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Chapter Matches: Case Information |
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Chapter 1:
Organizations, Environments, and Information Technology
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LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES: HALTING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYEE TURNOVERScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E016Publication Date: 8/31/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 7 pagesLucent Technologies is a worldwide company that delivers systems and software for next-generation communication networks. The company is restructuring to try to improve its stock value after significant losses. A key component of the company's restructuring is the retention of their information technology employees. There is an industry wide shortage of IT workers, causing a large number of these workers to job-hop for better pay. The chief executive officer needs to decide what employee compensation programs should be in place, determine if workplace conditions and rules need to be changed and if the company's recruiting program is attracting the best talent.Teaching Note: 8B01E16 (7 pages)Industry: Information, Media & TelecommunicationsIssues: Personnel Management; Information Systems; Employee Retention; Management of TechnologyDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
TOYBOX: MANAGING DYNAMIC DIGITAL PROJECTSDarren Meister, David SingerProduct Number: 9B02E014Publication Date: 2/6/2003Revision Date: 12/1/2009Length: 12 pagesToybox is the visual effects division of Command Post, Canada's largest full service postproduction company and industry leader in technical and creative services for film, television, video and digital audio productions. Toybox's visual special effects manager believes that an improved information system for managing digital projects is required to cope with future growth. For example, during recent production work on a feature film, difficulties in workload, signoffs and rework reached an unsustainable level. The visual special effects manager must choose between an off-the-shelf product and a custom in-house solution. However, his decision is complicated by the creative work environment and the number of systems to which the new system must be integrated.Teaching Note: 8B02E14 (7 pages)Industry: Arts, Entertainment, Sports and RecreationIssues: Make or Buy Decision; Information Technology; Animation Studio; Computer SelectionDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 2:
Information Technologies: Concepts and Management
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HIGHWIRED.COM: HARDWARE DECISIONSScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B00E023Publication Date: 1/25/2001Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 11 pagesHighwired.com provided to high school students and teachers, a range of free services to enable school interaction on a personalized Web site. Highwired.com's network had grown from 1,000 member high schools to over 12,000 schools in 50 states and 72 countries, in only 13 months. Due to its blistering growth, it was approaching its peak load capacity in June, the end of the school year. The vice-president of product development expected that growth would continue at that pace and wanted to ensure that they struck the right balance between low response time and minimal downtime, and acceptable hardware costs. Any changes had to be made before school started in September. He wanted to confirm that his recommendation to use multiple servers with redundant network storage devices attached was the optimal solution. To do so, he examined site performance metrics, server configuration options and additional hardware.Teaching Note: 8B00E23 (7 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: E-Commerce; Action Planning and Implementation; System Design; Capacity AnalysisDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
BLUE TITANIUM: WEB SERVER SELECTIONScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E011Publication Date: 7/11/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 12 pagesBlue Titanium is a strategy boutique that provides consulting to senior management and specializes in competitive intelligence. The founder of the company is fine-tuning his strategic plan and has to decide whether the selection of the company's Web server software and hardware should be decided as part of the company's strategy or to leave the selection to the chief technology officer.Teaching Note: 8B01E11 (8 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Information Technology; High Technology Products; Action Planning and Implementation; E-CommerceDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 3:
Strategic Information Systems
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DPSC SOFTWARE: POST-ACQUISITION EVALUATIONMichael Parent, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E007Publication Date: 3/20/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2010Length: 9 pagesDPSC created and marketed a range of compliance software to banks. Nine months after DPSC was purchased by Netzee, Netzee was in financial trouble. Since Netzee had purchased DPSC, DPSC's founder felt that Netzee had not fully utilized the potential of DPSC. He wanted to share his assessment of the merger and thoughts on future strategy with the new Netzee chief executive officer.Teaching Note: 8B01E07 (9 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Strategic Planning; Crisis and Change; E-Commerce; StartupsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
