There are two parts to this assessment.

Part A consists of three information systems questions (35 marks)

Part B consists of Excel questions to be answered in an Excel worksheet (15 marks)

Worth: 50% of total assessment

Individual Completion: This assignment is to be completed individually by each student. Students    are encouraged to discuss issues that arise in this course together, however, the written work you    submit must be entirely your own. Similarly, you must not help another student to cheat by sharing assignments (present or past).

Due Dates: The assignment is due by Wednesday 11th  October 2023 at 3PM (Brisbane time).

Submissions after this date and time will be considered "Late" and relevant penalties will apply.

Submission

Part A and Part B must be submitted directly to the assessment section on Blackboard using the link Assignment submission link (PART A and PART B) (see the assessment folder).

•    Submit Part A as a PDF file via the submission link.

•    Submit a copy of Part A on Turnitin – use the link Turnitin submission for Assignment PART  A. You must ensure that the Part A that you submit to Turnitin matches Part A submitted via the submission link. We will not mark Part A submissions if there is no matching file on Turnitin.

•    Submit Part B as an Excel workbook file “BISM1201 Assignment Part B Excel S2 2023.xlsx” (this file is available on course Blackboard site. Your answers should be entered into the

relevant cells of the Excel file, as per the assignment brief.

Your two submission files MUST be named (ALL CHARACTERS IN UPPERCASE) in the following

format: Tutorial number (comprising T followed by the full digit tutorial number i.e., T10, T02). This   tutorial number must then be followed by an underscore character, your full name and Student_ID   e.g., "T10_TIMSMITH_45894125”. (Student tutorial number can be found on Blackboard under Class Timetable & links)

NOTE: You are allowed multiple attempts to submit (we only mark the last submission). However, each time you submit using the submission link you should submit both files (PDF and Excel file),    because Blackboard treats each submission as new.

No hardcopy or email submission is required or accepted.

For information on how to submit Part A and Part B on Blackboard via the assignment submission

link, please visit:https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/learnuq-blackboard-help/learnuq- assessment/blackboard-assignments/assignment-submission-instructions

For information on how to submit Part A to Turnitin, please visit:

https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-services/it/learnuq-blackboard-help/learnuq-

assessment/turnitin-assignments

Document Layout Instructions

•    For Part A,you must follow the word length requirements (+/-10%).

•    Your assignment must be presented using the sections as sub-headings (note: each section does not need to start on a new page).

•    Be sure to use double-spacing, 12-point font, page numbering and 2.5cm margins on all sides of the page.

•    Please proofread your assignment for spelling and grammatical errors.

Referencing and Citing

Part A questions require you to do basic analysis of the cases. You must base your answers and terminology on the material covered in our weeks of information systems theory.

If you wish to report another author's point of view you should do so in your own words, and

properly reference in accordance with an approved referencing style (see below). Direct quotations    should be used sparingly, form a small part of your work, and must be placed in quotation marks and referenced.

Part A Question 1 requires you to give a real-world example. Examples are to be sourced from The

UQ Library or Google Scholar – blog posts and marketing material are not considered quality

academic sources. The real-world examples must be referenced using in-text refencing and included in the reference list at the end of the assignment. For example, “Nike uses a product differentiation   information system strategy because it allows customers to use its online platform to customise its     sneakers. This means that Nike can use information systems to offer a different value proposition

than its competitors (Smith & Chang, 2010)” .

For more information on referencing styles, visit the library or see:

https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing. Please use either the APA (6thor 7th edition) or the UQ Harvard style. No other referencing style will be accepted.

UQ value academic integrity, referencing others' work is a key part of this. Please see this link for

more information on academic integrity:https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage- my-program/student-integrity-and-conduct/academic-integrity-and-student-conduct

Question 1. IS strategy and enterprise applications (15 marks)

ShoesCois a discount footwear chain operating in the Australasian market. Established in 1962 by the couple Joe and Patty Abercrombie, the privately held company grew from the original location in Sydney's CBD to over 30 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand by 2019. ShoesCosells many   different types of footwear including shoes, sneakers, boots, and sandals, to mostly price-sensitive customers. The company can achieve low operational costs and low prices because the company has, over the years, fostered and maintained preferred partnerships with many footwear suppliers in Asia and with major footwear brands. In addition, ShoesCo's multi-decade investment in its inventory replenishment system has also contributed to its operational excellence, allowing ShoesCo stores to keep prices low and shelves well stocked.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the fortune of this mostly brick-and-mortar footwear retailer. Due to rapidly declining sales and increasing operating costs, ShoesCo closed nearly half of its stores in 2021 and 2022. Fortunately, the company has avoided bankruptcy thanks to its still small but growing online operation. That is, more and more people are buying shoes from ShoesCo's store online. This development gives ShoesCoa glimpse of hope, but the company recognises that it is far from "digitally ready" or "financially safe." Its e-commerce operation mainly uses its warehouses and even stores as fulfillment centers. As online orders pile up, operational costs are getting out of control due to skyrocketing property rents and shortage of skilled order- fulfillment staff.

