BISM1201 Transforming Business with Information Systems Assignment 1 Information Systems Theory Semester 1, 2025 Course Coordinator and Lecturer: Shahrzad Roohy Gohar Ref: Copilot. (2025). A modern technology company named InnoTeck, specializing in AI-driven automation solutions [AI-generated image]. OpenAI Information Systems Development in a Competitive Business Environment InnoTeck Solutions is a rapidly growing technology firm that specializes in providing AIdriven automation solutions for medium-sized enterprises. The company has gained significant traction in the market due to its innovative approach and customer-centric services. However, as the industry evolves, InnoTeck is facing intensified challenges from multiple sources. Their core products include: 1. Decision Support Systems o Analyze business data and provide actionable insights. o Helps businesses optimize supply chains, manage risk, and improve customer engagement. 2. Chatbots and Virtual Assistants o Provides customer support automation through various technologies. o Customizable for various industries, including retail, healthcare, and finance. 3. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Add-ons o AI integrations for existing ERP systems to improve forecasting, demand planning, and inventory management. 4. Sustainable Solutions o Focus on environmentally friendly automation by optimizing energy consumption and promoting paperless workflows. o Uses ethical AI practices to ensure transparency and accountability in automation. New startups, leveraging cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) models, have begun offering similar automation solutions at highly competitive prices. These emerging companies benefit from reduced infrastructure costs and scalable operations, making it increasingly difficult for InnoTeck to maintain its market lead. Additionally, enterprise clients are becoming more sophisticated in their requirements, demanding highly customizable solutions with superior integration capabilities. Many businesses are engaging in competitive bidding processes, further tightening profit margins for InnoTeck. At the same time, the company relies heavily on third-party AI models and cloud infrastructure providers, whose rising costs of data storage and computational resources have created financial strain. The reliance on external providers puts InnoTeck in a position where changes in supplier pricing or policies could significantly impact its business model. Meanwhile, traditional automation methods, such as established ERP systems and custom-built software, continue to serve as viable alternatives. Some clients, wary of reliance on third-party 2 automation vendors, have chosen to invest in internal development teams rather than outsourcing their automation needs. Beyond these market shifts, large multinational corporations with extensive resources are aggressively expanding into AI-driven automation. With access to top-tier talent, significant R&D budgets, and powerful marketing strategies, these companies are capturing market share at an accelerated pace. InnoTeck’s leadership team recognizes that maintaining a competitive edge will require a fundamental shift in business strategy. In response to these challenges, InnoTeck is exploring potential avenues for low-cost leadership, product differentiation, market niche focus, or strengthening their customer and/or supplier intimacy. The leadership team is considering all options but the decision on how best to move forward remains a crucial one. As a strategic consultant for InnoTeck, you have three tasks to complete: Task 1 (12 marks) Strategy and Information System (IS) Consultancy Report (maximum 600 words) As a strategic consultant for InnoTeck, you are writing a consultancy report to your client, InnoTeck. In this report, while providing your analysis of the company’s challenges in scenario, you should 1.1) Select ONE strategy from the following four options, and define and justify your chosen strategy in detail, explaining its relevance to InnoTeck’s current challenges in the business market. In your report, you should explain specific challenges that InnoTeck faces, how your chosen strategy directly tackles these issues, and potential risks or limitations of implementing this strategy. I. II. III. IV. 1.2) 1.3) Low-cost leadership Product differentiation Market niche focus Strengthening customer and/or supplier intimacy In doing so, describe how a related IS solution can support InnoTeck to achieve your chosen strategy. Be specific about system functionalities that align with your strategic choice. Be specific about how the suggested IS solution could create value for InnoTeck. To ensure InnoTeck is trusting your solution, you should research the web and provide a real-world example of a real-world company that has successfully 3 implemented a similar strategy. Take note of the following items when you choose the real-world example:  Choose an example that is specific and relevant to your argument.  Use “Google” as your search engine and read reports and cases from industry forums, online magazines, industry journals, case studies and research papers. Avoid using commercial advertisements, Wikipedia, or opinion blogs as your source.  Please avoid repeating the examples already discussed in lectures/tutorials. Using the already used examples from your textbook or course material will result in zero mark.  