Description
covers IT department Whirliwind, Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT and Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT
Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 2
About the company ...................................................................................................................................... 3
IT department of WWI .................................................................................................................................. 5
Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT .................................. 6
Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT .................... 7
Recommendations for the firm: ................................................................................................................... 8
Recommendations for the IT department .................................................................................................. 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 12
APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................................... 13
1
Executive Summary: More than 30 years ago, founder Ralf Hotchkiss created Whirlwind Wheelchair to address the growing problem of easily broken wheelchairs. Through its determination and persistence WWI has distributed price sensitive wheelchairs to more than 40 developing countries. Even though the organization has clear strategic objectives, there are a few problems in the organization’s management in general and IT department in specific that hinders it to reach its full potential. In this report, we suggest that to combat with its organizational problems, WWI uses strategic planning to make timely plans on how to meet its strategic objectives. In addition, we recommend WWI widens its product portfolio and provides discounts for referrals to maintain good relationship with NGOs. Most importantly, the organization needs to realize that as WWI continues to grow; its success is dependent on upgrades of Information Technology (IT) and IT strategy. Through our extensive research, we have established core IT principles to take WWI into the next growth stages. First and foremost, WWI must create and define IT roles and responsibilities – as soon as this happens, the IT staff can plan on its future by discussing its relationships with its suppliers, and plan for network security, website upgrades, cloud based applications, data configurations, and how much money to allocate for each project. Furthermore, we recommend that that since the production process is spread out, the organization builds an intranet to ensure effective communication. With a streamlined IT department, WWI will be able to create productive synergies through its broad customer range. The success of WWI is parallel to meeting customer feedback. As the customers continue to increase exponentially, WWI’s customer data and file sharing through cloud applications will not only meet customer expectations, but also forecast customer demand as well. Through our IT strategic planning, it’s our hope the WWI can provide durable wheelchairs to the needy for another 30 years and more.
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About the company Whirlwind Wheelchair International (WWI) is a non-profit social enterprise with a focus on producing durable, low-cost, and highly functional wheelchairs. WWI’s mission is to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the developing world. The RoughRider (Figure 1), Whirlwind’s sole product, is designed and produced in a close collaboration with the wheelchair riders in different countries for the daily life in those countriesi. The core product is designed by WWI, but it is twigged locally in small production shops to customize it according to the needs of the local customers. The repair and maintenance of the product is very economical and parts are easily available in the developing markets. This product is tested to exceed ISO wheelchair standards for strength and durability. With the improvement of computer aided design (CAD) programs, the Internet, and overall technology over the years, collaborative design has become easier. Whirlwind’s technology has spread to 45 countries and will only continue to growii. Currently the wheelchairs are only made to be sold in the developing countries. However, WWI’s future strategy is to sell its product in the US and Europe. WWI’s wheelchairs are not FDA-approved yet. Thus, WWI is in the process of getting an approval from the agency, in order to expand its marketiii. The size of the firm, as far as the personnel are concerned, is small. The firm consists of 10 full time employees. There are few interns and volunteers that keep changing on an on-going basis. Most decisions are made by Ralf Hotchkiss, inventor and co-founder; Bob Incerti, SF operations manager, Mark Krizack, executive director and Keoke King, marketing directoriv. There are no defined lines of hierarchy. As far as the financials are concerned, in 2008, WWI’s total income was $ 620,803, while the expenses totaled at $ 639, 025. WWI earns 73% of its income from wheelchair sales (Figure 2). Donations constitute 17% of the income. As for expenses, wheelchair manufacturing and shipping accounts for 60% of the expensesv. In order to understand the business and determine its competitive environment, we performed Porter’s five competitive forces analysis on its environment (Figure 3). Firstly, WWI faces low threats
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from pressure among rivalry. Since Whirlwind Wheelchair is part of the non-profit sector there are low competitive pressures among rival sellers. The numbers of players who provide wheelchairs are limited to a few which include Motivation, Free Wheelchair Mission, Kids first enterprise, Reach Out and Handicap International. Thus industrial concentration is high. Since most of the funding for wheelchairs is done through the government organizations and NGO’s, there is low direct competitive pressure from other players. In order to make its wheelchair competitive Whirlwind has ensured better product performance compared to other wheelchairs. Secondly, there are moderate threats associated with potential entry. Most developing countries do not produce any medical equipment of their own, so there are no regulations imposed by the government to prevent entry of wheelchair manufacturers. However, the access to distribution channels is low to moderate in most developing countries. Thirdly, WWI faces low threats from substitute products. The closest substitute product could be crutches but in most cases that’s not a viable option for the disabled. Fourthly, there are low threats from suppliers. Since the wheelchairs are locally repairable and bicycle manufacturers can provide parts needed for wheelchair repair hence supplier power is low. Supplier power is low because there are a large number of suppliers to choose from. Switching costs are low and the inputs that are used are fairly standardized. Therefore, there is a very low differentiation between suppliers. Hence, there is a low threat from the suppliers. Lastly, the organization faces moderate threats from buyers. A significant portion of the purchasing is done by extremely large NGO's. Buyers (NGOs) are concentrated and they purchase a significant portion of the output. There are few NGOs constituting a significant market share. The quality and cost at which wheelchairs are provided by different players does make a difference in the allocation of funds by the NGOs. One needs to have a presence and track record before NGOs purchase wheelchairs from an organization. Backward integration is highly unlikely as it has limited resources. There are moderate to low switching costs in terms of training and maintenance costs. 4
Given WWI’s business environment, there are a number of critical success factors that the firm needs to constantly monitor. Firstly, since the organization takes decentralized approach on manufacturing in most cases, in order to ensure quality products, it has to collaborate with the production shops in the developing countries to improve efficiency. Secondly, since the products are customized according to end-user needs, the company needs to constantly get feedback from the end-users and try to inculcate that in its products. This communication is critical and needs to be monitored. Thirdly, since a large chunk of the organization’s funding is from donations, it is crucial for the company to spread the awareness about the organization to make money. Fourthly, it is critical that WWI maintains a good relationship with its target customers: NGOs and charities.
