Business Situation

Please remember your BTAR document must follow the following template .

1. Title:  Identify the title of your report

2. Problem Analysis:  Provide brief background of the business. Identify problems (not symptoms) and their impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization in achieving its goals and objectives

3. Proposed Alternatives:  Identify at least 3 alternatives and evaluate their pros and cons

4. Review Potential Technologies:  Review potential technologies that enable the above alternatives (at least one alternative must be enabled by existing or new technologies). Discuss capability of those technologies briefly. Provide names of a few vendors who supply those technologies.

(Note: If you wish, item #3 and #4 can be discussed together in one section.)

5. Selection and Recommendation:  Select the most appropriate alternative based on information provided in item # 3 and 4 and provide justification. As part of the discussion, organizational and managerial implications should be discussed. Examples of areas that should be covered include but are not limited to business and technology strategic alignment, organization design, measurement and reward systems, leadership, motivation, improvement strategies, and knowledge and change management.

6. References:  Include a complete list of references used in this report. Follow the Document format and style suggested in the Course Information section on Blackboard.

The report should not be less than 7 or more than 10 pages (double space, 12-point Times New Roman). It should include your name and page numbers without a cover page.

Assessment:  This assignment will be graded by your ability to address the following BTAR criteria.

1. Identify business problems and opportunities and their impacts on the bottom line of the firm
2. Distinguish the real causes from the symptoms of the problems
3. Determine and obtain information needs in order to come up with a plausible solution
4. Identify, evaluate, and select appropriate information technology that enables the proposed solution
5. Demonstrate problem solving and writing skills