Diploma in Computing (with strands in

Software Development & Networking)

Level 7

STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION FOR INFORMATION

SYSTEMS – DC202

NQF Level 6 (12 credits)

60% = 100 marks

(Each key element assessed = 6%)

Assessment 1
CASE STUDIES ASSIGNMENT
(v2)

Final Result: _______________ Assessor Signature ___________________

Student Name

Student ID

Student Signature

Assessor

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
 Assessor’s Feedback

Assessment 1: Case Studies

(Worth 60%)

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
Diploma in Computing (with strands in
Software Development & Networking)
Level 7

STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION FOR INFORMATION

SYSTEMS – DC202

Assessment 1
CASE STUDIES ASSIGNMENT
(v2)

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
 DC202 STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS – ASSESSMENT 1

Assessment 1: CASE STUDIES ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

There are two case studies for Assessment 1 and this is an INDIVIDUAL assignment with the
following components.

1. You are required to read both case studies and answer the questions which follow each case
study.

2. Your responses are to be written in the form of a Business Report, and you are essentially
using this document to present your findings to the Director of Information Systems for a
company.

3. This will require you to use in-depth analysis and research techniques to help you answer
the questions and then paraphrase this information into a credible Business Report. (NB: -
It is not an Academic Essay.

4. Business reports are varied in their structure; however the best approach when writing the
report is to include headings and sub-headings. This makes easier reading, and shows the
reader that you are focused on specific components within your research. As a tutor, it is
also easier to allocate marks when you align your headings and content to the questions
following each case study.

5. You are expected to use the tools techniques and such readings that will showcase their
knowledge and familiarity with the text and other course materials. You should make use
of the slides, handouts, and any other information provided by the tutor throughout the
course.

6. The two case studies present problems within two organisations. Your task is to strategically
analyse the issues and provide sound recommendations which could be implemented into
the organisations to help resolve their issues. You need to approach these issues as a
Strategic Analyst, using the tools, resources from this course coupled with your own
individual research.

7. Essentially you will be writing TWO business reports – as there are two case studies. Good
coverage in terms of word count would cover around 2000 words per report.

8. NOTE: Ensure you write your assignment as a business report. Do not bullet point.

PLAGIARISM

You are no doubt aware of the policy on plagiarism at Aspire2 International. The secret to avoid
any form of plagiarism is “if ever in doubt – reference it.” If you don’t – then you are implying that
the work you have copied is your own. Harsh penalties are given to students who plagiarise, so
take notice of the warning. An additional tip to avoiding plagiarism is to ‘paraphrase’ work that you
wish to copy, by rewriting it from your own perspective, and you still are required to reference this
source.

As this is an individual assignment, you need to ensure the work is original and if you have copied
any relevant material from other sources – then make sure you reference. Plagiarism also includes
copying work from students.

Each assignment will be checked through a Plagiarism Checker Database and anything that the
scanner shows is copied will be highlighted. The acceptable % is up to 15% - anything over this
will receive a ZERO mark.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Students will identify and discuss business strategy and its benefits and significance for
Information Technology professions.
2. Students will investigate and compare strategic concepts, theories, and models.
3. Students will identify core competencies, competitive advantage, and value creation with an
organisation.
4. Students will formulate and realise an information technology strategy, aligned with the
corporate and business strategy of the organisation.
5. Students will strategically implement and deploy information systems for an organisation.

RELEVANCE OF QUESTIONS TO LEARNING OUTCOMES

Case Study 1

Question No. Learning Outcomes Total Marks

Covered

Q1 L01 3 marks

Q2 L01, L02 5 marks

Q3 L01 6 marks

Q4 L02 12 marks

Q5 L02 18 marks

Q6 L04 16 marks

Total 60 marks

Case Study 2

Q1 L02 11 marks

Q2 L02 5 marks

Q3 L03 5 marks

Q4 L05 12 marks

Q5 L01 7 marks

Total 40 marks

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
 MARKING SCHEDULE

Student Name:

Case Study 1 - Possible Marks: Student Marks:

Question number:

1 3

2 5

3a 3

3b 3

4 12

5 18

6 16

Sub-total: 60

Case Study 2 – Possible Marks: Student Marks

Question number:

1 11

2 5

3 5

4a 4

4b 4

4c 4

5 7

Sub-total: 40

OVERALL TOTAL: 100 = 60%

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
ASSIGNMENT FORMAT

The report must be typed using the following styles:

