Instructor: Dr. Robert H. Reck
Office: None
Campus Phone: None
Kendall Consulting Group
268 Highland Road, Andover, MA 01810
Phone: 978-474-9109
Fax 978-470-1490
E-mail: reck@babson.edu or bobreck@kendall-consulting.com

Class Meets: Class Meets: Monday or Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. in Gerber 103

Course Web Site: http://faculty.babson.edu/reck/mis7570f00/index.htm for this syllabus, most assignments and some announcements.

An ecampus site will be established for this class. You must have access to the Babson computer system with name/password in order to gain access to ecampus. Assignments, handouts and notices will be posted at this site and/or e-mailed to students via the ecampus e-mail address. You are responsible for ensuring that you receive these e-mails. (You may arrange with ITSD to have campus e-mail forwarded to any other external address.)

Class Registration:   Students will be accepted into the class only under the waitlist rules established by the graduate registrar.  The instructor will not separately approve or intervene in the registration process.  Waivers for prerequisites will be provided to students with some background in information systems and business-oriented technology application.

Student Information:  Students are requested to complete a short online questionnaire about themselves and submit this to the instructor before or just after the first class in September.  This information will also help the instructor contact you in unusual situations.  Please "click here" to complete this form; use the "back" key to return to this page after the submission.

Course Summary and Objectives

Consistent with the business orientation of Babson College, this course provides an overview of the rapidly growing phenomena of electronic commerce and electronic business from four perspectives:

The course is aimed at those business and management information systems students who already have an understanding of the fundamentals of MIS, and who want an understanding of the issues and fundamentals regarding the use and conduct of electronic commerce and electronic business. Further, the course is being designed to especially appeal to those students with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Guest Speakers

Several guest speakers have been contacted and have agreed to come and speak during the semester.  Where possible their names, companies and bios are included in this syllabus.  Students should also visit the web sites for the relevant companies and do their homework prior to the individual's visits.

Prerequisites

Students should have taken MIS-7500 or have equivalent course or work experience.  Students who wish to waive the prerequisite should e-mail the instructor and make their request, including a brief description of their equivalent experience.  In such cases, the instructor normally contacts the registrar and notifies them that the prerequisite has been waived.

Other Related Courses

The following courses can help you develop related skills and knowledge in the areas of electronic business and e-commerce:

• MIS7520, Designing Organizations with Information Technology (DOIT). While retaining a business orientation, MIS7520 is a more technical course than the other two MIS courses listed below. Students in MIS7520 learn how to redesign business processes and then actually prototype the redesign using tools such as Microsoft Access and web page development tools.
• MIS7570, Emerging Technology: E-Commerce. MIS7570 addresses the strategic application of advanced technologies for electronic commerce. The course emphasizes inter-company information flows and the management of information, particularly via the Web, for competitive advantage. MIS7570 also gives a more in-depth coverage of the technologies used for e-commerce.
• MIS7571, Powering the eBusiness with Information Technology.  This course addresses how e-businesses use information technology to achieve competitive advantage in both internal and external activities.  Students examine every aspect of a company's value chain to learn how information technology can add as much value as possible to each business discipline and to integrate cross-functional processes.
• MKT 7540, Retailing.  Retailers lie at the end of the value chain.  They interface with the ultimate consumer as well as with suppliers. Importantly, e-commerce has all but revolutionized every phase of the retailing scene.   This class is designed to familiarize students with the decisions involved in running a retail firm and the concepts and principles for making those decisions.  There will be a strong emphasis on e-commerce.  It is not, however, a course in e-retailing. We will study both the bricks and mortor retail envionment and e-retailing with an emphasis on their similarities and differences.
• MKT7570, Direct Marketing and E-Commerce. MKT7570 focuses on how firms are using technologies to market and deliver a wide range of products and services to their B2B and B2C customers.  Direct marketing systems are contrasted to traditional approaches.  The course focuses on understanding how to create and manage e-commerce/e-business systems to compete for a wide range of B2C, B2B and ASP opportunities.
• MKT7540, Retailing in a Networked Environment. MKT7540 specifically applies the concepts reviewed in some of the above classes to retailing problems.
• OPS7520, Supply Chain Management. OPS7520 focuses on the relationship between material flows and information flows, predominantly between companies.

