http://www.forbes.com/sites/josephsteinberg/2015/04/11/isis-blacks-out-french-television-station-broadcasts-cyberterrorism-has-arrived/

Terrorism is taking a turn to the cyber world.  Islamic State (ISIS) blacked out broadcasts on 11 channels of French television station, TV5Monde last week.  The group took the station off the air for several hours.  Though this attack wasn’t significant in its overall effects, it is a major indicator on what is to come.  Before, terrorists did not think it worth the cost to conduct cyberterrorism, but now, they are realizing the impact they can have. Particularly for a group heavy in displaying violence in videos, hacking a TV station constitutes a victory for the terrorist group.

The article does remind us of the importance of security and made sure to point out how vulnerable the station was to such an attack.  It further illustrates how the victim of the attack made it rather simple by avoiding easy precautions to ensure system safety.  Lastly, we are reminded on the importance for everyone to have security on systems, not just large corporations and the government.  Information that can fall into the wrong hands can have debilitating effects on a country.

1. Do you think the terrorists would have been able to carry off the attack had the TV station been a more diligent in securing its systems?

2. What types of attacks would you expect to see now that the tables are turning and cyber attacks are becoming a new type of weapon?

3. This attack did not cause major damage, but can they cause more?  Do you think terrorists will gain the in-depth knowledge and skills to carry out more sophisticated attacks that would cause as much damage as a physical attack, or do you believe we can stay one step ahead in the cyber world?

Have you ever seen a credit card with a small metal chip on it and wondered why it was there? That chip is the EMV chip. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, Visa. These companies came together to create a standard by October 2015 to implement a chip that will be on your debit/credit cards. This chip allows for safer transactions between merchant and consumers by adding additional security. In order for this feature to work, both the card and the POS system must be EMV complaint. This new standard also shifts the liability of fraudulent charges. The liability of not implementing the EMV standard will mean that the company that does not have the EMV feature would be the one liable for the fraud cost. The resistance to this chip is from the cost of implementing it into their systems. The companies have to upgrade their system in order to have the EMV feature. Having this feature will create less fraud and keep customers information more secured.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244354

1. Do you think retailers will implement this system earlier rather than later?

2. Will you shop at a retailer that does not have a EMV enabled system?

3. Have you ever had fraudulent charges on your debit/credit card?

This article shows how Toyota implemented and upgraded its Information System throughout the years. The changes in the technology created a natural necessity for Toyota to improve its Information System.

http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/data/company_information/personnel/information_systems/business_data_processing_systems.html

Toyota has actively propelled growth and innovation in its information systems by incorporating new information processing technologies while responding to various changes in the external environment, including rapid globalization of development, manufacturing, and sales operations; advancements in car electronics technologies; compliance with global environmental standards; and changes in the Japanese and global economy.

Growth and innovation of information systems at Toyota in the second half of the 1980s to first half of the 1990s saw advances in office automation and in the globalization of corporate systems in the commercial systems of business application systems. In the engineering systems of business application systems, Toyota applied in-house-developed CAD/CAM systems to broader areas of activity and also extended them to supplier operations.

From the second half of the 1990s to the early 2000s, advancements in administrative systems made information systems more globally adaptable and also brought about reform of Toyota’s overall management structure. Innovations in engineering system made engineering data more integrated and more useable on a global basis.

From the early to late 2000s, Toyota sought to globally standardize all business application systems and make better use of information. Even such IT infrastructure as IC network systems were globally standardized and shifted to TCP/IP-based systems in Japan and overseas. The economic crisis that shook the world from 2008 to 2009 also had a major impact on Toyota’s information divisions. Since then, Toyota has sought to improve the efficiency of system development and maintenance and has instituted structural reform of its system development and maintenance organization.

1 – How can Information System be a benefit to a manufacturing operation?
2 – How can Information System be flexible and reprogrammed to grow with the need?
3 – How is Toyota’s implemented Information Systems a benefit for its custom information?

http://www.informationweek.com/mobile/mobile-applications/apple-buys-foundationdb-to-improve-apps-software/a/d-id/1319617

Chapter 9 explains the importance of understanding the way your company’s systems work, along with understanding when your company require new systems whether by developing them within the company or through acquisition of another company and their systems. This is the route Apple has gone, on March 25th of this year Apple acquired a small start-up company FoundationDB. FoundationDB has the ability to make super quick database technology. Apple believes the acquisition will lead to an incredible boost in their software efficiency and help Apple’s services such as iMessage and iAd.

1. Do you think this acquisition will cause the current trend of people leaving Apple for Samsung on the Android platform to rethink leaving Apple?

2. Will the cost effectiveness of the database technology lead to better prices for customers or lead to more, similar acquisitions for Apple?

