You are  a consultant hired by one high-end clothing manufacturer surfwear retailer of medium size called Riptide . The business has been successful for many years in large part due to the ability of the holder of the foundation to work personally or anticipate the needs and desires of the loyal customer base of Riptide in the segment of clothing surfing garment . There are 20 independent surf wear shops across the country who regularly place orders for products Riptide (about 70 % of total sales ) and a growing group of individual consumers who buy directly POS factory Riptide ( about 30% of total sales ) . The overall strategy of the company is to provide all customers with surf wear high quality and good customer service at an average price . Riptide play in its ' sole local country market . Riptide recent business performance has suffered in comparison with the other three competing in the market segment and Riptide is of some concern , particularly in regard to sales and profitability manufacturers. You have performed an initial investigation of the industry and has found that :

Riptide 's direct competitors are quicker to anticipate changes in customer needs . The business is losing orders as trends have been changing rapidly in terms of new materials that are being used and new designs.

Direct competitors have much better inventory systems and factory production and manage their supply chain faster and cheaper than Riptide . The production and delivery times in Riptide are twice that of competitors and retailers of surf wear are showing impatience with this situation.

Direct competitors have an online store capabilities as part of an investment / IT important and strategic . Riptide no . Many retailers of surf wear and individual customers have expressed a preference for the use of online ordering.

CEO of Riptide has seen little value in IS / IT in the past and do not want to spend money on something that is not going to improve the bottom line of the business. However, his management team are encouraging you to seriously consider the use of IS / IT to help turn around business performance and safeguard the future . IT / Management manage Riptide is concerned that if the company remains confident in its "mosaic of PC applications and manual systems , even older , the company will eventually compete effectively in the market.

Your task as an external consultant to produce a report of weight to convince the CEO and other senior managers Riptide that the use of IS / IT business can restore competitiveness and also provide opportunities for business growth. Riptide Management have made clear to you that your brief is to describe the capabilities of currently available IT / IS applications that would be appropriate for the business operations of Riptide and situation. Also would be interested in what gains have been made by other companies in the use of applications and some suggestions as to how they can be deployed , operated and managed by Riptide if you decide to go ahead . They are looking for an initial report that provides an understanding of a possible way forward and as a detailed technical specification of the systems , or the cost-benefit analysis is not a part finance its short course . This will be done if the administration and CEO of Riptide agree to proceed after reviewing the initial report.

You must specifically identify a minimum of three ( 3) applications of IS / IT that would be appropriate for the business. You can make any assumptions that are appropriate in the circumstances , as long as you take them into account in its report . Please use examples from other companies, to help produce good support , well referenced , and persuasive robust defense of their position. Remember that your answers are demonstrations of the application of learning in the course to a real world business .