IT department of WWI Whirlwind Wheelchair International being a non-profit with few employees does not have an inhouse IT department. The organization as such has not made a lot of efforts to incorporate technology to be competitive. It has outsourced almost all of the IT work. WWI has hired consultants and developers on a contractual basis to do their IT work. During the summer semester of 2010, WWI hired interns to help with IT and sales related work. The interns in collaboration with the consultants and developers form the IT department for Whirlwind Wheelchair. There are a total of 2 developers, 3 consultants and 2 interns vi. The developers and consultants are paid on an hourly basis. The developers are paid monthly to maintain the Whirlwind Wheelchair’s website. They are paid $200 monthly for the maintenance and running of the websitevii. When a requirement comes up, the developers are allocated certain hours for the work. They are paid $30 an hour for the work that is given. The consultants are paid at a rate of $100 per hour. The interns are paid on a commission basis which is based on the number of sales done during the period of time they work. The monthly expenditure on IT for Whirlwind Wheelchair is approximately $3200 (Figure 4). This outsourced IT department is contacted only to fix burning issues like a hard-drive crash or website crash. It does not make a much impact on how decisions are to be made for WWI to achieve its 5
objective of selling more wheelchairs and reaching out to more users. What Whirlwind has not correctly understood is the power technology can bring to its business if it is appropriately used. As far as the current usage of IT is concerned, WWI has its website already setup. The technologies used by the developers to design and layout the site are HTML and CSS. The site is hosted at iPower, and there are monthly maintenance and server charges. Apart from that, developers also play a part in designing the website and creating other documents like brochures and catalogues for the organization. For designing purposes the developers use Adobe Flash licensed software viii. Although not much has currently been done, the IT personnel employed have a vision for the organization. The interns hired have a technical background along with being enrolled in a management program. This enables them to envision the big picture for Whirlwind. The management visions WWI to be present in most areas of the developing world where there is a need of wheelchairs. This can be done by using efficient means of communication and by leveraging technology. The concept of cloud computing is new and more and more organizations are looking to move their IT related work to the cloud. This is what WWI’s current IT department also looks to do and advocates that the organization implements it. By making use of the cloud computing applications that are available, Whirlwind can achieve better efficiency and interact with its customers intelligently. Technology can empower it to understand where it currently stands and what it needs to do improve their situation. By using the latest social networking strategies, the organization can look to reach out to newer and potential customers that it was not able to connect earlier. The vision to make it more visible in the arena directly links to the strategic goal of the organization which is to supply the wheelchairs to the people who need them. The department currently aims to market Whirlwind over the internet to increase awareness of its name and the kind of product and services it provides.
Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT Even though there is a substantial demand for wheelchairs, there are many challenges that face WWI. Most of the terrain in the developing countries lacks adequate roads and infrastructure, making it 6
difficult for wheelchairs to maneuver and sustain its shape without breakingix. In addition, the customers in the developing countries WWI cater to are poverty-stricken, which means that they cannot afford a wheelchair, and if they can, they can only afford one. Due to the lack of discretional income from its customer demographic, WWI does not generate sufficient revenue, and is dependent upon grants and donations for capital support. Lastly, WWI manufactures wheelchairs in multiple developing countries without proper Information Systems. Despite all the challenges, WWI has been a leader within its industry through several strategic objectives. WWI manufactures its wheelchairs to the specific needs, body types, and ergonomics for its customers. In order to accomplish this, WWI has manufacturing shops in the countries it provides wheelchairs to – through research and customer feedback, the manufacturing facilities construct the wheelchairs to the like. Because WWI relies heavily on customer feedback, and then tailors its wheelchairs to the different specifics of its customers, WWI is involved in a Customer-Centric Value Chain, meaning its relationship with its customers is demand-pullx. Challenges for a demand-pull customer relationship are slow production time, inventory management, and sales forecasting. WWI’s strategy is based on sampling all wheelchairs at its home office through sophisticated technology that tests its wheelchairs by a specified number of years and miles. The abuse the wheelchairs go through must pass the specified number of years and miles before shipment. This test strategy creates a value for its customers for the expected life of the wheelchair. Most wheelchairs break within the first couple of months because of poor manufacturing and extreme terrain in the developing countries. However, WWI wheelchairs are already tested and manufactured to endure extreme terrain for long periods of time. Because this technology is expensive, all testing is done at the home office and is then shipped to other countries for minor revisions to fit its customer’s needs.
Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT WWI needs to realize the power of IT. The interns and consultants have been advocating using IT, so WWI can increase its sales revenue and cater better to the demand of the customers. The IT 7
department is working on configuring cloud computing applications like salesforce.com, so that it can help the marketing campaigns of WWI. It has a lot of customer data on its hands. All the information needs to be mined so that valuable information can be used. Information on donations, volunteers and contacts can be very useful. A particular contact can be traced to a donation and then in the future when a campaign is being planned then that particular contact can be targeted for making a donation. WWI has started using the salesforce.com non-profit package which is a version of SalesForce that is customized specifically for non-profit organizations like WWI. The SalesForce technology will dramatically improve WWI operations, development, and fundraising results and communication with its constituencies. It will make WWI self-sufficient to evolve and grow solutions over time. The strength of the current so formed IT team for WWI is that since it has not really developed a specific department; it can make use of the current and latest technologies that are available. The organization can leap frog to a new technology and thus can gain a competitive advantage. Another advantage is that the IT department is currently outsourced and the payment is made to developers and consultants on a pay-per-hour basis, WWI saves by not spending on salaries of full time IT employees. The weakness of the IT department is that it does not have a lot of experience to back up its strategies. The technologies suggested have not been tested and there is no historical data to support it. By outsourcing the IT work, there is no chance of instant solving of any problem if something goes down for WWI. The organization has to wait for the contracted developer to respond and it may be possible that the developers may not be available. This can lead to a very high down time and it may affect them in seasons when high sales are expected and orders are expected to be placed through the website.
