case study

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Unit Code and Title: BIS2006 Management Information Systems / SBM4203 Management

Information Systems

Assessment Overview

Assessment Task

Weighting Due Length ULO

Assessment 1: Quiz Online quiz of key content areas

40% Week 3, 5, 7, 9

30 mins

ULO-1 ULO-2 ULO-3 ULO-4 ULO-5

Assessment 2: Case Study-1 Students will be given a case study about a business and should critically analyse the case study based on the assignment requirements.

30% Week 6 2500 words ULO-1 ULO-2 ULO-3 ULO-4

Assessment 3: Case Study-2 Students will be given case about a current Information Systems issue and should critically analyse the case and provide solutions or suggestions to address the issue.

30%

Week 12

2500 words

ULO-1 ULO-4 ULO-5

Assessment Details

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Assessment 1: Online Quiz

Due date: Week 3, 5, 7, 9

Group/individual: Individual

Word count / Time provided: 30 minutes

Weighting: 40%

Unit Learning Outcomes: ULO-1, ULO-2, ULO-3, ULO-4, ULO-5

Assessment Details:

This online quizzes will assess your knowledge of key content areas of learning materials from week 1

to week 9. For successful completion of the quizzes, you are required to study the material provided

(lecture slides, tutorials, and reading materials), engage in the unit’s activities, and in the discussion

forums.

quizzes will be completed online through the APIC Online Learning System (OLS).

Marking Information: Each quiz will be marked out of 100 will be weighted 10% of the total unit

mark. There will be four quizzes conducted during trimester; together, they will comprise a total of

40% of the total unit mark.

Assessment 2: Case Study-1

Due date: Week 6

Group/individual: Individual

Word count / Time provided: 2500 words

Weighting: 30%

Unit Learning Outcomes: ULO-1, ULO-2, ULO-3, ULO-4

Assessment Details:

This assignment assesses the student’s application of the theoretical learning to practical, real

world situations.

You are required to read the following case study and after further research, analyse the case

study according to the requirements provided at the end.

Offline, Online, and Back: The Evolution of the UK Grocery Market CASE STUDY

The UK grocery market is predicted to grow by 14.8 percent through 2023, and according to the food

and grocery research organization IGD, this market is expected to reach a value of £218.5 billion. The

main grocery stores operating in Great Britain are Tesco, which has a market share of 27.4 percent;

Sainsbury, 15.4 percent; ASDA, 15.3 percent; and Morrisons, 10.3 percent. Together, they cover

almost 70 percent of the grocery market and are considered the “Big Four” in the United Kingdom.

Tesco reached its peak in 2007, when it held 31.1 percent of the UK grocery market share. Worldwide,

the company operates in 13 countries, with around 7,000 stores across Europe and Asia. In the United

Kingdom, Tesco focused on implementing a strategy that enabled the company to offer the lowest

Page | 3 Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd. Trading as Asia Pacific International College 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150: 02-8319 2100 PRV12007; CRICOS 03048D Approved: 21/9/2020 & Version 1.1

costs and achieve cost leadership. This drew price-sensitive customers away from its competitors and

increased its market share. Tesco adopted the following strategies to maintain this cost leadership:

(1) high utilization of assets through production of large outputs and spreading the fixed costs over

large quantities, (2) minimal direct and indirect costs in the production and distribution stages, and

(3) strict control over the supply chain to ensure low costs. This strategy was viable for Tesco; as a big

company, it could take advantage of economies of scale in the market.

However, due to the popularity of discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, Tesco has recently

been struggling to maintain its cost leadership. Consumer behavior has changed in the United

Kingdom due to economic recession and inflation, leading customers to shift to making their groceries

purchases at budget supermarkets. Last year, Tesco’s market share fell slightly; by contrast, Aldi and

Lidl have continuously been increasing their market share over the last few years. In January 2017,

Aldi was the fifth largest grocery chain in the United Kingdom with a market share of 7.6 percent.

Besides the physical supermarkets, Tesco has been operating two online platforms: Tesco.com for

grocery home deliveries and Tesco Direct for household goods and clothing. However, in May 2018,

Tesco announced Tesco Direct’s closure in an unexpected move. Tesco Direct had been launched in

2006, and it had cost the company between £25 and £30 million.