Class Approach and Student Evaluation

Classroom participation, an individual written case study, an individual topic presentation, and a team e-comm business plan are the basis for the course grade.  Each of these is discussed below.

The weighting of these elements in the student's final grade are:

• Participation will be evaluated on the basis of understanding and using assigned readings and study findings, contributing to insight on analysis and action recommendations for the case or topic being discussed, and taking into account others' inputs.  Excessive absence or tardiness from class or other disregard for professional behavior will adversely affect this grade. To get a good grade in participation students must verbally contribute, discuss and raise questions in class.  Attendance will not be taken, however, students with weak attendance will not be available to contribute to the in-class discussions. Tent cards will also help the instructor learn your name and attribute your contributions properly.

• An Individual Case Study is to be a written analysis of a specific company or e-business topic. Case papers are to "mimic" regular HBS and Babson case studies. The papers are to take into account not only the class materials, but also the class discussions and insights after the class. Criteria will be discussed in class during the first two classes. Students will chose a topic from a suggested list or receive instructor approval for an "off the list" topic. Only one student in the class may work on any particular topic or company. Details are given below.

  Each student will prepare their case study about a company or industry coping with electronic commerce or electronic business in some way.  Unique companies and industries will be selected by each student on a first-come, first served basis on a class sign-up page. The current list of suggested companies and topics may be viewed by clicking here (Click here to view prospective case companies and topics list.)    Data for the study can be gathered from the Web, field work, from publicly available information, from the library, and/or from a visit to a local firm.   NOTE: There is no guarantee that a company or topic on the list will be a "good" topic - specifically, indepth information may NOT be available to justify the company as a good study.  Students are to determine the suitability of a company based on their initial research prior to signing up for the topic. Students may change their topic during the semester with the approval of the professor.

  The firm you select should be involved in a key way with electronic business, either as a service provider, manufacturer, distributor, retailer, supply chain element, or as a user. (More will be said in class on the selection criteria.) The case study should be organized to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the e-business and its potential for long-term success. As a general guideline, the case study could include (but not be limited to):

  • Describe the company's business (briefly)
  • Describe the relation of electronic commerce to business practice, noting any changes from before to after electronic commerce was adopted
  • Give industry background: growth, number of firms, major players, etc.
  • Give background of company: age, size, growth, market, strategy
  • Analyze the Porter five forces, SWOT and other relevant frameworks, only if appropriate
  • Analyze the business model (the meaning of a "model" will be defined in class) [required]
  • Investigate the competitive financial situation: ratio analysis on key operating performance measures (inventory turnover, sales/employee, ROA, etc.) compared to industry values and relate to future "success"
  • Discuss key management challenges: today, a few years ago, a few years in the future
  • Include names, titles and quotes from key people, especially people you may interview (be sure to list people you interview in your bibliography)
  • Identify any entrepreneurial opportunities that are not yet covered by the firm
  • Discuss the information technology used in the e-comm initiative [required]
  • Include a complete bibliography and references, including complete citation of works from all sources (including the Web) in proper bibliographic form
  • Include a Teaching Note of one or two pages describing how you would teach your case to a similar class. What questions would you ask (and how would you answer them)? What would be the learning points?
  A key purpose of this project is for you to explore in depth a company or topic that deals with electronic commerce. This is a learning experience for you and you should feel free to explore particular aspects of the case company that can help you understand the class material in a more meaningful way.  Another purpose of your case, if well written, is for future use within the course in other classes.

  Students should make their choice of a topic by Class 5 - October 9 or 10, and notify the instructor by e-mail.  Students are reminded to indicate which class (Monday or Tuesday) they are in when they make their choice.

