Technology Case Study
Each case poses several questions that require your personalized analysis along with bibliographic citations from course materials and outside readings. For each selected case:
1. Carefully analyze the case based on the concepts and principles from background readings, required texts, in-class presentations, literature reviews, and other information sources (books, academic and trade journal articles, business publications, etc.) related to class content.
2. For each case, prepare a critical analysis for each question (worth up to 7 points per case). You must address all questions included with the case and optional issues of your choice. Your answers should synthesize and integrate course content and other resources to develop a personalized and defensible analysis. A thorough response for most questions should total about 500 words.
3. For each case, include at least three (3) appropriate APA-formatted citations/references (worth up to 3 points per case) to support your analysis. Citations can be drawn from required class texts, other course materials, student projects, journal articles presented in class, or additional readings consulted exclusively for the exam. Use APA standards for in-text citations, and include an APA reference list at the end of each case. All items included in the reference list must be cited in-text.
Use this document as a template to compose your answers and follow these guidelines:
1. Save this file with your last name as part of the filename.
2. Include your name, date, and selected cases in the information box at the top of page one.
3. Do not delete the cases that you choose not to answer.
4. Provide your analysis below each question within the case. Do not remove any text from the template.
5. Do not copy and paste graphics or tables from other documents into the exam template. Only original graphics and tables prepared by you exclusively for this exam can be included.
6. Please do not use advanced formatting (font changes, bolding, indentations, etc.) for your responses.
7. Save your work frequently. Be careful about MS Word’s habit of unexpectedly reformatting documents. If you see that Word has made a formatting change, press the “undo” icon and this will usually remove the unexpected change.
8. Be sure to save your document frequently during editing.
Review the Harvard Business School outline, “Managing the Internet of Things: How Smart, Connected Products are Changing the Competitive Landscape,” which accompanies a webinar presented by Michael Porter and James Heppelmann (posted to Blackboard as a PDF).
Your role in this case is as a strategy consultant working with your organization to explore the use of smart connected products for either 1) developing new proprietary products or services, or 2) deploying third-party systems to improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, or sustainability.
Questions
1. Refer to Figure 2 in the Harvard document as a framework. Discuss what you believe to be the potential for developing smart connected products in your current organization to sell to customers. These products could either extend an existing product line or be a new product line. Which level of smart connected product (smart connected product, product system, or system of systems) would be most likely pursued by your company, and why?
Your response:
2. Consider the operational environment of your company. Identify and discuss one example of an existing process and supporting system that could be improved through use of smart connected products. Discuss the general features of a proposed smart connected product to improve operations in this area. The product can either be an existing product or one not yet on the market.
Your response:
3. Refer to Figure 3 in the Harvard document. For your proposed use of smart connected products discussed in either Question 1 or Question 2, answer at least three of the strategic choice questions identified in Figure 3 (omitting questions 1 and 10). Which of these three questions do you see as most significant for your company given its current business strategy and capabilities, and why?
Your response:
4. Other observations and recommendations:
References: