Information Systems A Managers Guide To Harnessing Technology Version 7.0 1st Edition John Gallaugher - Solutions

What sorts of customers was Rent the Runway designed to appeal to? Do you think these are the only customers who would find the model appealing? Why or why not?
How did the founders of Rent the Runway go about testing their original idea? Why was their approach especially efficient and useful when compared to building and deploying a website ready for a full launch?
Why is mobile especially important to Rent the Runway? How are customers using mobile devices to engage with the firm?
In what ways is data collected at Rent the Runway?
How does technology help Rent the Runway prioritize items to be sent out?
What is Rent the Runway Unlimited? Would you use this? Why or why not?
Why do you suppose so few women are involved in entrepreneurship and technology? What can industries, firms, universities, and other entities do to improve this situation?
What challenges do you think the entrepreneurs faced in going from idea to implementation? What challenges are customer-focused? Which are supplier-focused?
What unknowns and concerns existed with respect to customer engagement with the concept? How did Rent the Runway's founders dispel these concerns?
How has the rise of social media helped Rent the Runway?
How does data enhance the customer experience?
How does technology help the firm optimize shipping rates?
Conduct research online. Which firms are considered as doing an exceptional job in attracting underrepresented talent to the workplace? Why are these efforts working?
Have you or has anyone you know used Rent the Runway? If so, describe your experiences or interview a friend who has experience and share this with your class. If you can't find anyone who has used the firm, interview women you know and ask them if they've heard of the firm and what they think of
What concerns did suppliers and designers have? How did Rent the Runway's founders dispel these concerns? Describe how the firm seeks to build deep and mutually beneficial industry partnerships.
What concerns do firms have when encouraging customers to socially share and publicly engage a brand online? Describe Rent the Runway's experience. Do you think this is typical or unique? Why?
How does data enhance firm operations? How does it help cut costs and improve efficiency?
In what ways are human beings still necessary to the process? How does technology help here, and how might new technology help more? Do you think the firm will need this many workers in another ten years? Why or why not?
Why did Rent the Runway choose the initial product categories to focus on when testing the Unlimited service?
How can firms increase the pipeline so that more people from underrepresented groups bring their minds to tech and entrepreneurship?
How does the subscription business complement the rental business? Does a customer for one increase or decrease the likelihood of using the other? How might CLV differ among these two business lines?
What other personal cloud products exist for vendors beyond Amazon?
Have you seen an Amazon physical bookstore or kiosk? If so, what was your experience like? If not, browse online to find videos or write-ups about these. Do you think these make sense? Why, why not, or under what conditions?
Which firms does Amazon compete with?
In what ways is Amazon increasingly taking over its own shipping and logistics needs? When can a firm attempt such a move? Why does this move make economic sense for Amazon?
Roughly how big is Amazon's existing "media" business? What is happening to much of the physical media business?
When you walk into a conventional retailer, similar items are stacked next to each other. But Amazon tries not to do this in its warehouses. Why?
Investigate current uses of blockchain technology. Which seem successful? Have any failed? Build a list of industries that you think have a high likelihood of disruption by blockchain. If you were a manager in this industry, what would you do to deal with the potential for a blockchain revolution?
Conduct a search online and investigate the total currency value (market capitalization or market cap) for current leading cryptocurrencies. Which firms are the most widely used and most valuable? Why?
Members of the MIT bitcoin club each received $100 to experiment with the technology. Perform some additional research. What have they done? Come to class prepared to discuss their results and the value of this initiative.
Some say university education is about to be disrupted. Do you agree? Why or why not? What suggestions do you have for university administrators at your school for dealing with potential disruptions?
What can retailers do to encourage more customers to use cryptocurrencies?
Intuit seems to have successfully transitioned from a world of packaged software to one based in the cloud and in apps, and that includes some free products. Are there other firms that have failed to make this transition? Others that haven't? Discuss the reasons for their success or failure.
To whom do cryptocurrencies appeal? Why? Do some exploring online. Where are bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies accepted? Have any of these firms commented on results (positive or negative) of accepting crypto? Share your findings with your class and discuss likely resulting market trends.
Once a firm can detect disruptive technologies, what techniques can it use to nurture and develop these technologies?
