Day 11 – Bharti Airtel – Reading Brief guidelines
- What are Bharti Airtel’s business areas and key business functions?
- What is the unique nature of the proposed outsourcing deal of Bharti?
- Why does Mr. Gupta propose this deal?
- What are the reactions to this deal from Bharti and the vendors?
Your brief does not need to cover “History and Background” and “Indian Market for Telecom,” but DO NOT skip to read them. Also, don’t forget to bring “Bharti Airtel – One Year Later” case to the class as well, but you don’t need to read it.
Executive Report #2 – grading completed
Grades are available in Blackboard.
Reading brief (B&K Distributors) grading completed
Homework #2 – ROI Analysis – due by Nov. 14
Day 10 – B&K Distributors – brief guidelines
- Who are B&K’s customers and how does it categorize them?
- What are the expected changes in the relationship with customers after implementation of the Web Portal?
- What are the cost components of the Web Portal?
Attendance and participation grade by 10/28 updated
available on Blackboard
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?
IT Adventures Ch 7 and 14 – brief grading completed
Day 9 – Strategic IT Outsourcing (I) – class slides
Updated schedule for the remainder of the semester
There has been a slight change in the course schedule for the remainder of the semester. On Nov. 3, we will have one more Do-Your-Homework day for Homework #2. Please find the attached syllabus with updated schedule.
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?
IT Adventures Ch 16 brief grading completed
Day 8 – Enterprise Architecture – class slides and video links
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.
Day 8 – IT Adventures Ch. 16 – brief guidelines
- What has made IVK IT systems so complex?
- Why is Mr. Barton considering to standardize IVK’s IT systems.
- What are his alternatives? What are the pros and cons of each option?
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.
MIS 3534 Executive Report #2 Topics
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?
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