According to Charles Wilson, who recently took over as CEO of Tesco’s UK chain, closing one of the

websites would help them to focus their investment in one platform to offer better service and more

products to customers. Although the closure cost 500 jobs, it was not a huge surprise, considering that

Tesco had, by its own admission, faced challenges in making it profitable. Tesco’s attempt to compete

with huge online retailers such as Amazon and Argos had failed because it had been unable to make

profits after covering the costs of marketing and order fulfillment. Besides this setback, Tesco must

also contend with the threat from discount supermarkets. Aldi has opened more than 700 stores since

1990, when its first store in United Kingdom was launched. Similarly, Lidl reached a total of 700 stores

in 2018 after it opened five stores in one day. Customers were skeptical at the beginning, but once

they saw the low-price products, they switched their buying preferences to these discount

supermarkets. In addition to gaining a larger market share every year, Aldi and Lidl are contributing to

the UK economy in different ways. According to some analysis, Aldi has contributed £8.5 billion to the

GDP of the United Kingdom through job creation, taxes, and capital investment. Predictions also show

that Aldi is expected to provide a £2.2 billion boost for British businesses. Customers who switched

from the Big Four supermarkets saved £2.2 billion last year alone by shopping at Aldi. Aldi UK’s most

successful year was 2017, when it generated £10 billion in annual sales for the first time.

Experts argue that the main reasons these discount supermarkets have been successful is rising

inflation and the stagnation in wages. The services offered by Aldi are similar to those that the “Big

Four” provide their customers, but Aldi has the advantage of lower prices and is still considered a

discounter, which is especially attractive for customers during inflation. Surveys show that Aldi also

gets very good ratings in customer satisfaction. Ever since the two discount supermarkets came to the

United Kingdom from Germany, they have forced the big grocery stores to rethink their approach.

Thanks to their low-price grocery strategy, Aldi and Lidl have changed the UK supermarket industry

for some time to come. Big supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury already offer online grocery

shopping, but they had faced difficulties making a profit from their e-commerce operations. With Aldi

and Lidl’s entry into this market, these challenges will only increase. In the beginning of 2016, Aldi

opened its first online store for the UK market. The discount retailer made its opening move by

Page | 4 Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd. Trading as Asia Pacific International College 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150: 02-8319 2100 PRV12007; CRICOS 03048D Approved: 21/9/2020 & Version 1.1

investing £35 million to launch an online website for selling wine, which was followed by non-food

“special buys.” According to Kantar Retail analyst Bryan Roberts, this move is a smart way of reaching

customers who don’t have access to an Aldi.

Lidl founded the Lidl Digital Logistics, and experts expect this supermarket to enter the grocery

delivery market too. So far, Lidl has sold wine and some non-food items online in parts of Europe, but

not groceries. Lidl’s approach to entering the digital market is quite innovative: recently, they

launched a chatbot designed to help customers in their choice of wine based on what they are eating.

The public love for the discounters signifies a major threat for big supermarkets looking to keep their

market share, both on and offline. To take the fight to Aldi and Lidl, and having seen Aldi and Lidl’s

success in gaining market share, Tesco has decided to open a discount chain of 60 stores all over the

United Kingdom, thus entering the fast-growing discount market. History has shown that attempts by

big supermarkets to launch discount brands have largely failed. However, Bryan Roberts, Insights

Director at TCC Global, has stated that Tesco’s buying power and expertise could result in success this

time. With Aldi and Lidl trying to enter the e-commerce industry and Tesco trying to defeat them by

entering the discount market, the war between the big and budget supermarkets has taken some

interesting turns, especially since food shopping has undergone changes too: more people prefer to

buy food on a daily basis and more locally, and a high number of them prefer to buy their food online.

A number of European retailers have responded to this by opening smaller stores in nearby locations,

launching online stores, and testing other new models for shopping. Tesco has been in the business

of selling on the Internet for a long time now; in 1996, it became the first supermarket to launch online

shopping.

There are several ways Tesco is using information technology to its advantage. For instance, in 2011,

while Tesco’s domestic United Kingdom sales were dropping, it was a huge success in South Korea, its

largest market outside the United Kingdom, as a result of its ability to adapt to local customer needs.

As South Koreans are among the people with the longest working hours worldwide, Tesco introduced

“virtual stores” with its Homeplus brand in the country. It displayed these virtual stores in subways

and bus stations, where people could scan products’ barcodes using their smartphones and purchase

them online. These products were then delivered to them right after they returned home, thus saving

time and effort for the consumers.

History has shown that the grocery industry needs to adapt to consumer demands and lifestyles

continuously. The United Kingdom and South Korea are a study in contrasts. While people in the

United Kingdom switched from domestic big supermarkets to budget supermarkets, the opposite

happened in South Korea thanks to Homeplus, which turned Tesco into the country’s second largest

grocery retailer. Customers in the United Kingdom are price-sensitive due to economic recession and

inflation, whereas customers in South Korea have embraced the technology made available to them

to suit their time-sensitive lifestyle.

E-commerce is a huge opportunity for discounters, but what will happen to the grocery sector if these

chains [Aldi and Lidl?] decide to offer their full range of products online? Perhaps more importantly,

can they gain a bigger share of the grocery market at the expense of the Big Four in United Kingdom?

