Assignment:

Case Study Report

This assignment must be your own work. It is acceptable to discuss course content with others to improve your understanding and clarify requirements, but solutions to assignment questions must be done on your own. You must not copy from anyone, including tutors and fellow students, nor allow others to copy your work. All Assignments will be checked using collusion monitoring tools to ensure that each assignment is the original work of the submitting student. Assignments that do not adhere to this requirement will be deemed as being the result of collusion or plagiarism. This may lead to severe academic penalties as outlined in USQ Policy Library: Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. It is your own responsibility to ensure the integrity of your work. Refer to the USQ Policy Library for more details:

• Academic Integrity Policy

• Academic Integrity Procedure

In completing this assignment, you are expected to use available resources such as the practical activities in the study modules, the Course Study Desk - especially the Discussion Forums (click the Study Desk link on UConnect - http://uconnect.usq.edu.au ), as well as exploring and experimenting on your own.

Applicable course objective:

• apply ethical research and inquiry skills and demonstrate an understanding of the social impact of information technology and the need for security, privacy and ethical implications in information systems usage;

• demonstrate problem-solving skills by identifying and resolving issues relating to information systems and their components, and proficiently utilise different types of information systems software (especially gaining proficiency in utilising databases, spreadsheets, and presentation applications).

• apply academic and professional literacy skills and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of and differences between information and computer literacy; the basic types of software including system software (operating systems and utilities) and applications software (proprietary, off-the-shelf software applications and cloud computing); the basic hardware components of a computer system, including system unit, storage, input and output devices and the way that they interact to form a single computing system; understanding computer-based telecommunications and networking concepts; the basic concepts surrounding databases, database management systems and understanding the need for information management; the concepts surrounding the Internet, e-commerce/e-business and supply chain activities, and business intelligence, knowledge management and other business information system tools (TPSs, ERPs, MISs, DSSs etc) widely used in organisations today; and the processes involved in information system project management;

• apply written communication skills by understanding basic information, communication and technology (ICT) terminology for effective communication and applying it within a business environment.

Applicable graduate qualities and skills gained from this assessment instrument:

• Problem Solving (Skill U2)

• Written & Oral Communication (Skill U4)

This assignment is quite complex, and exposes you to many different components in Microsoft Word 2007/2010/2013, some or all of which might be very unfamiliar to you. The assignment description provides some explanation of how to use these components, but you are also expected to use available resources such as Online Help and the course discussion forums, as well as exploring and experimenting on your own.

Referencing Requirements

References are required and the Harvard AGPS standard of referencing must be used. This standard is detailed on USQ Library Site http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.

Preamble

Dr Barry Kripke was extremely impressed with our computing firm's - Cinnamon Systems - development of the Mystic Warlords of Ka'a Shoppe's Database Management System (DBMS) utilising Microsoft Access 2007/2010/2013 (Assignment 1) and Decision Support System (DSS) utilising Microsoft Excel 2007/2010/2013 (Assignment 2).

Dr Barry Kripke realises that he has a lot to learn and that he will need to invest considerable money to bring his business into the modern online business world, from his current single computer mail order set-up. Dr Barry Kripke has contracted our firm to advise him on how he can grow his mail order business into a cutting-edge online presence. He has asked us to develop a report to provide him with information about the following topics that he sees as key to his business' growth:

• How can the business move from mail order to being an online presence?

(Use Baltzan et al Chapters 2 & 3 - Connectivity and E-Business / Mobile Business to assist you in answering this topic)

• What type of hardware and software, including networking infrastructure, should the business acquire to expand their capabilities to meet their new e-business initiative?

(Use Baltzan Chapter 5 - Technical Fundamentals to assist you in answering this topic)

• What would be the benefits to the business of a solid enterprise architecture?

(Use Baltzan et al Chapter 7 - Enterprise Architecture to assist you in answering this topic)

• What would be the benefits to the business of implementing a customer relationship management system?

(Use Baltzan et al Chapter 9 - Supply Chain Management & Customer Relationship Management to assist you in answering this topic)

• What privacy issues should the business be aware of when embarking on an online presence?

(Use Baltzan et al Chapter 11 - Ethics, Privacy and Information Security to assist you in answering this topic)

All phases in this project must be developed with professionalism and user-friendliness in mind.

Logo from the television program The Big Bang Theory, Wikimedia Commons, DjayK

Mr Lesley Winkle, your manager, has set up the following tasks for you to complete this project:

Task 1: Journal (maximum 500 words)

Prepare a journal that records your activities and progress related to completing this assignment. In date order, clearly list the following:

• Date of research activity/discussion

• Web sites visited to collect information; other references accessed

• Time duration of the activity

If you are working in a team, clearly state the activities of each team member.

