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.