1. Left-hand margin 2.5cm

2. Right-hand margin 1.0cm

3. Top margin 1.0cm

4. Bottom margin 1.0cm

5. Font Verdana

6. Font size 12

7. Line spacing 1.5 lines

8. Format Justified

9. Pages All pages numbered

10. Spelling, grammar Checked before submitting to Tutor

11. Table of Contents List correctly aligns to page number

12. Title Page to show: ▪ Student Name:

▪ Title: ASSESSMENT 1 – CASE STUDIES – DC202
(Case Study 1 / Case Study 2)
▪ Date
▪ Course Name: DC202 Strategic Implementation for
Information systems
▪ Organisation: NTI - NTEC
13. Marking Schedule: Include the Marking Schedule as page 2 of your report before
your Table of Contents.
14. Length: Around 2000 words per case study. (Guide).

15 Referencing: ▪ Ensure all copied material is correctly referenced

using the APA reference style.
▪ Include a Reference list at the end of the assignment.
▪ Note: All assignments will be subject to a plagiarism
check and assignments with 25% or higher of
plagiarised information will receive a zero mark.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
 CASE STUDY 1

Note:

▪ Both case studies are real organisations.

▪ Changes have been made to business names, statistics and other references within each
case study; therefore you will not be able to find any information in text books or on the
internet about the specific companies.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
ASDITH HEALTHCARE SERVICES (AHS)

Asdith Health Services (AHS) is located in San Francisco (USA) and is a community hospital with a
total staff of 1300. It has 200 beds. It has a wide range of information systems which are either
reaching the end of their useful life or are coming up for contract renewal. It operates under a
Health Trust Board who are members of the local community – some are professional people such
as lawyers, doctors, educators, and other members are consumers of the services offered by AHS.
In total there are 25 Board members at AHS

The company was established in 1995 and was one of the first of its kind in San Francisco. Today
there is a proliferation of healthcare providers spread from San Francisco through to the outskirts
of Los Angeles. Last estimate, there were 225 healthcare providers, essentially giving the same
services as Asdith Health Services.

The structure of the organisation includes the following roles:

▪ Executive Directors – 3. Medical / Surgical / Allied Health
▪ Deputy Directors – 3
▪ Senior Functional Managers 6: Marketing / Human Resources / Finance / Technical /
Information / Operations
▪ Heads of Department – Clinical - 12
▪ Heads of Department – Allied – 6
▪ Staff i.e. nurses, doctors, technical, advisory, analysts, administration, porters, custodians,
other healthcare professionals.

Vision: To be a world healthcare provider for all communities

Mission: Recovering through health partnerships
Values: We are all committed to apply the following values to our patients, medical
and surgical staff, allied staff and the communities we serve:
❖ Outstanding healthcare
❖ Growth and innovation
❖ People development and encouragement
❖ Transparency with all of our activities and services
❖ Improved quality of life for everyone.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
Asdith Health Services is considered cost-effective by most of the consumers who use its services.
Feedback from patients who have been at AHS have rated ‘very high’ with a satisfaction rating of
85%. Staff feedback on management practices has however been somewhat disconcerting. The
last staff climate survey was conducted across the organisation in 2012 and the following ratings
were noted:

AREA SATISFACTION RATING

Decision-making 22%
Leadership 18%
Rewards and Recognition 14%
Facilities and amenities 92%
Senior Managers 65%
Other managers 23%
I.T. and Technical Resources 11%
Resource planning and staff 12%
consultation

The technology systems were failing to meet the ongoing needs of the medical facility and many of
the staff including the clinicians were not happy with their lack of involvement in the decisions made
on technology for the organisation. Management had introduced a new Electronic Medical Record
(EMR) system where it was hoped that the new digital system would increase efficiency and reduce
documentation errors by streamlining the processes. However it has caused more problems. One
of the main issues is that the system has generated a number of duplicate files on patients with
different information. EMR is known to be a very complex system, and is also an expensive
investment for companies because of this complexity, and the constant need to bring in external
support and technical expertise to resolve problems which occur on a regular basis.