Recommendations for the firm: Organizational structure: The organization should define lines of authority. Each position should have defined job responsibilities, and there should be clear lines of not only authority but also communications. This will bring order within the organization and will enable the organization to better meet its goals. The
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organization currently does not have an organization chart. We suggest they make use of the organization chart designed for them (Figure 5). Strategic Planning: The organization needs to plan its business goals and objectives strategically. An appropriate view to planning in today’s unpredictable market can be to develop a view of the future that guides decision making today. The planning should be done in three forms, namely strategic, tactical, and operational (Figure 6)xi. Each of these plans is categorized according to the time frame. These business goals will not only give direction to the business, but will also help the IT department plan the information systems as the IS systems need to be aligned to the business goals. We recommend that the firm uses Critical Success Factors (CSF) method. WWI should recognize crucial factors that affect the business, and should constantly monitor them. These factors are time sensitive, thus, they should be reexamined in a timely mannerxii. Create a wider product portfolio: Whirlwind Wheelchair is developing a wide range of products related to durable medical equipment (DME) to reach previously untapped demographics. Currently, the RoughRider is positioned in the market as a durable, rough use, rugged wheelchair. Whirlwind’s future products include a pediatric and limited indoor-use wheelchair along with several other DME’s. It’s extremely important to diversify the product line so that in case any product market declinexiii, Whirlwind would be able to withstand any such setbacks. This would eventually result in greater sales volume which is a primary concern for the organization. Hire sales staff for Whirlwind and offer a commission based salary: Whirlwind should increase and professionalize its sales force in order to capture a larger market share. This would also help in developing closer relationships with its target market. The sales force need to be incentivized by a performance based compensation. This would motivate them to tap new sections of the market xiv. Get copyright: Whirlwind needs to create a perception of being a service based company rather than being a product based company. It needs to create an image in the minds of people that without the technical experience which the staff specialize in, it would be an incomplete product .This in turn would discourage other potential market entrants from simply copying its product xv. 9
Leveraging NGO contacts by providing discounts for referrals: Success of Whirlwind’s industry depends heavily on their ability to leverage and network its relationships with its current partners. As a result, offering a referral discount to their current partners is an excellent way to reward loyal partners of the organization and continue to develop Whirlwind’s professional network.
Recommendations for the IT department Build an intranet: Since the organization’s production is scattered through its multiple production shops in various countries, we recommend that WWI develops an intranet to enhance communication among the employees in different countries. Among other things, it will provide wider access to company information at lower costs, lower training costs, enable sharing of ideas across production shops, help the headquarters better monitor progress at different locations, and decrease training costsxvi. Considering the financial constraints, we recommend that the technology be kept simple at first using existing hardware and freeware. WWI’s IT staff should pick applications that are critically needed by the organization and concentrate on those instead of having too many featuresxvii. Organize IT department: Currently, the IT decisions are made in a haphazard manner by consultants who are not very familiar with the business’ long term plans. We recommend that WWI appoint an executive who overlooks all the IT decisions made. This executive should understand the business and ensure that IT investments align with the business goals (Figure 7). This person should create a vision of the future and other people in the IT department should strive to bring that vision into beingxviii. Another major responsibility of this executive would be to shape the IT portfolioxix. Since the goal of this person will be familiar with the bigger picture, he or she will be in the best position to answer questions like what to invest in and how to make investment decision. This will avoid the firm from wasting money on technologies that may seem attractive, but do not help fulfill the business goals. Hardware: As WWI does not have many resources to spend on hardware, it can remedy the situation in a cost effective approach by setting up high-speed data such as frame relay, and wireless email and data servicesxx. Because WWI does not have offices set up in all of the countries they operate in, its systems 10
need to be interoperable. Interoperability will allow manufactures the capability of using different computers using different operating systems, on different networks, to work together on same tasks. For example, the WWI personnel can access its databases and networks via smart phones, PC’s, etc. Social Network: Because WWI relies on Grants and donations, it should maximize on social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. The more WWI can reach out to the community, the better chances for public awareness and donations xxi. An in-house employee in the home office can regularly keep up with the networks by posting recent successes and future involvements WWI plans to take part in. Manage outsourcing: Due to a lack of a formal IT department at WWI, most of the IT operations are outsourced. This means that the relationship with these different vendors must be managed proficiently to ensure quality operations xxii. This can be done by addressing governance in the contract. The IT executive at WWI should ensure that the vendors understand WWI’s expectations. Furthermore, the executive can establish service level agreements to monitor supplier performancexxiii. Go for the cloud: The cloud is becoming increasingly associated with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as in many cases they cannot justify or afford the large capital expenditure of traditional IT. The same applies to WWI. SMEs also typically have less existing infrastructure, less bureaucracy, more flexibility, and smaller capital budgets for purchasing in-house technology. Similarly, SMEs like WWI in emerging markets are typically unburdened by established legacy infrastructures, thus reducing the complexity of deploying cloud solutions. “Cloud is the way to go for businesses that are looking to save on cost and cannot invest heavily on an in-house IT department.”xxiv Establish wholly integrated supply chain management system: With an integrated supply chain system Whirlwind will have more influence over its suppliersxxv. This would address the copyright issue in the sense that it would help limit the spread of unauthorized wheelchair production because suppliers will tend to be more loyal to Whirlwind. Whirlwind should plan on developing an integrated system to allow customers to communicate with suppliers thereby lowering the lag time between order and delivery. It also should plan to create a website portal which would support both business to business and business to consumer sales. 11
Upgrading the Content Management System and Redesigning the website: Currently the website of WWI has all the information stored in flat HTML files. The flat HTML files create a maintenance bottleneck because each page has to be updated separately and requires a programmer to translate the content into HTML. Shifting to easier and more manageable content management system like WordPress or Drupal would definitely benefit them as the interface is very user friendly and these systems have WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editorsxxvi. Thus, no technical knowledge will be needed if something has to be modified in the website. The website can be integrated with the Salesforce application and shopping carts like shopify(www.shopify.com) can be embedded into the website. This would help WWI to keep track of its orders and provide a more convenient way for users to place orders. Implement Network security and password policies: Currently WWI does not have up-to-date virus protection software and firewalls. Its network protection is weak and the passwords can be easily broken into. The manner in which passwords are stored and maintained is very risky. They need to standardize their password policy by changing passwords to all their accounts at least a month.xxvii They can use encryption techniques to store their passwords and then decrypt them when required.xxviii They store their password in one google document which is a big risk and should get away with it on an immediate basis.
