eBay Inc.: Running the Right play in the Right country

1)      Why has eBay become such a successful and diverse online marketplace? Visit the eBay website to help with your answer and check out the many trading categories, specialty sites and other features.

eBay is the common marketplace for the people around the globe to enjoy shopping options throughout the world. eBay has united all its customers and suppliers throughout the world to experience the wonderful shopping experience in a common platform in minimum price saving the maximum of time of its users. It has helped both buyers and sellers to get the exposure and make the transaction happen easily and systematically in very short span of time.

Chapter 9 - Discussion Question

1)      Most business should engage in e-commerce in the internet. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your position.

E-commerce makes the business much reachable and easy to access. E-commerce is the definition of modern business values. E-commerce helps business customers serve themselves giving the proper value to consumer interest and preference. Millions of businesses today, both large and small are moving towards web for the prosperity of their business. E-commerce has been the gateway to thousands of customers to enter the thousands of business in order to get the best possible option for the fulfillment of their needs.

Entellium, Digg, Peerflix, Zappos, and Jigsaw: Success for second Movers in e- Commerce

1)      Is the second mover advantage always a good business strategy? Defend your answer with examples of this company in this case.

As mentioned in the case, “it’s never too late if you are smarter and better than everybody else”. Being second is also about having the chance and opportunity of winning a first one. Sometimes being second mover becomes much of a benefit to the business organizations. It’s less risky and there are very few chances of error. But this strategy could not always be the good business strategy because being first mover is also about being leader, and no matter whoever later on enters the industry and makes the impact it’s always the first one who is known for its innovation and credibility. Although, if things are examined and analyzed carefully by making proper study about the move of leader, also considering their weakness if prepared ourselves with defending strategies, being second mover could be the good business strategy to the organizations.

KitchenAid and the Royal Bank of Canada: Do you let your Brand go online all by itself?

1)      Consider your own online shopping patterns. How much weight do you place on the presence of name or logo or other trademark (Such as the KitchenAid silhouette) on a web site when purchasing goods and services? Do you ever stop to consider whether you may have been missed? How could you tell the difference?

As for my own shopping pattern whether its online or in site, brand name or logo does makes a difference for me to make the purchase or pour some extra bucks. Trademark and brand is the faith that gives me security and confidence in my purchase. Good brand means good product and automatically I consider buying them than those which are not branded. So personally logo and brand does make difference to my purchasing.

Chapter 8: Discussion questions

1)      Should every company become a customer focused business? Why or why not?

Costumers are the most valuable assets of an organization. Whatever the organization does, either it’s about improving quality or providing variety, all is in order to enhance satisfaction level of costumers. The ultimate aim of organization is to earn customers, satisfy them, retain them and increase the number with time and grow. If an organization could make its costumer happy then it can prosper so the key to success and prosperity of an organization is its ability to value its costumers and make them happy. So in order to achieve profitability and long term benefits every

organization should do customer focused business.

Auto systems: The Business Value of a successful ERP system for a small manufacturer

1)      Why did Auto systems decide to install the ActivEntry system? Why did they feel it necessary to integrate it with their TRANS4M ERP system?

Autosystems decide to install the ActivEntry system because they wanted to train their floor employees by making information’s accessible by them with risk management in order to experience the positive impact of this sharing in the performance in an organization. Using ActivEntry the information was now available by work center, about labor efficiencies, cost of production and scrap. This result the efficient plans to make changes and adjust productions.

They feel that it’s necessary to integrate TRANS4M ERP system to make things work together smoothly . After increasing the workforce in the system it was important to upgrade the system as well so as to accommodate the added workforce for efficient functioning of business activities.

Perdue Farms and Others: Supply Chain Management meets the holiday season

1)      What are the key factors that determine the success or failure of supply chain during the holiday season? Which of these are or could be under the control of companies, and which are inherent in the end consumer business? Provide several examples.

The factors which determine the success or failure of SCM during the holiday season are:

·         Lack of proper demand planning knowledge, tools and guidelines.

·         Inaccurate and overoptimistic demand forecasts.

·         Lack of adequate collaboration among marketing, production and inventory management departments within a company.

·         Overnight change in customers taste and preference.

