Evolution of an Executive Information System

This case highlights factors that provided the impetus for changing a successful EIS into a data warehouse at the VF Corporation. The data warehouse was developed to aid JeansWear, a division of VF, with its pointof- sale/replenishment activities. The data warehouse provides greater reporting and OLAP capabilities, giving replenishment analysts a detailed and synthetic view of the marketplace. It is estimated that about $100 million in 1998 alone might be attributed to the improved Replenishment decision making due to the data warehouse. The case discusses the basic concepts and architecture of this data warehouse and outlines the development process and the problems that the development team had to overcome. It also examines the essential role that this data warehouse is currently playing in the success of VF Corporation. Finally, the case outlines and discusses a number of factors that should be considered and questions that should be asked prior to initiation of a data warehouse project in order to assure a successful outcome.

An Innovative Adaptation of General Purpose Accounting Software for a Municipal Social Services Agency

Organizations with unique characteristics and transaction processing requirements, such as government agencies, often satisfy these requirements by (a) acquiring software from vendors who have developed applications for that particular type of organization, or (b) developing software internally from scratch. When either of these approaches is taken, the development costs are spread over a relatively small number of organizations, and the resulting system can be very expensive. Also, due to the uniqueness of the application and the relatively small number of users, it may take a long time to identify and correct any processing errors. An alternative is to acquire generalpurpose software that has been developed for a wide range of organizations, and to adapt it for the agency in which it will be installed. However, this alternative approach is frequently not undertaken because it is often believed that general-purpose software is unable to provide all of the information required by the organization. When the required information can be provided, though, general-purpose software can be less expensive and less timeconsuming to implement.

Network Implementation Project in the State Sector in Scotland

This case study, about the introduction of networked PCs in a local government office in Perth, Scotland, focuses on the importance of organizational and social factors during the implementation process. The implementation of the network in this case study is not a straightforward progression from one stage to the other, as may be inferred from the systems development life cycle waterfall model but a circular, stop-andstart process with moves back to previous stages and is more like a spiral approach of dynamic and unfolding processes. The case study highlights the links between technical and nontechnical aspects of implementation and the complicated process of project management in which a balance is continually being sought between technical and nontechnical issues. But although social processes may reduce technical as well as social problems, not all problems can be solved by attention to social factors. Organizational constraints may limit the success of the implementation process, and there are also dangers in including users who, if their views are disregarded, may become disillusioned and adversely affect future development of the network.

Learning Technology Management While Teaching Technology Management

This case study presents an evaluation pilot of a technology-enabled service, specifically a distance learning program at a university. The primary intent of the case is to illustrate the management of a trial evaluation of an information technology and the need for explicit criteria considering multiple technical and organizational factors. The secondary purpose of the case is to share the learning specific to the administration and delivery of a distance learning program using various media. The distance learning program was conducted on a trial basis with 16 students in a 13-course, 18-month Master of Science in Technology Management (MSTM) program. Compressed video and Internet-based technologies were used for course delivery, in addition to limited on-site instruction. The case study describes the motivation and progression of the trial, up to the point when a decision had to be made about continuing the program beyond the trial. The experience is considered from multiple perspectives, specifically those of the school administration, faculty, and students. Positive and negative aspects are highlighted to lay the groundwork for analysis at the decision point.

From Pilot to Practice Streamlining Procurement and Engineering at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

In this case study we report on how Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is utilizing emerging technologies to support engineering and procurement processes. In the context of a major construction project, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), scope, complexity, and tight budget and time restrictions required streamlined business operations and improved collaboration between engineering and procurement. In order to establish a unified information technology (IT) architecture, LLNL is integrating formerly isolated systems and enhancing them through internal development as well as commercial products. The result is highly customized to LLNLs needs and allows the Lab to meet the requirements of NIF-related engineering and procurement processes in terms of cost, time, quality and complexity. The project also serves as a test bed for a lab-wide, integrated IT infrastructure. This case study is a follow-up to Gebauer and Schad (1999).

Implementation Failure of an Integrated Software Package

The case study describes the process of implementation of an integrated software package at the Thai subsidiary (SMTL) of a Hong Kong-based multinational company (SMHK) engaged in the manufacturing of electronic equipment. Several factorssuch as a poor fit between the business process assumptions inscribed in the software and the business processes in SMTL, poor leadership at different levels, cultural clash between the headquarters and the Thai subsidiary, organizational politics, and poor human resource managementcontributed to the confusion in the organization, project delays, budget overruns, and ultimately, to the failure of the systems implementation project. The case study is likely to be valuable for illustrating issues related to managing IS implementation in a multinational context.

The Value of Coin Networks

As a response to strong competitive pressures, the U.S. automotive industry has actively employed Electronic Data Interchange in communications between suppliers and carmakers for many years. This case reviews the recent development of ANX®, a COIN (Community of Interest Network) intended to provide industry-wide connectivity between carmakers, dealers and Tier suppliers. The authors identify technical and business challenges to the success of ANX®.

Isobord's Geographic Information System (GIS) Solution

Isobord, a start-up company that is setting up a new strawboard production plant in Manitoba, Canada, is facing critical operational problems that threaten its future. Isobords product is a high quality particleboard substitute that uses straw, rather than wood, as the main raw manufacturing material. To achieve viability, Isobord must develop processes to carefully coordinate and manage its straw baling, stacking and hauling operations. Through effective information systems, Isobord has the potential to reduce the amount of equipment it needs to purchase to meet straw harvest requirements. A small investment in optimization technology could yield considerable cost savings if the efficiency of capital equipment can be improved. A geographic information system (GIS) / relational database management system (RDBMS) solution is being explored, but budget and time constraints, as well as organizational inexperience, seriously threaten the project. An information technology decision must be made immediately if there is to be any hope of implementing technology to manage the first years straw harvest.

Deploying Distributed Computing

This teaching case describes the efforts of one department in a large organization to migrate from an internally developed, mainframe-based, computing system to a system based on purchased software running on a client/server architecture. The case highlights issues with large scale software implementations such as those demanded by enterprise resource package (ERP) installations. Often, the ERP selected by an organization does not have all the required functionality. This demands purchasing and installing additional packages (known colloquially as bolt-ons) to provide the needed functionality. These implementations lead to issues regarding oversight of the technical architecture, both project and technology governance, and user department capability for managing the installation of new systems.

The Application of IT for Competitive Advantage at Keane, Inc.

The Keane Company, founded in 1965 by John F. Keane, has grown from a local software service company into a national firm which has three operating divisions and over 45 branches throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Within these operating divisions are multitudes of consulting opportunities, ranging from supplemental staffing, project management and application outsourcing. This case will focus on Keanes approach to Project Management and how they provide this service to their clients. This includes not only how Keane is hired for Project Management but how they train their clients on how they too can implement the Keane philosophy of Productivity Management. Instead of focusing on any one client of Keane, their overall technology strategy will be highlighted, from their early days through the present to illustrate how Keane has successfully incorporated information technology and Project Management to become a major player in the software service and consulting field. The goal of this case is to provide the student with an example of business-technology strategy in action and allow them to explore future paths that Keane may take based on how they use technology today and in the decade to come.