Conclusion We conclude that while WWI is operating in an environment that possesses less external threats to the business, the organization is yet to reach its full potential. In addition to make a few recommended changes to its business, WWI can use information technology to meet its strategic objectives efficiently. We recommend that the organization manages and organizes its outsourced IT department, makes use of cloud computing, ensures better content management and supply chain integration, utilizes social networking to reach customers and implements network security.
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APPENDIX
Figure 1: Image of RoughRider
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Figure 2: Financials
14
Figure 3: Porter’s 5 Competitive Forces Model
Figure 4: Monthly Expenditure on IT Related Work Resource Hours Rate Total
Developers
40
$30
1200
Consultants
30
$100
3000
Total
$3200
Source: Whirlwind documents shared by Marketing Director, Keoke King.End notes
15
Figure 5: Suggested Organizational Chart
Ralph Hotchkiss Co-founder
Marc Krizack Co-founder and Executive Director
Keoke King Marketing Director
Bob Incerti Operations Manager
Aaron Wheeler Designer and Technician
Jamie Noon Trainer Alida Lindsay Designer Matt McCambrige Team Member Pat Murphy Accountant
Intern Peter O’Connell
Intern Pranav Lal
Intern Elizabeth King
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Figure 6 : Three Types of Planning Target Horizon Focus Issues Primary Responsibilities 3-5 years Strategic Strategic reengineering 1-2 years 6 monthsTactical Resource allocation, project selection Middle Managers planning, business process Senior Management
1 Operational Project management, meeting time, and budget Line Managers targets
year
Figure 7: The Enterprisewide Information Management Model
STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT IMPACT OF THE ENTERPRISE IMPACT
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
BUSINESS Alignment ORGANIZATIONS (THAT CARRY OUT PLANS) ALIGNMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
(
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End notes:
i
WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR INTERNATIONAL." Whirlwind Wheelchair International. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/about.htm>.
ii
Wills, Sandra. "Red Hat Magazine | Whirlwind Wheelchair Empowers the Disabled with Open source." Red Hat Magazine | Now Showing: opensource.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://magazine.redhat.com/2007/05/25/whirlwind-wheelchair-empowers-the-disabled-withopen-source/>.
iii
From interview with the Marketing Director, Keoke King.
iv
Whirlwind Wheelchair International - Staff." Whirlwind Wheelchair International - Home. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://whirlwindwheelchair.squarespace.com/staff/>.
v
From internal financial documents From interview with the Marketing Director, Keoke King. From the administration documents of Whirlwind Wheelchair. From interview with Marketing Director, Keoke King
vi
vii
viii
ix
WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR INTERNATIONAL." Whirlwind Wheelchair International. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/about.htm>.
x
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 127
xi
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 133
xii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 147
xiii
"Increasing Sales And Profit Margins." Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles ArticlesBase.com. 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.articlesbase.com/investingarticles/increasing-sales-and-profit-margins-2152988.html>. - Article talking about the benefits increasing the portfolio has on sales.
xiv
"Sales Commissions - Advantage, Percentage, Disadvantages, Basic Compensation Plans for Salespeople, Future Challenges." Reference For Business - Encyclopedia of Small Business, Business Biographies, Business Plans, and Encyclopedia of American Industries. Web. 08 Dec.
18
2010. <http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Qu-Sm/Sales-Commissions.html>.: This articles talks about the impact of commissions on sales.
xv
"Intellectual Property Office - Benefits of Design Protection." Intellectual Property Office Welcome to the Intellectual Property Office. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-applying/d-before/d-benefit.htm>xvi
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 107
xvii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 109
xviii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 65
xix
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 77
xx
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 212
xxi
"Press Release - Internet Users Turn To Social Media To Seek One Another, Not Brands or Products." Knowledge Networks. 20 May 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/news/releases/2009/052009_social-media.html>.
xxii
"Outsourcing - Operations - Management Portal." Management Portal by Recklies Management Project. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.themanager.org/Knowledgebase/Operations/Outsourcing.htm>.: Managing outsourcing
xxiii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 305
xxiv
Lecture from Hyperstratus CEO and cloud computing guru, Bernard Golden.
xxv
Oak, Manali. "Supply Chain Management - SCM." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/supply-chain-managementscm.html>. - Supply chain management benefits.
19
Drupal. "Benefits of Drupal Web Services ? Joomla Web Design & Development Company." Joomla Web Design & Development Company. 14 July 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://joomla9g.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/benefits-of-drupal-web-services/>. - Benefits of Drupal and CRMs.
xxvi
xxvii
"Password Policy." The Computer Technology Documentation Project. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/security/policies/password-policy.html>. - Password policies
xxviii
http://www.sans.org/security-resources/policies/Password_Policy.pdf - Password policies for security.
