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Case Study 1

Information System in Restaurant

A waiter takes an order at a table, and then enters it online via one of the six terminals
located in the restaurant dining room. The order is routed to a printer in the
appropriate preparation area: the cold-item printer if it is a salad, the hot-item printer
if it is a hot sandwich or the bar printer if it is a drink. A customer’s meal check-listing
(bill) the items ordered and the respective prices are automatically generated. This
ordering system eliminates the old three-carbon-copy guest check system as well as
any problems caused by a waiter’s handwriting. When the kitchen runs out of a food
item, the cooks send out an ‘out of stock’ message, which will be displayed on the dining
room terminals when waiters try to order that item. This gives the waiters faster
feedback, enabling them to give better service to the customers.

Other system features aid management in the planning and control of their restaurant
business. The system provides up-to-the-minute information on the food items ordered
and breaks out percentages showing sales of each item versus total sales. This helps
management plan menus according to customers’ tastes. The system also compares the
weekly sales totals versus food costs, allowing planning for tighter cost controls. In
addition, whenever an order is voided, the reasons for the void are keyed in. This may
help later in management decisions, especially if the voids consistently related to food
or service.

Acceptance of the system by the users is exceptionally high since the waiters and
waitresses were involved in the selection and design process. All potential users were
asked to give their impressions and ideas about the various systems available before
one was chosen.

1. In the light of the system, describe the decisions to be made in the area of
strategic planning, managerial control and operational control? What information
would you require to make such decisions?

2. What would make the system a more complete MIS rather than just doing
transaction processing?

3. Explain the probable effects that making the system more formal would have on
the customers and the management.
Case Study 2

Mrs. Field Cookies : Harvard Case Study

Mrs. Fields Cookies is a small company that sells freshly baked goods through private
specialized stores (each store sells only Mrs. Fields products). The company employs
approximately 8,000 employees worldwide, and at least 150 people to the information
systems unique leverage resources MIS. The company uses information systems
extensively in its processing, communications, and other managerial functions, including
store operations and recruitment / hiring sales employees.

Debbi Fields was born in 1957 as Debra Jane Sivyer in Oakland California. She was the
youngest of five daughters to her welder father and housewife mother. As a kid she
loved making cookies as she enjoyed the sense of satisfaction from family and friends.
She was 13 years old and got her first job at $5/peak. She used this money to buy real
ingredients for baking her coolies-Vanilla, butter, chocolate chips. In 1977, she decided
she will open a cookie shop and did just that. It opened first its doors in Palo Alto,
California. In the beginning the business was dull. First day she had not made a single
sale. She went outside and started handing out her cookies for free. Some people were
streaming in to the shop to buy more of her cookies . Her company motto “good enough
never is” says all about her business philosophy. She worked hard to have customer
satisfaction as a priority. Great cookies she baked. She later changed her company
name to M/s Field Cookies to allow for other type of cookies than just chocolate chips.

One of the business innovations was introduction of the-state-of-art computer systems

in 1989. In 1990, she started franchising the business concept. In 1993, she eventually
sold out to private investors and turned her attention to motherhood. She later on
joined the toastmaster organization and has earned the Golden Cavel award.

Q Discuss the Benefits of Information system M/s Field Cookies had in terms of
information technology architecture, organization, management and control strategies.
Case Study 3

Reyans Indian Travelers

M/s Reyans Travelers is a transport company having 320 vehicles and provide private
taxis, cars, cabs and buses on hiring basis. The company also provides regular vehicle
and trip services to IT and BPO centres. The company is also involved in courier and
cargo business. In addition to the above, the company is now tied-up with a
manufacturing company for shipment of their goods. The client company has a strict
monitoring system on dispatches. And relay in reaching the goods to the customer, the
client company will imply penalty. The company has all the details of destinations and
approximate shipment requirements.

The major activities of the M/s Reyans Traveler includes; booking for vehicle, shipment
decisions, reimbursement to drivers, testing and maintenance of vehicles, vehicle
insurance, payments, billing of clients, periodic payments, monitoring of vehicles, fuel
charges and payment to Indian Oil Corporation dealer and marketing of the company,
etc.

1. Discuss the need of the information system to the above business?

2. What are the inputs and outputs expected from the system?

3. What kind of information system do you suggest to the company? Justify your
answer.
Case Study 4

Reyans iFuture Group Educational institute is about to implement new technology for
student’s attendance.

• There are 50 faculty members most of them taking lecture every day.

• No. of courses / subjects taken by each faculty member is between 3 to 6, in

some case 7.

• Now , respective Faculty member is suppose to enter the attendance daily for
their class.

• For that Six computers are allocated to them for entering the attendance.

Discuss : As a IT Manager

• 1. You are required to check the daily attendance entered by each faculty
member.

• 2. Also to check whether the computer allocated to them are working properly.
Case study 5 :

Mr. Rahul is working as a Research Officer in Internet based Multinational Consulting

Firm in Delhi. His main job is to provide the support to the existing clients and gather
the information about future clients so that company would be able to give necessary
clientele support in near future. For the purpose of making MIS reports on daily basis,
it is very much required to connect to the people providing blogs over Internet all the
time, the system must be very fast and efficient enough to respond quickly and also
equip with latest technology to work upon various application in integrated environment.

Earlier he was working with PIII computer with 80GB HDD, 256 RAM, CD-ROM,1.44
inch floppy drive, color monitor and internet Dialup connection. The performance was
not so good over the years. Mr. Rahul has requested to provide new computer system
with latest technology. The company has gave the approval to purchase a new system
with latest configuration with minimum price. Rahul has started searching various
computers in the market ranging from Rs. 25,000/- to Rs. 50,000/- based on weather
they are branded or configured.

