• Explain why it is essential for Costco's corporate accounting, marketing, and operations management business units to access and analyze information about individual store sales.
• Explain how systems thinking supports business operations and how MIS solves the issue with information silos throughout Costco's entire worldwide organization.
• Only members of Costco can purchase products at Costco. Which of Porter's Five Forces did Costco address through the introduction of its members-only program?
• How is Costco addressing the other Porter forces?
• Which of the three generic strategies is Costco following? What is their rationale for pursuing this strategy?
• Explain why competitive advantage can only be temporary