ENERLINE RESTORATIONS INC.: STAY WITH AN ASP?Scott L. Schneberger, Jane GravillProduct Number: 9B00E016Publication Date: 10/27/2000Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 9 pagesThe chief financial officer (CFO) of Enerline, a Canadian pipeline liner company, had to re-evaluate an earlier decision to outsource all information system services to an online application service provider (ASP). Since signing a three-year contract with an ASP, the ASP had faltered financially, and was acquired by a California company. In the meantime, Enerline was growing rapidly and expanding services, and was increasingly dependent on information systems. The CFO had to determine whether renegotiations to upgrade the information system services with the current ASP would be of benefit to Enerline, or if it was time for Enerline to invest in building an internal information technology structure. He also had to consider the ease and cost savings of using online ASP's, and the accompanying short- and long-term risks.Teaching Note: 8B00E16 (7 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Claims; Strategic Planning; Services; Information SystemsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE WIRELESS STRATEGYMike Wade, David HamiltonProduct Number: 9B01E001Publication Date: 3/7/2001Revision Date: 12/17/2009Length: 23 pagesThe director of business development of the electronic banking division of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) had just won a long-fought battle to implement a wireless banking initiative for customers with mobile devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants. Now he had to make a number of key decisions relating to the strategy. These decisions included which services to offer (banking as well as non-related services), which devices and standards to support and whether to partner with a third-party content supplier. An extensive glossary of wireless technology terminology is included with this case.Teaching Note: 8B01E01 (3 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Telecommunication Technology; Strategy Implementation; Technological Change; Consumer BehaviourDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 4:
Supply Chain, Enterprise Resources Planning, and Business Process Reengineering
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ONVIA.COM: SETTING WEB PRIORITIESScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E004Publication Date: 1/30/2001Length: 16 pagesOnvia.com was a Web-based exchange designed to help small businesses buy and sell services and products; exchange news, product and service information; and access productivity tools, forms and worksheets. The company had planned to launch a Canadian auction site within a month, however, there was still development required on the U.S. site. Resource allocation was an issue; the company had many projects and a finite amount of engineering resources. The chief executive officer and founder had to evaluate the options, set the priorities and offer his opinion on where to spend the resources.Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Capacity Analysis; Action Planning and Implementation; E-Commerce; Program Design/ImplementationDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
NORTEL - RE-INVENTING I/SE.F. Peter Newson, Olga VolkoffProduct Number: 9A97E001Publication Date: 9/8/1997Revision Date: 2/3/2010Length: 15 pagesWith changes in both technology and the environment, Nortel has had to evolve from a company that sells a collection of telecommunication products to a company that sells integrated packages of products that satisfy specific customer needs. In the past, I/S has been spread across the various product divisions, supporting a highly decentralized corporate structure. Now it has been charged with transforming itself to facilitate the company's need for greater integration, including a move to standardized systems. I/S must re-define its role and restructure itself to fulfill its new mandate. After an extensive analysis and design exercise, the I/S function has been re-visualized as centering on three key processes: client management, solution delivery, and business support. This represents a significant change from a traditional I/S shop that focuses on building applications and infrastructure. While there is broad support for the changes in principle, actually getting the new processes fully articulated and implemented presents a significant challenge.Teaching Note: 8A97E01 (11 pages)Industry: Information, Media & TelecommunicationsIssues: Information Systems; Business Process Re-Engineering; Restructuring; Management of ChangeDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 5:
Network Computing: Discovery, Communication, and Collaboration
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CISCO SYSTEMS INC.: MANAGING CORPORATE GROWTH USING AN INTRANETMichael Parent, Debra RankinProduct Number: 9A97E018Publication Date: 12/5/1997Revision Date: 2/3/2010Length: 10 pagesCisco is the world's largest, and leading manufacturer and distributor of routers and switches. In order to achieve this position, it has adopted an aggressive growth strategy, acquiring companies, their employees, and new employees at a rate of 250 to 300 employees per month. The Cisco Employee Connection (CEC), a corporate intranet, is the primary means by which new employees are absorbed and acculturated. The CEC is also the principal means of interaction for the multi-functional work team approach Cisco employs. This case critically assesses this approach to scaling an organization, and the extent to which it can be maintained and transferred.Teaching Note: 8A97E18 (19 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: Internet; Computer IndustryDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