Compare InnoTeck with real-world examples of similar companies that have successfully leveraged IS for competitive advantage.  Support your arguments with sound reasoning, statistics if needed, and references to relevant academic sources of IS and strategy concepts.  Practice academic referencing including in-text citation and list of references at the end of your report. Details of referencing method is in the later sections of this document. Important Note for Quality of Analysis: Your Task 1 essay should go beyond surface-level observations. Provide a critical assessment of why the selected strategy is suitable for InnoTeck, considering the company’s competitive landscape, Porter’s competition theories and industry dynamics. Please avoid major firms such as Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon, Samsung, UPS, Walmart, Toyota, and avoid repeating the examples already discussed in lectures/tutorials. Using the already used examples in classes will result in zero marks for task 1. Task 2 (5 marks) Ethical Considerations (maximum 200 words) Briefly discuss TWO ethical challenges InnoTeck might encounter when implementing your recommended strategy and IS solution. Use in-text citation and practice academic referencing in your answer (1-2 references suffices). Your references can come from industry reports or academic journals and conference papers, books, resources, industry protocols, standards or frameworks. Important Note for Quality of Analysis: Some of the ethical considerations you can choose to address are Data privacy and security, Transparency and accountability in AI usage, and Sustainability including social and environmental impact. 4 Task 3 (3 marks) Strategy vs. Technology (maximum 100 words) Briefly analyze whether strategy or technology would be the primary driver of competitive advantage for InnoTeck if your recommendations are implemented. In doing so, provide evidence from your analysis in Task 1 to support your argument, making clear whether the strategic direction or the technological capabilities are more decisive. Your argument should be brief and clear within the word limit. References are not required for this task. AI Acknowledgement Ethical Use of Generative AI in Academic Work (50-200 words)    Include a short acknowledgment regarding your use of any generative AI tools (e.g., Copilot) in your work. In your acknowledgement State clearly: o Whether you used such tools or not. o If used, describe how they assisted you (e.g., for brainstorming, refining arguments, summarizing sources). o If used, how did you verify the accuracy of information provided by AI tools before incorporating it into your case study? o If used, how did you ensure that your final submission maintained your authentic academic integrity despite AI assistance? If used, please list your prompts (eg. Prompt: What is low-cost leadership? Copilot: Low-cost leadership is a business strategy …etc). IMPORTANT: Missing AI Acknowledgement Task will result in 2 marks deduction from total mark of your assignment. There is no extra mark for this task. 5 Assignment Preparation and Submission Guidelines Submission Due Date:   The assignment is due by new deadline FRIDAY 11/04/2025 3:00 PM (Brisbane time). Late submissions of more than 15 minutes will incur penalties. Please visit BISM1201 Course Profile for more details about late submission penalties and extensions.  Preparation and Submission:            Download the answer template and complete with your essays in answer to task questions. Word Count Adherence: Stick closely to the prescribed word counts. Minor deviations (±10%) are acceptable only if the quality of analysis is maintained. 1.5 spacing, 12-point font, page numbering, layout with 2.5 cm margins Proofread for spelling and grammatical quality File Format: PDF (Portable Document Format) is the only format acceptable. Documents submitted using other templates will not be accepted. File Naming Convention: BISM1201_LastName_StudentID Submit through Blackboard, Assessment, IS Theory Assignment, Turnitin link to your Multiple submissions are allowed before the due date for Turnitin checks; only the last submission will be marked. No hardcopy or email submissions will be accepted. See Blackboard Assignment Submission Instructions for more information. See Turnitin Assignment Instructions for more information. Individual Completion:    This assignment is to be completed individually by each student. Discussion with peers is encouraged, but the written work you submit must be entirely your own. Do not share yours or other assignments (present or past) to help your peers. Referencing and Citing:   You need 3-5 references to back up your analysis and arguments throughout the whole assignment. Use references not older than 5 years (NB: ChatGPT or GenAI platforms are not references and avoid using commercial advertisements or Wikipedia).  Base theoretical knowledge in your answers and terminologies on course material. 6        Use your own words for reporting other authors’ views and reference properly. Do not copy and paste online material and other authors’ work in your document.  Avoid using direct quotations or ensure they are kept very minimal, in quotation marks, and referenced.  