Net Suite Inc., Berlin Packaging, Churchill Downs, and Others: The secret to CRM Is in the Data

1)      What are the business benefits of CRM implementations for organizations such as Berlin Packaging and Churchill Downs? What other uses of CRM would you recommend to the latter? Provide several alternatives.

The business benefits of CRM implications for organizations such as Berlin Packaging and Churchill Downs are listed below:

·         Safety of costumer records and well managed system without scattered documents and overlapped files along with consistency.

·         Accurate source of truth which can be relied on.

·         Conversion of two different functions into one so that management becomes much easier and information’s become more relevant.

·         Exact accumulation of costumer circle and facilitates their categorization.

·         Proper tracking of costumers.

The other uses of CRM would be:

·         Real time customization and personalization of products and

IT Leaders, Vertex Distribution, and Prevention Partners: the Future of ERP May lie with Open Source

1)      The case highlights differences in adoption of open source ERP systems between small or medium and large companies. What are the main reasons behind these differences? Do you think it is only a matter of cost? Justify your answer.

Adoption of open source ERP systems in small and medium organizations is much easier than in big organizations. The reasons behind this may be:

·         Small organizations are flexible than large organizations, in terms of size and performance.

·         Small organizations can focus on the system changes and adjust as per that, whereas in large organizations it’s very tough to manage a change.

·         Training can be more effective among small mass than in bunch of people.

Chapter 7: Discussion Question

1)                  Refer to the Real World Case on Cisco Systems in the chapter. How much of the potential success of their technology do you believe will rest on their ability to imitate life-like, in-person meetings, and how much on organizations reinventing the way they operate?

Bringing each corner of the globe and people interacting their to the common forum and helping them interact by creating real virtual environment is a wonderful concept in this emerging business scenario. Customers must first drive demand for this sort of product, and this demand will not come from pretty pictures but from business value.  For example, organizations using videoconferencing to reinvent the way they operate can offset the systems costs with the resulting cost savings.  Cisco's success will derive therefore derive first from the size of this market and then from their ability to win customers away from competitors.  In this, life-sized talking heads may help.  However, the case provided no reasons why Cisco's competitors cannot also provide this feature – unless the case meant to imply that current video standards cannot support this capability.  Ultimately, the system's "features" will win over clients.  Live-sized heads are one feature, but by using open standards, Cisco's competitors have set themselves up to

Yahoo, Google and Chrysler: How the Internet is Changing Advertising and Marketing

1)     Why are companies like Chrysler now looking more favorably at the Internet as a greater medium for their advertising dollars? What has happened to change their view?

With the development of telecommunications and Internet, it is truly global and its impact is massive. As presented in the case an American spends more than 30% of his/her time in internet. Internet has taken the time of television and other Medias. Case says that 63 % in a survey said that internet is a brand building tool and almost every portion of American household is connected with internet and also there is 50 % growth in internet users. It also talks about huge flow of dollars in online advertising in recent years.

Hilton Hotels Corporation: Data Driven Hospitality

1)      What are the benefits and drawbacks of the OnQ at Hilton?

The benefits of OnQ system at Hilton are listed below:

·         Helps establishing the value of a costumer, based on personal history and on predictive modeling of the business, the person is likely to do.

·         Proper allocation of attention where needed so that guests who needs extra attention gets taken care of resulting higher costumer satisfaction levels.

·         Ability to match customer reservations with profile database records in very small pace of time in order to make guest feel special.

OHSU, Sony, Novartis, and Others: Strategic Information Systems-It’s HR’s Turn

1)      What are some business benefits of the technologies described in the case? Provide several examples beyond the mere automation of transaction oriented process.

Some of the business benefits of the HRM technologies described in the case is described below:

·          It’s much faster because as specified in the case, by using HRM technologies OHSU is filling job opening two weeks faster than it once did.

·         Makes the process of hiring and contracting of employees easier. As specified in the case Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc by using workforce logic software is hiring managers, ensuring the easy understanding and complies with the legal distinctions between contract and salaried people.

·         Facilitates the function of Employee performance management, Career development and succession planning. As said in the

Cisco Systems: Telepresence and the Future of Collaboration

1)      What are the main business benefits of the collaboration technologies described in the case? How do these go beyond saving on corporate travel? Provide several specific examples.

