Scenario:

Key Assignment During the course, the combined week’s assignments will be your final Key Assignment

deliverable, which is depicted in the following flow diagram below:

Management Effectiveness Using Technology Resources

Phase 1 - Task 1

Task Type: Discussion Board

Deliverable Length: See assignment details

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday You have been called in by your boss. The company is considering buying another smaller

firm; however, some business analysis is needed for your company management to make its

final decision about purchasing. Your boss has asked you to look at the firm that he or she is

considering to buy in terms of competitive advantage. You have been asked to explain to

senior management how you would provide this information. You have been tasked with

using Porter's five forces to make this determination. Discuss and defend to your

management how utilizing Porter's five forces to analyze any organization or industry would

provide an understanding of competitive advantage.

Phase 1 - Task 2

Task Type: Individual Project

Deliverable Length: See assignment details

The company that you are working for is considering buying another smaller firm. However,

there is some business analysis needed for your company to make its final decision about

purchasing. Throughout this course, you will be working on creating the Business Strategy

and Management Plan.

Keep in mind that the final Business Strategy and Management Plan template should contain

the following elements:

Title page Course number and name Project name Your name Date Table of contents

o Autogenerated o Up-to-date o Maximum of 3 levels deep

Section headings

Each week, you will add a section to your Business Strategy and

Management Plan and submit it for grading. For Week 1, you will make a

qualitative evaluation of the industry's strategic position using Porter's five

forces. (Please note that the summaries below for Weeks 2–5 do not need to

be completed in Week 1. Just create the section headings at this time). As a

preview, each section will contain the following subsections:

Qualitative Evaluation of the Industry’s Strategic Position (Week 1 IP) o Choose an aspect of the information technology (IT) industry that has

not been previously used as an example in this course. Use Porter’s five

forces to make a qualitative evaluation of the industry’s strategic

position. Be sure to explain each of the five forces as well as explain how

they relate to your chosen industry. Note: The mobile phone industry was provided as an example

in the video material and may not be used as the subject for

this assignment. o Remember to include the following elements (Porter’s five forces):

Threat of new entrants: Are new entrants being attracted to

the market, and are there barriers to entry in the industry? Threat of substitute products or services: Are there other

products that could be alternatives to offerings in the chosen

industry? Bargaining power of customers: What degree of bargaining

power do the buyers have in terms of putting the industry under

pressure to provide more products or less cost?

Bargaining power of suppliers: What is the importance of raw

materials, components, labor, and services that are required

for the industry, and are there substitutes for those inputs?

Discuss the possibility of switching suppliers, if necessary. Intensity of competitive rivalry: Does the industry have a

sustainable competitive advantage? Strategic Information Systems Assessment (Week 2 IP)

o Analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the

case study organization that are related to its present information

systems environment. o Assess the forces that are presently governing competition for the case

study organization. o Using Wiseman’s framework of strategy development, define the

strategic thrusts (and related advantages) that the case study

organization should use to build a business case for implementing an

information systems management plan. Information Systems Business Case (Week 3 IP)

o Based on the information contained in the Business Systems Plan and the

Strategic Information Systems Assessment, write an IT strategy statement

that details the following: Critical success factors for the IT manager A general strategy for how the IT department will determine

congruence between the goals of the IT department and the

goals and objectives of the case study organization A general strategy for how the IT department will support the

goals and objectives of the case study organization Strategic Business Plan (Week 4 IP)

o Executive summary o Marketing analysis

You should identify a target market. You should establish a strategy for acquiring a customer base.

o Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis o Financial statements o Summary of the relevance of Porter’s five factors o Conclusion

Project Management Plan (Week 5 IP) o Initiating o Planning o Executing o Monitoring and Controlling o Closing

Week 1 Assignment

Choose an aspect of the IT industry that has not been previously used as an example in this

course.

Note: The mobile phone industry was provided as an example in the video material and may

not be used as the subject for this assignment.

Use Porter's five forces to make a qualitative evaluation of the industry's strategic position.

Be sure to explain each of the five forces as well as explain how they relate to your chosen

industry.

Remember to include the following elements (Porter's five forces):

Threat of new entrants: Are new entrants being attracted to the market, and are

there barriers to entry in the industry? Threat of substitute products or services: Are there other products that could be

alternatives to offerings in the chosen industry? Bargaining power of customers: What degree of bargaining power do the buyers

have in terms of putting the industry under pressure to provide more product or

less cost? Bargaining power of suppliers: What is the importance of raw materials,

components, labor, and services that are required for the industry, and are there

substitutes for those inputs? Discuss the possibility of switching suppliers, if

necessary. Intensity of competitive rivalry: Does the industry have a sustainable competitive

advantage?

