IM 418 - (E-COMMERCE) CASE STUDY

QUESTION:                                                                                                                     
What were the inefficiencies at knight before Fleet View was installed?                        
ANSWER:                                                                                                                      
The inefficiencies at knight before Fleet View was installed are the following;                      

• First is  a truck may wait  hours  or even days until a store  has the room or personnel to off load the cargo.

• Second is  communication between truckers  and their delivery sites is poor.

• Third is the company  often does not know which of its trailers  is loaded and  which is not.

• Fourth it is often sends  trucks with empty  trailer long distances to pick  up cargos, while there  is an available trailer much closer to the location.

 QUESTION:

What  information do  m anagers have now that they did not have  before?

ANSWER:

The information do  m anagers have now that they did not have  before  are  the following:

• First is they can locate trucks through GPS devices and communicate the location of trailers.

• Second is they can detect the presence of cargo.

• Third is they can determine if an environment is empty.

• Fourth is they can record the exact time a trailer is emptied.

• Fifth is they can detect  exactly when the trailer doors are open and closed.

QUESTION:

What  are the indicators for greater efficiency at knight transportation now?

ANSWER:

The greater efficiency at knight transportation now  are the following: 

• First is they have an  enough information about  trailer contents, location, and times.

• Second is they have special software  aggregates  the information  for staff at headquarters, and the workers receive a complete  picture  of vehicle  activities.

• Thirds is they can also immediately detect when a trailer is hitched to an unknown or unauthorized truck, which could mean a theft is in progress.

QUESTION:

Of  the approaches to gaining strategic advantage discussed in this chapter, which one applies to this  case?

ANSWER:

The most strategic advantage of this topic is the effective and efficient software which   global positioning system or (GPS) which is also the sensor uses ultrasonic high frequency sounds waves to determine the flow of environment.

QUESTION:

Considering the devices and software that knight uses, can it keep an advantage over  competitors for long? Explain why or why not.

ANSWER: Yes, because if you have this kind of device and software your work can be more faster, easier, accurate and without effort, because all you have to do is to monitor and assist the high technology device,unlike the competitor who did not use this kind of device.

QUESTION:

Amazon.com tries to take strategic advantage of its resources. Of what physical resources does amazon.com take advantage?

ANSWER:

The physical resources does amazon.com take advantage is they offers its own  network of web-based  storage  devices  to businesses and individuals, who pay  only for what the clients  storage  use.  There is  no minimum  fee and no start-up cost. Besides they are reliable,  fast, inexpensive and simple storage.

QUESTION:

Does amazon.com strategically leverage anything else in addition to physical assets?

ANSWER: Yes,  because the amazon.com  has  an  efficient and effective way in  terms of business, not only they earn money but they can also help others  to earn  money. Or should  I say  “give  and  take”

QUESTION:

What are the benefits of S3 for small company?

ANSWER:
The benefits of S3  for small company  is  they  helps clients  to avoid  the cost  and  time establishing  their  own  network, one  that  is  distributed  around the  globe.

QUESTION:

At the current rates for S3 services,Amazon.com does not make a great profit ( or any at all). Why, then, do you think Amazon.com offers S3? 

ANSWER:

The  current rates for S3 services,Amazon.com does not make a great profit, I think it’s because  the amazon.com give their  clients  for  a low rates, like for  example they don’t  require  their clients to pay minimum  fee  and start-up  cost, then clients  only pay  20 cents per gigabyte. I think  they still have a profit but not as much.

Yes, the amazon.com still  offers  S3, because  through this site they  can  help  other  people  to put up  business without  hassle. In  fact the amazon.com  does  not expect to  make money.  However, it certainly uses its  technological  muscles in a new  strategic  direction.

QUESTION:

Is 99  cents only on the  leading edge of IT?  Is it  on the bleeding edge?

ANSWER:

Yes, because 99 Cents  only stores is the  oldest chain and consists of  251 stores in caliornia, Nevada, Arezona and texas.

Yes,  the  99 Cents  only stores, is on the bleeding edge.

QUESTION:

What characteristics of the dollar store industry make s important to increase efficiency?

ANSWER:

The characteristics of the dollar store industry make s important to increase efficiency is when you purchase not by item but by price.  When purchasing officers spot  an opportunity  mto buy a lot of a discontinued product  they offer a very low price. This is the way of selling their product.

QUESTION:

The company has performed better than its competitors. In terms of the eight initiatives discuss in this chapter which initiative has gained it the competitive advantage?

ANSWER:

The initiative has gained it the competitive advantage is  they use electronic voice and generated by  a computer that runs the distribution centers warehouse management software, its instruct them what  to do, it is also calculate the most efficient route while ensuring that the carts  do not crash to  each other.  The 99  cents only store use a high technology  device to  more  efficient and effective  their  works.

QUESTION:

99 cents  only  must modify its  information systems frequently . why?  

ANSWER:

They  modify its information system  frequently because  they keep  updating  of  their  system in order  to improve their system  from  time  to time  for them  to  gain  more profits through  their high  technology  device or system.

QUESTION:

Often, CIOs  are  frustrated with the time  it takes senior  management  to support  their  strategic initiatives  and  with  the  difficulty of  earmarking funds  for such  initiatives. How is 99  cents only different in this respect?”

ANSWER:

The  99  cents  only  store is  family-run,  the decisions are made quickly. They  did not  need to go through  formal meetings.  Therefore, the time between request  and implementation is  very short, compare  to  other  company.