CERNET: MANAGING INTERNET GROWTH IN CHINAMichael Parent, Harvey G. EnnsProduct Number: 9A98E001Publication Date: 1/28/1998Revision Date: 1/27/2010Length: 13 pagesCERNET, the China Education and Research Network, is a not-for-profit, central government body formed to oversee the development and implementation of a university-based nation-wide Internet backbone. Fulfilling this mandate was well underway. CERNET was connected to 280 of China's 3,035 universities and colleges. Much work nonetheless remained. The case deals with managing the growth of the network from the perspective of the director of the Technical Board and Network Centre. Issues he had to contend with include hardware and bandwidth upgrades and installations, access, security, connectivity, costs, and tariffs. With over half the country's population not yet having made their first telephone call, these tasks proved daunting.Teaching Note: 8A98E01 (10 pages)Industry: Information, Media & TelecommunicationsIssues: China; Internet; Information Systems; Capital BudgetingDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 6:
Electronic Commerce
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OP4.COM: CHOOSING A WEB SITE DESIGN AGENCYScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B00E011Publication Date: 1/26/2001Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 13 pagesOP4.com's objective was to build a portal, an Internet site to attract and retain a large number of its visitors by providing multiple features and site products wanted by its audience; OP4.com's target audience was teenagers. The Vancouver-based company had just secured one-half million dollars in private placement financing from a prominent West Coast venture capitalist. The business CEO of OP4.com was anxious to get the Web site developed. There were many factors to consider in designing and developing a Web site. The Web agency would be key to the success of the company because the Web site was the first customer interface. He was not confident that their current Web agency understood what would appeal to their audience so he asked another agency to submit a proposal. This second agency, known for its innovative Web design, was considerably more expensive. He needed to decide quickly which agency to use.Teaching Note: 8B00E11 (9 pages)Industry: Arts, Entertainment, Sports and RecreationIssues: Site Selection; Action Planning and Implementation; E-Commerce; AgencyDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
ONVIA.COM: THE ZANOVA ACQUISITIONMichael Parent, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B00E019Publication Date: 1/19/2001Length: 17 pagesOnvia.com was an e-market targeting small businesses and connecting buyers with sellers. Its revenue came from transaction fees from sellers. Recently, Onvia.com acquired Zanova, a builder and host of 800 small business e-commerce sites. The purchase of Zanova provided Onvia.com with the ability to deepen customer relationships by offering e-commerce sites and to meet their venture market demands. The chief executive officer and founder of Onvia.com was confident that Zanova could be integrated into Onvia.com's system. He now had to consider Onvia.com's business model and figure out what the next strategic move should be. Since the company was still in its development stage, should it acquire more companies? Which ones? Or start building the upon the site that is there?Teaching Note: 8B00E19 (10 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
HOMEGROCER.COMSid L. Huff, David BeckowProduct Number: 9A98E019Publication Date: 1/29/1999Revision Date: 5/18/2017Length: 14 pagesHomegrocer is a new Internet-based grocery store that is experiencing slow market penetration because the business concept entails fundamentally changing individual grocery shopping behavior. The owner is wondering what it takes to attract new customers and then convert them into repeat customers. Other issues include lack of management IT experience, anticipated hyper-growth, investment decisions needed in a quickly changing industry and funding in the future.Teaching Note: 8A98E19 (14 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Internet; E-Commerce; Virtual BusinessDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
ELANCE.COM: PREVENTING DISINTERMEDIATIONScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E003Publication Date: 2/27/2001Revision Date: 12/17/2010Length: 9 pageseLance.com allowed buyers to find sellers for time-sensitive project work without limiting bids to sellers within the vicinity of the buyer's physical office. It was just finishing the beta test of its site which had facilitated over 30,000 transactions in the past year. eLance was in the midst of closing its second round of venture financing which would allow it to execute its plan to become the premier online global services marketplace. To do this, it needed to prevent disintermediation - instances when eLance buyers and sellers, after being introduced on the eLance site, decide to conduct future project-related transactions offline. This would prevent eLance from mediating these transactions and gaining revenue from them. eLance had already implemented several customer-focused onsite and offline features to deter disintermediation. The co-founder and vice-president of business development had to determine what incentives were needed to keep customers dealing with each other through the site rather than offline.Teaching Note: 8B01E03 (8 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: E-Commerce; Startups; Strategic Planning; High Technology ProductsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
