT department, at worst, initiative leaders of non-core departments that monopolize individual sources of information resources .
In large companies, where up to 100 or more documents are processed per day, the "each to each" relationship within information exchange seriously confuse the situation. The responsibility of a particular employee for the final result is reduced information work: documents are lost, tasks are delayed, data is distorted, the number of problematic and conflict situations is growing. First of all, this concerns documents that initiate a chain of work and generate new documents. To eliminate these problems, special divisions, secretariats, offices, organizational departments, and archives are created in companies. However, without the integration of new divisions into common system management of the company, and most importantly, without combining the flows of directive and functionally supporting information, it will not be possible to reduce the severity of the problem.
Instead of inconsistent actions of local sources and consumers of information, discrepancies in the formats and structures of databases of documents used by different employees, the absence of a single database and a common coordinator of information activities, a technology for centralized management of information support based on the company's coordination and information center (CIC) is proposed. This center is the main control-regulatory and organizing element of the operational management subsystem, connecting and directing information flows, labor, material, financial resources to achieve the planned results.
The information support system is inextricably linked with the coordination function and includes the following main areas: examination of information media, registration, routing, acquisition, delivery, archiving.

1.3. Organization of the work of the information support department of the company

Management information resources are some information, data, designed in such a way as to ensure the convenience of decision-making in the field of target activity.
According to well-known Norwegian scientists Kjell A. Nordstrom and Jonas Ridderstrale, "the problem of most organizations is not that they know little, but that they do not know what they know" . Knowledge is scattered throughout the organization, and no one knows how much of it, how and where it moves, where it is stored, and what the intellectual potential of the company really is.
Up to 60% of instructions and orders are given by managers orally, leaving no traces on information media. As a consequence, the implementation of these instructions is poorly controlled; they are poorly coordinated with other activities and are not always provided with the necessary information materials, as they fall out of the standard technological chain of registration and maintenance .
Undocumented information that performs service functions is also not technologically adapted to the format of documents and means of processing them, and therefore cannot be fully or partially taken into account, analyzed and controlled within the framework of formal procedures. Due to the fact that undocumented information, as a rule, contains a large amount of information noise and does not have an official status (it is not institutionalized by technological standards, instructions and other regulatory documents), its use leads to additional waste of time, errors or even interference in work.
Relevant information delivered to the executor in time is one of the main conditions for the successful performance of functions and the effective achievement of the set goals. The most important condition for efficiency and competitiveness is the speed of finding, using and converting initial information into decisions and actions aimed at changing the quality or quantity of products and / or services in the target market. Trends in the growth of organizations and the expansion of specialization are a signal for the transformation of information support functions into a specialized branch of activity, integrated with management processes.
In a large company, for example, a situation is unacceptable in which a lawyer is distracted by collecting all kinds of information and certificates, which delays the process of preparing a contract and can lead to the loss of a customer. Legal work would be more productive if the necessary information was collected at the request of lawyers by a special service.
It is especially important to work with directive information, which sets the direction of changes in the company's organizational system and its processes. Directive information can be presented by oral instructions, written orders and instructions, resolutions on documents, protocols, plans, programs, etc. . Some documents combine the properties of information of different types. Thus, an introductory letter may contain information about the new rules for processing customs documents for the logistics department and a resolution CEO to the legal service on amendments to internal regulations. Therefore, on the one hand, copies of the document must be sent to the relevant departments, and on the other hand, the implementation of the resolution of the general director must be monitored. Thus, one document initiates the movement of information in several directions, each of which must be taken into account in the framework of the functions of planning and controlling the delivery of information, as well as the execution of the directives contained in it. Obviously, such an order requires an appropriate organization of structures and processes.
In large companies, new divisions and positions are being created to work with documents, information and technical support. However, the integration of information support functions into the management system of companies is not always effective. It is for this reason that a mechanical increase in the number of personnel and departments does not give a tangible positive result.
The work process begins from the moment the information carrier or oral message arrives. If the message is standard (this is found out in the process of identifying the document), it is immediately sent for registration. At the same time, oral information goes through the procedure of documentation. Then the following is carried out:
- registration in the database (making records and codes characterizing the document and information);
- routing (establishment of stages and responsible for the order of work with the document, in accordance with applicable standards);
- coordination of the order of work in accordance with the plan of the department of operational management and the current situation;
- control of the movement of documents;
- preparation of regular and one-time reports on the results of document management.
A non-standard document is transferred to a specialized expert-analyst, who performs the following procedures with it:
- separates the content from the informational noise;
- performs semantic analysis and assigns semantic codes to the document;
- identifies potential users;
- draws up an approximate work plan, i.e. a program for using the information contained in the document; coordinates the plan with decision makers;
- transfers the encoded document for registration and further use.
In addition, the expert performs intelligent data search in the company's knowledge base and in external information sources, and also prepares reports on user requests, including compiling subject and systematic catalogs to search for information in the company's knowledge base.
After registration, the document is placed in a temporary or permanent archive. A temporary archive is created for documents for which the work plan has not been finalized. Copies of documents from the temporary archive are moved to the addressee according to the routing and execution plan. Copying, reproduction and delivery of documents to the addressee is carried out by forwarders. Internal documents and their projects, subject to approval or use, are registered in the same way as external ones. At the end of the work, the documents are transferred to the archive for storage or destruction.
The number of employees of the information support department is determined by the amount of work, which, in turn, depends on the processing technology and the intensity of the flow of documents.