What's the status of bitcoin vs. the bitcoin cash fork? Who favored the fork and who opposed it? Why?
Why do leading firms fail to recognize and react to potentially disruptive innovations? How can a firm avoid the kind of blindness that leads to disruption?
Based on your experience in number 1, what will need to happen with bitcoin for it to gain mainstream consumer acceptance?
Make a list of recent disruptive innovations. List firms that dominated the old regime and firms that capitalized after disruption. Are any of the dominant firms from the previous era the same as those in the postdisruptive era? For those firms that failed to make the transition, why do you think
Bitcoin's technology is in flux. Investigate how to get dollars into bitcoin, where you can pay for things using bitcoin, and how to get money out. Did you try this out? Why or why not?
What are the two characteristics of disruptive innovations?
The "Internet of Things" makes for compelling commercials, but what needs to happen before a world of interconnected, coordinating devices can become a reality? What implications does this raise for business and society with respect to issues such as privacy and security? If you were GE, would you
Research the impact of mobile phones on poor regions of the world. Come to class prepared to discuss examples that demonstrate the potential for fast/cheap technology to improve society, even for individuals with extremely low incomes.
How does Moore's Law impact production and inventory decisions?
How did Amazon utilize the steep decline in magnetic storage costs to its advantage?
What has been the impact of "faster, cheaper" on Apple's business lines?
How have cheaper, faster chips impacted the camera industry? Give an example of the leadership shifts that have occurred in this industry.
As Moore's Law advances, technology becomes increasingly accessible to the poor. Give examples of how tech has benefited those who likely would not have been able to afford the technology of a prior generation.
Name two companies that have incurred the wrath of environmental advocates. What might these firms have done to avoid such criticism?
What are the six waves of computing? Give examples of firms and industries impacted by the sixth wave.
What are the possible consequences should a US firm be deemed "environmentally irresponsible"?
Moore's Law may limit the amount of computing done on the PC, smartphone, or gaming console in front of you. How can cloud computing make these devices seem more powerful? Give examples of when using a powerful, remote, cloud computing resource might work well to enhance computing on a local
Give examples of firms that have effectively leveraged the advancement of processing, storage, and networking technology.
What part might product design and production engineering play in the reduction of the impact of technology waste on the environment?
Why is it difficult to recycle e-waste?
What three interrelated forces threaten to slow the advancement of Moore's Law?
Look online for lists of young entrepreneurs. How many of these firms are tech firms or heavily rely on technology? Are there any sectors more heavily represented than tech?
Look at Fortune's "Best Companies to Work For" list. How many of these firms are technology firms? Which firm would you like to work for? Are they represented on this list?
Which firms do you most admire today? How do these firms use technology? Do you think technology gives them an advantage over rivals? Why or why not?
Search online and compare profits from Google, Apple, and other leading tech firms with those of major media firms and other non tech industry leaders. How have profits at firms such as Google and Apple changed over the past few years? What do you think is behind such trends? How do these compare
How do recent changes in computing impact consumers? Are these changes good or bad? Explain. How do they impact businesses?
Have you ever thought of starting your own tech-enabled business? Brainstorm with some friends. What kinds of ideas do you think might make a good business?
Look at Business Week's "Best Places to Start Your Career" list. Is the firm you mentioned above also on this list?
What areas covered in this book are most exciting? Most intimidating? Which do you think will be most useful?
Serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has written that "software is eating the world," suggesting that software and computing are transforming entire industries and creating disruptive new upstarts. Come to class with examples of firms and industries that have been completely
How have the costs of entrepreneurship changed over the past decade? What forces are behind these changes? What does this mean for the future of entrepreneurship?
What are you considering studying? What are your short- term and long-term job goals? What role will technology play in that career path? What should you be doing to ensure that you have the skills needed to compete?
Venture capitalist Ben Evans, who works with Andreessen, has said "mobile is eating the world." Give examples of how mobile has built billion dollar industries that wouldn't exist without handheld computing power. How should today's managers be thinking about mobile as an opportunity and threat?
