Online discussion questions – Sep 19
- In Otis case page 8, “Traditionally we had focused on the management of physical assets. The next step in our evolution will be the management of information flows between all the participants …” What does it mean by “information management” and why is this important?
- Would the changes with e*Logistics be easy? Who would be unhappy with this change? How do you think Otis managed and overcame these challenges?
- In Otis case page 8, “To achieve continuous transformation, the e*Logistics program makes sure the business process change sticks. … With the e*Logistics program, best practices from SIP are baked into the organization and institutionalized…” What does it mean by “sticks” and “baked”?
- In an industry you are familiar with, which company is playing in Cost Leadership strategy? Who’s in Differentiation? Who’s in Focused?
- What is an interesting recent example of M&A? Why do they merge with each other?
Updated Syllabus with a new schedule
MIS 3534 Fall 2016 – Syllabus (09.18).pdf
Please find a change in the class schedule.
Executive Report #1 – due by Oct 7 (draft due by Sep 30)
MIS 3534 Fall 2016 – Exec Report #1.pdf
Best Executive Reports – Hyun Jeong You.pdf
Best Executive Reports – Joshua Stansfield.pdf
Pepsi Americas – MIT CISR http://cisr.mit.edu/blog/documents/2010/02/10/mit_cisrwp378_pepsiamericas_beathross.pdf/ (registration and login required)
Week 3 – Trinity Health – Reading Brief Guideline
You can download Trinity Health case for free from this site – http://cisr.mit.edu/blog/documents/2011/12/19/mit_cisrwp386_trinityhealthmda_tanriverdidu.pdf/ (registration and login required).
- What are the motivations behind Trinity Health’s growth-through-acquisition strategy?
- What are the benefits from the common digital platform?
- How does the common digital platform support the growth-through-acquisition strategy?
You do not include Page 8-10 in your brief, but do not skip to read them!
In-class discussion questions – Week 3 (Sep 19)
- What were the problems before e*Logistics in Otis’ business processes?
- How does e*Logistics address these problems and what are the improvement achieved by it?
- Who would be unhappy with the changes in the business processes caused by e*Logistics?
- How do you think Otis managed and overcame these challenges? Who do you think played a key role?
- Why does a company acquire and merge another?
- Why does Trinity Health acquire and merge other hospitals?
- What is the different between fee-for-service and fee-for-value in healthcare?
We will discuss these questions in-class on Monday, Sep 19.
Online discussion questions – Sep 12
- When would buyers have a strong bargaining power vis-a-vis sellers (except the number of buyers, price-sensitivity, and switching costs)?
- What are the examples of switching costs (other than long-term contracts or finding a new doctor/mechanic)?
- In what cases is it easy or inexpensive for you to change a service provider that you’ve been dealing with? (i.e. little switching cost)
- What are the examples of a bundle around us? (other than what discussed in-class – cable/Internet, Xbox/game, elevator/service, Microsoft Office, etc.)
Week 2 – IT and Competitive Strategies (I) – class slides and video (UPDATED)
The class slides updated on Sep 19.
Week 02 – IT and Strategy (I) (color).pdf
Week 02 – IT and Strategy (I) (bw).pdf
Interview with Michael Porter – HBR (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYF2_FBCvXw)
In-class discussion questions – Week 2 (Sep 12)
We will discuss the following questions in-class on Monday, September 12.
- What does it mean by a bargaining power of buyers? When would buyers have a strong bargaining power?
- Any example of switching costs for buyers?
- Suppose you’ve got $300 millions from winning a lottery. You want to start a new airline company. What does it takes for you to make the first flight take off?
- What would be substitutes for a travel by flight? Wha would be substitutes for grocery stores?
- According to the Otis case, which business is more profitable? Elevator manufacturing or service?
- In the Otis case, “The service market attracted many participants because of its steady demand, low barriers of entry, and high profitability.” (p. 3) Doesn’t it mean that the service market is not profitable for Otis?
