Apex Vacuum, a family$-$owned manufacturer of budget vacuums, has grown

exponentially over the last few years. However, they are having difficulty in preparing

for future growth. The only information system used at Apex is an antiquated accounting

system. The company has one manufacturing plant located in Arkansas, and three

warehouses, in Arkansas, Delaware, and California. The Apex sales force is national, and

Apex purchases about a third of its vacuum parts and materials from a single overseas

supplier. You have been hired to recommend the information systems Apex should

implement in order to maintain their competitive edge. However, there is not enough

money for a full scale, cross$-$functional enterprise application, and you will need to limit

the first step to a single management level. What management group system would you

choose and software applications?

$($Fill in the blanks: the system level and type of software applications$)$

What types of hardware might they need for storage and processing? What techniques or

software might they use to make their research more efficient and lower costs?

$($Fill in the blanks: the hardware and technique$/$software$)$