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doc_541121091.docx
covers IT department Whirliwind, Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT and Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT
Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 2
About the company ...................................................................................................................................... 3
IT department of WWI .................................................................................................................................. 5
Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT .................................. 6
Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT .................... 7
Recommendations for the firm: ................................................................................................................... 8
Recommendations for the IT department .................................................................................................. 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 12
APPENDIX .................................................................................................................................................... 13
1
Executive Summary: More than 30 years ago, founder Ralf Hotchkiss created Whirlwind Wheelchair to address the growing problem of easily broken wheelchairs. Through its determination and persistence WWI has distributed price sensitive wheelchairs to more than 40 developing countries. Even though the organization has clear strategic objectives, there are a few problems in the organization’s management in general and IT department in specific that hinders it to reach its full potential. In this report, we suggest that to combat with its organizational problems, WWI uses strategic planning to make timely plans on how to meet its strategic objectives. In addition, we recommend WWI widens its product portfolio and provides discounts for referrals to maintain good relationship with NGOs. Most importantly, the organization needs to realize that as WWI continues to grow; its success is dependent on upgrades of Information Technology (IT) and IT strategy. Through our extensive research, we have established core IT principles to take WWI into the next growth stages. First and foremost, WWI must create and define IT roles and responsibilities – as soon as this happens, the IT staff can plan on its future by discussing its relationships with its suppliers, and plan for network security, website upgrades, cloud based applications, data configurations, and how much money to allocate for each project. Furthermore, we recommend that that since the production process is spread out, the organization builds an intranet to ensure effective communication. With a streamlined IT department, WWI will be able to create productive synergies through its broad customer range. The success of WWI is parallel to meeting customer feedback. As the customers continue to increase exponentially, WWI’s customer data and file sharing through cloud applications will not only meet customer expectations, but also forecast customer demand as well. Through our IT strategic planning, it’s our hope the WWI can provide durable wheelchairs to the needy for another 30 years and more.
2
About the company Whirlwind Wheelchair International (WWI) is a non-profit social enterprise with a focus on producing durable, low-cost, and highly functional wheelchairs. WWI’s mission is to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the developing world. The RoughRider (Figure 1), Whirlwind’s sole product, is designed and produced in a close collaboration with the wheelchair riders in different countries for the daily life in those countriesi. The core product is designed by WWI, but it is twigged locally in small production shops to customize it according to the needs of the local customers. The repair and maintenance of the product is very economical and parts are easily available in the developing markets. This product is tested to exceed ISO wheelchair standards for strength and durability. With the improvement of computer aided design (CAD) programs, the Internet, and overall technology over the years, collaborative design has become easier. Whirlwind’s technology has spread to 45 countries and will only continue to growii. Currently the wheelchairs are only made to be sold in the developing countries. However, WWI’s future strategy is to sell its product in the US and Europe. WWI’s wheelchairs are not FDA-approved yet. Thus, WWI is in the process of getting an approval from the agency, in order to expand its marketiii. The size of the firm, as far as the personnel are concerned, is small. The firm consists of 10 full time employees. There are few interns and volunteers that keep changing on an on-going basis. Most decisions are made by Ralf Hotchkiss, inventor and co-founder; Bob Incerti, SF operations manager, Mark Krizack, executive director and Keoke King, marketing directoriv. There are no defined lines of hierarchy. As far as the financials are concerned, in 2008, WWI’s total income was $ 620,803, while the expenses totaled at $ 639, 025. WWI earns 73% of its income from wheelchair sales (Figure 2). Donations constitute 17% of the income. As for expenses, wheelchair manufacturing and shipping accounts for 60% of the expensesv. In order to understand the business and determine its competitive environment, we performed Porter’s five competitive forces analysis on its environment (Figure 3). Firstly, WWI faces low threats
3
from pressure among rivalry. Since Whirlwind Wheelchair is part of the non-profit sector there are low competitive pressures among rival sellers. The numbers of players who provide wheelchairs are limited to a few which include Motivation, Free Wheelchair Mission, Kids first enterprise, Reach Out and Handicap International. Thus industrial concentration is high. Since most of the funding for wheelchairs is done through the government organizations and NGO’s, there is low direct competitive pressure from other players. In order to make its wheelchair competitive Whirlwind has ensured better product performance compared to other wheelchairs. Secondly, there are moderate threats associated with potential entry. Most developing countries do not produce any medical equipment of their own, so there are no regulations imposed by the government to prevent entry of wheelchair manufacturers. However, the access to distribution channels is low to moderate in most developing countries. Thirdly, WWI faces low threats from substitute products. The closest substitute product could be crutches but in most cases that’s not a viable option for the disabled. Fourthly, there are low threats from suppliers. Since the wheelchairs are locally repairable and bicycle manufacturers can provide parts needed for wheelchair repair hence supplier power is low. Supplier power is low because there are a large number of suppliers to choose from. Switching costs are low and the inputs that are used are fairly standardized. Therefore, there is a very low differentiation between suppliers. Hence, there is a low threat from the suppliers. Lastly, the organization faces moderate threats from buyers. A significant portion of the purchasing is done by extremely large NGO's. Buyers (NGOs) are concentrated and they purchase a significant portion of the output. There are few NGOs constituting a significant market share. The quality and cost at which wheelchairs are provided by different players does make a difference in the allocation of funds by the NGOs. One needs to have a presence and track record before NGOs purchase wheelchairs from an organization. Backward integration is highly unlikely as it has limited resources. There are moderate to low switching costs in terms of training and maintenance costs. 4
Given WWI’s business environment, there are a number of critical success factors that the firm needs to constantly monitor. Firstly, since the organization takes decentralized approach on manufacturing in most cases, in order to ensure quality products, it has to collaborate with the production shops in the developing countries to improve efficiency. Secondly, since the products are customized according to end-user needs, the company needs to constantly get feedback from the end-users and try to inculcate that in its products. This communication is critical and needs to be monitored. Thirdly, since a large chunk of the organization’s funding is from donations, it is crucial for the company to spread the awareness about the organization to make money. Fourthly, it is critical that WWI maintains a good relationship with its target customers: NGOs and charities.
