Information System
1. Scenario:
Almost 21 Pte Ltd is an Australian manufacturer cum retailer of young adult female fashion, with an annual turnover of $50 million and more than 50 retail stores
Australian-wide.
Originally established in 2008, the company had Head Offices in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), where all fashion products designed by local designers and were
manufactured using materials sourced from local vendors. Fashion products were only sold through retail stores in Australia. However, in early 2013 the company has
expanded rapidly through a series of acquisitions and has plans to expand their market overseas by setting up factories and retail stores in other countries. In
addition, the company also plans to sell their products online, via Almost 21’s own website to customers who are not able to access the retail stores easily.
As a result of its acquisition strategy and rapid expansion, Almost 21 inherited disparate information systems. These have never been completely integrated, creating a
considerable obstacle to establishing a complete overview of the business. In addition, the company has recognised the limitations of its systems which, consisting
mainly of transaction processing systems, do not facilitate the type of analysis and management reporting that it requires. There are also questions over the systems’
ability to support the dynamic demands of a global and an online distribution network.
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Almost 21 is concerned that the company’s legacy management reporting and decision support systems are limiting the potential of
the company. She is aware that the company’s target market of young female adults has a keen fashion sense and rapidly changing taste and demands and that it would be
inadequate to rely solely on the retail outlet managers to provide feedback to the company to tailor its product mix. She is also a keen follower of technological
advances such as Business Intelligence applications. Her priorities for 2014 are to make better use of the company’s data resources to:
. (i) Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s supply network,
. (ii) Tailor product mix for specific retail outlets (including online), and
. (iii) Improve customer satisfaction and retention.
2. Requirements:
You have recently joined Almost 21 as a Business Analyst. The CIO asks you to prepare a report on the potential of new information systems for the company.
Your report should:
1. Explain how Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems could be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the
company’s supply network.
2. Recommend how Business Intelligence applications (e.g. Tools for aiding information and knowledge discovery, and/or Tools for analyzing data to improve
decision making, and/or Tools for visualizing complex data relationships) could be leveraged together with the SCM and CRM systems as part of the company’s business
strategy to improve customer satisfaction, customer retention, and product mix.
3. Identify the main IS/IT security, ethics and privacy issues that Almost 21 should consider when leveraging these different technologies (SCM, CRM and Business
Intelligence applications) as part of an integrated enterprise systems strategy.
4. Recommend specific software solutions (SCM, CRM and Business Intelligence applications) that Almost 21 should adopt. Your recommendations should be based on
the analysis in Parts 1, 2, and 3, and focus on the tools that you have argued would be most beneficial in achieving the CIO’s priorities. Your justification of
particular vendors should include a scoring model.
In preparing the report, the CIO wants you to compare the software solutions offered by at least THREE vendors, and wishes you to consider the potential of ‘best of
breed’ software solutions.
It is important that you provide the CIO with information that is customised for her situation rather than producing material that reads like a generic textbook. You
should therefore illustrate that you understand the company context and priorities. You should articulate any assumptions that you make about the company and provide
the necessary explanations to back up your recommendations.
You are required to carefully consider the points that you wish to make in this report. A ‘brain dump’ of all you know is of little value. You should consider using
tables and figures to present some material as they may help structure your argument.
In order to prepare your assignment you have to undertake research. However, you should ensure that you use the information gathered to illustrate your argument; you
should not simply describe your research findings. A percentage of the marks available will be awarded for quality research, so you should ensure that your sources are
appropriately referenced.
4. Marking Criteria:
The aim of the assignment is to get you to consider the material that you have covered in the course in light of the scenario described in the assignment. The
assignment requires you to illustrate your understanding of the course material by making a well-reasoned argument. The report should therefore be analytical rather
than descriptive, and should explain the reasoning behind the argument made. Marks will be awarded for using course material rather than reproducing it.
The report should have a professional layout and be well presented. It should read like a well-justified consultant report suitable for a business audience rather than
an essay.
Marks are available as follows:
A well articulated and justified argument explain how Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems could be used to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s supply network (25 percent).
A well articulated and justified argument explaining how Business Intelligence applications (e.g. Tools for aiding information and knowledge discovery, and/or Tools
for analyzing data to improve decision making, and/or Tools for visualizing complex data relationships) could be leveraged together with the SCM and CRM systems as
part of the company’s business strategy to improve customer satisfaction, customer retention, and product mix (20 percent).
A well articulated and justified argument identifying the main IS/IT security, ethics and privacy issues that Almost 21 should consider when leveraging these different
technologies (SCM, CRM and Business Intelligence applications) as part of an integrated enterprise systems strategy (15 percent).
A well-justified proposal (including a scoring model) recommending software solutions that Almost 21 should adopt (20 percent).
An insightful analysis of how relevant course material was used to undertake the analysis contained in the report (10 percent).
Effective and coherent presentation of information in a format suitable for a consulting report. Adherence to UNSWBS presentation standards including Harvard
referencing and the use of acceptable research materials (10 percent).
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