Topic: Cross-Organizational Systems
Consider the following scenario regarding the Clambake Company and decisions they need to make regarding their information systems (IS).
The Clambake Company has been providing seafood to the northeast region of the United States for over 30 years. They started as a small family business and have grown to more than 30 employees. They first installed a small accounting system to take care of their finances, payroll, and tax reporting. About seven years ago, they installed a sales program to track sales. They are now considering buying out a competing company that would increase their sales by 80% and their workforce by 40%. They realize that it will require more time in the office to administer the company, especially since they are now branching out into other areas. One concern they have is what to do about their IS. They anticipate strong growth over the next 10 years and cannot afford to make a mistake with their IS.
They wonder if they should add two other functional systems to go with the two they have or to spend more resources, which might stretch them now, in order to go to one cross-functional system that would be more than sufficient to accommodate the anticipated growth. They have hired you as a consultant to make a recommendation on what they should do.
Be sure to review the lessons and assigned reading regarding cross-functional systems before beginning work on your case study. Also, conduct outside research regarding functional systems. Please be sure to format, quote, paraphrase, cite, and list any sources, including your textbook, using the APA format. Write a one-page (250-word) paper advising the Clambake Company on their future IS. Be sure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages and your rationale for the system you recommend.