Wang should support the strategy with an expanded, qualified IS staff. A company's reputation is tarnished when it develops an inadequate and unreliable system. Management should hire a larger IS staff, adding more qualified employees – ones that have the necessary skills to support the information strategy.
Wang should set policies governing systems development.Well-established procedures governing the planning, scheduling, design, implementation, and documentation of a new information system can minimize the risk of runaway projects. Management must also set standards governing the selection of consultants, if necessary.
c. Recommend steps the company could take to guarantee consulting service quality.
Wang should improve existing development policies. Wang must first establish its internal development policies that govern the systems development process. For example, a more effective internal MIS staff can provide the consultants with necessary support.
Wang should establish consulting services evaluation criteria.Management must view consultants as vendors and evaluate which consulting firm provides the best service at a fair price. This may include closed bidding, background checks, credential checks, and probing meetings to determine if the firm has the skills to complete the project.
Wang should use an IS steering committee and project development teams to monitor consultants.An oversight body can reinforce the information strategy and hold the consulting team accountable for the development process.
22.3 Tiny Toddlers, a manufacturer of children’s toys and furniture, is designing and implementing a distributed system to assist its sales force. Each of the 10 sales offices in Canada and 20 in the United States maintains its own customers and is responsible for granting credit and collecting receivables. Reports used by each sales office to maintain the customer master file and to enter the daily sales orders are shown in Figures 22-4 and 22-5.
