Case 1 - RACINE PRODUCTS "Ms. Vance? I'm Blanca San Miguel.

I'm from information services, and we're conducting a survey of all the people who receive reports to see if there is any way they can be improved. According to our records you get the monthly product sales report, ls that true?" Susan Vance, sales manager for Racine Paper Products, begins to shuffle the papers on her desk. "I think I have it here somewhere. I usually don't keep it, but I think I received one yesterday. I really don't use it. The manager who was here before me ordered it and it just keeps coming. I've been meaning to call you people and tell you to stop sending it, but I just never got around to it. Too busy I guess. Oh, here it is." Ms. Vance pulls the thick report out of a stack of papers. "Do you mind if I sit down?" Blanca asks. "It looks like the report could use some improvement. Why don't you take a look at it and tell me what's wrong?" Susan says, "Well, to begin with, this report is for the month of October, and my secretary's date stamp says that we received it on November 12. Why does it take so long to get it to me? By the time I get it. it's past history." "It's probably because it's so lengthy," Blanca replies. "We have a lot of reports like that, and it takes a long time to print all of the pages. Add to that the time required to route it through the company mail, and you've got a long delay. I grant you that we should be able to get it out sooner. All of the data is in the computer at the end of the month. Let me see what I can do to speed things up. Anything else?" "As a matter of fact, yes. Isn't there some way to boil all of this down? That would certainly make the report easier to read. I imagine that we have a lot of products that are just dead weight--we haven't sold any in ages and aren't likely to sell any more in the future. It would be best to just get rid of them. I know that if I spent several days going through this printout, I could spot the nonprofitable items, but that seems to be a tremendous price to pay. I just don't have that kind of time." "Oh, I am sure that we can give you a report that would help you make that decision without taking up all of your time," Blanca xeplies. "What constitutes a product that isn't selling? Could you give us some guidelines?"

"Well, if it hasn't sold in slx months, I'd like to know about it. Could you tell me that?" Blanca pulls a sheet of paper out of a folder. "Here is the data dictionary description of the record that we use to print the report. It doesn't have the date of the last sale in it, but I'm sure we could add it. Then it would be a simple matter to select out those records that have been dormant for six months--or for any period." Just then Susan's secretary walks into the room and says, "Ms. Vance, they're ready for you in the conference room. Shall I tell them that you will be a little late?" "No, I'm on my way. Ms. San Miguel, I appreciate your taking the time to go over this report with me. If you could do some of the things we talked about, I'm sure I would use it more often." "One last question," Blanca asks as Susan heads toward the door. "I don't see a computer in your office. Do you use one?" "Oh no," Susan replies. "I'm no programmer." Questions: 1. Does it sound as though Susan needs a special report or a periodic one? Explain your answer. 2. What could be done to cut down on the delay in getting the report to Susan? 3. Would you recommend an ascending or descending sequence? What would be the control field? 4. Was Blanca on safe ground in assuring Susan that the date field could be added? Explain why or why not. 5. Assume that the company decides to offer an in-house course for managers in the use of a query language. What reasons could Blanca give Susan that she attend the course?

Case 2 - BARGAIN CITY Your career is moving along faster than you expected. You thought that your MIS degree would result in an initial break-in period as a programmer for Bargain City, a retail chain modeled along the lines of Wal-Mart. But the resignation of three systems analysts changed all that. The analysts left to form their own consulting firm. Knowing that you had a strong dose of systems analysis in college, your boss, Alisa Ernst, decided to let you begin as a systems analyst. It didn't take her long to give you your first assignment. Alisa made arrangements for you to visit an area store for the purpose of becoming familiar with activity at the store level. She expects you to prepare a written report that might serve as the basis for future systems projects. You arrive at the West Alameda store at 9 A.M., and you are amazed at how many people are already shopping. The lot is full, and you have to wait ten minutes-it seems like thirty--to get a parking place. Inside, the conditions are no better. The store is huge, with fifteen checkout counters, but only four are open. Each of the four, one of which is the express lane, has a long line of shoppers waiting to check out. It's a good thing that you are not buying anything. Since you are only conducting a systems study, you will be able to get out sooner. You watch the action--or inaction--for a while and then wander back to the storeroom where three stock clerks are opening boxes. You hear one of them say, "Have you found it yet?" Curious, you introduce yourself and ask what they are looking for. One of the clerks tells you that the store has a special on cookout items but ran out of charcoal starter fluid. The truck that was supposed to bring additional stock broke down in Tuba City. The lack of starter fluid is one reason the lines up front are so long; the checkout clerks are having to give out rain checks. You can understand why the stock clerks are having such difficulty; the storeroom is a real mess. Boxes are stacked everywhere. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to anything.

