Week 6_Petrie's Electronics Cases Closeout_ESSAY

1. How do information systems projects get started in organizations? ( 5 Points)

The two primary ways in which information systems projects get started in organizations are, simply put, top-down or bottom-up. Top-down projects start with management, where managers determine that a new system is needed or an existing system needs to be updated or replaced. Bottom-up projects start with lower-level employees, who determine that systems they use are inadequate and either need to be replaced or updated.

2. How are organizational information systems related to company strategy? How does strategy affect the information systems a company develops and uses? (5 Points)

A company’s strategy should drive what it does and the goals the company should pursue. A company’s strategy is implemented through many tactical decisions, each of which relies on tools and technologies to fulfill. Information systems are some of the tools and technologies companies use to fulfill decisions and hence implement strategy.

4. What do you think Jim’s next step would be? Why? ( 5 Points)

This answer will differ with each student, but looking ahead in the systems development life cycle, the next step should involve some preliminary data gathering and analysis, especially in terms of feasibility analysis. Jim and his team need to determine if the proposed system makes sense for the company, from a variety of perspectives, before proceeding.