Assignment

Scenario:

Mary Smith, a former student at the local college, has been expanding her online business, Mary's MediBracelets, in the local college's incubator.

Mary has determined that her product, a specialized medical ID bracelet, is nearly ready to be sold and she needs someone to set up her initial website and business systems. Mary wants to include a charitable component to her business and is considering using a sales model in which her business will provide one free bracelet to a low-income senior citizen for every bracelet purchased.

Mary has hired your small business, IT Business Services Consultants, to develop her website and business systems.

Write a 1 to 2 page report for the client including the following:

• A description of the relationship between business processes and information systems
• A flowchart for handling an online order
• Areas for Information Systems (IS) use and security concerns
• A list of areas of concern for ethical handling of customers' private information

IT Business Services Consultants now needs to identify the hardware, software, and network requirements to support Mary's MediBracelets online shopping business.

Write a 1 to 2 page report, including the following:

• Describe how you would select appropriate hardware and software to develop her internal business infrastructure
• Explain at least two possible approaches to managing her data for easy access and security
• Describe possible networks that might be used to support her business needs
• Create a network diagram showing possible internal connections as well as those between her site and her potential customers

Resource: Search the Internet using the phrase "small office local area network" for network diagram examples.

Since Mary has little experience with IT systems, IT Business Services Consultants needs to bring her up to speed by describing the potential benefits of using Transaction Processing Systems (TPS), Customer Relationship Management systems (CRM), functional area information systems, and Supply Chain Management (SCM) in support of Mary's MediBracelets.

Write a 1 to 2 page report addressing these three popular business systems and how each could benefit Mary's business.

As we enter the age of big data, it is appropriate to discuss the capabilities and potential benefits of using Business Intelligence (BI) in support of Mary's MediBracelets.

Consider the overall use of information systems, including BI applications in support of decision-making and marketing.

Write 1 to 2 page report about this technology, specifying how business intelligence can use data collected from business applications to improve an organization's competitiveness.

As we approach the launch of Mary's MediBracelets new online selling site, she already has new ideas for other products and services.

Write a 1 to 2 page report for Mary, drawing from this week's reading and activities for information systems planning. Explain the concept of information systems planning, comparing at least two development planning methods, appropriate for new system implementation. Also, address the option to acquire (instead of build in-house) information systems, identifying and discussing the tools that might be used in the acquisition of a new information system.

This assignment reflects a consolidation of the individual assignments from Weeks One through Six, which include the following:

• A description of the relationship between processes and information systems including a flowchart and a discussion of security ethical concerns

• A description of how you plan to select the appropriate hardware and software and the different approaches for managing data

• A description of the benefits of using transaction processing systems, customer relationship systems, and supply chain management

• A description of the potential benefits of using business intelligence

• A description of systems planning and potential methodologies

• A description of utility and cloud computing services, and how these services might replace or augment the initial system design

Consolidate this assignment about utility and cloud computing services with the Mary's MediBracelets assignments from all previous weeks to create a final client report. Depending on the length of your previous assignments, your report will be approximately 6 to 12 pages.