IT department of WWI Whirlwind Wheelchair International being a non-profit with few employees does not have an inhouse IT department. The organization as such has not made a lot of efforts to incorporate technology to be competitive. It has outsourced almost all of the IT work. WWI has hired consultants and developers on a contractual basis to do their IT work. During the summer semester of 2010, WWI hired interns to help with IT and sales related work. The interns in collaboration with the consultants and developers form the IT department for Whirlwind Wheelchair. There are a total of 2 developers, 3 consultants and 2 interns vi. The developers and consultants are paid on an hourly basis. The developers are paid monthly to maintain the Whirlwind Wheelchair’s website. They are paid $200 monthly for the maintenance and running of the websitevii. When a requirement comes up, the developers are allocated certain hours for the work. They are paid $30 an hour for the work that is given. The consultants are paid at a rate of $100 per hour. The interns are paid on a commission basis which is based on the number of sales done during the period of time they work. The monthly expenditure on IT for Whirlwind Wheelchair is approximately $3200 (Figure 4). This outsourced IT department is contacted only to fix burning issues like a hard-drive crash or website crash. It does not make a much impact on how decisions are to be made for WWI to achieve its 5
objective of selling more wheelchairs and reaching out to more users. What Whirlwind has not correctly understood is the power technology can bring to its business if it is appropriately used. As far as the current usage of IT is concerned, WWI has its website already setup. The technologies used by the developers to design and layout the site are HTML and CSS. The site is hosted at iPower, and there are monthly maintenance and server charges. Apart from that, developers also play a part in designing the website and creating other documents like brochures and catalogues for the organization. For designing purposes the developers use Adobe Flash licensed software viii. Although not much has currently been done, the IT personnel employed have a vision for the organization. The interns hired have a technical background along with being enrolled in a management program. This enables them to envision the big picture for Whirlwind. The management visions WWI to be present in most areas of the developing world where there is a need of wheelchairs. This can be done by using efficient means of communication and by leveraging technology. The concept of cloud computing is new and more and more organizations are looking to move their IT related work to the cloud. This is what WWI’s current IT department also looks to do and advocates that the organization implements it. By making use of the cloud computing applications that are available, Whirlwind can achieve better efficiency and interact with its customers intelligently. Technology can empower it to understand where it currently stands and what it needs to do improve their situation. By using the latest social networking strategies, the organization can look to reach out to newer and potential customers that it was not able to connect earlier. The vision to make it more visible in the arena directly links to the strategic goal of the organization which is to supply the wheelchairs to the people who need them. The department currently aims to market Whirlwind over the internet to increase awareness of its name and the kind of product and services it provides.
Analysis of the company in the context of its strategic objectives and the role of IT Even though there is a substantial demand for wheelchairs, there are many challenges that face WWI. Most of the terrain in the developing countries lacks adequate roads and infrastructure, making it 6
difficult for wheelchairs to maneuver and sustain its shape without breakingix. In addition, the customers in the developing countries WWI cater to are poverty-stricken, which means that they cannot afford a wheelchair, and if they can, they can only afford one. Due to the lack of discretional income from its customer demographic, WWI does not generate sufficient revenue, and is dependent upon grants and donations for capital support. Lastly, WWI manufactures wheelchairs in multiple developing countries without proper Information Systems. Despite all the challenges, WWI has been a leader within its industry through several strategic objectives. WWI manufactures its wheelchairs to the specific needs, body types, and ergonomics for its customers. In order to accomplish this, WWI has manufacturing shops in the countries it provides wheelchairs to – through research and customer feedback, the manufacturing facilities construct the wheelchairs to the like. Because WWI relies heavily on customer feedback, and then tailors its wheelchairs to the different specifics of its customers, WWI is involved in a Customer-Centric Value Chain, meaning its relationship with its customers is demand-pullx. Challenges for a demand-pull customer relationship are slow production time, inventory management, and sales forecasting. WWI’s strategy is based on sampling all wheelchairs at its home office through sophisticated technology that tests its wheelchairs by a specified number of years and miles. The abuse the wheelchairs go through must pass the specified number of years and miles before shipment. This test strategy creates a value for its customers for the expected life of the wheelchair. Most wheelchairs break within the first couple of months because of poor manufacturing and extreme terrain in the developing countries. However, WWI wheelchairs are already tested and manufactured to endure extreme terrain for long periods of time. Because this technology is expensive, all testing is done at the home office and is then shipped to other countries for minor revisions to fit its customer’s needs.
Analysis of IT department in the context of the firm’s strategic objectives and the role of IT WWI needs to realize the power of IT. The interns and consultants have been advocating using IT, so WWI can increase its sales revenue and cater better to the demand of the customers. The IT 7
department is working on configuring cloud computing applications like salesforce.com, so that it can help the marketing campaigns of WWI. It has a lot of customer data on its hands. All the information needs to be mined so that valuable information can be used. Information on donations, volunteers and contacts can be very useful. A particular contact can be traced to a donation and then in the future when a campaign is being planned then that particular contact can be targeted for making a donation. WWI has started using the salesforce.com non-profit package which is a version of SalesForce that is customized specifically for non-profit organizations like WWI. The SalesForce technology will dramatically improve WWI operations, development, and fundraising results and communication with its constituencies. It will make WWI self-sufficient to evolve and grow solutions over time. The strength of the current so formed IT team for WWI is that since it has not really developed a specific department; it can make use of the current and latest technologies that are available. The organization can leap frog to a new technology and thus can gain a competitive advantage. Another advantage is that the IT department is currently outsourced and the payment is made to developers and consultants on a pay-per-hour basis, WWI saves by not spending on salaries of full time IT employees. The weakness of the IT department is that it does not have a lot of experience to back up its strategies. The technologies suggested have not been tested and there is no historical data to support it. By outsourcing the IT work, there is no chance of instant solving of any problem if something goes down for WWI. The organization has to wait for the contracted developer to respond and it may be possible that the developers may not be available. This can lead to a very high down time and it may affect them in seasons when high sales are expected and orders are expected to be placed through the website.
