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MyMISLab
Learning from zulily that at Nordstrom? Briefly describe the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of experience.
zulily is remarkable for its spectacular growth, but it’s even more
remarkable because that growth occurred in a very traditional 1-11. If you were a buyer for zulily, what data would you like
market. What’s more basic than selling clothes to women? Who to have about customer purchase habits?
would think that the founder of a company in that market could 1-12. If you were a buyer for zulily, what data would you like
turn his holdings into $1.7B in 5 years? Or that the company to have about past vendor performance?
could increase its workforce by 884 percent in 3 years?
In the final analysis, zulily succeeded because its founders 1-13. In the general course of life, 2-year-old boys become
developed an innovative application of information systems 3-year-old boys, 4-year-old girls become 5-year-old girls,
technology. As you will learn, the technology zulily uses is not and so on. How can zulily use this not-so-remarkable
groundbreaking. All that technology was described in the fourth phenomenon to customize a customer’s shopping expe-
edition of this textbook in 2009 when zulily was founded. The rience? What data would you need to do this?
creative genius was finding a way to apply that technology to a 1-14. As a business professional, it is likely information sys-
business opportunity and then to have the managerial skill to tems professionals will ask you data questions like those
develop that idea into a thriving business. Without doubt, doz- in questions 1-11 to 1-13 above. What is the best way
ens of such opportunities lie in front of you. You just need to rec- for you to respond? Verbally in a meeting? With a writ-
ognize and build on them. ten document? With a sketch or diagram? How will you
know if you have been understood?
QUeStionS
1-15. At the April 2015 stock price of $14.59, the market
1-9. Go to zulily.com and register. Identify features of the values zulily at $1.86B. This is a big drop from the
site that make shopping entertaining to mothers and February 2014 high of $68.39 a share price. Describe
explain why those features entertain. Explain why this zulily’s principle assets. Does a $1.86B valuation seem
is important to the zulily business model. appropriate, given your description of the company’s
1-10. Go to Nordstrom.com and shop for children’s clothes. assets? Justify your answer.
How does the zulily shopping experience differ from

MyMISLab ™

Go to the Assignments section of your MyLab to complete these writing exercises.
1-16. The text states that data should be worth its cost. Both cost and value can
be broken into tangible and intangible factors. Tangible factors can be directly
measured; intangible ones arise indirectly and are difficult to measure. For
example, a tangible cost is the cost of a computer monitor; an intangible
cost is the lost productivity of a poorly trained employee.
Give five important tangible and five important intangible costs of an
information system. Give five important tangible and five important intangi-
ble measures of the value of an information system. If it helps to focus your
thinking, use the example of the class scheduling system at your university or
some other university information system. When determining whether an
information system is worth its cost, how do you think the tangible and
intangible factors should be considered?
1-17. The U.S. Department of Labor publishes descriptions of jobs, educational
requirements, and the outlook for many jobs and professions. Go to its site at
www.bls.gov and answer the following questions:
a. Search for the job title systems analyst. Describe what such people do. Is this
a job that interests you? Why or why not? What education do you need?
What is the median pay and job growth projection?