Assessment 1: Report
Length: 2,500 words
For this assignment you will have to prepare a paper that critically discusses how organisations apply the strategic use of IS/IT to achieve competitive advantage. Some aspects and issues you may discuss in your paper could include (but are not limited to):
• Discuss at least one (1) successful and one (1) unsuccessful example of the use of IS/IT for gaining or enhancing competitive advantages.
• Highlight some success factors for the successful example.
• What are some lessons learned (i.e. what went wrong) for your unsuccessful example?
• Suggest some internal (e.g. organisational, individual, and management factors) and external factors (e.g. market, industry, social, economic, technological and political/policy factors) influencing the success or failure of organisations' attempts at gaining and enhancing competitive advantages. Are internal factors more important than external factors? Or the other way around?
• How can competitive advantages gained via IS/IT be sustained?
You should apply relevant knowledge discussed in your unit. You should prepare for this assignment by reviewing the literature (i.e. by using ProQuest 5000 database at https://www.scu.edu.au/library/index.php/) and searching the World Wide Web (i.e. via Google). You should show evidence that you have read at least 10 references, which must be published after January 2011, in the literature (including references from academic and professional publications) to prepare this assignment. A variety of references are expected including books, refereed journals, case studies, newspapers, magazines and electronic references.
Format for Assignment 1
You will be marked on communication as well as content. This is done to emphasise the importance of aiming for effective communication as well as good content - not only here in a university assignment, but also in your day-to-day work. After all, if you do not communicate and present your ideas well, it is much harder to have your ideas accepted by busy colleagues or executives.
Your assignment should contain:
• Title page
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Main body of report with suitable headings and subheadings
• Conclusions
• Reference list
• Appendices (if relevant).
Assessment 2: Research Proposal
Length: 3,500 words
Assignment topic
The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate your ability to develop a comprehensive implementation proposal for an information system that uses a systems approach in virtual teams. The proposal should be targeted at a potential ‘sponsor' organisation that will need to be convinced of the appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed new system.
Choose an information system (e.g. ERP systems, CRM systems, SCM Systems, Management Information Systems, Decision Support Systems, Executive Information Systems, Enterprise Portals, Data Warehouse & Data Mining Applications, Enterprise Collaboration Systems, Knowledge Management Systems, and so on) that you have studied in this unit. Alternatively, you may wish to combine features of several systems.
Your assignment should describe the steps of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) discussed in Topic 4 of the subject. The proposed system must address an identifiable problem/ opportunity that exists in the sponsor organisation and relate to particular aspects of the organisation's overall strategic directions. It is important that you select the features of your system carefully and justify your selection. Do not just use (be critical of the use of) the standard features of a commercially available software package. For the purposes of this assignment, try to keep the system that you are proposing to a manageable size.
Please note, you will have the option of doing Assignment 2 in a group of three or four students. Detailed information will be posted on MySCU by the end of Week 2 of Session 3, 2015.
Your proposed system could help the ‘sponsor' by:
• improving an existing manual information system
• introducing a new information system
• creating a new business opportunity
• improving organisational productivity.
The sponsor could be:
• top management of your company
• an investor
• a financial institution which will lend you money
• a client who has engaged you as a consultant.
Format for Assignment 2
The format of the formal assignment will be:
• Covering letter to sponsor
• Title page
• Table of contents
• Executive summary (1 page)
• Introduction
• Body of your assignment with suitable headings and subheadings
• Conclusions
• Reference list (Harvard referencing style is required)
• Appendices (including a background of the organisation for your Unit Assessor!).