For example, “Nike uses a product differentiation information system strategy because it allows customers to use its online platform to customise its sneakers. This means that Nike can use information systems to offer a different value proposition than its competitors (Smith & Chang, 2010)”. Provide a real-world example for Task 1, properly referenced using in-text referencing and included in the reference list. Examples can come from academic journals, industry journals, online newspapers, organisation websites, magazines etc. The realworld examples must be referenced according to referencing requirements.  If the reference source anonymises the real-world company’s name, then you should look for the anonymised name in the paper and use that. For example, company’s name in the reference source is anonymised to ‘Company A’. You should use 'Company A’ from the original reference source. Please make sure you also cite the reference source.  Use the APA (7th edition) or another UQ Library approved style as long as you are consistent across the document.  See Referencing Style Guides Guidelines related to Assignment Rubric:    Critical Thinking: Your submission should reflect a well-supported, in-depth analysis. Ensure every claim is justified with evidence and reasoning. Clarity and Coherence: Your arguments should be structured logically, with each section building on the previous one. Clear headings and subheadings are encouraged. AI Transparency: While the use of UQ-guided Gen AI tools is allowed as long as you acknowledge their contribution, your final work must clearly demonstrate your own critical analysis. Please find the marking rubric on next page. 7 Assignment 1 Marking Rubric This assignment is worth 20 marks (20% of your total course credit). The marking rubric is designed to reflect a marking schema of 100 percent that is scaled back to 20 marks. Part marks are rounded up or down to the nearest half mark. CRITERIA BELOW EXPECTATIONS (0% TO 50%) MEETS EXPECTATIONS (50% TO 70%) VERY GOOD (70% TO 90%) OUTSTANDING (>90%) No clear strategic direction. Justification lacks depth and is unsupported. Weak connection to company’s challenges. Identifies a relevant strategy but lacks depth in justification. Some connection to company’s business needs. Strong justification with logical reasoning. Strategy is well linked to company’s market position and challenges. Exceptional analysis with deep insight into competitive forces and company’s positioning. Persuasive and wellsupported argument. Weak or generic IS solution. No clear link to competitive advantage. Missing functionalities or IS impact. IS solution is relevant but lacks detail on how it is inked to strategy and competitive advantage Sufficiently explained IS solution aligned with the chosen strategy. Sufficient link to how the solution contributes to competitive advantage. Exceptional and wellarticulated IS solution recommendation with strong justification. Demonstrates how IS in assignment case is driver of success to achieve competitive advantage. No real-world example provided, repetitive example from course material, or the example is not relevant. Example is provided but lacks depth or strong connection to company’s strategy. Referencing needs improvement. Strong and relevant real-world example. Good application of research to support arguments. Proper referencing. Exceptional and highly relevant real-world example. Research is well integrated, insightful, and strengthens the argument. Flawless referencing for over 2 references. TASK 2: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS (5 MARKS) No ethical discussion or vague and points with no relevance. Identifies some ethical issues but lacks depth or specificity to case. Exceptionally wellarticulated ethical analysis, discussing multiple dimensions. TASK 3: STRATEGY VS. TECHNOLOGY (3 MARKS) No clear argument or Basic argument but wrong answer. lacks strong reasoning. Mentions strategy or technology but does not fully justify the claim. Covers key ethical concerns with relevant discussion. Demonstrates understanding of industry ethical challenges. Well-structured argument with logical support. References previous analysis in Task 1 effectively. TASK 1: STRATEGY SELECTION AND JUSTIFICATION (4 MARKS) TASK 1: IS SOLUTION & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE (4 MARKS) TASK 1: REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE AND RELEVANCE TO COMPANY (4 MARKS) Highly compelling argument, clearly linking back to competitive advantage. Uses strong reasoning and possibly external references. 8 WRITING AND PRESENTATION (2 MARKS AND APPLIES ACROSS ALL TASKS) Lacks clear structure and organization. Arguments lack logical flow. Hard to follow. Multiple grammar, spelling, or formatting errors. Unacceptable referencing practice. Basic structure evident with some signposting. Some organization, but sections could be clearer. Logical flow needs improvement. Some minor errors in grammar or spelling. Referencing is present but inconsistent. Well-organized and structured. Transitions between sections are clear and logical with clear signposting. Well-edited with minimal errors. Referencing is accurate and follows required format. Excellent structure, wellsignposted, with coherent linking of paragraphs or clear headings. Exceptionally clear, professional, and wellstructured. Each section flows logically, making for an engaging read. Flawless grammar and spelling. Excellent referencing. Professionally presented document. END OF ASSIGNMENT 9 
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