Some of the other key challenges Asdith Health Services were facing included:
a. $1 million is spent on outsourcing information technology. contractors to resolve problems
with the company’s information technology systems. Many of these systems do not
currently meet the requirements of the organisation, and are often regarded as a hindrance
rather than a solution.
b. Decisions on the investments across the organisation were made by departmental heads,
without senior management or governance consultation. This has further increased the
proliferation of information technology. systems being designed for individual departments
– rather than for organizational productivity and efficiency.
c. The information system. project timelines and financial reporting (budgets) were regularly
missed and budgets were often over-spent. This also caused departments to continue
operating without proper I.S. support.
d. It was difficult to work out the company’s strategic position because it was difficult to find
out who actually had the power to make decisions in the organisation.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
e. The organisation’s strategic plan had run its course and expired in 2012. No review of a
current strategic plan is under way, despite the Trust Board requiring this document as part
of their compliance requirements of Board members.
f. The organisation requires a wide range of resources and capabilities in order to function
adequately. It has generated profits over the last 3 years and each year has exceeded the
last. The problem is that the surplus from profits is then used to cover expenditure items
for the hospital and many of these items are highly expensive.
g. The organisation is not a monopoly in San Francisco, however it does compete with other
similar healthcare providers. The issue here is that without a Strategic Plan, it would be
difficult to gauge any kind of competitive advantage over other health providers.
h. At the governance and corporate/business strategy level, there was no direction in terms of
current or future growth strategies. As noted earlier, there is no current strategic plan for
the organisation, so it was also difficult to ascertain a strategic framework for the
organisation. No one appears to know why?

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
Case study 1 questions:

1. Describe the Hierarchy Levels of Strategy for Asdith Health Services.

1 mark per description x 3 =3 marks

2. Why is there confusion over where the ‘power’ lies in the organisation?
a. How could this confusion be resolved? (4 strategies).
1 mark per power / 1 mark per strategy = 5 marks

3a. Construct a pyramid using the organisational structure noting the appropriate levels of
strategy.
1 mark for each correct level = 3 marks

3b. Reviewing the levels of the pyramid – which level holds the most ‘INFLUENCE’? Why? Also
outline which level is accountable for strategic implementation systems?
1 mark correct choice / 2 marks reasoning = 3 marks

4. Using a simple SWOT analysis technique – examine Asdith Health Services incorporating
additional information you believe is appropriate. (Identify 3 factors for each section of the
SWOT analysis.)
3 marks per SWOT area = 12 marks

5. You will note from the case study that the organisation is situated in the USA. Prepare a
PESTEL analysis based on the information outlined in the case study – plus – information
from your own research of the current health system in the USA to assist you with the
analysis. (Identify 3 factors for each section of the PESTEL analysis).
3 marks per PESTEL area x 6 =18 marks

6. From the list of challenges (noted in case study) that AHS is facing, identify and examine 2
STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION solutions to each of the areas noted. Focus on Information
System planning where possible for the issues listed.
2 marks per listed item x 8 = 16 marks

TOTAL MARKS FOR CASE STUDY 1 = 60

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
 CASE STUDY 2

Note:

▪ Both case studies are real organisations.

▪ Changes have been made to business names, statistics and other references within each
case study therefore you will not be able to find any information in text books or on the
internet about the specific companies.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
JULIA JUICE (JJ)

JJ is one of world’s five largest juice retailers and has over 1200 stores throughout the United
Kingdom and the USA. 2001 and 2005 it tripled the number of stores it operated. Its competitive
advantage when it was first established was creating unique juice specialities, and offering
customer-focused juice stores for people to meet and relax. This competitive advantage was
dominant for a number of years and as a result JJ could charge premium or high prices, as there
were few competitors in the market.

This boom did not last long, Beginning in 2008 profits plunged due to the economic recession.
Customers complained that the company had lost its grip on the consumer market and they felt
that JJ was becoming more like McDonalds or other similar fast-food chain outlets. Many juice
drinkers went searching for alternatives and JJ stock lost over 40 percent of its value by the end of
2008. Major changes were needed.

The owner (Julia Chen) and the board of directors decided to overhaul the business by using several
different strategies simultaneously. In essence, they began to use Porters Five Forces Framework
(Porters Competitive Analysis).

First of all they revamped their in-store technology and decided to integrate its business processes
with wireless technology and the mobile digital platform. Rather than imitating the procedures used
by competitors in the juice market, they pursued a more aggressive product differentiation
strategy, intended to place emphasis on the high quality of their juices and efficient and helpful
customer service. At the same time, they focused on becoming ‘lean’ like many other competitors,
eliminating inefficiencies wherever possible.