The main business benefits that can be accumulated from collaboration technologies are listed below:

·         Easy of use and minimizes the geographical distance between places, bringing everybody throughout the world in one common screen.

·         Cost effective because it saves the cost for group of people to come together at a specific place and conduct meeting.

·         Saves time and increases effectiveness of decision making, making the whole process more interactive and participative.

·         Enhances the efficiency and productivity of the organization.

·         Systematic and scientific trend to go for that makes people to do business much easier.

Chapter 6: Discussion Question

1)      The internet is a driving force behind developments in telecommunications, networks, and other information technologies. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

This generation is called internet generation because internet has got lots of influence over our lifestyle. Everything we do, internet has got lot to do with it. We communicate study, work and learn through internet so internet has been an integral part of our life. Development of telecommunications was happened far before the development of internet, but internet has helped in bringing the one form of telecommunications into several forms. The growth of telecommunications and its popularity has lot to do with internet. Internet made the telecommunication process much easier and faster. Since it connects a system with another system, Network is also a

Best Buy, Med Star Health, and Unifi: the Challenges and benefits of Wireless Mobile Applications

1)      What are the business advantages and limitations of the Best Buy Geek Squad’s use of their wireless pocket PC mobile devices? How have the overcome the limitations of their mobile devices?

To the mobile work force wireless pocket PC mobile device has been very useful and has helped them to operate smoothly. It has increased the efficiency of the users as well as time management has been easier. Customer satisfaction level has raised and problems are solved easily and accurately. Whole the process of functioning has been much easier increasing the productivity of the business. Time saving for both customers and the agents is the most important thing that has been facilitated by the wireless Mobile Application.

Chapter 5: Discussion Question

1)      How should business store access and distribute data and information about their internal operations and external environment?

Organizations today are being much concerned and aware about benefits of proper storage access and distribution of their data and information management regarding their external and internal environment. They know that if they could not manage information resources properly there is no place for them in this competitive business environment. Small business organizations can use Microsoft Access and manage their database management system whereas big organizations require sophisticated management tools and techniques as per the need and size of the organization.

SAIC, Hewlett-Packard, GE, and Others: The Business Case for Wireless Sensor Networks

1)      What are the business benefits associated with using wireless networks to collect and transmit data?

Wireless networks are easy to install and provides better control over the whole system. Wireless networks have replaced the messy wired networks, which looks untidy and is very hard to replace in case of physical damage. Data collected by wireless sensors are transmitted through wireless networks in speedy rate and stored in the attached device. Wireless sensors are the stimulators which functions as a security siren when some unusual thing happens in the system. So wireless networks helps to control the system at mean time. Business organization can benefit a lot from using wireless networks in their business. Some of the business benefits of wireless networks are listed below:

Starbucks and Others: The Future of Public Wi-Fi

1)      Do you agree with the plans by Starbucks to offer time limited free Wi-Fi to customers? Do you think free Wi-Fi would be enough to instill that kind of loyalty? Based on the experiences of other coffee houses reported above, do you think free access was a critical factor in developing a loyal customer base?

Starbucks came up with the idea to offer time limited free Wi-Fi, which I think is one of the brilliant ideas which will attract customers towards it and also increase the revenue of the organization. Free Wi-Fi is used more as an incentive in star bucks which made the people to switch to them, this didn’t even increased their cost moreover it made star bucks popular along with people became loyal to them. This extraordinary benefit for customers helped star bucks to attract people to use their other services. Internet today is almost free at most of the places but still when people are provided it in a better way and in a better form then they definitely go for

Metric and Multistandard Components Corp.: The Business Value of a secure Self-Managed Network for a Small-to-Medium Business

1)      What were the most important factors contributing to MMCC’s success with its new, secure, self managed network? Explain the reasons for your choices.

When MMCC switched on to new networking solutions the important thing that helped it is understanding the need of their business and looking for the system that makes it easier to meet those needs. They made an outline about their requirements consisting of reliability of the system, flexibility or scalability of system, Security concerns and expenses undertaken to deploy the system. When they were sure about what they need they search for the options available and adopted the most efficient one for the organizations like theirs. The factors that helped MMCC to grow and be successful are: