...Outsourcing has been considered by many businesses because it allows them to reduce labor costs by moving operations or production abroad particularly to developing countries. Outsourced jobs include lower level manufacturing jobs to higher-level jobs, which requires specialized skills and education. Businesses are incentivized towards this decision because it increases their competitive advantage through reduced cost and improved capabilities and specialization. The goal of this research project is to determine whether or not outsourcing to an overseas corporation would be the best move for the company. The research team has developed a strategy that ensures that the management dilemma will be resolved, and answers in the most economical way, and with valid, reliable, stable, and practical information. Research Problem and Purpose The most prolific management dilemma that modern businesses encounter is identifying innovative ways to reduce costs. A way businesses can reduce costs is through changing the organizational structure. It is the function of management to organize the resources, locations, and authority within the organization to ensure optimal use of resources, manpower, money, capital, and equipment. The purpose of the research study is to determine whether outsourcing to an overseas corporation will provide enough cost savings to maintain their competitive advantage. Clarifying the Research Question Research questions are open-ended questions, with the...
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...20 Questions Directors Should Ask about IT Projects 2007 How to use this publication Each “20 Questions” briefing is designed to be a concise, easy-to-read introduction to an issue of importance to directors.The question format reflects the oversight role of directors, which includes asking management — and themselves — tough questions.These questions are not intended to be a precise checklist, but rather a way to provide insight into and stimulate discussion of important topics. The comments that accompany the questions summarize current thinking on the issues of leading organizations, and provide directors with a basis for critically assessing the answers they get, and digging deeper as necessary.Thus, although the questions apply to most medium-to-large organizations, the answers will vary according to the size, complexity and sophistication of the individual organization. The Information Technology Advisory Committee 20 Questions Directors Should Ask about IT Projects 2007 Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication 20 questions directors should ask about IT Projects ISBN 978-1-55385-250-6 1. Project management. 2. Information technology — Management. I. Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. II.Title:Twenty questions directors should ask about IT projects. HD30.2.T883 2007 658.4’04 C2007-901684-7 Copyright © 2007 Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants 277 Wellington Street West Toronto, ON M5V 3H2 Printed in Canada Disponible...
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...| Syllabus School of Business HRM/319 Version 1 Human Resource Information Systems | Copyright © 2009 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course focuses on the interface of the human resource management functions of an organization with computer technology. It identifies issues involved in creating, implementing, and maintaining human resources systems and the benefits of human resources systems. The class explores key topics in depth using computer analysis models to aid in managerial decision areas such as staffing, employee development, position management, total compensation, outsourcing options, and professional development. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Ceriello, V. R., & Freeman, C. (1998). Human resource management systems: Strategies, tactics and techniques revised and expanded edition (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John...
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...discuss how information systems are used for competitive advantage. We will learn how information systems are used by successful marketers, accountants, and finance and operations executives and more. Because our readings are online and current, we will learn how key business theories explain and enable what is happening today in business when information systems are being used. We will learn how to apply management concepts to understand the opportunities created by, and threats arising from, the effective use of information systems. We will discuss how to analyze and design information systems for business and how those systems are used in different businesses and business functions. We will cover the use of spreadsheets and databases for analysis and decision making. We will learn about key technologies such as telecommunications. Course Perspective When you read a business publication website such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, or even a general publication such as the Washington Post or the New York Times, you will see a large number of stories directly related to the use of information systems in business and government. Business people get excited because Information Systems (IS) have the power to create and restructure industries, empower individuals and firms, and dramatically reduce costs. Business people get scared because they know, when poorly implemented, IS can squander shareholder wealth, taxpayer...
