CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION. Information and Communication Techniques (ICT) is the ability of using digital technology, communication tools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information in order to function on the performance of semi finish products. Semi-finished product is a product that has completed the production process of several workshops in an industrial enterprise, has been checked and accepted into storage but still needs to be processed or assembled in order workshops.

ICT makes CDC more efficient, effective and promptly respond to customers’ needs. ICT assist CDC activities including design, manufacturing and distribution and sales feedback.

CDC    needs ICT for the manager to be able to see the amount of work each team has as well as what stage the task is at. Utilization of ICT enhance outcome, instruction, administration and create important.

The Cameroon development cooperation is one of the most major exporters and employers in Cameroon. The CDC is an agribusiness company and its offices are based in Bota  Limbe, Kumba and Tiko. CDC is a parastatal company own by the state of Cameroon. The CDC adopted the use of surveillance data that can be used to estimate the magnitude of specific problems, determine the distribution and control measures to regulate the supply of its products.

• Background of the study

The Cameroon development cooperation was created from the merging of the former German plantations around mount fako. Meanwhile another former German planation “la plantation de Dizangue’ was bought in 1959 by the rived group. The rapid development of information and communication technologies which changes the existing business structures and ways of communication has extremely influenced the performance of the CDC in areas of administration, production, distribution and supply.

The use of technologies at workplace has considerably increased in the last decades. Large firms have taken advantage of the great number of communication and coordination capabilities offered by technologies in the spheres of design engineering, production and sale of goods and services (Colombo and Delmastro, 1999). The advancement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) entailed a decrease of information and communication costs (Milgrom and Roberts, 1990; Garicano, 2000). The introduction of ICT at workplace has lowered the production costs by allowing the automation of routine tasks which are replaced by computerization (Autor et al., 2003). This computerization ensured that work is being performed as required in the organizational guidelines and thereby lowered human errors in the production process as well as resources waste. This reduction of information and Communication costs also led to a better organizational planning and improved organizational communication (Milgrom and Roberts, 1990). This positively impacted firms’ performance

• The evolution of inventory control system.

The first phase to the evolution related to ICT is identified with the creation of electromagnetic calculator during World War II weighing about 5 tons. Invention of transistors in 1947 led to development of smaller but versatile computers.

Information and communication Technology was adopted to described the forms of technology that used to transmit, process, store, create, display, share or exchange information, the first computers make their entry into schools in the early 1970s.this was the time when forcus started shifted from mainframes (high high-performance computers use for large -scale. This development promoted the creation of new curricula and standards, and transformed the role of computers play in education as standards, and transformed the role of computers play in education as classroom teachers began to explore. Globalization in a rapidly technology, information and communication and innovation are sources for productivity and give birth to competitive advantages for the sustainability of the company growth (Ramli,2010, Chen et al,2015) companies to effectively create business processes to excel in the front of competitor (Ramili ,2012a). information and communication technology is the key to the company’s success (Tarte,et al…2014;Ramli,2012b;ramili,2013). Small and medium enterprises need to increase sustainable business to survive in a changing and uncertain environment (rostek, 2012).

1.2 Statement of problem.

  The purpose of this study is to examine the Effectiveness of information and communication Techniques on the performance of semi finish products in Cameroon Development cooperation 

 The Cameroon development cooperation being a greater employer in Cameroon has thousands of

The performance of semi-finished product in the CDC has been fluctuating drastically thus raising problems to some companies, who depends on this semi finish product as their raw material. Thus leading to scarcity of some goods and consequently increase in general prices. This has been a greater call for concern, untold worries inflicted on the population as they can’t get certain items in their locality. Many worries have been blames on the ineffectiveness of information and communication technology in the CDC Milieu, while others attribute to the producers. The findings of this piece of this work will enable clears these worries and improve the performance of semi finish products

Under this design, questionnaires will be formulated and used to obtain information from the respondents. Effective ICT is a critical element to the success of the supply chain management in the CDC milieu. while many errors occur in the supply chain.

Poor inventory situation of the CDC management team greatly rises and urgent need for the investigation on the effectiveness of information communication and communication techniques of its performance.

1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1.3.1 Main Objectives; the purposed of this research is to investigate the Effectiveness of information and communication Techniques on the performance of semi finish products.

1.3.2 Specific objective:

–To identify the type of ICT system used by the CDC.

-To identify the effectives of the ICT system on the performance of CDC.

– To identify the challenges OF CDC in using ICT system.

– To recommend possible improvements on the ICT of CDC Tiko.

1.4 Research questions:

-To what extend does information communication and technology influence the performance of Cameroon development cooperation?

–what are the challenges face by CDC in using ICT.

-what are the types of ICT System used by CDC.

– Which recommendations on the ICT of CDC could be put forward, as a means to achieved greater performance of the CDC.

1.5 Research hypothesis

Ho Effective information communication and technology increases the performance of Cameroon development cooperation.

H1 information communication and technology is not the only factor affecting the performance of Cameroon development cooperation.

H2 there are steps to effective information and communication technology

H3 information and communication technology (ICT) have a positive and significant effect on the performance of Cameroon Development cooperation (CDC).