You ask where the store computer is, and you are directed to a small room in the corner. There it is, humming away. Automation in action. With a good grasp of the backroom operation, you return to the front for the purpose of checking out the office. There's a big line there as well--people waiting to cash checks and return purchases. Most of the returns seem to be glassware items that the customers found to be broken when they opened their shopping bags at home. The sackers had not packed the items properly. When you finally reach the head of the line, you are surprised to learn that the cashier is really the store manager. He asks you to come back when he has more time. He explains that he had to "let a lot of people go" in order to stay within the budget that headquarters imposed. You can tell by the way he snarls his explanation that he is not very happy about the whole situation. You decide not to stick around, or you might find yourself looking for starter fluid. You say goodbye and head for your office to write your report while everything is fresh in your mind. Assignment: 1. Prepare a memo to Alisa. She is the manager of systems analysis. First, list problems with the physical system of the West Alameda store. For each problem, identify a possible corrective action. Go ahead and use the systems terminology from the lectures. Alisa had MIS in college, too. Clarifications Cook out items are items that can be barbecued/ cooked-out on a grill with charcoal. This requires Charcoal starter fluid to light the grill.

Rain checks are coupons that a store issues the customer and states that you
can buy this product at todays discounted price on a future date. (here since there is no charcoal starter fluid, the store has to give out rain checks on the discounted cook-out items.) Any other clarifications, feel free to ask me.

Case 3 - EPIC PUBLICATIONS Karen and Alice have become close friends at Epic, a company that publishes trade magazines. Karen works in the finance department and Alice in information systems. One day they are having a soft drink in the snack bar. KAREN: ALICE: Did you ever finish that project you were working on in advertising? We finally wrapped that up last week. It was a long one; we were on it for

over a year. KAREN: I know it was a long time. Why does it take so long to implement a computer system? ALICE: Well, there is just so much to do, and so many people are involved. We call it the system life cycle, or SLC. Sometimes they last much longer. Why do you ask? KAREN: Well, Ive been thinking. You know, I learned the Excel spreadsheet

package in school, but Ive never used it since. We have it on the hard disk of the computer in my section. Ive been thinking about using it to develop the budget. ALICE: KAREN: Oh, I think thats a great idea. Do you want me to help out? No, I would like to try it myselfend-user computing. I do remember that

term. But I am a little fuzzy on how to go about it. Could you give me a hand in planning what steps I should take? Will my SLC, as you call it, be any different from the one you followed with advertising? ALICE: tomorrow. Assignment: Prepare a list of steps that Karen should take. Subdivide the list into the SDLC phases and number each step. Keep in mind that Karen will do all of the work herself and knows how to use the computer and how to run Excel. Sure. Let me make some notes and Ill get back with you at break

Case 4 - Information System in Restaurant A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six terminals located in the restaurant dining room. The order is routed to a printer in the appropriate preparation area: the cold item printer if it is a salad, the hot-item printer if it is a hot sandwich or the bar printer if it is a drink. A customers meal check-listing (bill) the items ordered and the respective prices are automatically generated. This ordering system eliminates the old three-carbon-copy guest check system as well as any problems caused by a waiters handwriting. When the kitchen runs out of a food item, the cooks send out an out of stock message, which will be displayed on the dining room terminals when waiters try to order that item. This gives the waiters faster feedback, enabling them to give better service to the customers. Other system features aid management in the planning and control of their restaurant business. The system provides up-to-the-minute information on the food items ordered and breaks out percentages showing sales of each item versus total sales. This helps management plan menus according to customers tastes. The system also compares the weekly sales totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. In addition, whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the void are keyed in. This may help later in management decisions, especially if the voids consistently related to food or service. Acceptance of the system by the users is exceptionally high since the waiters and waitresses were involved in the selection and design process. All potential users were asked to give their impressions and ideas about the various systems available before one was chosen. Assignment: 1. Describe some of the decisions that may be made at the strategic, managerial, knowledge and operational levels of the restaurant. 2. What information would you require to make such decisions? 3. What makes the system a more complete MIS rather than just a transaction processing system?

Case 5 Too many Information Systems?

X University has of late expanded very rapidly introducing a number of

programmes and increasing student intake capacity. It has recently computerized its examination process based on some off-the-shelf software. The library had already been computerized a couple of years back using a freely distributed Library Automation System. Daily cash transactions are also handled by computers in the Finance and Accounting Division, using an accounting software. For further improvement of efficiency, the new governing body of the University have entrusted the task of developing an MIS for the University to a Software Company. All these developments were welcomed by a cross-section of the University Community except a few. One of them is a faculty member at the Management Science Department who commented that the University is burdening itself with too many independent information systems. He strongly favoured an integrated information system on the lines of an ERP for a business organization. Assignment: a. Do you agree with the faculty member? Give reasons. b. What do you understand by Integrated Information System, the faculty member is talking about? Elaborate in the context of the X University. c. Visualise that the University governing Body decides to drop the MIS plan and agrees to the idea of developing an integrated IS. What problems are likely to creep in? d. Assess the role of Information System specialists and consultants in situations as described in the case.