Guidence for Getting Answers

Case 2 Intranets: Invest First, Analyze Later? Questions: 1. Where and under what circumstances is the “invest first, analyze later” approach appropriate? where and when is it inappropriate? Give specific examples of technologies and other circumstances. 2. How long do you think the “invest first , analyze later” approach will be appropriate for intranet projects? When (and why) will the emphasis shift to traditional project justification approaches? (Or has the shift already occurred? ) 3. What are the risks of going into projects that have not received a through financial analysis? How can organization reduce these risks? . Based on the numbers provided for Cadence Design System’s intranet project, use a spread sheet to calculate the net present value of the project. Assume a 5-year life for the system. Case 3 Putting IT to Work at Home Depot Questions: 1. Explain why the team based structure at Home Depot is so successful. 2. The structure means that the SPST reports to both marketing and technology. This is known as a matrix structure. What are the potential advantages and problems? 3. How is collaboration facilitated by IT in this case? 4. Why is the process flow important in this case? Case 4 Dartmouth College Goes Wireless

Questions: 1. In what ways is the Wi-Fi technology changing the Dartmouth students? 2. Some says that the wireless system will become part of the background of everybody’s life – that the mobile devices are just an afterthought. Explain. 3. Is the system contributing to improved learning, or just adding entertainment that may reduce the time available for studying? Debate your point of view with students who hold a different opinion. 4. What are the major benefits of the wireless system over the previous wire line one? Do you think wire line systems will disappear from campus one day? (Do some research on the topic. )