3. Will FoundationDB truly lead to more efficient services for Apple users?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/micahsolomon/2015/04/08/omnichannel-customer-experience-how-a-360-degree-view-of-customer-care-can-help/

As we read in Chapter nine, handling customer requests is important. There is talk in the Omnichannel customer experience article. The ability to deal with a variety of channels and essentially be able to continue where they left off on one channel, and continue this conversation on another. The importance of a company to be able to quickly respond and identify a customer problem and make it seem seamless in a communication landscape could change the customer response rate. Simply put, if you order a product and go to pick it up at a brick and mortar store, they will know all the communication you had to the company and can pick up the transaction where you left off, and on top of that if you need to return the product they will have the ability to pick up the conversation as well.

1)      Do you think this will be a benefit to customers if the different channels are able to pick up the conversation from another channel to continue the conversation?

2)      Does this create privacy concerns, which different channels (and workers) will know about you and what you said?

3)      A T & T presents the 360 Degree view, do you believe their approach improves customer quality of care.

This article is about the Robinson- Patman Act; which prohibits sellers from setting different prices for competing purchasers of like commodities, except when justified based on differences in volumes or cost of sale. This article also talks about supply chains and how if a large supplier sells the same product to Sam’s Club and a small grocer, the manufacturer could offer a lower cost to Sam’s Club. The whole point of a supply chain is for companies to make smarter decisions day to day.

1.Do you think the Robinson – Patman Act is a good act?

2. Do you think supply chains are discriminating?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2015/04/01/supply-chain-costs-and-the-robinson-patman-act/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbowman/2014/04/01/disaster-looms-why-todays-global-supply-chains-are-at-risk/

Today’s global supply chains are at risk.  Companies are aware of this, but seem uninterested in making the investments needed to facilitate redundancy or change.  A great example is the faulty ignition switch in the GM model cars.  If a risk-management program was in place to identify weaknesses in the supply chain, maybe this issue would have been caught before innocent consumers were hurt.  Other risk factors looming over global supply chains which can cause disruptions include floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters.  Identifying what your supply chain looks like and what risk factors exist along it needs to be a major operational focus of global companies.  Having this visibility and creating redundancy with multiple suppliers in your chain can potentially reduce or eliminate supply chain risks.  These risks cost real dollars to companies and even more to consumers.

What steps could a company take to identify weaknesses in their supply chains?

Why would a company be averse to discovering problems in their supply chain?

Is profit to shareholders more important than providing safe products to consumers?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is providing organizations with quicker and more efficient communication methods in B2B relationships. IoT is the evolution of a Machine-to-Machine or M2M model in order to connect businesses devices to one another in order to easily update product status. The use of IoT has become increasing popular in the technology world and is currently implemented at GE, Cisco, Microsoft, and AT&T helping streamline the business-to-business relationship. Under an IoT approach companies can control and recognize potential issues in both the Supply Chain and Customer Relationship Management side of a business. It is making existing processes more efficient by providing real-time updates on production and inventory levels to warehouse managers. They can also check the status of shipped items with exact locations under its cargo tracking as well as indicate the health of the asset in travel in order to check on its condition. Finally, IoT practically creates a new business model allowing B2B and B2C to be intertwined. It is improving communication process and making it easier and more effective when dealing with customers providing them with this same real-time information.

Do you think more companies will begin to implement IoT under an M2M model in order to strengthen B2B relationships? Why or why not?

Is there a downside or potential weakness in implementing this type of system in an organization?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/maribellopez/2015/04/01/internet-of-things-buzzword-or-business-value-an-interview-with-atts-penrose/

This article gives a great real life example of how Cloud computing is being utilzed in the life sciences industry. Since this was written, other pharmaceutical firms such as Glaxo Smith-Kline, have turned to Veevo for business solutions to support sales, CRM as well as the management of their clinical trial.  This industry relys heavily on outside data given the strict regulatory environment in the US.  Watch the video and then decide:

1) What competitive advantage do Pharma companies have by using a system like Veevo’s?

2) What reasons do you think pharma company’s would have for not implementing a system like this?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2013/11/06/veeva-systems-ceo-on-why-pharma-needs-his-cloud-software/

In Chapter 8 of Kroenke, we investigated the impact of SAP systems on the sales process.  We learn how SAP systems can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the sales process which can lead to increased profits for the entire business.  However, advances in technology may also have an adverse effect on the “salesmen”.  Technological advances, such as social media, have decreased the amount of face-to-face sales relationships and increased the importance of mass marketing.  It is argued in the article, “Will Technology Advances Mark the Death of a Salesman?” that technological advances will not mark the death of salesmen but rather former or old sales strategies.

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2636-technology-impacts-sales-people.html

Discussion Questions:

How do you think advances in technology will change current and future sales strategies?  How will they change the role of the salesman?

Do you think that the idea of mass marketing is an effective way to market to individuals? (Think google analytics ect.)

Do you agree that our society has shifted from one that values customer service to one that puts more value in low prices?