As the pandemic is winding down, ShoesCois at a critical crossroad. On the one hand, customers are returning to shop in ShoesCo' physical stores. Although same-store sales have not returned to even   half of the pre-pandemic level, the growing trend is obviously promising. On the other hand, online   sales continue to rise, pushing the company's operations to the limit. While "bouncing back" to the    pre-pandemic "business as usual" would bean option, ShoesCo managers have noticed different patterns of buying from the customers both online and offline. For example, casual footwear is getting increasingly popular, perhaps due to the work-from-home and hybrid modes of work. Also, high-end product sales increase nearly twice as fast as that of discount items. However, these patterns are just managers'ad hoc impressions that have been relayed to the executives, who do     not yet have an up-to-date comprehensive view of their customers. Urgently, ShoesCo's executives need to decide whether to embark on a digital transformation - shifting the company's focus from   brick-and-mortar stores toe-commerce, and whether to begin to court mid- to high-end customers with premium products such as luxury boots, collectible sneakers, and vintage shoes.

Regardless of the specific business strategy ShoesCo's executives formulate eventually, the company needs an enterprise application that can help them execute that strategy, streamline operations, and make data-driven and evidence-based decisions. An enterprise application is a software system that integrates various business processes, such as accounting, inventory management, human resources, and customer relationship management, into a single, unified system. It provides real-   time visibility into business operations and helps streamline processes for increased efficiency and productivity. Specific enterprise applications can aid towards different competitive advantages by  reducing costs, meeting strategic business objectives, and improving operational efficiency. An effective enterprise application can help businesses optimize their supply chain, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance employee productivity.

Q1.1: (a) Before the pandemic, which of the following information systems strategies for dealing with competitive forces did ShoesCo use and what are the key factors that characterise this strategy? (b) Explain how the strategy helped ShoesCo grow and remain competitive pre-pandemic. (No more than 100 words, 2 Marks)

(i)          Basic strategy/align IT with business objectives;

(ii)         Low-cost leadership;

(iii)        Product differentiation;

(iv)        Focus on market niche;

(v)        Strengthen customer or supplier intimacy.

Q1.2: Fast forward to today, recommend an IS strategy to ShoesCo's executives and explain why it can address the challenges the company is facing now. (No more than 200 words, 5 Marks)

Q1.3: Name a specific type of enterprise application and explain to ShoesCo's executives why this type of enterprise application can help support the strategy you recommended in Q1.2. Give two  reasons. Provide a real-world example for each reason (i.e., one example per reason). You should reference your examples. Examples should not be from the course textbook (or seminar/tutorial material). The examples can come from any industry, not necessarily about footwear retailing. (No more than 300 words, 8 Marks)

(For Q1.1, Q1.2,and Q1.3, no more than 600 words in total, 15 marks).

Question 2. Entity relationship diagram (ERD) (10 marks) 

For its post-pandemic hiring spree, ShoesCo urgently needs an information system to manage the    recruitment process. After a quick bidding process, ShoesCo selected Application Architects (AA), a  Brisbane-based independent software vendor, to develop this system. An AA analyst will lead the    system development. However, also due to shortage of skilled staff, AA has subcontracted the data modelling part of the project to you. Specifically, you have been commissioned to draw the entity    relationship diagram (ERD) for ShoesCo's recruitment information system.

After collecting and analysing the requirements, the AA analyst describes to you ShoesCo's recruitment process as follows.

Each job applicant must register an account in the system. In each applicant's account, the system automatically assigns an applicant ID to the applicant and collects the applicant's name, mobile number, postal address, and email address. Each registered applicant may apply for zero, one, or    more open positions at ShoesCo. Each position has an ID, title, description, department associated with the position, and the date when the position opens.

In each application submitted by an applicant for a position, the system automatically captures the    applicant ID. In the application, the applicant must specify the position ID and provide the name and email of one, and only one, reference (i.e., the person who can be asked for information about the    applicant's character, experiences, abilities, etc.). The system automatically sets up an account for each reference, including the reference's ID, name, and email address. Once the applicant has submitted the application, the system captures the date when the application was submitted, and the "status" field of the application will show "pending."

Depending on how many applications are received and the quality of the applications for each position, ShoesCo may choose to interview zero, one, or more applicants. For each interview, the system records the applicant ID, position ID, and the date of the interview. In addition, an applicant maybe interviewed more than once, in two or even more rounds of interviews, depending on the    circumstances.

Moreover, at any stage of the recruiting process, if an applicant's application looks interesting,

ShoesCo may request a reference letter from the applicant's reference. If an application does not  look interesting, the applicant's reference will not be asked to provide a reference letter. For each reference letter received, the system captures the applicant ID, position ID, reference ID, and the  rating and comments the reference has provided.

