Excel Assignment with Small Essay

Example 1:

Situation - Low employee motivation creates low productivity. To isolate sources of low productivity that management can control, the company sent out a questionnaire. The questionnaire revealed numerous complaints regarding the efficiency of the current data input system.

Problem Statement - How do we make the data input system more efficient?

Objectives/Outcomes - Update system in terms of being more user-friendly. System update must be cost-efficient reletive to the improvements made. System must be uniform in all departments.

Alternatives/Ideas:

1. Replace all components of old system with new system.

2. Have the creator of the system create patches for the system currently in place.

3. Increase the broadband of the company network to allow the system to run faster.

4. Conduct a companywide computer scan for harmful software such as viruses and malware.

5. Update network security to prevent hackers from accessing and bogging down he network. 

This Week's Post: Applying K-T Analysis

This is a K-T Problem Analysis to learn the cause of the problem followed by a K-T Decision Analysis to choose the best option.

K-T Problem Analysis
	Is	Is Not	Distinction	Probable Cause
What	Inefficient Data Input System	Human Error Problem	Requires changes to the system, not the operator	Out-of-date system, Low broadband level, Viruses, Hackers
Where	Computer stations where data input software is required	Computer station that don’t require data input software	Different stations have only required software for that department	frequency of delays has increased to an unacceptable level, system left unchecked
When	increase of delays started two weeks ago	before two weeks ago	delays have increased very quickly and unexpectedly	viruses or hackers seem more probable than low broadband or out-of-date software
Extent	At least one delay daily	One delay monthly	delay were very infrequent and have now spiked exponentially	Most likely viruses or hackers
K-T Decision Analysis
Alternative Solution	Brand New System	Patch Current System	Increase Broadband	Scan for viruses and Malware	Upgrade network security
Must:
Be more User-friendly	Go	Go	Go	Go	Go
Be Cost-efficient relative to improvements made	No Go	Go	Go	Go	Go
Be uniform in all departments	Go	Go	Go	Go	Go
Wants:	Above option is No-Go /Weight	Rating = Score	Rating = Score	Rating = Score	Rating = Score
Protect Sensitive information	10	5 = 50	3 = 30	8 = 80	10 = 100
Minimal Re-training	7	3 = 21	7 = 49	7 = 49	7 = 49
Total:		71	79	129	149

The table were generated using the textbook examples as a template. Analyses have revealed that the organization has a collection of information that would create a similar effect of shouting "fire" in a movie theater if the information were leaked to the wrong hands. As a result, upgrading network security and installing hacking countermeasures has become a number one priority. If the other alternatives were to aid in the facilitation of that goal, then each alternative would be implemented as necessary.

Example 2:

The Problem:

How to get new services to market more quickly to avoid losing customers and revenue to others?

 

The Objectives/Outcomes:

· Elastic and resilient platform to run new services

· Rapid development of new services

· High level of security that meets or exceeds requirements

 

The Alternatives:

1. Rent time on existing platform to run new applications and services.

2. Build new platform from scratch to run new applications and services.

3. Purchase a third party solution that provides common API and abstraction layer to underlying platform services.

4. Increase development staff to create new API and abstraction layer that can interact with underlying platform services.

5. Outsource development of new API and abstraction layer that can interact with underlying platform services.

6. Increase information security staff to provide security audits and analysis.

7. Hire consulting company to provide security audits and analysis.

 

Because the problem statement is actually fairly complex, it was not easy to put it into a perfectly formed KT problem analysis to determine root cause.  However, I believe that this type of exercise doesn’t need to be perfect - it is meant to help guide you.  The probable cause is basically the fact that things get to market too slowly and the first one to get there usually wins if they have a quality product.

	Problem Statement: How to get new services to market more quickly to avoid losing customers and revenue to others?
	IS	IS NOT	Distinction	Probable Cause
What?	Slow entrance to market with new service	Fast entrance to market	Speed of entrance to market	No agile platform or common API to code against
Where?	Online/Internet	Everywhere else	Only affects online services	Easy competition from others who can run their services on public platforms
When ?	When new service is created	When service already exists in market	Existence of service
Extent?	With popular new technologies or services	Existing technologies or services with little interest	Difference in level of popularity of a particular service	Public demand for new service is greater for the service that is created first, assuming similar functionality/quality

 

Since there are multiple objectives that don’t necessarily relate directly to one another, I have provided a KT decision analysis for a simple subset of the alternatives - whether to build or rent a platforum.  Similar analysis could be done for the other two groups of alternatives to come up with a solid course.

In this case, both of the alternatives passed the “musts” tests, so I moved on to the “wants” section, where I imagine a good many decision analyses are decided.  In this situation, it appears that the “Build new platform” beat out the competing alternative of “Rent existing platform”.  

		Decision Analysis
Alternative:		Rent existing platform	Build new platform
Musts	1. Elastic platform	GO	GO
	2. Resilient platform	GO	GO
	3. Rapid development of new services	GO	GO
	4. High level of security	GO	GO
Wants	Weight	Rating	Score	Rating	Score
1. Low development costs	5	9	45	3	15
2. Low operation costs	7	3	21	7	49
3. SLAs for performance	6	6	36	7	42
4. Industry standard interface	3	9	27	5	15
5. Ability to make changes	7	3	21	9	63
		Total =	150	Total =	184