Chapter 3, Organizational Strategy, Information Systems, and Competitive Advantage Video Solutions, MIS essentials

Problem 1

Suppose you decide to start a business that recruits students for summer jobs. You will match available students with available jobs. You need to learn what positions are available and which students are available for filling those positions. In starting your business, you know you will be competing with local newspapers, Craigslist (www.craigslist.org), and your college. You will probably have other local competitors as well.
a. Analyze the structure of this industry according to Porter's five forces model.
b. Given your analysis in part a, recommend a competitive strategy.
c. Describe the primary value chain activities as they apply to this business.
d. Describe a business process for recruiting students.
e. Describe information systems that could be used to support the business process in part d.
f. Explain how the process you described in part $\mathrm{d}$ and the system you described in part e reflect your competitive strategy.

Doris Bennett

Numerade Educator

02:32

Problem 2

Consider the two different bike rental companies in Figure 3-6. Think about the bikes that they rent. Clearly, the student bikes will be just about anything that can be ridden out of the shop. The bikes for the business executives, however, must be new, shiny, clean, and in tip-top shape.
a. Compare and contrast the operations value chains of these two businesses as they pertain to the management of bicycles.
b. Describe a business process for maintaining bicycles for both businesses.
c. Describe a business process for acquiring bicycles for both businesses.
d. Describe a business process for disposing of bicycles for both businesses.
e. What roles do you see for information systems in your answers to the earlier questions? The information systems can be those you develop within your company or they can be those developed by others, such as Craigslist.

Brandon Fox

Numerade Educator

Problem 3

Samantha Green owns and operates Twigs Tree Trimming Service. Samantha graduated from the forestry program of a nearby university and worked for a large landscape design firm, performing tree trimming and removal. After several years of experience, she bought her own truck, stump grinder, and other equipment and opened her own business in St. Louis, Missouri.
Although many of her jobs are one-time operations to remove a tree or stump, others are recurring, such as trimming a tree or groups of trees every year or every other year. When business is slow, she calls former clients to remind them of her services and of the need to trim their trees on a regular basis.
Samantha has never heard of Michael Porter or any of his theories. She operates her business "by the seat of her pants."
a. Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help Samantha.
b. Do you think Samantha has a competitive strategy? What competitive strategy would seem to make sense for her?
c. How would knowledge of her competitive strategy help her sales and marketing efforts?
d. Describe, in general terms, the kind of information system that she needs to support sales and marketing efforts.

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Problem 4

Review the principles of competitive advantage in Figure 3-7. Which types of competitive advantage has BOSU used to defeat copycat products?

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Problem 5

What role did information systems play in your answer to question $3-4$ ?

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Problem 6

Categorize the strategies adopted by BOSU and its competitor, in this case using Porter's competitive strategy model.

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Problem 7

In the beginning, Fitness Quest had alliances with trainers and its main competitor had alliances with major retailers. Thus, both companies were competing on the basis of their alliances. Why do you think Fitness Quest won this competition? To what extent did its success in leveraging relationships with trainers depend on information systems? On other factors?

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Problem 8

Suppose Fitness Quest wants to create a database of individuals with a gym membership. What kind of information should be stored, in order to identify a target audience for the Indo-Row machine?

James Kiss

Numerade Educator

01:42

Problem 9

Describe major differences between the BOSU product and the Indo-Row product. Consider product use, product price, customer resistance, competition, competitive threats, and other factors related to market acceptance.

Daniel Cisneros

Numerade Educator

Problem 10

Fitness Quest wants to market the Indo-Row machine on social media. Choose a particular site for marketing the machine, give reasons for your choice, and also formulate strategies to use that site to gain competitive advantage.

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Problem 11

YourFire, Inc., is a small business owned by Curt and Julie Robards. Based in Brisbane, Australia, YourFire manufactures and sells a lightweight camping stove called the YourFire. Curt, who previously worked as an aerospace engineer, invented and patented a burning nozzle that enables the stove to stay lit in very high winds-up to 90 miles per hour. Julie, an industrial designer by training, developed an elegant folding design that is small, lightweight, easy to set up, and very stable. Curt and Julie manufacture the stove in their garage, and they sell it directly to their customers over the Internet and via phone.
a. Explain how an analysis of the five competitive forces could help YourFire.
b. What does YourFire's competitive strategy seem to be?
c. Briefly summarize how the primary value chain activities pertain to YourFire. How should the company design these value chains to conform to its competitive strategy?
d. Describe business processes that YourFire needs in order to implement its marketing and sales and also its service value chain activities.
e. Describe, in general terms, information systems to support your answer to part d.

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Problem 12

Mymislab Only - comprehensive writing assignment for this chapter.

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