Discuss how a good global IT/IS strategy can provide a given business with a competitive advantage in the market place

With your group, you will undertake a substantial problem related to Global Information Systems from any one of the following topics.  You will undertake a study to assess its current approaches, issues, challenges, and potential opportunities arising from global information systems.  This study may involve conducting interviews with people in the organisation, reading documentation (e.g. policy/strategy documents), inspecting the organisation’s information systems, or any other information gathering exercise that helps you better understand the way in which the organisation attempts to manage its resources and synthesise your solution and recommendations.

Topics:

• The future of [the topic you studied for Assignment 1]:  Where do you see it is going over the next few years? What were the gaps you identified? What are your recommendations?
• Advantages and disadvantages of setting up a global service alliance who offer integrated logistics solutions.
• Discuss how a good global IT/IS strategy can provide a given business with a competitive advantage in the market place.

If a group selects Topic 1, they will continue their topic of Assignment 1. If a group decide not to continue the topic they had selected for Assignment 1, they can choose either Topic 2 or 3. Issues to be considered include organisation structure, the technology used, changes to work practices and social relations among the direct participants in the system, economic feasibility, risk involved and wider social and economic implications. You should be sufficiently specific about the design of the organisation you discuss, so that the reader understands clearly how it works.

The report should formulate broad-based recommendations to comprehensively address the challenges and opportunities presented from a multidimensional perspective. Such recommendations must be rigorously supported by evidence from evolving practise and academic and professional literature.

Further explanation of report specifications

• This will be a major report on a particular style or industry application of a global information system. It will reference both theoretical literature and reports of industry practice and will present original points of view.
• The main emphasis on the report should be howthe system works. While we require both an indication of technology used and a brief discussion of the needs which the system is meant to fulfil, the main issue is howthe technology is used to fit these needs.
• This is not a marketing exercise (nor a treatise on economic theory). While you should obviously believe in and support what you propose, you should point out disadvantages as well as advantages of the system.
• The report should be in the style of a magazine article (with references) or a book chapter. It will be more structured than an essay (or opinion piece, editorial) but less objective oriented than a report to management.
• The report must be a coherent group report, not a collection of individual contributions. This can be achieved by good planningbefore members are assigned their individual tasks, having the individual reports ready at least a week before your presentation, so that the talk can be based on a common theme, and good editing.
• Some overall hints for consideration:
  • Effective evaluation of alternatives
  • Formulate comprehensive recommendations
  • Support decisions by evidence from the literature
  • Innovative integration of Information Systems enabled solution
  • Present and defend recommendations/solution
• The report can be structured with the following sections:
  • Overview of the business/organisation (i.e. what it does)
  • Research methodology
  • Description of current processes
  • Description of existing barriers
  • Possible areas for improvement
• The report should be written in 12 fonts (Times Roman) and be professionally presented.
• It is recommended that the name of the organisation you studied is not used in the report but referred to via a pseudonym.

Notes

Report size: The word count does not include the title, abstract, references, and appendices. All other typed text will be considered to fall within the 4000 words.

Assessment: The report will be assessed according to the Marking guidelines given below.

Criteria	Marks
Research methodology	(2 marks)
The comprehensiveness of research in terms  of the globalisation processes– organizational structure, work practices, economic feasibility and implications, risks involved	(10 Marks)
Level of critical analysis and relevance	(6 Marks)
Presentation style and clarity	(2 Marks)
TOTAL MARKS	(20 marks)