MANAGING THE GROWING WEB PRESENCE OF MEDISYS HEALTH GROUP INC.Michael Parent, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B00E017Publication Date: 12/7/2000Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 7 pagesMedisys Health Group, a leading occupational health company, was founded in 1981. It began to look at the North American market for expansion, seeking ways to leverage the Internet to become a leading medical information management company. With a couple of Internet projects on the go, it is up to the director of Internet strategy to explain how each piece fits into the overall business strategy. He contemplates shifting the business from the provision of medical services to the provision of information using an application service provider model. This case may be used in conjunction with Ivey case 9A98E011, Creating a Web Site for Medisys Health Group.Teaching Note: 8B00E17 (10 pages)Industry: Health Care ServicesIssues: Strategic Change; Internet; Organizational Change; Information SystemsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 7:
Impacts of IT on Organizations, Individuals, and Society
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DOUBLECLICK INC.: GATHERING CUSTOMER INTELLIGENCEScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E005Publication Date: 3/5/2001Length: 16 pagesDoubleClick Inc., with global headquarters in New York City and over 30 offices around the world, was a leading provider of comprehensive Internet advertising solutions for marketers and Web publishers. It combined technology, media and data expertise to centralize planning, execution, control, tracking and reporting for online media companies. DoubleClick was able to track Internet-users' surfing habits (but not the surfers' identities) allowing it to personalize ads for specific market groups. When DoubleClick announced it was merging with Abacus Direct, a direct marketing company with a database of consumer names, addresses and retail purchasing habits of 90 per cent of American households, it raised many privacy-related questions and concerns. Several Internet privacy activists had filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission after being informed by media sources that DoubleClick had the ability to divulge a person's identity by merging the databases of the two companies and matching the information in cookies with a surfer's profile. The president of DoubleClick was confident that its internal practices were sound, but he wondered if they would placate advertising clients afraid of consumer backlash, the concerns of Internet surfers and the company's investors.Teaching Note: 8B01E05 (10 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: High Technology Products; E-Commerce; Privacy Issues; Risk ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE: DIGITAL EMPLOYEE PRIVACYMike Wade, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B00E018Publication Date: 1/26/2001Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 6 pagesThe Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) had implemented word recognition software, Assentor, in its U.S. brokerage arm to ensure its employees were not acting inappropriately in their dealings with customers and to protect company systems from viruses. This software scanned e-mails for flagged business words and archived the e-mails in a central database. The manager of compliance at CIBC's head office in Toronto, found that the decision to implement the Assentor software was much easier than deciding what to do in the event the software found something improper. Issues related to company ethics and employee privacy were raised. Acknowledging that occasional personal e-mails would be sent and received, he wondered what the legal ramifications would be if a manager found out about a private situation because Assentor had found a flagged word in a personal e-mail. He felt that clear communication with and upfront understanding from employees would help prevent negative impressions of this process so he had to determine the best way to inform employees about the e-mail scanning while enforcing CIBC's e-mail policy.Teaching Note: 8B00E18 (4 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Risk Analysis; Privacy Issues; Management Information Systems; Management of TechnologyDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 8:
Transaction Processing, Innovative Functional Systems, and Integration
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QUEST FOODS ASIA PACIFIC AND THE CRM INITIATIVEAllen Morrison, Donna EverattProduct Number: 9B01M011Publication Date: 4/30/2001Revision Date: 5/18/2017Length: 15 pagesQuest Foods International is one of the world's largest manufacturers of fragrances, flavors and textures for the food, beverage and consumer products industries. Quest Foods' regional vice-president is in the process of implementing a business process re-engineering project for the company. His current efforts focus on developing an information technology-based customer relationship management (CRM) system that he believes could give the company a sustainable competitive advantage with customers in the region and throughout the world. His ultimate goal is to bring Quest to the next phase of e-business. Despite high ambitions, his initiatives are making little headway. Internal opposition to change is significant and some key customers are growing concerned that Quest's CRM plans might miss the mark. Faced with considerable time and resource pressures, he is wondering how to set priorities and where to focus his energies.Teaching Note: 8B01M11 (13 pages)Industry: ManufacturingIssues: International Business; Leveraging Information Technology; Business Process Re-Engineering; Customer RelationsDifficulty: 5 - MBA/Postgraduate
WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SERVICES: THE CIMS PROJECT (A)Deborah Compeau, Scott L. Schneberger, Jane GravillProduct Number: 9B01E013Publication Date: 9/5/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 12 pagesWaterloo Regional Police Service, along with seven other police services, collaborated and invested resources in a computer system project that would streamline functions such as computer aided dispatching, records management, mobile workstation environments and most importantly, information sharing between these police services. The project has been in progress for several years, and a number of major issues with the computer system vendor were still unresolved. The chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service must decide whether to continue with the installation of the computer system or move on to other options.Teaching Note: 8B01E13 (10 pages)Industry: Public AdministrationIssues: Information Systems; Strategy and Resources; Relationship Management; Project ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
XEROX (HONG KONG): SALES ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT PROCESS (A)E.F. Peter Newson, Michael ZhaoProduct Number: 9A99E015Publication Date: 4/9/1999Revision Date: 1/15/2010Length: 21 pagesThe sales director of Xerox (Hong Kong) has a vision to transform sales force management processes which would require radical changes to both the organization and the information technology infrastructure. The design includes a company-wide database to be available to the sales force by remote access through Intranet/Internet. From this database the sales force could manage their territory using notebook computers while travelling, working at client sites, sitting in meetings, or talking on the phone. At the time of sale, they could check inventory, quote prices, notify delivery or service schedules, and make billing arrangements. Successful implementation of the plan requires the sales director to overcome financial constraints, ingrained habits, traditional cultural values, an inadequate information technology infrastructure, and the effects of the change beyond the sales organization. The purpose of this case is to present the challenges of planning and implementing a major technology initiative in a cross-cultural setting. The student is expected to outline an implementation plan. A (B) case is available as a follow-up, case 9B00E002.Teaching Note: 8A99E15 (9 pages)Industry: ManufacturingDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 9:
Supporting Management and Decision Making
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HARRISON, YOUNG, PESONEN AND NEWELL, INC.: DIRECT RESPONSE TV, THE SUPER-TEL CAMPAIGNPeter C. Bell, David KoltermannProduct Number: 9A98E028Publication Date: 2/16/2000Revision Date: 1/22/2010Length: 10 pagesAn analyst at Harrison, Young, Pesonen, and Newell, Inc. had developed the media plan for a discount long distance telephone carrier (Super-Tel) and was supervising its execution. At the start of week eight of the twelve-week direct response television campaign she was monitoring customer response data from the telemarketing contractor in order to judge the performance of the advertising plan, with the objective of making adjustments to improve the plan. The analyst hoped to fine-tune the final weeks of advertising in order to maximize the number of customer orders received by Super-tel, while minimizing the costs of obtaining those orders. Could she use a decision support system to solve this problem. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A98E028.)Teaching Note: 8A98E28 (4 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Advertising Media; Advertising Effectiveness; Decision Support Systems; Spread Sheet ApplicationDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
ST. THOMAS PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - A STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORKSid L. Huff, Yolande E. ChanProduct Number: 9A89E010Publication Date: 1/1/1989Revision Date: 3/5/2003Length: 7 pagesThe co-ordinator, planning and management services of an Ontario provincial hospital faced with tightening budget constraints, discusses her vision for hospital strategic planning. Her goal is to have enough departmental, program and environmental information available so that management can track past, present and expected required hospital services and performance, and tailor hospital services accordingly. A background case (9A89E014) and a follow-up case (9A89E008) are available.Teaching Note: 8A89E10 (2 pages)Industry: Health Care ServicesDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 10:
Data and Knowledge Management
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DATA WAREHOUSING AT CANADIAN TIREMichael Parent, Shawn FinkbeinerProduct Number: 9A98E016Publication Date: 10/17/1998Revision Date: 1/28/2010Length: 8 pagesCanadian Tire's information warehouse has become the victim of its own success. Both the end-user and IT communities have become increasingly frustrated with interruptions in service. The data architect for the warehouse needs to decide what needs to be met, in what priority, and with what programs.Teaching Note: 8A98E16 (8 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Decision Analysis; Consumer Marketing; Information Systems; Data AnalysisDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
CHAPTERS, INC.: AVID READER (B)Michael R. PearceProduct Number: 9A98A014Publication Date: 8/24/1998Revision Date: 1/22/2010Length: 16 pagesThe Avid Reader loyalty program was providing benefits to its members, but the management of Coles and SmithBooks bookstores felt that they were not taking advantage of the loyalty program databases. They wondered how they could use the Avid Reader database more effectively. (This is a sequel to Chapters Inc.: Avid Reader (A), case 9A98A001.)Teaching Note: 8A98A14 (9 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Retail Marketing; Retailing; Consumer Analysis; Consumer RelationsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 11:
Intelligent Support Systems
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MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA: THE KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING GROUPPeter C. Bell, Betty VandenboschProduct Number: 9A90E002Publication Date: 1/1/1990Revision Date: 3/7/2002Length: 12 pagesThe Knowledge Engineering Group must decide on a strategy for expert systems development at Mutual Life. Should the Group concentrate on new applications or should the Group expand the use of expert systems within existing data processing activities?Teaching Note: 8A90E02 (4 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
FIRST VIRTUAL HOLDINGS INCORPORATED (A)Sid L. Huff, Mike WadeProduct Number: 9A98E007Publication Date: 3/25/1998Revision Date: 1/27/2010Length: 18 pagesFirst Virtual Holdings Inc. (FVHI) is an Internet payments company based in San Diego, California. The company developed a technology by which consumers can securely purchase goods and services over the Internet. Each participating consumer is provided with a VirtualPIN number, which is used in place of a credit card number to make purchases from participating online vendors. The vendors forward the consumer's VirtualPIN number, along with the amount of the transaction to FVHI. FVHI then sends an e-mail to the consumer asking for confirmation of the transaction. When confirmation is received, FVHI processes the transaction and pays the vendor. The technology ensures that a consumer's credit card number is never sent across the Internet. The system is secure but embodies a certain amount of inconvenience as each purchase requires two steps. The company faces strong competition from established industry players such as software developers, banks and credit card companies. In addition, continued consumer reluctance to embrace online commerce has hampered the development of a critical mass of users and thus their progress. A follow-up case (9A98E008) is available.Teaching Note: 8A98E07 (7 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Internet; E-Commerce; Virtual Business; Internet SecurityDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
EURO-ARAB MANAGEMENT SCHOOLSid L. Huff, Mike WadeProduct Number: 9A99E024Publication Date: 6/24/1999Revision Date: 1/15/2010Length: 8 pagesThe Euro-Arab Management School is an academic institution established by the European Union and the Arab League. The School is a 'virtual organization:' it does not operate bricks and mortar classrooms. Instead, programs are offered in an innovative manner which combines Web-based learning with local tutoring. The case deals with the concept of management of a virtual organization, and introduces some of the benefits and challenges of virtual organizations. The case also deals with issues of the future of education in the age of the Internet.Teaching Note: 8A99E24 (3 pages)Industry: Educational ServicesIssues: Internet; Information Systems; EducationDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 12:
Planning for Information Technology and Systems
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WAVERIDER COMMUNICATIONS INC.: THE WIRELESS LAST MILEScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E008Publication Date: 3/6/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 12 pagesWaveRider Communications, Inc. was a Toronto-based company with a mission to become the leader in global wireless technology by developing, selling and supporting products that enabled wireless Internet service providers. It recently launched market its Last Mile Solution, offering Internet service providers the opportunity to provide wireless Internet access at broadband speeds in the unlicensed 2.4 gigahertz spectrum. The wireless Internet access industry was relatively untapped and WaveRider's vice-president of marketing wondered whether the company, as it started its growth phase, should seek an alliance with a competing technology company. To determine the feasibility of this idea, he needed to classify the competition, review the customer barriers and evaluate which technology was the best fit.Teaching Note: 8B01E08 (12 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Information Systems; Action Planning and Implementation; Innovation; Technological ChangeDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
DPSC SOFTWARE: THE NETZEE DEALMichael Parent, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E006Publication Date: 5/18/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 7 pagesThe founder of DPSC Inc., a software developer for the banking industry, has just sold the company to Netzee. DPSC developed and sold two groups of software; one that allowed financial institutions to calculate interest rate risk, and the other that allowed financial institutions to file compulsory electronic compliance reports with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. After 18 years in the business, the DPSC's founder remembered how the emergence of this technology changed an industry and now that the impact of DPSC's products have been made, he was eager to share his thoughts on future strategy with the new parent company.Teaching Note: 8B01E06 (10 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Strategic Planning; Integration; E-Commerce; StartupsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