Some experts believe that this strategy is untenable. According to retail consultant Graham Soult, the

discount supermarkets’ initiative of entering the online shopping market runs the same risks and

problems that other supermarkets have faced. He believes that the uniqueness of these supermarkets

lies in their simplicity and low cost, which they might be putting at risk when they start to sell food

Page | 5 Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd. Trading as Asia Pacific International College 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150: 02-8319 2100 PRV12007; CRICOS 03048D Approved: 21/9/2020 & Version 1.1

and groceries online. Simply put, the complexity of the e-commerce industry might not fit their low-

cost business model.

Sources: Sarah Butler, “New Tesco Discount Chain Could Launch as Early as September,” The Guardian

, July 22, 2018; Zoe Wood, “Tesco Shuts Its Non-Food Website, Tesco Direct,” The Guardian , May 22,

2018; Miles Brignall, “Tesco ‘Planning’ Discount Chain to Take on Aldi and Lidl,” The Guardian ,

February 11, 2018; Zoe Wood, “Low Prices and No Frills: Can Tesco’s Secret Plan Defeat Lidl and Aldi?”

The Guardian , September 15, 2018; Jessica Lindsay, “Why Is Tesco Direct Closing and Is There a Closing

Down Sale?” Metro , June 8, 2018; Matthew Chapman, “Aldi Puts £35m into E-commerce as It Begins

Selling Wine Online,” Campaign, January 21, 2016; “Aldi Opens Its First Online Store in the UK,” E-

commerce News, January 20, 2016; Thomas Hobbs, “How Aldi’s Move into E-commerce Shows It Is

Becoming a More ‘Conventional’ Grocer,” Marketing Week , September 28, 2015; Josie Cox, “German

Discount Supermarket to Major Threat to Rivals Such as Tesco and Sainsbury,” Independent , January

4, 2018; Simon Johnstone, “Aldi and Lidl: A Journey from Hard Discounters to Multichannel Retailers,”

Essential Retail , March 14, 2017; Martin Petit de Meurville, Kimberley Pham, and Courtney Trine,

“Shop on the Go,” Business Today , February 15, 2015; Statista, “Market Share of Grocery Stores in

Great Britain from January 2015 to October 2018,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/280208/

grocery-market-share-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/.

Assignment Requirements:

You are required to read the above case study and after further research, and write a report that

addresses the following items (please conduct research, and use relevant examples to support your

discussion):

1. Write an introduction section that summarises the case study and its objectives.

2. Identify the problem(s) described in the case study. Describe what people, organisation and

technology factors contributed to the problem(s).

3. Analyse the cost leadership strategy of Tesco based on Porter’s Competitive Forces Model.

6. Comment on Tesco’s strategy of opening a discount chain. Do you think it could recover Tesco’s

former market position? Explain your answer.

5. Do you think Aldi and Lidl’s strategy of venturing into e-commerce is a good idea?

A report of 2500 words must be submitted by the due date. Your report must have a cover page duly

completed. The report must be fully referenced.

Penalty for Late submission: a deduction of 5% of the total mark shall be imposed on each of the

next subsequent days.

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Marking Information: The Case Study-1 will be marked out of 100 and will be weighted 30% of the

total unit mark.

Marking Criteria and Rubric

Marking Criteria

Not satisfactory

(0-49%) of the criterion mark

Satisfactory

(50-64%) of the criterion mark

Good

(65-74%) of the criterion mark

Very Good

(75-84%) of the criterion mark

Excellent

(85-100%) of the criterion

mark

Introduction about the case study

(10 marks)

Introduction is presented poorly without adequate details.

Introduction is presented briefly with some relevance and missing elements such as summary of case objectives, and problem/ report outline.

Introduction is presented with adequate details, however missing one or more elements such as summary of case objectives, and problem/report outline.

Introduction is well written with clear discussion about the summary of case objectives, problem/ report outline.

Introduction is very well written with very clear background and discussion about the summary of case objectives, and problem/report outline.

Problem Identification

(15 marks)

Fails to provide adequate description and analysis of the current problems.

Provides a general description with very limited analysis of the current problems and/or lacks enough details.

Provides a general description with limited critical analysis of the current problems.

Provides a description and some critical analysis of the current problems.

Provides an outstanding description and careful and critical analysis of the current problems.

Cost Leadership Analysis

(15 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Further Analysis on Tesco’s strategy on opening a discount chain

(20 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Analysis of Aldi and Lidl’s strategy on venturing into e- commerce

(20 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Structure and organization (how logically arguments are stated and how

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not organize the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view. Problem

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning in support

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critically problems are analysed)

(10 marks)

Problem situation is not critically analysed.

way. Analysis of the problem situation is not that satisfactory.

the problem situation is so far reasonable.

situation is analysed with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

of a conclusion or point of view. The way problem situation is analysed requires high level of critical analysis skills.

