Library Networking of the Universidad de Oriente

The Universidad de Oriente was founded in 1958 and structured in five campuses, located in 5 different States in the northeastern region of Venezuela, with a current total enrollment of 43.000 students and 2500 teachers. A total of 20 libraries of different kinds served these students and professors till 1999. To introduce new information technologies to the libraries and all laboratories of the university, an intranet of the university with 32 networking systems was introduced for all campuses using Main Frame Relay technology. This case discusses the challenging job of creating consciousness about information literacy and university digital databases and digitalization of valuable documents.

The Elusive Last Mile to the Internet

This case highlights the challenges faced by organizations in developing countries in getting reliable, high-speed Internet access to support their mission critical web enabled information systems. The case prescribes various measures to optimally use the constrained bandwidth available from service providers. The challenges in defining and monitoring appropriate service level agreements with the service providers are discussed.

Project Mi-Net - An Inter-Organizational E-Business Adoption Study

This case study chronicles the adoption and implementation of an inter-organizational, e-business system by a FMCG organization in India. The focus of the case is on understanding the implementation process and the extent of proactive change management practices employed by the organization. The case brings out issues like the importance of building value propositions to attract the stakeholders, and providing the requisite training and incentives to commit them to the system.

Palisade Systems

This case study describes the experience of an Internet security product development company. Terrorism, fraud, and related regulatory changes have created new market opportunities for these products. The purpose of the case is to identify a strategic direction which will allow this successful technology company to successfully take advantage of these current opportunities.

The Importance of a Comprehensive Adoption Decision in the Presence of Perceived Opportunities - The Test Results Case

This case discusses the adoption of a web initiative by a leading Indian integrated healthcare provider. By tracing events associated with the project over a two-year period, the case highlights how a technologically simple IT adoption ran into difficulties because of lack of a comprehensive analysis during the adoption decision process, which was largely guided by a perceived opportunity to exploit favorable stock market conditions.

A DSS Model that Aligns Business Strategy and Business Structure with Advanced Information Technology

This case discusses the development of an alignment model utilizing strategy; structure and information technology after a CIO in the 1990’s suggested to the board of directors the need for an investment program on a barcode system at the front office. The purpose was to decrease entry time of cashier and waiting time of customer’s, in order to increase competitive advantage.

Investing in an Energy Management System

This case presents the story of how a small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) makes the decision to invest in an emerging technology. Specifically, the case looks at Quality Care Nursing Home, a 125-bed elderly care facility with roughly 200 employees. Advances in information technology yielded an opportunity for Quality Care to achieve savings of both financial and natural resources through the implementation of an energy management system (EMS) integrated into organizational decision making and management processes. In the case, Quality Care is considering investment in a new IT-enabled EMS in order to improve client satisfaction while reducing costs. The case describes the problem, energy management systems (which are an emerging technology), and how the business went about evaluating the need for the technology and making its case as to whether or not to invest in the technology. The case presents an interesting investment decision in terms of balancing the qualitative and quantitative costs and benefits of the proposed IT solution.

Implementing Software Metrics at a Telecommunications Company - A Case Study

This case study explores a metrics program to track the development of a new version of a telecommunications companys voicemail product. The study addresses the adoption of the program, its components, structure, and implementation, and its impact on product quality and timeliness. The study also discusses the aftermath of the program and its place in the larger organizational culture.

Corporate Collapse and IT Governance within the Australian Airlines Industry

The Kendell case illustrates issues of IT governance in the airlines industry. The case is written using the corporate collapse of Kendell’s parent company Ansett Australia as the background. The case also explores the potential issues facing the re-established company now called Regional Express (REX) and how to implement the lessons learned.

Workflow-Supported Invoice Management

The case study describes the implementation of a workflow management application at large media company. It shows how an organization created business value through information technology and process automation. Benefits of the system in terms of operational efficiency and organizational performance are discussed. Limitations are also identified.