INFORMATION SYSTEMS STRATEGY AT THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGEMichael Parent, Derrick Neufeld, Nicole R.D. HaggertyProduct Number: 9B00E005Publication Date: 5/1/2000Revision Date: 1/8/2010Length: 10 pagesThe president and CEO of the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) is faced with the task of reconstructing the TSE to succeed in the face of significant industry and technological change. The exchange industry is undergoing a transformation brought about by globalization of financial markets, consolidation of exchanges, and the introduction of new competitive players due to technological advancements. The TSE is Canada's largest equity market and has created and started to implement a plan to deal with these threats. Concurrently, the TSE has been recreating its technological platform, moving from its computer assisted trading system to the Torex system purchased from the Paris Bourse. Implementation problems have delayed the project from its original release date to three years later. During the time frame of this implementation, the TSE suffered several computer glitches causing closure of the exchange for temporary periods of time. The president and CEO needs to review the priorities of the TSE and consider what actions she should take to ensure the successful implementation of this new technology, and the long term alignment of information technology with TSE business strategies.Teaching Note: 8B00E05 (8 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Implementation; Information Technology; Information System Design; GlobalizationDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
PATAGON.COM: EXPANDINNG GLOBALLY AND PENETRATING LOCALLY WHILE CONSTANTLY REINVENTING ITSELFRamiro Montealegre, Alberto BallvéProduct Number: 9B01E012Publication Date: 5/17/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 26 pagesFounded in 1998, Patagon.com is a pioneer in Latin American Internet-based financial services. The substantial changes in and growth of its business and operations had placed significant demands on the company's administrative, operational, technological and staffing resources. The rapid growth has strained its ability to adequately integrate the companies it is acquiring. The challenge for the management team is to integrate the confederation of country-specific organizations while maintaining the agility and responsiveness of a small firm - and at the same time, develop management systems and enterprise design that would handle the growing complexity.Teaching Note: 8B01E12 (17 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: E-Commerce; Strategy Development; Organizational ChangeDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 13:
Information Technology Economics
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SALESDRIVER: THE LORIMER REQUESTScott L. Schneberger, Ken MarkProduct Number: 9B01E002Publication Date: 1/30/2001Revision Date: 12/17/2010Length: 10 pagesSalesDriver.com (SalesDriver) was a Boston-based e-commerce application service provider that provided a turnkey solution for sales managers to manage their sales contests online. It had just achieved its 1,000th user mark and had the opportunity to snag software giant Lorimer Development Corp. (Lorimer) as a new client. The solution Lorimer had requested would alter SalesDriver's current product by including functionality that other users might not need. The general manager had to evaluate the economies of scale by keeping one product for all users, and the economies of scope by tailoring the product for individual customers. Developing the added function as a one-off would take significantly less development time than adding the function to the site and making it available to all customers. He had to decide which approach was best in the long run.Teaching Note: 8B01E02 (7 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Action Planning and Implementation; System Design; Capacity Analysis; E-CommerceDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
FIRST FIDELITY BANCORPORATION (C): MANAGING AN OUTSOURCING RELATIONSHIP WITH EDSPaul W. Beamish, Kerry McLellan, Barbara L. MarcolinProduct Number: 9A93E006Publication Date: 7/7/1993Revision Date: 3/3/2010Length: 11 pagesFirst Fidelity Bancorporation had outsourced its information systems conversion and on-going data centre management to Electronic Data Systems (EDS) on a ten-year contract. The EDS-FFB relationship was one year into the arrangement (1991) when several challenges had surfaced, the most urgent of which was an $8 million cost overrun on the conversion project. The EDS account manager had the choice of absorbing the costs, seeking compensation from the bank or suggesting a compromise. Several other challenges would also have to be addressed in the relationship, such as an incompatible software platform, resistance, difficult communications and flexibility to accommodate future bank directions and acquisitions. Background cases First Fidelity Bancorporation (B): Selecting an Outsourcing Vendor and First Fidelity Bancorporation (A)) are available.Teaching Note: 8A92M17 (16 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Relationship Management; Managing Implementation; Outsourcing; Information SystemsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 14:
Systems Development
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ZS ASSOCIATESDeborah Compeau, Arfat QayyumProduct Number: 9B02E007Publication Date: 5/23/2002Revision Date: 12/1/2009Length: 13 pagesZS Associates is a consulting company with offices in the United States, Europe and plans to establish an office in Canada. The manager of scheduling realizes that the company's scheduling system would not be able to keep up with the needs of the firm. The current system tracks the consultant's skills and their assignments to various projects. An MBA student working as an intern with the firm must provide a recommendation whether to develop software in-house, have new software custom built externally or purchase off-the-shelf software. He must analyse the options while considering the growth needs of the firm, features required in the software and cost.Teaching Note: 8B02E07 (11 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Systems Analysis; Management Information Systems; Computer System Implementation; Information System DesignDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