Recommendations for the firm: Organizational structure: The organization should define lines of authority. Each position should have defined job responsibilities, and there should be clear lines of not only authority but also communications. This will bring order within the organization and will enable the organization to better meet its goals. The
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organization currently does not have an organization chart. We suggest they make use of the organization chart designed for them (Figure 5). Strategic Planning: The organization needs to plan its business goals and objectives strategically. An appropriate view to planning in today’s unpredictable market can be to develop a view of the future that guides decision making today. The planning should be done in three forms, namely strategic, tactical, and operational (Figure 6)xi. Each of these plans is categorized according to the time frame. These business goals will not only give direction to the business, but will also help the IT department plan the information systems as the IS systems need to be aligned to the business goals. We recommend that the firm uses Critical Success Factors (CSF) method. WWI should recognize crucial factors that affect the business, and should constantly monitor them. These factors are time sensitive, thus, they should be reexamined in a timely mannerxii. Create a wider product portfolio: Whirlwind Wheelchair is developing a wide range of products related to durable medical equipment (DME) to reach previously untapped demographics. Currently, the RoughRider is positioned in the market as a durable, rough use, rugged wheelchair. Whirlwind’s future products include a pediatric and limited indoor-use wheelchair along with several other DME’s. It’s extremely important to diversify the product line so that in case any product market declinexiii, Whirlwind would be able to withstand any such setbacks. This would eventually result in greater sales volume which is a primary concern for the organization. Hire sales staff for Whirlwind and offer a commission based salary: Whirlwind should increase and professionalize its sales force in order to capture a larger market share. This would also help in developing closer relationships with its target market. The sales force need to be incentivized by a performance based compensation. This would motivate them to tap new sections of the market xiv. Get copyright: Whirlwind needs to create a perception of being a service based company rather than being a product based company. It needs to create an image in the minds of people that without the technical experience which the staff specialize in, it would be an incomplete product .This in turn would discourage other potential market entrants from simply copying its product xv. 9
Leveraging NGO contacts by providing discounts for referrals: Success of Whirlwind’s industry depends heavily on their ability to leverage and network its relationships with its current partners. As a result, offering a referral discount to their current partners is an excellent way to reward loyal partners of the organization and continue to develop Whirlwind’s professional network.
Recommendations for the IT department Build an intranet: Since the organization’s production is scattered through its multiple production shops in various countries, we recommend that WWI develops an intranet to enhance communication among the employees in different countries. Among other things, it will provide wider access to company information at lower costs, lower training costs, enable sharing of ideas across production shops, help the headquarters better monitor progress at different locations, and decrease training costsxvi. Considering the financial constraints, we recommend that the technology be kept simple at first using existing hardware and freeware. WWI’s IT staff should pick applications that are critically needed by the organization and concentrate on those instead of having too many featuresxvii. Organize IT department: Currently, the IT decisions are made in a haphazard manner by consultants who are not very familiar with the business’ long term plans. We recommend that WWI appoint an executive who overlooks all the IT decisions made. This executive should understand the business and ensure that IT investments align with the business goals (Figure 7). This person should create a vision of the future and other people in the IT department should strive to bring that vision into beingxviii. Another major responsibility of this executive would be to shape the IT portfolioxix. Since the goal of this person will be familiar with the bigger picture, he or she will be in the best position to answer questions like what to invest in and how to make investment decision. This will avoid the firm from wasting money on technologies that may seem attractive, but do not help fulfill the business goals. Hardware: As WWI does not have many resources to spend on hardware, it can remedy the situation in a cost effective approach by setting up high-speed data such as frame relay, and wireless email and data servicesxx. Because WWI does not have offices set up in all of the countries they operate in, its systems 10
need to be interoperable. Interoperability will allow manufactures the capability of using different computers using different operating systems, on different networks, to work together on same tasks. For example, the WWI personnel can access its databases and networks via smart phones, PC’s, etc. Social Network: Because WWI relies on Grants and donations, it should maximize on social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. The more WWI can reach out to the community, the better chances for public awareness and donations xxi. An in-house employee in the home office can regularly keep up with the networks by posting recent successes and future involvements WWI plans to take part in. Manage outsourcing: Due to a lack of a formal IT department at WWI, most of the IT operations are outsourced. This means that the relationship with these different vendors must be managed proficiently to ensure quality operations xxii. This can be done by addressing governance in the contract. The IT executive at WWI should ensure that the vendors understand WWI’s expectations. Furthermore, the executive can establish service level agreements to monitor supplier performancexxiii. Go for the cloud: The cloud is becoming increasingly associated with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as in many cases they cannot justify or afford the large capital expenditure of traditional IT. The same applies to WWI. SMEs also typically have less existing infrastructure, less bureaucracy, more flexibility, and smaller capital budgets for purchasing in-house technology. Similarly, SMEs like WWI in emerging markets are typically unburdened by established legacy infrastructures, thus reducing the complexity of deploying cloud solutions. “Cloud is the way to go for businesses that are looking to save on cost and cannot invest heavily on an in-house IT department.”xxiv Establish wholly integrated supply chain management system: With an integrated supply chain system Whirlwind will have more influence over its suppliersxxv. This would address the copyright issue in the sense that it would help limit the spread of unauthorized wheelchair production because suppliers will tend to be more loyal to Whirlwind. Whirlwind should plan on developing an integrated system to allow customers to communicate with suppliers thereby lowering the lag time between order and delivery. It also should plan to create a website portal which would support both business to business and business to consumer sales. 11
Upgrading the Content Management System and Redesigning the website: Currently the website of WWI has all the information stored in flat HTML files. The flat HTML files create a maintenance bottleneck because each page has to be updated separately and requires a programmer to translate the content into HTML. Shifting to easier and more manageable content management system like WordPress or Drupal would definitely benefit them as the interface is very user friendly and these systems have WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editorsxxvi. Thus, no technical knowledge will be needed if something has to be modified in the website. The website can be integrated with the Salesforce application and shopping carts like shopify(www.shopify.com) can be embedded into the website. This would help WWI to keep track of its orders and provide a more convenient way for users to place orders. Implement Network security and password policies: Currently WWI does not have up-to-date virus protection software and firewalls. Its network protection is weak and the passwords can be easily broken into. The manner in which passwords are stored and maintained is very risky. They need to standardize their password policy by changing passwords to all their accounts at least a month.xxvii They can use encryption techniques to store their passwords and then decrypt them when required.xxviii They store their password in one google document which is a big risk and should get away with it on an immediate basis.