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...Information System Briefing Deidre Johnson HCS/483 July 24, 2011 Lee Edwards Information System Briefing The dependency on information technology (IT) has increased progressively for organizations as a strategically important competitive advantage. If planned, developed, and managed properly, IT can bring about greater efficiency in organizational operations, better working environments, and effective decision-making processes. Therefore, many organizations are trying to catch up the development gap with the industry by means of technology acquisition. Technology acquisition process is essential in developing a good management Information system for an organization. Many IT projects have failed because of poor design planning, false selections of the development, and a lack of follow up on key milestones addressed in the acquisition process. The terms acquisition refers to all stages from buying, introducing, applying, adopting, adapting, localizing, and developing through to diffusion. The acquisition issue is multifaceted for various reasons including large variety of IT applications, rapid change in new technology, and involvement of several business entities in organization. The set of processes for the build, lease, or buy decision must be identical for every instance or business opportunity that arises. The process determine the strategic value and potential savings of the proposed project, as well as factors like business transformation...
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...discuss how information systems are used for competitive advantage. We will learn how information systems are used by successful marketers, accountants, and finance and operations executives and more. Because our readings are online and current, we will learn how key business theories explain and enable what is happening today in business when information systems are being used. We will learn how to apply management concepts to understand the opportunities created by, and threats arising from, the effective use of information systems. We will discuss how to analyze and design information systems for business and how those systems are used in different businesses and business functions. We will cover the use of spreadsheets and databases for analysis and decision making. We will learn about key technologies such as telecommunications. Course Perspective When you read a business publication website such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, or even a general publication such as the Washington Post or the New York Times, you will see a large number of stories directly related to the use of information systems in business and government. Business people get excited because Information Systems (IS) have the power to create and restructure industries, empower individuals and firms, and dramatically reduce costs. Business people get scared because they know, when poorly implemented, IS can squander shareholder wealth, taxpayer...
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...Dr. Mary Conway Dato-on Office: Bush Exec. Center 301 Class Time: TUE 6:30 - 9:30 PM Classroom: Crummer 107 Phone: 407-646-2514 E-mail: mconwaydatoon@rollins.edu You are encouraged to contact me whenever you have a question on any aspect of the class. You may contact me at any time throughout the semester. I am available basically when you need to meet. Sending an email may be the quickest way to reach me. Course Description This course will focus on the strategy and tactics needed for success in the international business environment. Strategic analysis will include the study of the economic, social, political, technological, and environmental settings of international business via text readings and case studies. Tactics will include completing a country-focused Political-Economic-Social-Technological (PEST) analysis and a company-focused Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis. These skills will then be applied to a simulation in which teams develop strategies for selecting countries for market expansion and development. Required Texts 1. Global Business Today (6th Edition), Charles W. Hill (McGraw Hill, 2009) ISBN: 007338139x. 2. FOUR (4) Case studies ARE REQUIRED and available to download from Harvard Business School Press, Ref. Number: http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/relay.jhtml?name=cp&c=c22021. You will need to register first and use a credit card to download the cases. It is not permissible to photocopy another...
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...Staffing the Information Technology Department Gayle Yarbrough, PHR Webster University ITM 5600/45 - Information and Communications Security Dr. Etido Akpan February 15, 2011 Abstract Staffing the Information Technology (IT) department today is about proper workforce planning and strategic alignment. In today’s labor market, it is essential that staffing be aligned with the strategic plan of the organization. The goal of the staffing expert is to achieve the perfect balance between improving technology and finding success in all areas related to staffing for that technology (Cryton, 2010). Strategic recruiting becomes more important as labor markets shift and become more competitive. Human Resource planning helps to align Human Resource strategies with organizational goals and plans. This research will examine different strategies and staffing approaches as companies strive to attract the Information Technology talent needed while at the same time companies are facing a major human energy crisis in the Information Technology department. This study will examine the different methods and sources of staffing and considerations to examine in selecting a recruitment strategy. The research will examine what is needed to staff the IT department along with credentials and training needed to support the requirements. Finally, the research will conclude with employment policies and practices to that should be closely examined and considered when staffing the Information...