- How often do you change your doctor? Why?
- Will Otis customers (building owners or managers) change an elevator service company often? Why or why not?
- Can you think of an example of bundle around us? Why do firms sell a bundle?
- Why would bundling up an elevator (product) and maintenance services together (i.e. total solutions) be more profitable than selling an elevator and services individually?
- How were things going before OTISLINE? How now are things going after OTISLINE?
- What are the improvements in customer service from OTISLINE?
Week 2 – Otis Elevator – Reading Brief Guideline
Read Otis Elevator case from the Harvard Business School coursepack and explain the following three points.
- What’s the direction of Otis’s strategic move?
- Why is Otis trying to shift its strategic focus?
- How do Otis’s IT projects (OtisLine, e*Lostistics) support such a move?
Instructions
- Submit via Blackboard (http://learn.temple.edu/).
- Up to 200 words.
- Due by 5:30pm on Monday, Sep 12. A late submission will not be graded.
- For your brief to be considered for a best brief with extra credits, you need to submit by noon, Sep 12.
- DO NOT COPY AND PASTE from the case. Use your own words. Plagiarized work will be graded at 0.
Online discussion questions – Aug 29
- What should be qualifications for a position of a Chief Information Officer?
- Why do Mr. Carl Williams and the board of directors at IVK choose Mr. Jim Barton for a new CIO?
- Should a CIO be chosen among technically-trained managers or business-background managers?
- Which skill is easier to learn? IT or Management? Why?
- What does it take for you to become a successful CIO?
What do you think? Leave your thoughts that you couldn’t share in-class.
Week 1 – Introduction – class slides and videos
Week 01 – Introduction (color).pdf
Week 01 – Introduction (bw).pdf
Computer Glitch Grounds Delta Air Lines Flights – ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/computer-glitch-grounds-delta-air-lines-flights-41199183)
Todd Park and Steven Van Roekel – TechCrunch (http://on.aol.com/video/todd-park-and-steven-vanroekel-talk-about-the-new-government-technology-initiatives—-disrupt-517377234)
IS in Action – Wal-Mart Supply Chain – CNBC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUe-tSabKag)
Target CIO Interview – ZDNet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMqnObdi304)
In-class discussion questions – Week 1 (Aug 31)
We will discuss these questions in-class on Aug. 31.
- How would you explain about the job description of a chief information officer (CIO)? What does he or she do?
- What kind of person do you think a CIO would be?
- How important is IT at IVK Corporation, a fictional company in our textbook? Can IVK function without IT?
- What is the current situation (financial, stock market) that IVK is at?
- Should a CIO be chosen among technically-trained managers or business-background managers?
- What does it mean by “IT management is about management” (Textbook p. 10)?
- What does it mean by “IT department is positioned to understand how the business works better than any other department” (p. 11)?
Welcome to MIS 3534 – Strategic Management of IT!
Greetings,
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer well. My name is Min-Seok, and I’ll be teaching MIS 3534 (Monday 5:30 – 8pm) in Fall 2016. I would like to wholeheartedly welcome you all to MIS 3534!
The first class is on Monday, Aug 29 at 5:30pm at Alter Hall 032. Please find and read the syllabus and be prepared with the first class and the textbook. Please bring the textbook for the first day, but you’re not required to read the first chapter. It is available for purchase at the campus bookstore and Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-IT-Leader-Robert-Austin/dp/142214660X/).
Once again, I’m very much excited to have you in MIS 3534. Enjoy the rest of the break, and I’ll look forward to seeing you soon.
MIS 3534 – Strategic Management of IT – Syllabus (OFFICIAL)
Textbook and Harvard Business Coursepack (required)
The Adventures of an IT Leader (http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-IT-Leader-Robert-Austin/dp/142214660X/)
Harvard Business Coursepack for MIS 3534 (http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/50797212)
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