ERIC Number: EJ914645
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1055-3096
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Mobile Phone Service Process Hiccups at Cellular Inc.
Edgington, Theresa M.
Journal of Information Systems Education, v21 n4 p371-374 Win 2010
This teaching case documents an actual case of process execution and failure. The case is useful in MIS introductory courses seeking to demonstrate the interdependencies within a business process, and the concept of cascading failure at the process level. This case demonstrates benefits and potential problems with information technology systems, how business processes transcend departments, and how cascading failure may arise. It has been used successfully in undergraduate MIS core business courses and is appropriate for graduate MIS as well as IS design courses. When a customer tries to purchase a cell phone and a service contract from Cellular Inc. using their e-commerce site, an expired advertisement begins a cascade of problems that occur throughout the customer-visible portions of the procurement/fulfillment process. The president of the company introduces the case as a catalyst for process improvement. He tasks his cross-functional business team to design an improved business process that will prevent the identified problems from occurring again. Students are tasked with defining the detailed steps occurring in the actual process and to define an improved process. Opportunities with design and theoretical contributions to improving the process are discussed.
Descriptors: Handheld Devices, Management Information Systems, Computer Science Education, Information Technology, Web Sites, Business Administration Education, Introductory Courses, Organizational Effectiveness, Problems, Problem Solving, Case Method (Teaching Technique), Consumer Economics, Purchasing, Assignments, Operations Research
Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE). c/o Al Harris, JISE Editor Emeritus, Department of Computer Information Systems, Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608. Tel: 828-262-6180; Fax: 828-262-6190; e-mail: editor@jise.org; Web site: http://www.jise.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A