Identify some businesses that currently appear to have a sustainable advantage.

CTQ1. Read the Minicase from Chapter 8 or Chapter 9. Answer all the Discussion Questions in the end of this Minicase.

CTQ2. Pick one question to answer from the following list. Use your own language. Copying from the textbook will result in 0 points.

• Describe the focus and principal objectives of industry analysis applied to information systems. Select one of the five competitive forces and offer an example of a firm that you believe has been able to influence it by way of an IT-dependent strategic initiative.
• Describe the focus and principal objectives of value chain analysis applied to information systems. Why is it important to contextualize the value chain? Provide an example of a firm you think has been able to create competitive advantage using information systems. Identify the primary activities most impacted by information systems in this firm.
• Describe the customer service life cycle (CSLC) and its primary objectives. Provide an example of a firm that, in your opinion, has created competitive advantage using information systems to enable superior customer service. What stages of the CSLC are mostly impacted by the firm’s IT-dependent strategic initiative?
• Describe the basic tenets of the virtual value chain. How does it differ from the physical value chain? Can you identify an example for each of the three applications of the virtual value chain?
• Think about your last job, or the job you’d like to have once you graduate. Where would you place this firm’s product or service on the dimensions of theoretical repurchase frequency and degree of customizability? How difficult is it for the firm to collect and use customer data? Is the firm engaging in a customer data strategy? If not, is it missing the boat?
• Why is the difference between information systems and information technology so important to the analysis of sustainability?
• For each barrier to erosion, provide an example of an IT-dependent strategic initiative that, in your opinion, leverages the barrier. Can you identify which response-lag drivers underpin the barriers to erosion in your examples?
• Identify some businesses that currently appear to have a sustainable advantage. How do information systems (IS) contribute to this sustainability? Highlight any cases where this sustainability appears to have a non-IS foundation or where there is no complementary IS to support the firm’s value proposition.
• Can IS create a sustainable competitive advantage or only support a firm in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage based on a compelling value proposition? Use evidence to support your argument.