Chapter 2

2.1. The role of information technology in the management of a travel agency

Tourism is one of the largest, highly profitable and most dynamic sectors of the world economy. Many countries, despite the huge recreational potential, are still not included in the permanent international tourist chains. One of the reasons for this contradiction is the lack of reliable and reliable information about the state of the market and service, based on all the possibilities provided by modern means of communication. Today, the process of forming and sending tourist groups abroad and, conversely, without the use of information technology is not effective enough.
The travel industry is one of the largest consumers of telecommunications technology, and has one of the highest levels of computing power in the business world. This stems in part from the nature of the information that is used in the travel industry. Firstly, this information is very sensitive to time, since various dates change very often - events, schedules, etc. Secondly, information about tourism products should be available in a timely manner from various points the globe. Thirdly, tourism product comprises a large number components - transport, accommodation, entertainment - which also require the rapid delivery of information to coordinate their satisfactory delivery.
Producers of tourism services operate within a well-defined managed structure, consisting of government and commercial organizations, trade associations (for example, hotels, air transport, travel agents, etc.). Producers of tourism services are classified into well-defined categories of suppliers (airlines, hotels, car rentals, services in a tourist destination), wholesalers (tour operators) and retailers (travel agents).
The most important feature of tourism is that the relationship between producers and suppliers is carried out not by goods, but by information flows. The information technology system used in tourism consists of a computer reservation system, a teleconferencing system, video systems, computers, management information systems, electronic information systems of airlines, electronic money transfer, telephone networks, mobile communications, etc. At the same time, it should be noted that this system of technologies is deployed not by travel agencies, hotels or airlines individually, but by all of them. Moreover, the use of each segment of the tourism system of information technology is important for all other parts. For example, hotel internal management systems can be connected to computer wide area networks, which in turn provide a basis for communication with hotel reservation systems, which, in the opposite direction, can be accessed by travel agencies through their computers.
A tourist product is a complex of various services for a traveler, and a travel company? The distributor is only one of the links in a large chain of tour partners. The speed of information, operational communication between them are of paramount importance, so information technology in tourism plays a huge role. Airline booking systems began to appear in the late 50s of the XX century. In the early 90s, a large-scale introduction of electronic technologies into the hotel industry began, and a little later - into travel companies.
Computer reservation systems are actively used by regional travel agencies? without them it is impossible to imagine the daily planning and management of operations.
So about 90% of travel agencies in the US and UK are connected to computer systems, since reservation systems provide not only air services, but also overnight stays in hotels, car rentals, cruise trips, information about the place of stay, exchange rates, weather reports, bus and railway communication. Such systems make it possible to reserve all major segments of a tour, from hotel rooms and air travel to theater tickets and insurance policies.
One connection via modem to servers that have the appropriate database, travel agencies get access to information about the availability of possible services, cost, quality, arrival and departure times for a diverse range of travel services from their suppliers. Moreover, travel agencies can contact these databases in order to make and confirm their booking. The operation and effectiveness of these systems require that travel service providers acquire at least a minimum level of technology (eg personal computer and networking skills in travel agencies) in order to access and be represented on such systems.
The largest computer reservation systems in the international tourism market are Amadeus, Galileo, Worldspan systems. Today, about 1,500 Amadeus terminals operate in Russia. The average booking volume is about 100,000 segments per month.
Most travel companies are already equipped with computers that usually work offline. With the phased construction of a single regional information network in tourism, one of the intermediate steps may be the implementation of a modem connection between various project participants.
The information system must store supplier data for each purchased service. Sales prices and supplier prices should be calculated automatically by the system based on various set rules. In the event that a particular service is not available through the tour operator and its information system, the consumer should be able to use other methods of purchase, i.e. requires on-line communication directly with the internal system of the service provider or with computer system reservations.
Electronic networks are an important communication channel that more and more organizations are using. However, tourism enterprises are still far from fully exploiting all the opportunities that the electronic network offers.
The use of electronic networks can bring the consumer closer to the offer, providing a fast, cheap, organized, two-way, direct and independent information channel.
Many companies have advanced to the computerization of technological operations and use specialized software products for travel agencies. Such programs are necessary for organizing and conducting work with clients and partners of the company, as well as for obtaining statistical and analytical data on the activities of a travel company.

2.2. Features of the information needs of travel agency employees
The basis of the tourism industry is made up of firms, tour operators and travel agents involved in tourist trips, selling them in the form of vouchers and tours; providing services for the accommodation and meals of tourists, their movement around the country, as well as authorities, information, advertising for the study of tourism and training for it. Other industries also work for tourism, for which serving tourists is not the main activity (enterprises of culture, trade).
Tourism? information-rich activity. There are few other industries in which the collection, processing, application and transmission of information is as important to daily functioning as in the tourism industry. A service in tourism cannot be displayed and considered at the point of sale as consumer or industrial goods. It is usually bought in advance and away from the place of consumption. Thus, tourism in the market is almost entirely dependent on images, descriptions, means of communication and information transfer.
The organization of the tourism industry is very similar to the organization of any other economic activity. Travel agent? an individual or legal entity acting as an intermediary in the sale of tours formed by the tour operator. Tour operator? travel organization that organizes tours. However, the nexus that holds the various producers within the tourism industry is information. It is information flows, not goods, that provide links between tourism service providers. They come not only in the form of data flows, but also in the form of services and payments.
Features of the information needs of travel agency employees are, first of all, in the timely receipt of information necessary for work. Services, for example (overnight stay in a hotel; car rental) are not forwarded to travel agents, who in turn do not store them until they are sold to consumers. Information about the availability, cost and quality of these services is transmitted and used. In the same way, real payments are not transferred from travel agents to tour suppliers, but commissions? from travel suppliers to travel agents. In fact, information about payments and receipts is translated. Thus, the timeliness of obtaining information is an important factor in meeting the needs of employees of a travel company.
etc.................

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Types of information support for a tourist organization. Information systems in tourism, their hardware and software. Features of tourist service

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