for BlackhartWriter only!
vixan02
case_4.docxDue April 3rd
You are to read the case study "No Guessing: Dressing for Decisions" on pg. 382 and write at least a two page paper using APA format that answers the questions in "Thinking about the case". Do not just list the questions and answer them. If you do this you won't get credit.This is a research paper that will address the questions within the paper. You will need to do additional research and have more resources listed on your works cited page then your text book. I want detailed and well thought out information. You should review the rubric below for the exact criteria of how I will grade your papers.
Part 1 Case Study Individual Assignment (1)
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Part 1 Case Study Individual Assignment (1) |
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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APA formatting applied to entire document |
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10 pts |
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Answer all questions in "Thinking about the case" in a detailed and well thought out manner (college level work). |
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75 pts |
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Paper is at least two pages |
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5 pts |
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Works Cited page: it is on it's own page and is APA formatted correctly |
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10 pts |
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Total Points: 100 |
No Guessing: Dressing for Decisions
The apparel company Guess?, Inc. is constantly striving to be on the forefront of the fashion world. This mission requires members from several branches of the company to have easy and immediate access to influential, decision-making information. To solve this issue, Guess used Apple iPads and mobile BI software from MicroStrategy to create a BI app that provided Guess buyers and executives with vital information from any location. The project, headed by the innovative director of BI, Bruce Yen, and his team, focused on content, ease-of-use, and the visual aspect of the app. Content is always the main focus when developing BI, but they also wanted their app to be easy to use and visually appealing.
Software Application
Although Yen initially thought the app would be used by buyers at Guess retail locations, it was discovered that some store locations did not have wireless connectivity. While traveling, buyers were using the iPad app more frequently before they arrived at the store, at hotspots in hotels and restaurants where they would brief themselves for their upcoming meetings. They would surf the app prior to arriving at store locations to get up-to-date information on sales patterns and store management history. The app was also widely used in the office, as it was much easier to snag specific snippets of information via the app than from a full-blown report.
They did run into many issues throughout the designing and launching process. Once, they submitted over 50 enhancements and issues to MicroStrategy to refine the software! The popularity and increasing use of the app spurred an inquiry of how Yen and management could access and use the BI app on personal iPads. This raised security risks for Yen and his team. To solve the issue, Yen turned to third-party mobile device management that can close off access to the app if the iPad is reported stolen or lost, in addition to using traditional security passcodes. The security system encourages app use on personal iPads without jeopardizing corporate assets.
It was no surprise that this fashion leader placed heavy focus on the design of the app. Every pixel on every slide of every page was scrutinized. The app provides users with so much different information from so many different angles that it can be used by a wide range of users, from top- level executives to buyers in the field. Besides the fact that the app runs on an already intuitive device, the final result is an app that can be picked up and used by almost anyone in the company. Bruce Yen conducted informal test-runs with the software simply by asking some of his design-savvy colleagues to play with it for ten minutes. Yen even followed buyers around as they visited Guess retail locations to see if they had any visible performance or connectivity problems. Most likely due to his arduous research and first-hand testing, he has not received any requests for formal training on how to use the app. While content was a key focus throughout the app’s development, aesthetics and visual layout were a close second. Yen constructed a BI mobile app that is intuitive, visually appealing, and content efficient. Through collaboration, communication, and extreme finepoint critiquing, the app surpassed expectations and has successfully aided Guess in maintaining its leadership in the fashion industry, even in hard
economic times. What started out as a solute on to existing problems turned into a staple of Guess’s technological assets.
Source: Briggs, L. L. (2011, Fourth Quarter). BI Case Study: Apparel Company App Melds Fashion, Mobile BI. Business Intelligence Journal, 16, 39-41.
Thinking About the Case
1. Some app planners may use second-hand research to fuel their system planning. List at
least three instances in which Yen used hands-on experience to gain insight on how to alter the product. Why is that first-hand experience so valuable? Explain how a buyer’s access to real-time sales patterns of a specific retail location can influence their purchasing decisions.
2. To what other branches of Guess?, Inc. could the app be useful besides top-level executives and buyers?