Many universities and regions have competitions for entrepreneurs (e.g., business plan competitions, elevator pitch competitions). Does your school have such a program? What are the criteria for participation? If your school doesn't have one, consider forming such a program.
Which jobs that exist today likely won't exist at the start of the next decade? Based on your best guess on how technology will develop, can you think of jobs and skill sets that will likely emerge as critical five and ten years from now?
How is social media impacting firms, individuals, and society?
Research business accelerator programs such as Y- Combinator, TechStars, and DreamIt. Do you have a program like this in your area? What do entrepreneurs get from participating in these programs? What do they give up? Do you think these programs are worth it? Why or why not? Have you ever used a
Explore online resources to learn technology on your own and search for programs that encourage college students. If you are from an underrepresented group in technology (i.e., a woman or minority), search for programs that provide learning and opportunity for those seeking tech careers. Share your
What kinds of skills do today's managers need that weren't required a decade ago?
Explore online for lists of resources for entrepreneurship. Use social media to share these resources with your class.
Investigate the role of technology in emerging markets. Come to class with examples to share on how technology is helping fuel economic growth and provide economic opportunity and public good to consumers outside of North America, Europe, and Asia's wealthier nations.
Why are we in the "golden age" of technology entrepreneurship? What factors are helping entrepreneurs more rapidly achieve their vision, and with a lower cost?
Work with your instructor to identify and implement ways in which your class can leverage social media. For example, you might create a Facebook group where you can share ideas with your classmates, join Twitter and create a hashtag for your class, leverage Google Hangouts, create a course wiki, or
Have any alumni from your institution founded technology firms or risen to positions of prominence in tech-focused careers? If so, work with your professor to invite them to come speak to your class or to student groups on campus. Your career services, university advancement (alumni giving and
Does technology lower barriers to entry or raise them? Do low entry barriers necessarily mean that a firm is threatened?
Watch the video below, produced by the World Economic Forum. Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) really intelligence? What makes AI "smarter"? Which nations lead in AI and why? What advantages does each have? What sort of balance can be struck between fearing AI, regulating AI, and harnessing AI? Give
Define and diagram the value chain.
What are Porter's "five forces"?
What is operational effectiveness?
What is strategic positioning?
Discuss the elements of FreshDirect's value chain and the technologies that FreshDirect uses to give the firm a competitive advantage. Why is FreshDirect resistant to imitation from incumbent firms? What advantages does FreshDirect have that insulate the firm from serious competition. from startups
Is there such a thing as the first-mover advantage? Why or why not?
Use the five forces model to illustrate competition in the newspaper industry. Are some competitors better positioned to withstand this environment than others? Why or why not? What role do technology and resources for competitive advantage play in shaping industry competition?
Is a firm that competes based on the features of technology engaged in operational effectiveness or strategic positioning? Give an example to back up your claim.
Identify two firms in the same industry that have different value chains. Why do you think these firms have different value chains? What role do you think technology plays in the way that each firm competes? Do these differences enable strategic positioning? Why or why not?
Why did Google beat Yahoo! in search?
What is price transparency? What is information asymmetry? How does the Internet relate to these two concepts? How does the Internet shift bargaining power among the five forces?
What are the dangers of competing on operational Are firms more likely to be considered effectiveness? commodities or differentiated offerings? How would you describe the basis for consumer decision-making when evaluating products that are highly similar?
How can information technology help a firm build a brand inexpensively?
A former editor of the Harvard Business Review, Nick Carr, once published an article in that same magazine with the title "IT Doesn't Matter." In the article he also offered firms the advice: "Follow, Don't Lead." What would you tell Carr to help him improve the way he thinks about the relationship
How has the rise of the Internet impacted each of the five forces for music retailers?
What is the "resource-based" view of competitive advantage? What are the characteristics of resources that may yield sustainable competitive advantage?
Describe Blue Nile's advantages over a traditional jewelry chain. Can conventional jewelers successfully copy Blue Nile? Why or why not?
Name an early mover that has successfully defended its position. Name another that had been superseded by the competition. What factors contributed to its success or failure?
In what ways is the online music buying experience superior to that of buying in stores?

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Information Systems A Managers Guide To Harnessing Technology Version 7.0 1st Edition John Gallaugher - Solutions

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