Questions :

 What type of computer system Mr. Rahul would like to purchase? Is there any
specific type of computers is available in the market? Explain.

 What type of configuration Mr. Rahul would like to see and take decision to
purchase the system that satisfies the requirements of his job responsibility?
Explain.

 What will be the budgetary implication of decisions to procure computer

systems by Mr. Rahul? Explain.
Case study 6 :

Mr. Avinash works as a Production Manager in a power sector company under Minister
of Power, Government of India at Kolkatta, Recently after getting his 6th pay
Commission and hike in salary, he decided to buy a computer for home use. Mr. Avinash
wants a computer that will allow him to Listen to songs, watch Movies, Browse the
Internet, etc. He also wants to be able to complete office work at home in case of
need.

Questions :

 What type of Operating systems Mr. Avinash should purchase for his Computer
system and Why?

 What will be the budgetary implication of decisions to procure Operating

Systems by Mr. Avinash? Explain.
Case study 7 – System and Organization

Amalgamated Paper, Inc.

The MIS department at Amalgamated Paper, Inc., built many data processing systems
in the 1960’s and 1970’s. These systems were written in COBOL, a procedural language
and were maintained by programmer analysts with technical backgrounds. Many of
these data processing systems handled the day-to-day paperwork of the company,
including order entry, accounts receivable and inventory control.

In the mid - to late 1970s, many line managers became dissatisfied with the computer
generated information they were receiving. They wanted more information on such
issues as customer profitability and product profitability. However, the MIS
department continued to focus on upgrading hardware, converting old system to new
systems and resolving technical problems. It was not able to respond to the users’
requests for better information. As a result, many user / managers started solving
their own problems by purchasing their own microcomputers and database programs.

By the time the MIS department started to react to this situation, many of the users
had developed considerable expertise in managing hardware, software and data.
Although the MIS department wanted to offer mainframe-based tools supporting
database query, most of the user had made considerable investments in acquiring and
learning how to use microcomputer-based tools and were not interested in MIS support
for mainframe-based tools.

Was the MIS department an open or a closed system?

Diagnose the problem described in this situation by using the open versus closed
system concepts.
Case study 8 – Network Magazine

Promoted by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Delhi; the PRAGATI project aims to
connect a hundred villages in Ahmednagar covering a population of more than 2.5 lakh
with a wireless MAN solution (WMAN). When completed, it will empower the rural
population and improve their quality of life. The seven lane program will help the villages
in establishing local IT centers, dissemination of information regarding government
schemes, marketing of agricultural products, healthcare, education, agro processing and
economic development.

Convergent Communications was selected for implementing the wireless solution as they
had executed most of the NIC's projects in the past. After initial talks with Pravara
Group, NIC and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the project was kicked
off in 1999. It was executed in two phases. In Phase I, Convergent connected 13 sites
using a WMAN. Institutions were networked and connected to the Internet using a 64
Kbps VSAT connection. During Phase II, the wireless solution was extended to six
other remote sites—Shirdi, Satral, Kolhar, Rahata, Babhleshwar and Loni. The remote
sites use an 11 Mbps pipe shared between six locations.

The project is expected to bring a host of benefits to the farming community. The
villagers can communicate with agricultural experts at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (a
knowledge center for farmers) and gain knowledge on better agriculture methods and
storing and packing their products. The wireless solution will also be useful in tele-
medicine and keep abreast with new government schemes.

Arun Nale, System Administrator, Shirdi Sai Rural Institute, said, "There was no
proper telecom infrastructure. A leased line was not feasible as most of the
electromechanical exchanges did not support data transmission. Lack of proper roads
created hurdles in transportation of equipment during Phase I.

In addition to this, there was a hillock in Loni (Lontek) because of which there was no
clear Line of Sight (LOS) and the RF network required clear LOS.

The project was necessary so that Villagers can interact with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra
for new developments in agriculture. Students can acquire knowledge from the
Internet and it will also help them in finding jobs. The farmers can get an update on
various government schemes. Telemedicine could helps bring modern treatment to the
rural interior.
Pravara Group consists of Co-op societies, engineering colleges, sugar factories, Krishi
Vigyan Kendra, schools, banks and medical trusts. Their approach is to 'think globally
and act locally'.

a) Provide the best option that Convergent Communication can provide to connect
the hundred villages where there is no basic telephone infrastructure.
b) Draw a suitable diagram to support your opinion.
c) How will be villagers benefited by this project?

Test Case 9

Select any two distinct business functions familiar to you. Write a short essay
describing how the information system of these could be interfaced to improve their
performance.

Test Case 10

Over the past few years, banks and investment have offered many services that would
be impossible without Information systems. Describe three such services and explain
how IT makes them happen.
Test Case 11

Indian Railways is looking for ways to move towards unwired applications. Its real time
data on availability of no. of seat vacant and are available to passenger, then by the
time the train reaches the next destination, the seats can be filled up again.

1. Provide the best solution considering the challenges and actions taken by you.
2. How would your solution be the best in view of :
a. Hardware / Software Technology use
b. Network technology use
c. Process flow chart
d. People using it

Note : Draw I.T. infrastructure diagram, if required.

Test Case 12

Write a fairly big easy using your own concept titled “Factory of the Future”. Factory
will be a ‘no man’ factory in the manufacturing organization to enter data into
information systems. All the needed information comes from customers at one end and
suppliers at the other end. No need to type any data for payments and collections.
Explain how all this will work.