WINDEMERE TRUST COMPANY: AN INFORMATION SYSTEMS VISIONSid L. Huff, Deborah CompeauProduct Number: 9A93E008Publication Date: 11/30/1993Revision Date: 3/3/2010Length: 18 pagesA medium-sized Canadian trust company has fallen behind technologically and is in danger of losing competitiveness. The new CEO is very frustrated with the lack of responsiveness on the part of his IS group. A new CIO (chief information officer) has been hired to re-energize and re-direct the IS group. After learning the lay of the land, the new CIO has developed a vision of what should be done. The vision includes wholesale commitment to the use of CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tools for new software development, the re-development of all the firm's software using CASE tools, the replacement of the existing hardware platforms with a new network of distributed minicomputers, and drastically cutting back the IS workforce. The new CIO has committed to accomplishing all these changes within 18 months.Teaching Note: 8A93E08 (12 pages)Industry: Finance and InsuranceIssues: Integration; Management Information Systems; Computer System Implementation; Information SystemsDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
TANDESIC CORPORATION - FROM CRM TO PRMDerrick Neufeld, Peter TinglingProduct Number: 9B02E005Publication Date: 3/11/2002Revision Date: 11/30/2009Length: 10 pagesTandesic Corporation was founded by three entrepreneurs to develop customer relationship management solutions. Funded at the height of the Internet bubble with plans for an initial public offering, the company has discovered that its core software product is undifferentiated and constrained by changes in technology. Faced with a financing gap and with less than 12 months venture capital funding remaining, a new chief executive officer is installed. The new chief executive officer must analyse four options: re-write the software product, sell the company, close it down or refocus. He wonders if he has identified all of the challenges facing the company as he decides on the direction the company must go.Teaching Note: 8B02E05 (12 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Computer Applications; Strategy Development; Management of Professionals; Ethical Issues; Customer Relationship ManagementDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
TISSAGE ET BRODERIEDeborah CompeauProduct Number: 9B01E025Publication Date: 12/10/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 7 pagesTissage et Broderie is a consignment store selling handicrafts. The founders of the store have contacted a consulting firm for the development of a product and customer information system. After a preliminary interview, the consultant leading the project is ready to begin the requirements structuring process. She must create data, process and logic models.Teaching Note: 8B01E25 (11 pages)Industry: Retail TradeIssues: Management Information Systems; Computer System Implementation; Small BusinessDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
BIRCH POINT LODGEDeborah Compeau, V. Joseph CompeauProduct Number: 9B01E024Publication Date: 11/9/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 7 pagesBirch Point Lodge is a small family run resort. The managers of the lodge are trying to incorporate technology into the daily operations of the resort. With little experience, staff that are not very computer savvy and limited resources, using technology effectively have become a real challenge. They have twice tried to purchase a computerized system for handling reservations, billing and other processes. Most recently they spent $9,000 to purchase a system that was never used. They are faced with another option and must decide whether to purchase the new software or not.Teaching Note: 8B01E24 (8 pages)Industry: Accommodation & Food ServicesIssues: Management Information Systems; Computer System Implementation; Small BusinessDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 15:
Managing Information Resources, Control, and Security
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MICROSOFT SECURITY RESPONSE CENTER (A)Mike Wade, Jeffrey ClaymanProduct Number: 9B01E019Publication Date: 7/25/2001Revision Date: 12/18/2009Length: 9 pagesMicrosoft Security Response Center (MSRC) is a key component of the security infrastructure for Microsoft, the large, internationally known software manufacturer. The program manager of the center has been informed by a hacker of a potentially damaging security vulnerability in a piece of Microsoft's Internet server software. Neither the hacker nor MSRC knows for sure if systems using the software have been compromised, but they do know that the vulnerability has been discussed in hacker news groups. The program manager must determine who should be told, what needs to be done and when. This case and the accompanying Microsoft Security Response Center (B) and (C) cases (products 9B01E020 and 9B01E021) look at the strategy to solve the problems and deal with any possible public relations issues that arise from it.Teaching Note: 8B01E19 (5 pages)Industry: Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation ServicesIssues: Strategic Planning; Public Relations; Internet Security; Risk AnalysisDifficulty: 4 - Undergraduate/MBA
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Chapter 15:
Managing Information Resources, Control, and Security
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