MIS 3534-001 – Prof. Min-Seok Pang

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Day 9 – Strategic IT Outsourcing (I) – online discussion questions

  • Why is Google operating its own cafeterias with full-time chefs and cooks for its all employees, instead of outsourcing to external caterers?
  • Why is it more difficult to control an external vendor than to control your own employees?
  • Why is there a “non-disclosure agreement” in any contract?
  • Any examples of “conflicts of interests” and “information asymmetry” between a client and a vendor (except the examples that were discussed in class)?
  • What kind of “homework” or research would be needed in selecting an IT outsourcing vendor?

Day 9 – Strategic IT Outsourcing (I) – in-class discussion questions

  • Do you fix your car by yourself or have a mechanic do maintenance? Why?
  • How do you choose your mechanic? Based on what? How often do you change your mechanic?
  • Why do you think Google operates  its own cafeterias for its entire employees, instead of outsourcing them to external caterers?
  • Why would a company outsource IT operation and development to an external vendor? What would be the benefits to a client from IT outsourcing?
  • What would be the reasons that Otis DID NOT outsource the development of e*Logistics?
  • What’s a doctor-patient confidentiality? Why is this needed?
  • Why did IVK select NetiFects for the IR project vendor? When selecting NetiFects, did IVK do enough homework?
  • Do you think if your mechanic, contractor, or doctor is competent, trustworthy, and reliable? When you meet them for a service, do you think if they make as the best efforts as possible for you?
  • Why should the IT group at IVK be involved in the IR project?
  • Why is Mr. Barton trying to hire Mr. Ash Srinivasa, a NetiFects engineer who’s been working for the IR project

We will discuss these questions in-class next Monday. Do not leave a comment on this post.

IT Adventures Ch. 7 and 14 – brief guidelines

Chapter 7

  • Why is the Infrastructure Replacement (IR) project failing?

Chapter 14

  • What are the differences between three prospective vendors for the IR project?
  • What are the differences between two contracting models that IVK is considering?

Your report does not need to include

  • “Wednesday, April 28, 10:12 a.m.” (p. 107-109),
  • the consultant’s report (p. 120-122),
  • “the third major disagreement” (p. 226-228),
  • “Monday, October 1, 11:00 a.m.” (p. 228-231), and
  • vendor assessment matrices (p. 233).

But please DO NOT SKIP to read them.

Day 8 – Enterprise Architecture – online discussion questions

  • What kind of standards do we enjoy in our daily life? (except language, currency, and electricity)
  • Any other example like SmarTip or MetroCard in which customers can use a standard payment system to use different services?
  • Why is flexibility in IT important for competitiveness?
  • How does complexity in IT “kill” business flexibility?
  • Any example in which IT complexity inhibits competitiveness?
  • What would be valid, legitimate reasons that  some business units are using Oracle database, while others are using Microsoft SQL?
  • What does it mean by coupling in IT systems?

Day 8 – Enterprise Architecture – in-class discussion questions

  • What kind of standards do we enjoy in our daily life? Why do we need them? What if we don’t have standards?
  • Why do many European nations use Euro as a common currency? Why do the U.K. and some others refuse to adopt Euro?
  • How is a USPS delivery truck different from a standard delivery van?
  • What are the problems when employees have a freedom to use any kind of ITs they want?
  • What are the problems when a company forces the employees to use the same IT (e.g. Blackberry for all employees)?
  • What does it mean by coupling in IT systems?

These are questions that we’ll discuss in-class next Monday. Do not post comments on this.

Unofficial Mid-Term LETTER GRADES on Blackboard

I have posted unofficial mid-term LETTER GRADES on Blackboard, which include the followings.

  • Attendance by Oct 13 (5 max)
  • Participation by Oct 13
  • Reading Briefs by Oct 13 (top five briefs, 50 max)
  • Executive Report #1
  • Homework #1

Keep in mind that the grades are unofficial, and the final grade will depend on performance for the rest of the semester.

Day 7 – IT Governance – online discussion questions

  • What would be a case in which senior management does not serve the best interests of shareholders?
  • How to make sure that the interests of senior management are aligned with those of shareholders?
  • What would be a case in which a CIO does not serve the best interests of shareholders?
  • What are the duties of an information systems auditor?
  • As a CIO, what would you say to a member of the board of directors who is saying that he/she is so busy that he/she does not have time to hear your presentation?

Looking a Volunteer for presentation

Next week, we will need one volunteer to present this BusinessWeek article. This is a great article for any MIS major to read.

How Target Missed Warnings in Epic Hack of Credit Card Data” – Bloomberg BusinessWeek

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-13/target-missed-alarms-in-epic-hack-of-credit-card-data

Leave a comment or send an email to the Instructor to volunteer. A waiver for one reading brief and participation points will be given.