At ShoesCo, reference letter requests and interviews are separate parts of the recruiting process. If an applicant is invited to an interview, his/her reference mayor may not be asked to provide a reference letter. Similarly, the applicant whose reference is asked to provide a reference letter may or may not be invited to an interview.

Finally, based on the hiring manager's evaluation of the interview results and/or reference letters,

ShoesCo may hire one or more people for a position. Sometimes, if none of the applicants has a good fit, the company may choose to hire nobody for a position. If an application is unsuccessful, the status of the application will turn from "pending" to "rejected." In contrast, if an application is successful, then the application's status will turn from "pending" to "job offered."

Q2: Draw the entity relationship diagram based on the requirements above. Generate the ERD

diagram with whatever method you are most comfortable with – Pen and Paper are an acceptable option. Submit a signed and dated version of your diagram. The data types for the attributes are

NOT REQUIRED.

Make sure your diagram has a good, clean layout and clearly indicates the Primary and Foreign Keys  in the entities. Consider well the relationships between the entities and draw the appropriate Crows Foot notation required. (10 marks).

Question 3. Information systems development (10 marks) 

Australia Post is a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Australian government. It runs at a profit in a fully competitive market and boasts a workforce of over 50,000. Around 2012,

traditional business pillars such as letters were in continued decline and they faced stiff competition

from the growth of e-commerce, against other delivery services such as Fastway, UPS, and

Transdirect. Australia Post couldn’t afford to reston its legacy relationships with government,

business and citizens to satisfy their needs. New sustainable competitive advantages had to be

formed. Australia Post started with a reinvention of its Digital Division. But in a large government   business enterprise, the Division needed to garner support upwards from the executives, across     from other divisions,and from within. Underpinning all this was a switch to a customer-focus, and the conscious adoption of an Agile methodology.

There was immediate head office support for Agile Principles to drive the development of new

customer-oriented products. To kick-off the shift to agile ways of working, staff who were seconded onto ‘sprint’ teams were relieved of their day-to-day tasks for the week when the sprints were

occurring. Project funding reforms also occurred to enable speedier development. Traditional

business cases which had fixed costs, time and scope, area poor fit for digital innovation. So instead, funding was given to a broad opportunity area, such as ‘mobile/cellular’, then work would be

undertaken to create improved customer satisfaction in that area. This is called “capacity funded investments.” Scope was continuously developed and was informed by customer feedback and    business needs.

Australia Post’smission is “to deliver great sender and receiver experiences that delight our

customers”. To measure this, new products were constantly tested with customers using their

feedback to shape further iterations. Speed and innovation were prioritised informing cross-

functional teams. These teams operated in flat structures across a range of subject matter experts.

They were given power to succeed, but also permission to fail, and a focus on learning from this. This encouraged persistent experimentation and improvement. Organisational leaders supported these     initiatives, through altered funding arrangements, freeing up resources and breaking down divisional silos so changes to products could be quickly rolled out.

Two responses are highlighted here as to how Australia Post began shifting to Agile Principles in  problem-solving. The first looks at how the structure of Australia Post’steams changed, with the

second example looking at agile ways that process changed. Both of these examples are

underpinned by a culture of curiosity and innovation with a focus on customer experience.

The Digital Division changed its internal structure to include multifunctional teams of six-to-ten    people. The aim is to have people who have a deep knowledge in their specialist area and a solid general knowledge to assist in other ways in the team. A team usually has a business analyst,

designer, tester, several developers, and an ‘iteration manager’ – who managed the workflow of the

team. The iteration manager role was developed to also manage the reporting and progress

components of its agile delivery. Each team has a Kanban wall. These walls, also known as success    walls, consist of coloured cue cards. Each card is a task within a larger project and has a ‘user story’ that relates to the task, such as “add login widget to home page”. Each task is given a two-week

period togo from ‘backlog’, ‘ready for development’, ‘development complete’, and ‘ready to test’ .  Each task has an owner in the team who is accountable to its completion. One central and ongoing  challenge these teams face is maintaining continuous delivery of services while developing, testing, and implementing tasks. 

The text is adapted from “ Delivering change: How Australia Post became agile” by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), 26th  May 2020 (available from:

https://anzsog.edu.au/research-insights-and-resources/research/delivering-change-how-australia- post-became-agile/)

Q3.1: Detail two Agile ceremonies that might have appeared in the development of a new digital    product at Australia Post? Concisely explain each of these ceremonies – when do they occur, who   and what is involved, why are they important. Please ensure you discuss only two ceremonies. (No more than 300 words, 5 Marks)

Q3.2: Explain how two characteristics of the Agile Methodology contributed to the changes that   Australia Post was able to make. Compare with two aspects of Waterfall Methodology that might prevent these changes. (No more than 300 words, 5 Marks)

(No more than 600 words in total, 10 marks).