Conclusion We conclude that while WWI is operating in an environment that possesses less external threats to the business, the organization is yet to reach its full potential. In addition to make a few recommended changes to its business, WWI can use information technology to meet its strategic objectives efficiently. We recommend that the organization manages and organizes its outsourced IT department, makes use of cloud computing, ensures better content management and supply chain integration, utilizes social networking to reach customers and implements network security.
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APPENDIX
Figure 1: Image of RoughRider
13
Figure 2: Financials
14
Figure 3: Porter’s 5 Competitive Forces Model
Figure 4: Monthly Expenditure on IT Related Work Resource Hours Rate Total
Developers
40
$30
1200
Consultants
30
$100
3000
Total
$3200
Source: Whirlwind documents shared by Marketing Director, Keoke King.End notes
15
Figure 5: Suggested Organizational Chart
Ralph Hotchkiss Co-founder
Marc Krizack Co-founder and Executive Director
Keoke King Marketing Director
Bob Incerti Operations Manager
Aaron Wheeler Designer and Technician
Jamie Noon Trainer Alida Lindsay Designer Matt McCambrige Team Member Pat Murphy Accountant
Intern Peter O’Connell
Intern Pranav Lal
Intern Elizabeth King
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Figure 6 : Three Types of Planning Target Horizon Focus Issues Primary Responsibilities 3-5 years Strategic Strategic reengineering 1-2 years 6 monthsTactical Resource allocation, project selection Middle Managers planning, business process Senior Management
1 Operational Project management, meeting time, and budget Line Managers targets
year
Figure 7: The Enterprisewide Information Management Model
STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT IMPACT OF THE ENTERPRISE IMPACT
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
BUSINESS Alignment ORGANIZATIONS (THAT CARRY OUT PLANS) ALIGNMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
(
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End notes:
i
WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR INTERNATIONAL." Whirlwind Wheelchair International. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/about.htm>.
ii
Wills, Sandra. "Red Hat Magazine | Whirlwind Wheelchair Empowers the Disabled with Open source." Red Hat Magazine | Now Showing: opensource.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://magazine.redhat.com/2007/05/25/whirlwind-wheelchair-empowers-the-disabled-withopen-source/>.
iii
From interview with the Marketing Director, Keoke King.
iv
Whirlwind Wheelchair International - Staff." Whirlwind Wheelchair International - Home. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://whirlwindwheelchair.squarespace.com/staff/>.
v
From internal financial documents From interview with the Marketing Director, Keoke King. From the administration documents of Whirlwind Wheelchair. From interview with Marketing Director, Keoke King
vi
vii
viii
ix
WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR INTERNATIONAL." Whirlwind Wheelchair International. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.whirlwindwheelchair.org/about.htm>.
x
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 127
xi
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 133
xii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 147
xiii
"Increasing Sales And Profit Margins." Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles ArticlesBase.com. 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.articlesbase.com/investingarticles/increasing-sales-and-profit-margins-2152988.html>. - Article talking about the benefits increasing the portfolio has on sales.
xiv
"Sales Commissions - Advantage, Percentage, Disadvantages, Basic Compensation Plans for Salespeople, Future Challenges." Reference For Business - Encyclopedia of Small Business, Business Biographies, Business Plans, and Encyclopedia of American Industries. Web. 08 Dec.
18
2010. <http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Qu-Sm/Sales-Commissions.html>.: This articles talks about the impact of commissions on sales.
xv
"Intellectual Property Office - Benefits of Design Protection." Intellectual Property Office Welcome to the Intellectual Property Office. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-applying/d-before/d-benefit.htm>xvi
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 107
xvii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 109
xviii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 65
xix
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 77
xx
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 212
xxi
"Press Release - Internet Users Turn To Social Media To Seek One Another, Not Brands or Products." Knowledge Networks. 20 May 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/news/releases/2009/052009_social-media.html>.
xxii
"Outsourcing - Operations - Management Portal." Management Portal by Recklies Management Project. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.themanager.org/Knowledgebase/Operations/Outsourcing.htm>.: Managing outsourcing
xxiii
McNurlin, Barbara C., Ralph H. Sprague, and Tung X. Bui. Information Systems Management in Practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, pg 305
xxiv
Lecture from Hyperstratus CEO and cloud computing guru, Bernard Golden.
xxv
Oak, Manali. "Supply Chain Management - SCM." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/supply-chain-managementscm.html>. - Supply chain management benefits.
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Drupal. "Benefits of Drupal Web Services ? Joomla Web Design & Development Company." Joomla Web Design & Development Company. 14 July 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://joomla9g.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/benefits-of-drupal-web-services/>. - Benefits of Drupal and CRMs.
xxvi
xxvii
"Password Policy." The Computer Technology Documentation Project. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/security/policies/password-policy.html>. - Password policies
xxviii
http://www.sans.org/security-resources/policies/Password_Policy.pdf - Password policies for security.
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