Enterprise Program Management

1) Distinguish between a business function and a business process. Describe how a business process cuts across functional lines in an organization. How might a manager organize his or her staff in terms of business processes rather than functional departments? What benefits there be with this type of organization? What challenges would it pose?

2) How could a university organize its business education around business processes rather than business functions? What would be the benefits to students?

3) Assume your uncle raises bees for honey on his farm. You help him package the honey and sell it on the Internet. Reproduce Figure 1-1 for this small business example. Add a one-sentence description for each function as it relates to selling this artisan honey online.

4) Go to the Amazon Web site(http://www.amazon.com), and step through the process of buying an item without actually purchasing the item. Based on this experience, describe the flows of information between Marketing and Sales, Accounting and Finance, and Supply Chain Management at Amazon. How easy is it to buy that item?

5) Using the internet, research your state's regulations for employing teenagers - such as minimum age of employment. Do the same for a neighbouring state. Are the two state regulations same? Why would it be important for Human Resources to communicate this information to a hiring department?

6) Think of the last time you bought a high-tech electronic item. How does the process of buying the item cut across the store's various functional lines? What information from your receipt would need to be available to the business functions? Which business functions would need that information? How could your receipt help in the process of returning that item?

7) Assume you own and run a small ice cream shop located on the grounds of a private pool. You want to maximize sales and decide that allowing customers to buy on credit could be a big driver of sales since most people come to the pool without cash. What information do you need to keep track to make sure a given customer doesn't go over their $20 credit limit. What problems might occur?