Submit this journal as an appendix to Task 2. Any references to web pages and online documents, such as white papers, should be listed at the end of the journal.

Task 2: Case study (max 4,500 words)

Report Structure and Presentation

Your report should include a professional title page, computer generated Table of Contents (including List of Tables and List of Figures) and Appendices.

Note: Make sure to state the names of all students involved in the report on the title page.

Report Letter of Transmittal, Executive Summary and Introduction

Your report should include a letter of transmittal, executive summary, and introduction to the report.

Note: Make sure to state the names of all students involved in the report on the title page.

Report Section 1 - E-Business and Mobile Business

How can the business move from mail order to being an online presence?

• What are the benefits and challenges that the business should be aware of before becoming an e-business?

• What are the differences between Web 2.0 / Web 3.0 and how will they affect the business?

• Which type(s) of e-business model(s) should the business be considering implementing? Why?

• What type of e-commerce tools should the business consider utilising to connect and communicate with their customers? Why?

• What tools should the business use to measure their e-business success?

• Should the business also consider implementing m-business? What are the benefits and challenges Dr Barry Kripke will need to be aware of?

Baltzan et al Chapters 2 & 3 - Connectivity and E-Business / Mobile Business

Report Section 2 - Hardware, Software and Networking Infrastructure

What type of hardware and software, including networking infrastructure, should the business acquire to expand their capabilities to meet their new e-business initiative?

• Develop a computer hardware proposal (including printer(s)) to allow the business to provide up to ten (10) staff with computer access, including current Australian prices for the equipment. Justify why this hardware is necessary for the business.

• Develop a computer software proposal, including both system and application software, to support the proposed computer hardware proposal, including Australian prices for the software. Justify why this software is necessary for the business.

• Develop a networking and communications proposal, including a suggested network architecture, topology and communication medium to support the proposed computer hardware and software proposal. Justify why this networking infrastructure has been chosen for the business.

• Include a diagram of the proposed hardware and network infrastructure to help Dr Barry Kripke visualise what you are recommending.

Baltzan Chapter 5 - Technical Fundamentals

Report Section 3 - Enterprise Architecture

What are the benefits to the business of a solid enterprise architecture?

• How should the business maintain and secure its information architecture to support its business operations? Propose the steps that the business should follow.

• Before Dr Barry Kripke acquires the hardware, software and networking infrastructure proposed in part 2, outline the seven (7) primary characteristics of a solid infrastructure architecture he should be aware of and how they may impact on the business.

• Cloud computing offers an alternative to some of the infrastructure architecture proposed in part 2.

o How could cloud computing be utilised to reduce the acquisition costs for the hardware, software and networking infrastructure to the business?

o What would be the benefits and challenges of these emerging cloud services to the Dr Barry Kripke's business?

Baltzan et al Chapter 7 - Enterprise Architecture

Report Section 4 - Customer Relationship Management

What would be the benefits to the business of implementing a customer relationship management system?

• How could the business support its customer facing day-to-day operations through the use of an operational customer relationship management system for marketing?

• How could the business support its customer facing day-to-day operations through the use of an operational customer relationship management system for sales?

• How could the business support its customer facing day-to-day operations through the use of an operational customer relationship management system for customer service?

• In what different ways could Dr Barry Kripke use metrics from the business's customer relationship management systems to track and monitor performance for sales, service and marketing.

Baltzan et al Chapter 9 - Supply Chain Management & Customer Relationship Management

Report Section 5 - Privacy

What privacy issues should the business be aware of when embarking on an online presence?

• What Australian laws should Dr Barry Kripke be aware of regarding privacy? How do these laws affect how the business collects and uses information collected from its customers?

• How should the business communicate its commitment to the privacy of customers? Provide two (2) examples of how similar businesses achieve this communication of commitment of customer privacy.

• As the business's potential client base is international, what other global information privacy issues should Dr Barry Kripke be aware of?

Baltzan et al Chapter 11 - Ethics, Privacy and Information Security

Report: Conclusions and Recommendations to the Business

Your report should include separate conclusions and recommendations sections.

• Conclusions provide a summary of your key findings from the body of the report.

• Recommendations provide a summary of the recommendations to the business based on the research conducted in the report.
Report: Referencing and Appropriateness of Sources

References are required and the Harvard AGPS standard of referencing must be used. This standard is detailed on USQ Library Site http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing .

Ensure that your reports are fully referenced, including any reference to the text book. Your report should include in-text references and a List of References.

Do not repeat verbatim large slabs of information from other sources such as the text - you must put the ideas/information in your own words.

You must use at least ten (10) academically sound sources other than the textbook in completing this report.

Note: the word count does not include letter of transmittal, executive summary, references or appendices.