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SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT CCT225: Information Systems – Winter 2009 Course Instructor: M. Max Evans

Email: HYPERLINK "mailto:catalin.bidian@utoronto.ca" __catalin.bidian@utoronto.ca__
 * Supervising Teaching Assistant:** Catalin Bidian, B.Sc., M.Ec.Inf., M.I.St.


 * Tips for the Group Project Interim Report**

The following are some things to consider when writing the Group Project Interim Report. We have also included our grading criteria at the bottom of this document.

For Part 1 – Situation Analysis, read points a) through f) and provide details for each one of them. Here are some helpful guidelines, but please do not limit your reports to just these: In the introduction, clearly state your focus (i.e. the organization or the IS/technology) and explain why you have selected that organization or IS/technology; give a detailed historical background of the organization or IS/technology (use your research); where applicable, provide a historical timeline of your organization or IS/technology; Describe in detail the IS you have selected: what type is it, what does it do, how does it work, has the company always used it, what was the rationale for its development (research is vital for this as well); Give a detailed example of the IS at work: how are the users actually using it? Please avoid guessing here. Assumptions may be made, but they must be backed up with plausible research (i.e. using a research paper which addresses how employees of another company use the same IS, and making assumptions of how your company might, based on that research). Depending on your focus: For //Focus on Organization// – Describe the organization structure? (see the following link HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_structure" __http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_structure____ __for a quick reference to organization structure; you may include an organization diagram in the Appendix of your report) What are the departments relevant to your study and how are they linked? Approximately how many people work in these departments? How/which part of the IS do they use? Does this reflect the organization structure? (i.e. if the IS has reporting facilities, what type of reports are they (e.g. analysis reports, comparative advantage reports, feasibility reports, financial reports, etc)), Who uses those reports? (internally as well as externally); If data/information is passed over to other systems/departments, what kind of data/information is it? What are the other systems/departments using the data/information for? For //Focus on IS/technology// – Who developed the technology and when? What was the market context at that time? What was the strategy adopted by the developer(s) and how did it evolve over time? Who were the key players that introduced and diffused the IS/technology? What was their contribution/strategy? Are the key players the same today? How have they changed if they are different? Discuss the kinds of data or information managed by the IS;. What is the current state of the IS/technology? Depending on your focus: For //Focus on Organization// – What is the external environment that the organization is operating in? What are its competitors or similar type organizations? What systems do they use and how? For //Focus on IS/technology// – What competing or similar technologies are there? How are they used and by who? Will the IS/technology you study displace another system or physical process; how and why (describe and discuss in detail)? Strategy, tactics, goals, and objectives used by developers/users of this technology – Remember, tactics help build strategies (i.e. short and long term plans) which, in turn, ensure the achievement of objectives and goals. State and explain the goals and objectives, then discuss the tactics adopted by the organization, explain how the tactics help build strategies, and how the strategies will ensure the achievement of the goals and objectives For Part 2 – SWOT Analysis, see this link HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis" __http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis__ for a starting point of what needs to be done in your report. Remember to analyze and discuss thoroughly each strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat, and backup your arguments with secondary sources. **NOTE:** Discussion of Business Intelligence and Competitive Intelligence (See Chapter 2 in MIS and Week 3 Lecture) will significantly contribute to the thoroughness of your analysis) Additionally, you are asked to include one (1) page documenting preliminary recommendations based on your situation analysis and SWOT analysis; do not go too much into detail, rather briefly explain your basis for making those recommendations; Keep in mind that you must have **at least** 8-10 secondary sources, with **at least** 2 scholarly sources. More is strongly encouraged. They may change from one submission to the next, or remain the same. You need to determine how relevant each source is for each of your submissions. Always proofread your paper before submitting it. Good grammar and citation style are worth a full letter grade. Also, **please be mindful of the submission format and guidelines** (these are available on the original assignment sheet**.** Lastly, please make sure you copy Catalin Bidian (our TA at HYPERLINK "mailto:catalin.bidian@utoronto.ca" __catalin.bidian@utoronto.ca__ ) on all email submissions and project related questions. He is the one grading the projects and will be your first point of contact on all grading related questions.
 * Groups of 5 students will have to include a //Matching// exercise: match the strengths to opportunities – choose one strength and match it to one or two opportunities – back it up with secondary sources (i.e. justify and discuss);**

Part 1d) - Who developed the technology/major players (//focus on IS/technology//) || 15 ||  || Part 1e) – Competing/similar technologies; displacement (//focus on IS/technology//) || 15 ||   ||
 * **GRADING CRITERIA FOR THE**
 * GROUP PROJECT INTERIM REPORT** || **Possible Points** || **Points Earned** ||
 * Part 1a) – Introduction & historical background || 5 ||  ||
 * Part 1b) – The IS: type, what it does, how it works, rationale for development || 10 ||  ||
 * Part 1c) – Example || 5 ||  ||
 * Part 1d) – Organization/technology setup (//focus on organization//) **OR**
 * Part 1e) – External environment, similar organizations and their IS (//focus on organization//) **OR**
 * Part 1f) – Strategy, tactics, goals, objectives for the IS || 20 ||  ||
 * Part 2 – strengths – analysis and discussion || 25 ||  ||
 * Part 2 – weaknesses – analysis and discussion || 25 ||  ||
 * Part 2 – opportunities – analysis and discussion || 25 ||  ||
 * Part 2 – threats – analysis and discussion || 25 ||  ||
 * Preliminary recommendations || 10 ||  ||
 * Paper format, organization, clarity, grammar, and style || 20 ||  ||
 * **TOTAL** || **=SUM(ABOVE) 200** ||  ||

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