Writing Quality & Adherence to Format Guidelines

(10 marks)

Report shows a below average/poor writing style lacking in elements of appropriate standard English and following proper Harvard guidelines. Frequent errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows below average and/or casual writing style using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows an average and/or casual writing style using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows above average writing style and clarity in writing using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and/or formatting.

Report is well written and clear using Harvard guidelines and standard English characterized by strong writing style. It is free from grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, or formatting errors.

Assessment 3: Case Study-2

Due date: Week 12

Group/individual: Group

Word count / Time provided: 2500 words

Weighting: 30%

Unit Learning Outcomes: ULO-1, ULO-4, ULO-5

Assessment Details:

You are required to read the following case study and write a report according to the assignment

requirements:

You are one of the candidates, you have been approached by the Australian Federal Government

and Chief Medical Officer to assist in developing systems that will help to minimise the risk of people

to people transmission of viruses. Unawareness of disease transmission can put people at greater

risk of transmitting diseases. They have asked you to develop a proposal on new systems as quickly

as possible. They have a budget of $50 million to spend on implementing these systems. As an

information systems professional, you need to address the following in your proposal to be

presented to the government for consideration:

• Provide a brief description of your proposal and introduce two to three IS sytems that are

suitable to this current COVID-19 environment.

• Describe the current needs for information systems as much as possible such as the need to

develop information systems to minimise person to person transmission, in particular

maintaining social distancing.

• Analyse the suitability of these systems to the current environment, such as which group of

people can use such systems and how they can benefit from them. How the new systems can

reduce virus transmission?

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• Discuss any downsides of the proposed systems in terms of any possible risks, security &

privacy concerns, etc.

• What security measures would you recommend to the government in order to minimise

security risks and privacy concerns associated with these systems?

• Calculate costs associated with these systems, such as cost of developing software and

purchasing hardware, using cloud services, outsourcing, etc.

A report of 2500 words must be submitted by the due date. Your report must have a cover page duly

completed. The report must be fully referenced.

Penalty for Late submission: a deduction of 5% of the total mark shall be imposed on each of the

next subsequent days.

Marking Information: The Case study-2 will be marked out of 100 and will be weighted 30% of the

total unit mark.

Marking rubric:

Marking Criteria

Not satisfactory

(0-49%) of the criterion mark

Satisfactory

(50-64%) of the criterion mark

Good

(65-74%) of the criterion mark

Very Good

(75-84%) of the criterion mark

Excellent

(85-100%) of the criterion

mark

Introduction

(10 marks)

Introduction is presented poorly without adequate details.

Introduction is presented briefly with some relevance and missing elements such as summary of case objectives, and problem/ report outline.

Introduction is presented with adequate details, however missing one or more elements such as summary of case objectives, and problem/report outline.

Introduction is well written with clear discussion about the summary of case objectives, problem/ report outline.

Introduction is very well written with very clear background and discussion about the summary of case objectives, and problem/report outline.

Systems Requirement

(10 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Suitability Analysis

(15 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Risk Analysis

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no

States an argument or point of view but does not present the

States an argument or point of view but expected to be

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or

Page | 9 Asia Pacific International College Pty Ltd. Trading as Asia Pacific International College 1-3 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150: 02-8319 2100 PRV12007; CRICOS 03048D Approved: 21/9/2020 & Version 1.1

(15 marks)

supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Security & Privacy Solutions

(15 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Cost Analysis

(15 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented.

States an argument or point of view but does not present the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning with high level of critical analysis skills.

Structure and organization (how logically arguments are stated and how critically problems are analysed)

(10 marks)

Does not clearly state an argument or point of view or else little or no supporting reasoning or evidence is presented. Problem situation is not critically analysed.

States an argument or point of view but does not organize the evidence or reasons in a logically adequate way. Analysis of the problem situation is not that satisfactory.

States an argument or point of view but expected to be organized more logically. Analysis of the problem situation is so far reasonable.

Presents an argument using evidence and /or logical reasoning in support of a point of view. Problem situation is analysed with satisfactory level of critical analysis skills.

Develops a clearly articulated argument, using evidence and/or systematic logical reasoning in support of a conclusion or point of view. The way problem situation is analysed requires high level of critical analysis skills.

Writing Quality & Adherence to Format Guidelines

(10 marks)

Report shows a below average/poor writing style lacking in elements of appropriate standard English and following proper Harvard guidelines. Frequent errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows below average and/or casual writing style using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows an average and/or casual writing style using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Some errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, and/or formatting.

Report shows above average writing style and clarity in writing using standard English and following Harvard guidelines. Minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and/or formatting.

Report is well written and clear using Harvard guidelines and standard English characterized by strong writing style. It is free from grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, or formatting errors.