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Chapter 2 Global E-business and Collaboration 103

Discussion Questions

1. How could information systems be used to that flows among these activities. Diagram the
support the order fulfillment process illustrated process. Are there any ways this process could be
in Figure 2.1? What are the most important pieces improved to improve the performance of your
of information these systems should capture? library or your school? Diagram the improved
Explain your answer. process.
2. Identify the steps that are performed in the 3. Use the Time/Space Collaboration and Social
process of selecting and checking out a book Tool Matrix to classify the collaboration and
from your college library and the information social technologies used by TELUS.

Hands-On MIS Projects

The projects in this section give you hands-on experience analyzing opportunities to improve business
processes with new information system applications, using a spreadsheet to improve decision making about
suppliers, and using Internet software to plan efficient transportation routes.

Management Decision Problems

1. Don’s Lumber Company on the Hudson River features a large selection of materials for flooring, decks,
moldings,windows, siding, and roofing. The prices of lumber and other building materials are constantly
changing. When a customer inquires about the price on pre-finished wood flooring, sales representatives
consult a manual price sheet and then call the supplier for the most recent price. The supplier in turn uses a
manual price sheet, which has been updated each day. Often, the supplier must call back Don’s sales reps
because the company does not have the newest pricing information immediately on hand. Assess the
business impact of this situation, describe how this process could be improved with information technology,
and identify the decisions that would have to be made to implement a solution.
2. Henry’s Hardware is a small family business in Sacramento, California. The owners, Henry and Kathleen, must
use every square foot of store space as profitably as possible. They have never kept detailed inventory or sales
records. As soon as a shipment of goods arrives, the items are immediately placed on store shelves. Invoices
from suppliers are only kept for tax purposes. When an item is sold, the item number and price are rung up at
the cash register. The owners use their own judgment in identifying items that need to be reordered.What is the
business impact of this situation? How could information systems help Henry and Kathleen run their business?
What data should these systems capture? What decisions could the systems improve?

Improving Decision Making: Using a Spreadsheet to Select Suppliers
Software skills: Spreadsheet date functions, data filtering, DAVERAGE function
Business skills: Analyzing supplier performance and pricing
In this exercise, you will learn how to use spreadsheet software to improve management decisions about
selecting suppliers. You will filter transactional data on suppliers based on several different criteria to select
the best suppliers for your company.
You run a company that manufactures aircraft components. You have many competitors who are
trying to offer lower prices and better service to customers, and you are trying to determine whether
you can benefit from better supply chain management. In MyMISLab, you will find a spreadsheet file
that contains a list of all of the items that your firm has ordered from its suppliers during the past
three months. The fields in the spreadsheet file include vendor name, vendor identification number,
purchaser’s order number, item identification number and item description (for each item ordered
from the vendor), cost per item, number of units of the item ordered (quantity), total cost of each order,
vendor’s accounts payable terms, order date, and actual arrival date for each order.

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