Problem Statement
Nowadays, for business firms it is quite impossible to be successful in a global market without the use of advanced technological features. Nevertheless, the implementation of these new technologies, especially online platforms, has resulted to be a real challenge for many companies. These difficulties encountered are not only from a technical point of view but also from a managerial and human resources point of view.
Data Reliability
Summary of key findings for Live!, a subsidiary of Microsoft inc. (unsuccessful)
Live! was the replacement that Microsoft launched for MSN. This subsidiary company was meant to offer the latest in software application technology. It was meant to further develop the existing offers from MSN and even implement new solutions to the problems encountered with existing versions. The latest developments were an improved version of the existing MSN Messenger including some newly unique features. Nevertheless, the application was full of bugs and users found it difficult to transmit and receive data.
Alternative solution for Live!
RPB can weigh the cost-benefits related to data reliability and the benefits the company receives from implementing a new software development.
Project risk and impact of that risk
Summary of key findings for Yahoo! Inc. (successful)
Even Yahoo! has been one of the key market players when it comes to IT technology implementation. It was one of the first companies to offer electronic mail services on a large scale at the end of the last century. Today, Yahoo! Mail is one of the most used email services worldwide. The latest versions of it make personal accounts, My Yahoo!, more interactive in combining several features other than mail, including news, video and shopping features. The idea was to offer to the market an all-inclusive, easy to use interface.
Alternative solutions for Yahoo! Inc.
RPB can weigh the cost-benefits related to user access and the benefits the company receives from implementing a new software development.
Alternate approaches to ‘resourcing’ a project
Summary of key findings for Apple Inc. (unsuccessful)
The latest invention of the staff at Apple Inc. is ready to launch its latest product, the iPad. The idea behind this project was to deliver a product which will embody all of the successes of the previous iPod, iMac and iPhone. Nevertheless, this project turned out to be more complicated than thought before. Apple Inc. postponed its market release due to unfavorable technical reviews of bugs and crashes.
Alternative solution for Apple Inc.
RPB can weigh the cost-benefits related to product performance for the iPad and the benefits the company receives from launching this new piece of technology in the market. Companies tend to be careful when releasing this type of technological products due to the unpredicted problems associated with them (Luftman, 2004).
Methods of tracking and status reporting
Summary of findings for Microsoft Inc. (successful)
Microsoft is the worldwide leader in the OS industry. Its Windows OS is the most used from PC users globally. The latest release version of the OS, the Windows 7, is showing to be a success. This success is due to the many improvements made from the previous version, Vista. The biggest problem for Microsoft’s OS products is hacking. The unlicensed cracking of the software has become widespread.
Alternative solutions
That is why in the latest OS version Microsoft has embodied some unique validity tracking and status reporting, in order to ensure that each user has rightfully purchased this product.
Methods to reduce conflict within a project team
Summary of findings for Remington Peckinpaw Davis (unsuccessful)
In the case of the company discussed, the launching of the new online trading platform has come to be a more complicated issue than thought before. The errors and bugs reported, along with the Tuesday crash, sparked conflict within the staff. Each part was trying to justify its work and pass the fault to the other. That is not the correct attitude team players should have (Mullins & Walker, 2008).
Alternative solutions
The implementation of eRPD needs that the head management enforces a different company culture, which is the key to success (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2010).
References
DeCenzo, D.A. & Robbins, S.P. (2010). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 10th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Luftman J (2004) Managing the Information Technology Resource, N. Y.: Pearson.
Mullins, J. W., Walker, Jr., O. C., & Boyd, H. W. (2008). Marketing management: A strategic decision making approach (6h ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.