Problem 1: A number of standard-setting organizations offer memberships to business firms. You are working for Grace Henry, chief information officer (CIO) of Flex-Electric, a medium-size company that manufactures components for electronic medical and laboratory instruments. Grace asks you to investigate the benefits of joining an industry standard-setting organization, RosettaNet. Prepare a memo to Grace in which you outline the purposes of the organization and the costs and benefits of becoming a member. Close your memo with a recommendation regarding whether your company should join the organization.
Problem 2: You have been hired as an electronic commerce consultant to Oyster Bay, Inc., a dealer in ocean-going yachts. Oyster Bay maintains offices and marinas in major U.S.East Coast ports. The typical purchaser of an Oyster Bay yacht is a high-income business executive, a retiree, or a person of significant inherited wealth. Oyster Bay salespeople have noted that their customers are increasingly aware of the Web. Prepare a proposal for an Oyster Bay Web portal site. You do not need to design Web pages, but your proposal should include a detailed list of features that should be included in the site design. Describe each feature in detail, and explain why you believe it should be included. For each feature, note whether it will be supplied by Oyster Bay personnel or purchased from on outside supplier. To learn more about existing yacht sales sites, you can use your favorite search engine or consult the Carver Yachts, Moran Yacht & Ship, and YachWorld.com links in the Online Companion.
Problem 3: In 500 words, describe the elements that you would include in an internal Web portal for students at your school or for employees at your company. Include elements that would make use of wireless technology, if applicable. Provide one advantage for each element that your school or company would gain by including that element in its internal Web portal design.
Problem 4: Companies in a particular supply chain can work together to eliminate costs from the supply chain. In many cases, these cost savings are not shared evenly among the companies in the supply chain. Using research resources on the Web identify an industry in which savings are not shared equally. In two paragraphs explain why some supply chain participants in your chosen industry can obtain more benefit than others from cost reductions in the supply chain.