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The final exam
will contain 4 questions. We will provide you, in advance, 8
to 10 questions covering a large proportion of the themes
discussed in class. The 4 exam questions will be pick from
these 10 questions.
Completed list of questions
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Summarize some of the important characteristics of the
Internet and explain how these can be exploited in order to
create wealth.
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The Internet and information technologies contribute to the
creation of value by reducing the “compromise” between the
needs of consumers and what firms bring to the market.
Explain the concept, how it can be done and provide examples
to illustrate it.
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Internet will have an major impact on the music industry.
Try to predict how the industry will evolve in the next 10
years. Base your vision on what you know about the evolution
of technology and (most importantly) on the competitive
forces in the industry.
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The Internet and information technologies allow the
reproduction and the distribution of information and
digital goods at nearly no cost. However the cost of
producing and editing that information still remains.
Explain how information producers can use the Internet and
pricing strategy to make more profits? [Use examples.]
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It is not
surprising that the first major online store, Amazon,
sells books rather than vegetables. Present a list of
characteristics that would make products more suitable for
online e-commerce (B2C).
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The e-bay model applies wonderfully for certain types of
markets and with difficulty for others. Characterize the
markets for which the model of e-Bay succeeds well.
Explain why. What aspects of the e-Bay model do not apply
in the case of B2B?
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Distrident’s
top management wants you to help them determine their
e-commerce strategy. They would like you to address as
precisely as possible the following question: How can we
use Internet to add value to the products and services we
offer to the dental clinic? Details about the company are
provided in the Distrident Table below.
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Explain the concept of the push-pull strategy. Explain how
the information technologies help move the frontier
between the push and the pull. Give examples.
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Explain the objectives of organizations like OASIS and
Rosettanet. Explain how they could help transform B2B
e-commerce.
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In
your team project, you have presented the case of a company
(or group of companies). Explain how the company uses the
Internet technologies in order to create and capture value.
Table for
question 7.
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DISTRIDENT
THE COMPANY
- DistriDent is
a major Canadian distributor of dental products
- 14 offices in
all Canadian Provinces
- Full service
distributor: maintenance and repair of equipment,
buying and selling of dental clinics, designing and
planning of new clinics, and supervision of
construction
- Revenues of
about $100 million
- 350 employees
(100 sales representatives)
- Fairly
traditional business. The contact with the clients is
done mostly through the sales representatives
SALES
REPRESENTATIVES
- Visit
regularly the dental clinics. Their job consist of
presenting the new products to the dentist, take
orders and solve any problems that may arise in the
use of the products, train the dentist in the proper
use of the products.
- Competition
is fierce. There are many distributors that offer just
about the same products and services. With the result
that clients are not particularly loyal.
PRODUCTS
- Large number
of products in the catalogue (60,000). It includes
almost everything that is used by a dentist from tooth
fillings to x-ray machines and chairs
- Many products
are complex and their use requires that an exact
procedure be followed. Furthermore, the rate of
innovation has increased greatly in the last few
years. As a consequence, sales representatives must
often provide dentists with technical information that
often they do not possess.
OPERATIONS
- Regional
offices are responsible for all sales activities,
order entry and product delivery to the dentists.
- All
management activities are centralized at the head
office in Toronto: marketing, information systems,
finance, procurement and accounting. Regional office
orders from Head office and not directly from
suppliers.
LEGACY SYSTEMS
- NCR Mainframe
Computer and dumb terminals
- UNIX
- 2000 COBOL
programs
- Order Entry,
Inventory Management and Accounting
- 6 employees
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Class 1
Class 2
Class
3
Class
4
Class
5
Class
6
Final exam
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