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Hey, about that acquisition we discussed last week—it seems that we aren’t going to get anywhere with this IS merge until we provide top management with a plan for strategic decision-making. I’m stuck in executive committee meetings all week so I need you to put together some information for the CEOs.

I need you to determine who from our company and Wing should be involved in IS decisions. I don’t need specific names right now but just give me the departments and personnel level that should be included and the rationale behind those choices. We will need to establish some kind of process for how IS decisions should and will be made. There is probably some technology in the picture as well.

In fact, the CEOs were asking if decisions will be made using information from the existing IS. They also want to know the pros and cons for using technology for decision-making. I think we’d better also tell them how often strategic plans should be reviewed as well as how we will determine which plan to implement.

Do what you can to get these issues wrapped up this week. You can try catching me on my cell phone or by email if needed but I will be tied up in meetings all week so my response may be delayed. I’m counting on you—I have no doubt you can handle this without me. Thanks.

The CIO has given you quite a challenge, and he’s going to be too busy to help you with any advice. You have a lot to do and you have only a week!

To complete your task, you will have to answer the questions: How do businesses make decisions? What kinds of information do they need in order to make decisions? Let us first consider personal decisions and the information needed to make those. For example, suppose you are trying to make a decision about a purchase for your home. You would begin with reviewing your finances. You will need to know exactly how much you make and how much you spend. Your bank statement is a good source of this information. Each bank customer receives a spreadsheet with information on the breakdown of their expenses and deposits, which they can use to review their finances. Next, let us think about how the bank keeps track of information on each of its customers. Banks use a computer application to record and generate information. All customer transactions are recorded and stored in a database. The bank can retrieve selected data and organize it according to customer specifications using a report generator application.

Let us get back our example on the purchase decision you are making for your home. After using your bank statement to analyze information on your income and expenditure, you will have a good idea whether you can purchase what is on your wish list or your needed list. You will also be able to make adjustments to facilitate purchases. Businesses follow a similar process to make decisions about their purchasing needs or wishes

After you break down decision-making into steps, the process no longer seems daunting. The same idea applies in the world of IT, or any other organizational decision-making. First, you need to gather information on what you have, what you need, and how the work can be done quicker and better. In your analysis, you also need to remember that sometimes, you can do things quicker but not necessarily better and if it is not better, you are likely to lose customers. (Page 1)

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We have covered how decision-making can be broken down into steps in order to make it less complicated. We can now examine what kinds of information businesses need in order to make decisions.

Let us consider an example. Have you ever ordered a book or product online? When customers order products online, many companies display a message such as, “Other customers who purchased this item also purchased . . . You may enjoy the same products.” Customer services such as these can set a company apart from its competitors. By putting a good database system in place, organizations can analyze individual customer information and make suggestions about other products or services that they may find useful. If customers are satisfied and appreciate the services offered, they will continue to buy from the company and recommend it to others.

What other information, besides customer preferences, do businesses need? Keeping track of the hours put in by employees is an important example. Businesses need this information for various reasons, the most obvious reason is that they need to pay employees for the hours worked. Another reason businesses need this information is to make sure employees are working the hours they have been asked to work.

This module examines how using applications to store and retrieve data helps ensure availability and accuracy. In this module, you will learn how IT systems facilitate decision-making. In addition, for the course project, you will provide suggestions for decision-making systems for your selected organization

You have a new task to complete for Summit Solutions, Inc. The CIO wants you to decide on an IT systems platform suitable for a distributed organizational environment. He’s told you that none of the employees are going to be happy about the change, but you will have to satisfy the employees of both companies engaged in the merger.

What is a platform? A raised surface? A pair of shoes with thick soles? An opportunity to state one’s opinion in a political discussion?

In computing, a platform refers to the standard for a computing system that determines the type of software that can be run. Software applications can be used with proprietary operating systems and open systems.

Most of you have heard of Microsoft and Apple. Each of these companies has their own proprietary operating system that is different from open operating systems.

Proprietary systems are closed systems where software applications are written to perform on specific platforms. Open systems are written to allow input from numerous sources. The input is then interpreted and produced as output. In open systems, users are allowed access to the source or internal coding and can make changes or inputs according to their needs. In closed systems, users are not allowed to make modifications. Another benefit of open systems is portability, where a computer program can be used in different operating systems with little or no rework required.

Programmers can do much more with open systems, with a lot less work. In closed environments, they have to extensively rewrite code in order for the program to work in other operating environments. Although things have improved over the years, there are still some challenges in trying to share programs across proprietary systems.

Therefore, platforms play a vital role in the decision-making processes of businesses. Decisions about a platform can drive many other decisions such as which software applications to purchase and how these applications can be used in the needed environment. The platform also determines how many applications can be purchased and how easy it would be to upgrade for future operations. Therefore, IT managers need to spend a considerable time on a thorough investigation. You must think of the future. Think about what your organization will need 5 or 10 years from now.

In this module, you will carry out platform analysis to determine a solution based on future growth opportunities of the organization. You will research the Internet and read more about platforms to get a better idea about how platforms work. Additionally, you will look for information on ways to identify and minimize the associated challenges.

To appreciate the importance of selecting the right platform, think of the other meaning of the word, a raised surface. Think about what happens when the platform fails—everything comes crashing down. So, choose wisely!

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