A summary of the mini case study organisation and the background of the situation
The mini case study examines MOTO Inc., a human resources management company. The company was forced to adopt a new client management software system four years ago due to significant growth. Initially, the software worked well. However, fundamental adjustments need to be made to align the procedures with the package. With time, the MOTO company witnessed significant client base expansion, acquiring smaller employment-associated businesses. As a result, the firm’s support staff and services grew, including developing a strong and innovative information systems (IS) department. Therefore, the IS department played a pivotal role in the company’s success, recruiting competent people and using partnerships with local institutions to attract talent.
Furthermore, the IS department exploited new opportunities, including leveraging the internet to explore untapped market segments. Due to the growth of the company and the limitation of its current client management system, the PresidentPresident of MOTO Inc. (Susan) acknowledged the need to change the company’s software system. Therefore, she is considering several options, such as adopting products from other vendors or upgrading from the current vendor. Susan’s objective is to ensure the company acquires a high-quality system that meets the firm’s changing needs.
A summary of the problem, opportunity, or situation in the mini-case study
The problem in this mini case study is that the current client management system can no longer sustain MOTO company’s needs caused of its significant growth and diversification. Thus, the current system needs to meet the organisation’s evolving needs. The combination of the manual and automated procedures used to manage clients’ accounts is now unwieldy, preventing effective and efficient operations. Thus, Susan, the PresidentPresident of the company, has identified the need to upgrade the software system to effectively support the growing support staff and the organisation’s expanding services.
The current situation, however, presents an incredible opportunity for MOTO company to seek alternative software solutions that can effectively meet the firm’s evolving needs. According to Susa, several alternatives are in consideration, including upgrading the current software and developing a custom software application with the company’s IS system, among others, to resolve this challenge. MOTO Inc. desires to achieve a quality client management software system to support and streamline its operations and enhance its continued growth.
Responses to the questions and tasks:
Outline the issues that Susan should consider which would support the development of a custom software application in-house.
There are several issues that Susan may need to consider to develop a custom software application in-house. These considerations are critical and help establish if developing the custom solution is the best strategy for the company to succeed. Some of the key considerations include; the business requirements. Susan may need to evaluate whether the firm’s unique business needs align with the capabilities of the current software solutions (Petter et al., 2008). Therefore, if the current solutions cannot meet the needs of MOTO Inc, then developing a new custom software application would be the most viable solution. Also, Susan should conduct a comprehensive cost analysis to assess the financial impact of developing the custom software application (O’Brien & Marakas, 2006). The analysis should focus on factors such as the initial cost of developing the software, continuous maintenance and support expenses, and the opportunity cost of using internal resources for software development (Sinard & Gershkovich, 2012).
Outline the issues that Susan should consider which would support the purchase of a software package.
Similarly, various factors should be considered when considering purchasing the software package. These factors will help Susan to establish if buying a pre-built software solution is the best approach to addressing the company’s needs. Thus, Susan should first consider the fit for purpose. She needs to assess whether the software packages available in the market align with the unique requirements and needs of MOTO Inc. Generally, the software should be able to provide functionalities and features that effectively support and enhance the firm’s client management and human resource management needs (Peppard & Ward, 2004). Furthermore, there is a need to consider vendor reliability and reputation. Susan must research and assess the reliability and reputation of the vendors providing these packages. This would include assessing the vendor’s track record, customer feedback and reviews, and financial stability (Tadavarthi et al., 2020). A reliable and reputable vendor will likely offer quality software and continuous support.
When should the decision of “make‐versus‐buy” be made within a systems development project? How should Susan proceed? Explain your answer.
Ideally, the decision to “make versus buy” should be made at the early stage of the software systems development project. Specifically, this decision should be made during the need assessment and analysis phase. At this stage, the organisation identifies its unique goals, needs, and challenges for the system under development (Mantel et al., 2006). Therefore, making the “make-versus-buy” decision early is crucial in allowing the project team to adopt a clear direction and make an informed decision about the project approach. Susan and MOTO, Inc. can proceed by making a deliberate and informed decision on the “make-versus-buy” issue. This decision should consider critical factors such as the organisation’s unique requirements, resources and expertise, cost considerations, strategic alignment, and stakeholder feedback (O’Brien & Marakas, 2006).
Your thoughtful and informative responses to these additional questions regarding the mini case study:
What is the purpose of this case study?
This mini case study presents a real-life situation where a business organisation, such as MOTO, Inc., faces serious challenges concerning its client management software system. It also provides an opportunity to understand the decision-making process on the software solutions selection, specifically assessing whether buying a pre-built package or developing an in-house customer software is the best solution.
What are the learning objectives?
There are several learning objectives of this case study. However, the notable ones include:
- To understand the benefits of aligning software systems with changing evolving business needs.
- To assess or evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of purchasing pre-built software packages against developing custom solutions.
How does the mini case help understand systems analysis, design principles, and techniques discussed in the chapter?
The mini case study helps us understand the systems design and analysis principles and the strategies addressed in the chapter by offering a deliberate and practical context. The case study demonstrates how a business organisation may face issues as it grows and diversifies and the need for its software systems to adapt.
In what situation can you use what you have learned from the mini case study in your current or future job?
The information gained from this mini-case study can be utilised in my current or future job when software development or system selection decisions must be deliberated. It provides an understanding of the key factors that should be considered, such as scalability, business requirements, and cost analysis, when considering a decision for systems selection or development.
References
Mantel, S. P., Tatikonda, M. V., & Liao, Y. (2006). A behavioural study of supply manager decision-making: Factors influencing make versus buy evaluation. Journal of operations management, 24(6), 822-83
O’Brien, J. A., & Marakas, G. M. (2006). Management information systems (Vol. 6). New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Peppard, J., & Ward, J. (2004). Beyond strategic information systems: towards an IS capability. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 13(2), 167-194.
Petter, S., DeLone, W., & McLean, E. (2008). Measuring information systems success: models, dimensions, measures, and interrelationships. European Journal of information systems, pp. 17, 236–263.
Sinard, J. H., & Gershkovich, P. (2012). Custom software development for use in a clinical laboratory—journal of pathology informatics, 3(1), 44.
Tadavarthi, Y., Vey, B., Krupinski, E., Prater, A., Gichoya, J., Safdar, N., & Trivedi, H. (2020). The state of radiology AI: Considerations for purchase decisions and current market offerings. Radiology: Artificial Intelligence, 2(6), e200004.
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