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...Smartphones: Building profitability and loyalty in the mass-market Industry Briefing In many mature wireless markets, smartphones already account for one in three handsets sold. By the end of 2011 they will have overtaken featurephones. As the wireless industry’s fastest growing category of device, smartphones are opening up many new and exciting revenue-generating opportunities. However, the migration from the prosumer to wider consumer markets is not without its challenges. This paper identifies five key pressure points that are facing wireless carriers and challenging the profitability and loyalty of their smartphone consumers. WWW.WDSGLOBAL.COM 2. WDSGlobal Industry Briefing Smartphones: Protecting profitability and loyalty in the mass market Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE RISE OF THE SMARTPHONE Subscriber Break-Even Smartphones and the Technology Adoption Lifecycle - Innovators and Early Adopters - Leaping the Chasm CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR AND MOTIVATIONS IDENTIFYING THE PRESSURE POINTS PRESSURE POINT ONE: USER BEHAVIOR The Golden Hour PRESSURE POINT TWO: DEVICE SUBSIDIES Service Usage PRESSURE POINT THREE: COST TO SUPPORT Increased Average Handle Time - AHT by Operating System - Problem Type by Operating System Brand Escalation and the Threat of No Fault Found Propensity to Call PRESSURE POINT FOUR: SERVICE CONFIGURATION Failures in the Preconfiguration Model PRESSURE POINT FIVE: UNLIMITED DATA PLANS SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS APPENDIX ONE p3. p4. p4. p5...
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...UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY ANALYSIS & EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT 2005 The VSM Group Prepared by: Name Intake Reg No. Ivan HO MacNab 200455775 Vui Soon HO MacMaster 200352369 Franco LEE MacNab 200492442 Kim Loong NG MacNeil 200459087 Roland TAN MacNeil 200459176 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2 VSM GROUP 1 2.1 Organisational Purpose 1 2.2 Corporate Governance 2 2.3 Stakeholders 2 2.4 Organisational Performance 2 3 MACRO ENVIRONMENT 2 3.1 PESTEL Analysis 2 3.2 Scenario Building 3 4 SEWING MACHINE INDUSTRY 3 4.1 Global Business Environment 3 4.2 Market Analysis & Structure 3 4.3 Industry Analysis 4 4.4 Competitor Analysis 4 4.4.1 Market Segmentation 4 4.4.2 Strategic Group Analysis (SGA) 5 4.4.3 Customer Value 5 5 STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES 6 5.1 Resources and Competencies 6 5.2 Diagnosing Strategic Capability 6 5.3 Development of New Competencies 7 6 COMPETITIVE/BUSINESS STRATEGY 7 6.1 Basis of Competition 7 6.2 Sustaining Competitive Advantage 7 6.3 Basis of Future Competitive Strategy 7 7 STRATEGIC OPTIONS 8 7.1 Improvement on Operating Profits 8 7.1.1 Production Relocation 8 7.1.2 Revenue Growth 8 7.2 Long-term Growth and Strategies 8 7.2.1 Market Diversification 9 7.2.2 Revenue Diversification...
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...An Essential Guide to Possibilities and Risks of Cloud Computing “By 2011, early technology adopters will forgo capital expenditures and instead purchase 40% of their IT infrastructure as a service ... Cloud Computing will take off, thus untying applications from specific infrastructure.” by Gartner Highlights Key Predictions for IT Organizations and Users in 2008 and Beyond, January 2008 An Essential Guide to Possibilities and Risks of Cloud Computing A PRAGMATIC, EFFECTIVE AND HYPE-FREE APPROACH FOR STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE DECISION MAKING Cloud Computing is quite possibly the hottest, most discussed and often misunderstood concept in Information Technology (IT) today. In short, Cloud Computing proposes to transform the way IT is deployed and managed, promising reduced implementation, maintenance costs and complexity, while accelerating innovation, providing faster timeto-market, and providing the ability to scale high-performance applications and infrastructures on demand. The goal of this White Paper is to provide a realistic perspective of the possibilities, benefits and risks of Cloud Computing; what to look for, what to avoid, and also some tips and best practices on implementation, architecture and vendor management strategies. It is important to consider all those aspects before you decide either to move (but without putting the carriage before the horse) or not to move your systems, applications, and/or data to to the “Cloud”, in a “hype free” approach. Note: Mentions...