  The due date for this paper will be November 13 or 14 depending on which class you are in. The paper will be due in written and electronic form as a Word 97 document (or Mac Word 98). Your electronic Word document should be sent to the instructor by electronic mail. Late papers will be marked down a full letter grade for each calendar day they are late!!  If you have an emergency, you should contact the instructor ahead of time with a very good excuse.  Papers may be submitted early.
  
  

• Team E-Comm Business Plan Presentation Project - The class will form project teams of two to four students per team. No single person teams will be accepted.  Each team will propose, design and develop a profile of a new e-comm business. A short business plan presentation will be one of the products that will be submitted. (Business plans will be discussed in an early class. Several documents that may be helpful are available at the following links: 1 [download ppt file],    2,  and   3.) The business may be any of the following types of projects:

  • Definition of a new EC initiative (EC product or service)
  • Reinvention of an established (but trouble-plagued) initiative
  • Creation of an EC initiative for an established company (if needed, from a clean slate)
  The business plan presentation and a companion demonstration web site are due on one of the last last two classes depending on which team you are on (details in class). The paper may be submitted in a fashion similar to that established above for the Individual Case Study Project (e.g., paper copy to the instructor in class the day of your presentation, and e-mail of Word 97/Powerpoint 97 files and web site to the instructor). This project is intended to be an enjoyable experience, but is a serious exercise.  For some students in the past, this has been the preparation of materials that launched real businesses.

  The business plan presentation should follow an outline of a reasonable plan. Various outlines and content descriptions will be made available to the class.  Appendices may be used for details too numerous to present in class.  Project plan presentations and a presentation of the team's demonstration web site will be made to the class in one of the last two sessions. (The demonstration web site may be done in Powerpoint if skills are not available on the team to create an actual site.)  Space on a campus server can be provided to teams needing a home for their sites.  Please contact the instructor well ahead of time to obtain site space/location.

  Each team will make a fifteen minute or so briefing of their project (and site) to the class and answer questions. Treat the class as a room full of venture capitalists or executives you are trying to interest in your concept. The instructor will assign presentation dates about mid-way through the semester.  You may trade dates with another team, however, notify the instructor of your trade.

  During the semester the instructor would like to receive the following information from you and your team:

  By Class 5 - The names on your team, your project title, and a one paragraph description. This may be provided by e-mail, however, please be sure to indicate your name, e-mail, team member names, and team name in your communication.

  By Class 9 - A list of any problems you are facing and may need help resolving.  Also your request for web site server space, if needed.

Course Materials

There is NO course pack for this class.  All readings are or will be available online.  Some readings may be added to the syllabus during the semester.  Students should note the version of this syllabus and ensure they are using the most up to date version for their class assignments as the semester progresses.  Where possible articles and case studies will be posted via links on this syllabus; for some cases articles about a company will be used in lieu of a case - they will be treated the same way as a regular case.  Some cases with limited distribution will be available only via ecampus.  Students are also expected to visit the Web sites of all case study companies prior to class discussions.

There is a textbook.  The text book for the class will be the most recent version of PriceWaterhouseCoopers "E-Business Technology Forecast."  This book is available for $300 directly from PWC, however, the instructor has made arrangements with PWC to obtain copies of the book for $30.  Please bring cash or checks to obtain your copy of the book in class.  Receipts will be provided upon request.

Changes in syllabus by version date:
9/12/00 - repaired some broken links; added Week 1 link to slides.
9/17/00 - Week 2 and 3 slides added.
10/1/00 - Week 4 slides added. Kesner Extras added. Notes on guests updated including Week 5 assignments.
10/4/00 - Week 11 dates corrected.
10/8/00 - Week 5 slides added.
10/12/00 - Week 6 slides added. T. Moore's slides added.
10/19/00 - R. Kane's slides added. Week 7 slides added.
10/30/00 - Various links to slides added. New Week 8 speaker added.
11/2/00 - Broken links in Week 9 fixed. Some new assignments made. Ross and Goepfert slides added.
11/9/00 - Marc Cecere slides and article added to links for Week 9. Format fixed.

End of Syllabus.