JJ conducted research with its consumers through surveys, questionnaires, etc and found that more
than half of their customers were active smartphone users. So they set out to implement several
features and improvements that would appeal to this segment of its customer base.

JJ implemented a technology that allows customers to pay using a smartphone app. This app is
integrated with their own JJ card system, which allows regular customers to pay with pre-paid and
rechargeable cards at any JJ branch. When a customer makes a purchase using their app, a cashier
scans a bar code displayed on the phone, and then the cost of the product is charged to the
customer’s JJ card account. Customers responded overwhelmingly stating that paying using the
app device was much faster than any other traditional form of payment. In its first 12 months of
use, the JJ mobile payment system processed 35 million transactions.

All of the JJ stores were equipped with free Wi-Fi networks and the majority of customers made
use of this when visiting the stores. JJ then launched a JJ Digital Network – a portal designed for
mobile devices as opposed to web browsers. They optimised the site to accommodate all major
smartphone operating systems (iOS, Android, iPhone/Pads, and Blackberry).

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
The site would also integrate with Facebook and Twitter and allow users to check in and receive
award points using the JJ site. JJ also decided to offer the site for no charge to advertisers. It was
hoped that offering deals with content providers would make it a profitable venture. The focus was
on improving the relationship with its most valued customers by using a mobile digital platform to
enhance customer satisfaction.

JJ set up a group of project coordinators (12 in total) to travel through the UK visiting all of the
franchises to train them on time efficiencies, reducing waste, and streamlining customer services.
This system was made famous by the automaker Toyota back in the 1980s.

Due to the high cost of labour throughout its stores – ($2.2 billion) annually) – JJ used the project
team to assist in reducing the time it took to produce a juice for a customer. Doing this would
allow more time for staff to interact with their customers and thereby improve the customers’
overall experience at JJ.

As all of the stores had Wi-Fi – managers could use the system to run store operations and to
connect to the company’s private network and systems. All managers were also issued with laptops
and I-phones to assist them in their business operations.

The District Managers traditionally oversaw around 10 JJ stores each and they had to visit each
store, review its operations, develop a list of items on which to follow up, and then drive to a JJ
regional office to file reports, and send emails. Instead of running the business from cubicles at
the regional office, the District Managers could now do most of their work sitting at a table in one
of the JJ stores they oversaw.

This was all due to the free Wi-Fi systems set up in all JJ stores. The time saved from going back
and forth to regional offices could be used to observe how employees were serving customers and
to improve their training. Just by implementing the free Wi-Fi, this enabled JJ to increase their in-
store presence of district managers by 24% without adding any extra managers.

In 2008 and 2009, the weakened economy forced JJ to close 400 stores, renegotiate rents, cut
prices on some of their big ticket items, and began offering price-reductions. Cost reductions from
previous procedural changes made it possible for JJ to offer these lower prices.
JJ attributed much of its recent improvements in profits to its efforts to go lean and improve
efficiencies. By 2010, JJ had returned to profitability and continued growth, with plans to open 600
new stores, in large part because of the success of each of these changes.

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)
Case study 2 questions:

1. Define Porter’s competitive forces (Fives Forces Framework Model) and discuss how it
worked in this case study? (NB: Ensure you construct the model before applying it in your
answer). (Note 2 main points for each Force in the model).
1 mark diagram / 2 marks per point per Force x 5 =11 marks

2. Discuss how Porter’s Five Forces model helps companies develop competitive strategies
using information systems? (Note 5 information system strategies).
1 mark per strategy x 5 = 5 marks

3. Discuss 2 features for each - between competitive advantage and sustainable competitive
advantage and give your views on whether JJ achieved one or the other – or neither. Give
clear reasoning for your views.
1 mark per feature x 4 / 1 mark for reasoned view = = 5 marks

4. If you were in control of JJ at the time of the economic recession:

a. Describe 4 strategic information system strategies you would have implemented, which
are not covered in the case study.
1 mark per strategy x 4 = 4 marks

b. Explain why you selected these 4 strategies.

1 mark per explanation x 4 = 4 marks

c. Give an example from companies around the world where your selected strategy has
been used.
1 mark per example x 4 = 4 marks

5. Describe 7 benefits of technology that has helped JJ compete in the Juice market?
1 mark per benefit x 7 = 7 marks

TOTAL MARKS FOR CASE STUDY 2 = 40

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DC202 Strategic Implementation for Information Systems (v2)