Phase 2 - Task 1

Task Type: Discussion Board

Deliverable Length: 400-600 words

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Library Research Assignment

Conduct research online to determine the challenges and issues that are related to information technology (IT) management. Discuss the specific controls, environmental factors, competitive factors, and people and organizational factors

that are challenging for IT managers.

Phase 2 - Task 2

Task Type: Individual Project

Deliverable Length: 4–5 pages of new material

Determining the information technology (IT) management strategy that will work best for an organization requires that an assessment of the current state of the organization is conducted.

Write a strategic information systems assessment of 4–5 pages for the case study organization that includes the following:

Analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the case study organization that are related to its present information systems environment.

Assess the forces that are presently governing competition for the case study organization.

Using Wiseman’s framework of strategy development, define the strategic thrusts (and related advantages) that the case study organization should use to build a business case for implementing an information systems management plan.

Add this section to the Strategic Information Systems Assessment section of your Business Strategy and Management Plan .

Name the document "yourname_IT600__IP2.doc." All sources should be cited using in-text references and in the References

section using APA format.

Phase 3 - Task 1

Task Type: Discussion Board

Deliverable Length: See assignment details

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Conduct research online regarding the role that strategic information systems (SIS) have in creating an organization’s competitive strategy. Discuss specifically how the SIS integrates the organizational strategic vision and accomplishes a competitive advantage for the organization. Provide examples to illustrate your discussion.

Phase 3 - Task 2

Task Type: Individual Project

Deliverable Length: 4–5 pages of new material

Building a business case for an information technology (IT) strategy is essential to demonstrate that there is an alignment between the IT that is implemented in the organization and the overall goals and objectives of the organization. Being able to build a business case means that the investment in resources can be justified.

Write an information systems business case of 4–5 pages for the case study organization that includes the following:

Based on the information contained in the Business Systems Plan and the Strategic Information Systems Assessment, write an IT strategy statement that details the following:

o Critical success factors for the IT manager o A general strategy for how the IT department will determine

congruence between the goals of the IT department and the goals and objectives of the case study organization

o A general strategy for how the IT department will support the goals and objectives of the case study organization

Add this section to the Information Systems Business Case section of your IT Management Plan.

Name the document "yourname_IT600__IP3.doc." All sources should be cited in the text and in the References section using

APA format.

Phase 4 - Task 1

Task Type: Discussion Board

Deliverable Length: See assignment details

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday

Primary Task Response: Your task is to post your own Key Assignment Outline to the discussion area so that other students are able to review your plan. Attach your document to the main discussion post, and include any notes that you feel are appropriate. The purpose of this assignment is to help improve the quality of the Key Assignment Draft that you will complete next week.

Phase 4 - Task 2

Task Type: Individual Project

Deliverable Length: 4–5 pages of new material

Key Assignment Draft

Your Key Assignment Draft should be 15–20 pages in length (excluding the Cover page and Reference page). The new content for this week should be 4–5 pages in length.

Create document in Word that contains the following elements:

Title page Course number and name Project name

Your name Date Table of contents

o Autogenerated o Up-to-date o Maximum of 3 levels deep

Section headings

Each week, you should have added a section to your Business Strategy and Management Plan and submitted it for grading. Each section should contain the following:

Qualitative Evaluation of the Industry’s Strategic Position (Week 1 IP) o Choose an aspect of the information technology (IT)

industry that has not been previously used as an example in this course. Use Porter’s five forces to make a qualitative evaluation of the industry’s strategic position. Be sure to explain each of the five forces as well as explain how they relate to your chosen industry.

Note: The mobile phone industry was provided

as an example in the video material and may not be used as the subject for this assignment.

o Remember to include the following elements (Porter’s five forces):

Threat of new entrants: Are new entrants being

attracted to the market, and are there barriers to entry in the industry?

Threat of substitute products or services: Are there

other products that could be alternatives to offerings in the chosen industry?

Bargaining power of customers: What degree of

bargaining power do the buyers have in terms of putting the industry under pressure to provide more products or less cost?

Bargaining power of suppliers: What is the

importance of raw materials, components, labor, and services that are required for the industry, and are there substitutes for those inputs? Discuss the possibility of switching suppliers, if necessary.

Intensity of competitive rivalry: Does the industry

have a sustainable competitive advantage?

Strategic Information Systems Assessment (Week 2 IP) o Analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats for the case study organization that are related to its present information systems environment.

o Assess the forces that are presently governing competition for the case study organization.

o Using Wiseman’s framework of strategy development, define the strategic thrusts (and related advantages) that the case study organization should use to build a business case for implementing an information systems management plan.

