Case Scenario:
At public TV station, WPTV, the Membership Department currently keeps donation information on database which runs on their local area network. WPTV would like to pursue more direct marketing and World Wide Web applications.
At WPTV there are two kinds of donors: individual and corporate. Cash donations are made by both. Corporations also make "in-kind" donations, i.e., donations of non-cash items such as food, office supplies, advertising space, etc. The following information is kept on in-kind donations: the item, quantity, and cash value. In-kind donations are not accepted from individuals.
Individuals who donate a total of $50 or more a year are considered members and receive a monthly magazine and discount coupons from local merchants. Individual who donate less than $50 and corporations do not receive these items. Individuals and corporate members receive annual renewal notification one month in advance of their membership expiration. Additional donations and new members are sought during quarterly, week long on-air fund drives. Some corporations provide "matching gift" programs where employee contributions to WPTV are matched by the corporation. Finally, WPTV seeks donations through estate planning and bequests.
The computing environment at WPTV consists of a local area network of PCs running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.
Users of the system will be the full-time staff of WPTV and volunteers. The typical full-time staff member has a background in broadcast communications and basic facility with the Microsoft Office Suite and Internet applications. During pledge drives, volunteers will be performing data entry tasks. These volunteers possess a wide range of computer skills and have all chosen "data entry" as their task for the fund drive.
The objectives of this assignment are to:
o Develop a business plan for introducing an integrated IS (Internet/Electronic commerce) strategy to WPTV
o Develop a demo / prototype web site for WPTV using principles of good web page design.
You should develop an integrated IS (Internet/E-commerce) strategy for a first phase of Internet business presence at WPTV. This will include explaining what Internet capabilities should be used, technical requirements (hardware, software, and other equipment) and how this new technology would be integrated into the business. You should also develop a prototype web site (Assignment #12) that illustrates the your proposed "look and feel" of WPTV's presence on the web.
Your report should include:
o a summary of the current business processes
o business objectives of your Internet strategy
o projected benefits by assessing the effectiveness and evaluating the risks of the strategy, analyzing and providing rationale for supporting the strategic direction of the organizations.
o technical requirements (hardware, software, and other equipment) to support the integrated IS strategy
o what resources (personnel, equipment, etc.) will be needed to implement your strategy
o how will you launch and sustain your integrated (Internet / E-commerce) strategy
o description and purpose of the web site you developed and the address of the web page (also, for my benefit, please mention what software you used to develop your web page).
This should be well-organized and targeted to an executive who has basic familiarity with the use of a personal computer and the Internet. It is recommended that this be structured in sections (as outlined above). Demonstrate effective communication with diverse stakeholders, be clear and concise in your writing and provide sufficient justification to "sell" your idea. Assume that management will be reviewing a number of business opportunities but can only choose one.
Note: If your Internet/E-commerce strategy calls for the use of an on-line payment system, do not attempt to set up such a system.
This is beyond the scope of this course. You can however discuss the on-line payment system options and on your web-site create an icon that would provide a link to a payment system.