The Relentless Pursuit of "Free, Perfect, Now." IT-Enabled Value Innovation at Marshall Industries

http://adv.onewebsystems.com/sim/library/doc/paper1.doc

This paper won first prize in the 1997 SIM International Awards Competition. It describes "the experience of Marshall Industries, an electronics distribution company that ventured to change the rules in order to take advantage of IT-enabled ways to quickly create value for its network of present and future partners. The paper examines the challenges that faced Marshall Industries in 1991 and how the company transformed itself through the CEO's vision of a collaborative organization fueled by IT-enabled value innovation and its rapid deployment."

Questions:

1. Characterize the problems at Marshall Industries that led to some of the changes described in this case.

2. What were the main changes in organizational structure, and how were these changes related to changes in information systems?

3. What are the following information systems and how are they used: MarshallNet, PartnerNet, Distribution Resource Planner, and Electronic Design Center?

4. How do the various information systems mentioned in the article fit into the information system categories in the Chapter?

5. Describe the role of IT in the company's strategic vision.

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