About the Activity

Our class will be divided into small groups. Each group will complete one group case study presentation. (Again, I expect everyone in the class to have read through and thought about each of the cases even when a case is not assigned to your group). All the cases are posted on the course website.

The specific question to be answered in preparing the presentation is provided below. The presentations will be given via pre-recorded videos that will be posted on the provided discussion boards. Groups that were not assigned to do a video presentation that week will respond to the videos that were shared. Then, in the Live Session, we will summarize the online discussion and highlight some key takeaways.

Following the first Live Session, each group must submit a preferred ranking of the cases for which they will be assigned to do a video presentation. I will use these preferential rankings in making assignments to groups on a first-come, first-served basis (i.e., groups that submit their list earliest will have more of their preferences met). Also, I will try to spread each group’s assignments over the course.

Groups are free to use whatever medium (power-points, screencasts, etc.) you feel is appropriate in addressing the questions.

Cases

Case Presentation Questions

Introduction & Digital Strategies Fundamentals: Mrs. Fields
1. Describe Mrs. Fields Business Models using the Business Model Template.
2. How has technology given Mrs. Fields a competitive advantage?
Digital Strategies Fundamentals: Zara
1. Describe the customer value proposition, profit model, core capabilities, and dynamic capabilities that underlie Zara’s business model. (Use the Business Model Template).
2. From your understanding of Zara’s competitive strategy, what are the most important strategies that you suggest Zara continuously implement to sustain its competitive advantage?
3. Consider the question of IT upgrading. What is your group’s take on how technology should be upgraded and maintained at Zara? Provide reasoning for your IT recommendation.
4. The thought of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” has been used to justify not upgrading/updating IT hardware/software in many firms. What are some examples of this (you can consider your own experiences and what you’ve seen in the business press/news); what have been the outcomes of these decisions?
Operational Information Systems: Maersk
1. How does blockchain work?
2. How did blockchain benefit Maersk? How did Maersk succeed in implementing blockchain using TradeLens, a blockchain-based platform for managing shipments involving multiple stakeholders?
3. Logistics platforms like TradeLens scale through a combination of Network Effects. As more fleets, ports, warehouses, and containers use the platform, how do Network Effects create value for the partners?
4. What are the risks and obstacles to implementing blockchain?
Database and Database Design: Prosper
1. Describe the customer value proposition, profit model, core capabilities, and dynamic capabilities that underlay Prosper's business model. Note that Prosper's 'matching' service involves two sets of customers: borrowers and lenders. Address both sets of customers.
2. To what extent does Prosper's services exploit 'the long tail' of the money lending market (see Chapter 3)? Explain your answer.
3. Prosper's business model is heavily dependent on positive network effects. Illustrate this via an example, being sure to explain why your example represents a positive network effect. Are there any negative network effects? Describe them if you can think of any.
4. Is the P2P lending market a 'winner-takes-all' market? Answer 'yes' or 'no', and defend your answer.
Ecosystems & Strategic Utilization of Data: Lufthansa
1. Describe the customer value proposition, profit model, core capabilities, and dynamic capabilities that underlay Lufthansa's business model.
2. Assuming Lufthansa's "Amazon in the Air" strategy and Value Discovery processes are in place, characterize the maturity of Lufthansa's analytics capability (aspirational, experienced, transformed). Justify your characterization. How does the characterization affect how Lufthansa should manage analytics capabilities?
3. Recommend an additional analytics investment that could further improve profitability. Refer to the five recommendations in the reading to develop a plan for developing and overseeing the investment.
Cybersecurity: Equifax
1. Identify the potential consequences (financial loss, revenue loss, intellectual property loss, and reputation loss) facing Equifax as a result of a data breach.
2. Two IT risk areas involved in the security breach are Network Security and Information Privacy. Where does each of these fit within the Risk Assessment Matrix (Figure 8-3)? Justify your placements.
3. How should Equifax have responded to this crisis? Be sure to address IT management, disclosure, internal investigation, and recovery issues in your response.

For the Video Presentation

Answer the assigned question in your group video.
Your group video should be roughly 5 minutes long. It's fine if you are a minute or so over/under. Your timing may depend on the nature of the case or the question you've been assigned. But please try to keep it succinct.
Again, do not waste time rehashing the case materials. You can assume that everyone is familiar with the case.
Please check the audio and video quality before posting.
Case Video Presentations are assigned to specific course groups. Case Video Presentations are due for the assigned groups by 7 PM Central one day before our Live Session.
All unassigned students will respond to Case Video Presentations in the discussion. Case Discussion Responses are due by all other class members by 7 PM Central on the day of our Live Session.

Resources: Video Recordings

Record your presentation on MyMedia Kaltura. You can learn how to download and use this free software using the OU MyMedia Kaltura Capture Guide.
- All students have access to a free account with MyMedia Kaltura, a video recording and screen capture software directly linked to your Canvas course. The Kaltura Capture app is free and you will download it to your different machines (Kaltura Capture is not available for the iPad or older tablets).
- After downloading Kaltura Capture you will be able to record presentations without needing an internet connection. This app allows you to record your voice, your screen, your video image (if you have a webcam), and annotations.
- Follow the above Guide to learn how to download and use Kaltura.
You may use VoiceThread (https://www.voicethread.com) to create a slide-based presentation to share. For information about creating slides in VoiceThread, please review How to Create a New VoiceThread.
You can use Zoom to start and record a meeting using the presentation function. Review the Zoom guides below to help your recording process.
- Getting started with Recording
- Enabling and Starting Local Recordings

Sharing Your Presentation

Share your presentation on the case discussion by using the MyMedia plugin in our Canvas course. You can learn how to access MyMedia and upload your video Using MyMedia in Canvas Guide. Then, you can post your video in the discussion.