Information Systems Business Case (Week 3 IP) o Based on the information contained in the Business

Systems Plan and the Strategic Information Systems Assessment, write an IT strategy statement that details the following:

Critical success factors for the IT manager A general strategy for how the IT department will

determine congruence between the goals of the IT department and the goals and objectives of the case study organization

A general strategy for how the IT department will support the goals and objectives of the case study organization

Strategic Business Plan (Week 4 IP) o See the section for New Content below.

All sources should be cited using in-text references and in the References section using APA format.

New Content

Your company has decided to move forward with the acquisition of the smaller company as described in the Phase 1 Individual Project. Your company was impressed with the information that you provided about Porter’s five factors and your qualitative evaluation of the industry’s strategic position. Your management has now asked you to create a Strategic Business Plan for the newly acquired company. You must provide this new plan and incorporate the information about Porter’s five factors.

Your Strategic Business Plan should include the following features:

Executive summary Marketing analysis

o You should identify a target market. o You should establish a strategy for acquiring a customer

base.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis

Financial statements Summary of the relevance of Porter’s five factors Conclusion

Phase 5 - Task 1

Task Type: Discussion Board

Deliverable Length: See assignment description

Primary Discussion Response is due by Wednesday

Summative Discussion Board Review and reflect on the knowledge you have gained from this course. Based on

your review and reflection, write at least 3 paragraphs on the following:

What were the most compelling topics learned in this course? How did participating in discussions help your understanding of the subject

matter? Is anything still unclear that could be clarified? What approaches could have yielded additional valuable information? The main post should include at least 1 reference to research sources, and

all sources should be cited using APA format.

Phase 5 - Task 2

Task Type: Individual Project

Deliverable Length: Final Document: 20–25 pages (excluding the Cover page and

Reference page); New content: 4–5 pages

Key Assignment Final Draft Your final draft of the Key Assignment should be 20–25 pages in length (excluding

the Cover page and Reference page). The new content for this week should be 4–5

pages in length.

Create document in Word that contains the following elements:

Title page Course number and name Project name Your name

Date Table of contents

o Autogenerated o Up-to-date o Maximum of 3 levels deep

Section headings Each week, you should have added a section to your Business Strategy and

Management Plan and submitted it for grading. Each section should contain the

following:

Qualitative Evaluation of the Industry’s Strategic Position (Week 1 IP) o Choose an aspect of the information technology (IT) industry

that has not been previously used as an example in this course.

Use Porter’s five forces to make a qualitative evaluation of the

industry’s strategic position. Be sure to explain each of the five

forces as well as explain how they relate to your chosen

industry. Note: The mobile phone industry was provided as an

example in the video material and may not be used as

the subject for this assignment. o Remember to include the following elements (Porter’s five

forces): Threat of new entrants: Are new entrants being

attracted to the market, and are there barriers to entry

in the industry? Threat of substitute products or services: Are there

other products that could be alternatives to offerings

in the chosen industry? Bargaining power of customers: What degree of

bargaining power do the buyers have in terms of

putting the industry under pressure to provide more

products or less cost? Bargaining power of suppliers: What is the

importance of raw materials, components, labor, and

services that are required for the industry, and are

there substitutes for those inputs? Discuss the

possibility of switching suppliers, if necessary. Intensity of competitive rivalry: Does the industry

have a sustainable competitive advantage? Strategic Information Systems Assessment (Week 2 IP)

o Analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

for the case study organization that are related to its present

information systems environment. o Assess the forces that are presently governing competition for

the case study organization. o Using Wiseman’s framework of strategy development, define

the strategic thrusts (and related advantages) that the case study

organization should use to build a business case for

implementing an information systems management plan. Information Systems Business Case (Week 3 IP)

o Based on the information contained in the Business Systems

Plan and the Strategic Information Systems Assessment, write

an IT strategy statement that details the following: Critical success factors for the IT manager A general strategy for how the IT department will

determine congruence between the goals of the IT

department and the goals and objectives of the case

study organization A general strategy for how the IT department will

support the goals and objectives of the case study

organization Strategic Business Plan (Week 4 IP)

o Executive summary o Marketing analysis

You should identify a target market. You should establish a strategy for acquiring a

customer base. o Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)

analysis o Financial statements o Summary of the relevance of Porter’s five factors o Conclusion

Project Management Plan (Week 5 IP) o See the section for New Content below.

All sources should be cited using in-text references and in the References section

using APA format.

New Content Your company has purchased the smaller company that was discussed in the Phase

1 and Phase 4 Individual Projects. Your input was greatly valued. Senior

management believes that you have a firm grasp on how to handle the new

business; therefore, you have been assigned the role of project manager.

Your boss has asked you to write a Project Management Plan. Your plan should

contain the following sections:

Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Controlling Closing

In addition, your plan should touch upon the following components:

Integration Cost

Human resources Stakeholder management Scope Quality Communications Time Procurement Risk management

These components should be worked into the sections of your assignment noted

above.