#5

 

 

MGMT 386

 

 

 

Reminders

 

M.L.Manns will be at a conference in England:  March 30-April 7

 

April 3:  There will be a special presentation, The Art of Requirements Gathering, on Tuesday, April 3, 12:15, in Owen 203.  For more information, see the Mgmt 386 web page and handout #1 under “Special Class(es)”.

 

April 5:  You will have time to work on this assignment during class time.

 

 

 

Assignment #4

 

25 points

 

PART I due:  Friday, March 30, 12noon

PART II due:  Thursday, April 5

PART III due:  Tuesday, April 10

 

 

The CASE:  XYZ Company

 

Background

 

XYZ Company sells widgets.  They have a sales staff of over 70 individuals.  They are interested in capturing sales knowledge (the “best practices” and techniques of the sales people) into knowledge management software, such as an expert system, so that this AI software can support sales decisions on an ongoing basis.  While the rewards will be great, it will require a great deal of effort on the part of each individual in the sales force to create and maintain the knowledge in the software  (some of the specific challenges will be explained in class on March 27th).

 

 

The first three salespeople

 

Ima Excited is usually anxious to learn new things.  She is quite knowledgeable about various kinds of technologies that others are only beginning to discover.  People in the organization find her intriguing because she has decorated her cubicle with various invention novelties.

 

Max Input has been with the company for twenty years. He has the reputation of being a good listener and is supportive of new ideas if he thinks they will help the company move forward. He is anxious to hear new proposals and is open to new ways of thinking.

 

Ben There was a salesperson for fifteen years and a project manager for the past ten years.  He was hired at XYZ Corporation for his sales skills and his successful management experience.  During his 25-year career, he has seen many new ideas come and go, but he feels that the well-established technologies are the ones that are the most reliable and useful.

 

 

PART I:  due March 30, 12noon

 

In class on March 27th, you will be assigned two “types” of employees to post on WebBoard.  Post a “profile” naming and describing the characteristic of each type in two separate postings.  (For examples of profiles, see the first three above.)  

Make your postings by replying to “The Employees” message originally posted by Marylynn Manns. 

 

 

PART II:  due April 5

 

You will work in groups of three to create a change management plan for XYZ Company.  During the course of working on this project, your team must post (to WebBoard) at least three ideas in your change management plan.  At the end of the three messages, sign each team member’s name.  Post these to the section marked “Ideas”.

 

 

PART III:  due April 10

 

Your team will write a change management plan.  In doing this, you will “collaborate” with other teams.  Therefore, in addition to your team’s own ideas, the plan must also include some of the ideas posted (on WebBoard) by the other teams (see part II).

 

You will present the change management plan in written form.  Also, be prepared to discuss it in class on April 10th.