In some organizations, business analytics is considered part of IT, and the Business Analytics Competency Center reports to the IT department. What might the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement? In what kinds of organizations would this be the best choice?

Scenario 1: Using IT to Gain a Competitive Edge

Judiciously leveraging advances in IT is a fundamental enabler of SHR’s business strategy. In fact, SHR is recognized within the industry as a leader in the use of IT to gain operational efficiencies. For example, SHR implemented electronic data interchange (EDI) with its primary vendors several years ago to streamline its purchasing process and to maintain an uninterrupted ow of incoming inventory to its distribution centers and retail stores. The company places special emphasis on IT controls.

Illustrative business objectives and associated risks pertinent to SHR’s heavy reliance on IT are expressed as follows:

Business Objective 1: Align the company’s IT strategies with its business strategies. Judiciously leverage advances in IT to streamline the company’s business processes and information systems, gain operational efficiencies, and increase shareholder value.

Business Risk 1a: Insufficient, irrelevant, unreliable, inaccurate, and/or untimely information may cause management to make poor IT investment decisions.

Business Risk 1b: Failure to effectively and efficiently integrate acquired IT resources into business processes may adversely affect operational performance and cause unacceptable returns on IT investments. Business

Objective 2: Safeguard the company’s resources against misuse and loss.

Business Risk 2: Unauthorized company personnel and/or outside parties may access the company’s information systems and misuse or misappropriate proprietary information and other assets.

Business Objective 3: Accurately record all valid, and only valid, purchase transactions on a timely basis.

Business Risk 3a: Failure to record a valid purchase transaction may cause inventory and accounts payable to be understated.

Business Risk 3b: Recording an invalid purchase transaction may cause inventory and accounts payable to be overstated.

Business Risk 3c: Recording a valid purchase transaction in the wrong accounting period may cause inventory and accounts payable to be understated or overstated. Auditing Entity-Level Controls

Business Objective 4: Process purchase transactions efficiently, that is, with a minimum of time, effort, expense, and waste.

Business Risk 4: Disruption or corruption of electronic transmissions between the company and its EDI vendors may cause delays in processing purchase transactions, which in turn will cause inventory shortages at the distribution centers and retail stores.

Use the business objectives and risks stated above as the basis for answering the following questions. As he or she deems necessary, your instructor will facilitate the formulation of collective answers to certain questions that will serve as uniform starting points for answering subsequent questions. Students may want to refer to chapter 7, “Information Technology Risks and Controls,” as they complete the Scenario 2 Activities.

Scenario 1 Activities to Answer Questions 1-4 including parts A & B on 2 &4.

1. SHR’s senior management team understands the importance of aligning the company’s IT strategies with its business strategies. Identify two types of IT strategic decisions senior management already has made or is likely to make in the foreseeable future. Clearly explain the linkage between these IT strategic decisions and SHR’s business strategies.

2. Sound decision-making requires high-quality information.

a. What information does senior management need to make informed IT strategic decisions?

b. Identify the entity-level controls you would expect to be in place to ensure that senior management has high-quality information upon which to base its IT strategic decisions.

3. Explain what role, if any, internal audit should have in the IT strategic decision-making process.

4. One of SHR’s business strategies is to selectively acquire companies that complement its core competencies.

a. Explain the effects a business acquisition could have on the inherent risk of failure to effectively and efficiently integrate acquired IT resources into its business processes.

b. Describe the entity-level controls SHR should have in place to mitigate these effects.

Analyze the effects of foundation accords, governance accords, and change accords on the success of a strategic alliance.

• How should the organization’s overall strategy drive the accords?
• What are the potential risks and benefits associated with each type of accord on the success strategic alliances?
• Which type of accord do you consider most important for the long-term success of the strategic alliance? Why?

How is e-commerce different from traditional retailing? Explain your perspective on the idea: “Seamlessly merging the online and offline worlds is the ultimate aim – how retailers and shopping center owners do that is what makes the retail sector one of most thrilling and pioneering around.”

Case study: Crown clothing store chain (you need to right 700 words)

Ahmed and Ali are two of the most prominent businessmen in the Middle East. Mark and Thomas created a chain of clothing stores five years ago and your group was recently appointed to assess their cost cycle.
During a short discussion with the Procurement Manager, they were informed of the following:
"Our business is growing faster than we expected. As a result, many tasks and roles must be taken to keep our operations running. All of the suppliers we have approved since we started the store chain are still dealing with them and we have built a relationship based on mutual trust. Usually the necessary supplies are purchased from Every supplier using the phone After delivering the goods, suppliers send the invoice to us by email. Our policy of paying the invoices is to pay the invoice immediately upon receipt. The payment process is also easy as the checkbook of the facility is in my possession. For each bill on the check, then sign the check and send it by email. All the operations are simple and work smoothly to the best of my knowledge. "
Required:

The case should be read,
Determine the weaknesses in the Crown Garment Facility expenditures cycle based on the information provided by the Procurement Manager?
Please provide the necessary recommendations for each weakness?

Companies have to update their strategy on a regular basis but sometimes need to look at radical change, briefly explain these two types of Strategic Change and how they might affect company organization. Define incremental and transformational change.

Explain the term strategy and the difference between Business and Corporate Strategies. Describe how you would craft a mission statement and explain the process to set-up your strategy. Discuss how strategic management has evolved since the 1950’s and where it might be in the next decade (2020-2030).

Define strategic management and explain the scope of SM. What are the essential differences between Strategic and Operation Management. Strategy relies on understanding internal and external contexts, explain why this is necessary.

How does information and knowledge management link to competitive advantage? Discuss the reasons why or why not a dominant firm might or might not consider attacking smaller competitors to increase market share?

Daily demand is normally distributed with mean 22 units and SD=6. Ordering cost is $21/order, carrying cost is $2.5 per unit per year. The item is used 365 days a year. Order lead time is 4 days. The order point should have a 99% target service level.

Find:

-avg inventory level

-avg number of orders/yr

-avg number of stockouts/yr

-avg time (years) between stockouts

Policy I is the (Q,R) policy determined above.

Policy II: Increase the order quantity by 10 units, and re-evaluate the policy using the original order point from policy I

Policy III: Increase the order point by 5 units, and re-evaluate the policy using the original order quantity from Policy I.

Both policies II and III should have the same total average inventory (cycle stock and safety stock). However, the mix of cycle stock vs. safety stock varies between the two.

1. Many employees are unwilling to relocate geographically because they like their current community and their spouses and children prefer not to move. Yet employees need to develop new skills, strengthen skill weaknesses, and be exposed to new aspects of the business to prepare for management positions. How could an employee’s current job be changed to develop management skills without having to relocate them?

2. What is coaching? Is there only one type of coaching? Explain.

Assume that you are preparing to interview a group of applicants for flight attendant positions since you work for an airline. Prepare a set of 5 behavioral questions (or situational questions) including the possible answer choices and your scoring scheme. Explain why you consider certain responses to be superior and how does the theory help you in preparing these questions (based on the chapter on interviewing).