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...1. Introduction 1.1 Purpose of report In order to generate business growth in the near future, the Industrial Business Division (IBD) of 3M Canada has considered changing its focus of serving original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) to serving maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO’s) customers. However this strategic decision comprises of many opportunities and challenges. The prime goal of IBD is to increase its organic growth from (3-5) per cent, to (12-15) per cent by 2008 (Hutt & Speh, 2010). The purpose of this report is to provide a plan of action that will assist IBD to achieve its new business growth mandate. 1.2 Company Background The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Corporation which is now known as 3M, was established in 1902. 3M is a multinational company with over 50 divisions worldwide. Its first subsidiary was set up in Canada. The Industrial Business Division of Canada caters for a broad range of industrial markets. Its success can be attributed to its customer focus approach which has resulted in beneficial transactions, particularly with OEM customers. By 2006 IBD had become the second largest division in terms of sales (Hutt et al., 2010). However the company’s growth and development was slowly approaching a stand still. The maturity of the OEM segment meant that IBD needed to asses other market options and opportunities. Could inroads into the unfamiliar MRO segment provide sustainable growth? This is the question that IBD needed to answer. 1.3...
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...Individual Briefing Paper “The Impact Investing: a tool to mobilize Italian capitals in order to pursue a positive social impact” #2430 Social Entrepreneurship Individual Assignment Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................. 3 1. The Problem ........................................................................... 3 1.1. Who Would Benefit And How? ............................................................. 4 1.2. The Threats .......................................................................................... 4 1.3. The Solution ......................................................................................... 5 1.4. Social Responsibility to Offset Lower Financial Returns......................... 5 2. The Topic: the Impact Investing ............................................... 6 3. Benchmarking ......................................................................... 6 4. Conclusions ............................................................................ 7 Sources ......................................................................................... 8 2 Social Entrepreneurship Individual Assignment Introduction The social offer is largely garrisoned by the State and, it involves sanitary sector, education, and services to the person and in general...
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...or more CISR research projects that presents management frameworks, findings and recommendations. Research Summary: a summary of a research project with preliminary findings. Research Briefings: a collection of short executive summaries of key findings from research projects. Case Study: an in-depth description of a firm’s approach to an IT management issue (intended for MBA and executive education). Technical Research Report: a traditional academically rigorous research paper with detailed methodology, analysis, findings and references. About the Center for Information Systems Research CISRMISSION CISR was founded in 1974 and has a strong track record of practice based research on the management of information technology. As we enter the twenty-first century, CISR’s mission is to perform practical empirical research on how firms generate business value from IT. CISR disseminates this research via electronic research briefings, working papers, research workshops and executive education. Recent and current research topics include: 2003 Projects ƒ Business Models and IT Investments ƒ Governing IT for Different Performance Goals ƒ Assessing Architecture ƒ Infrastructure as Variable Cost ƒ Managing IT Related Risks 2004 Projects ƒ Assessing the Performance of Alternative Business Models ƒ...
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...Center For Leadership And Change, Inc. Makati City center for leadership and change, inc. Center For Leadership And Change, Inc. Makati City center for leadership and change, inc. A. COMPANY BACKGROUND The Center for Leadership and Change, Inc. (CLCI) is the authorized distributor for FranklinCovey products and services in the Philippines. Franklin Covey Co. (FCC), the global leader in effectiveness training, productivity tools, and assessment services for organizations, teams, and individuals, was brought about by the synergistic merger between Covey Leadership Center and Franklin Quest Company in 1997. CLCI started as Covey Leadership Center, Philippines at the Ateneo De Manila Central Guidance Bureau (CGB). In June 1993 it was granted licensee status of Covey Leadership Center together with Australia, England, Japan, Singapore, and other licensees. September 1996, Covey Leadership Center, Philippines is incorporated and finally spun-off from CGB. When Franklin Quest and Covey Leadership Center merge to become FranklinCovey Co. in 1997, Covey Leadership Center, Philippines changed its name to Center for Leadership and Change, Inc. or CLCI. Through the years, CLCI has continued to plant the seeds of positive change by providing unique, integrated solutions to its clients, many of whom are leaders in the manufacturing, food, finance, pharmaceutical, BPO, and service sectors, as well as in government and educational institutions. More than 75 percent...
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