MINI-CASE: STRATEGIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLANNING AT THE MONEYMAKER As you return to your hotel room, tired from the first day at projects for one or the other of the executives. How am I start thinking about the challenge ahead. going to modernize our archaic infrastructure under these Your consulting firm was called in by an upstate New York resort and casino The MoneyMaker. The property is very addition to the casino, the resort has a large salon conditions?" The CEO seemed to recognize some of these issues and thought your help would be instrumental in changing and day spa, seven restaurants, and a theater that books things for the better. In the opening meeting, he said, much larger venues in the 1980s. hotel and tower, comedy acts and singers, many of them who used to play "Your firm is the best at this and you know our industry well. We need you to assess our current operations and yMaker's operation is centered on the draft a strategic plan; we will follow it at once!" As you comprising 453 rooms and suites, with organize your notes, a nagging feeling overcomes you- y of the luxuries typically found in the large Vegas resorts. The hotel also offers meeting space for confer- retreats. But, as you suspected and your meeting today confirmed, the resort's bread-and the firm does not seem to have great unity of purpose at the moment, so how does it expect you to be able get all ence and company butter customers are drive-in local guests. to "develop a strategic information systems plan." Yet the have certainly been in impression that the client marketing said. "We are missing the boat. Large chains , What do you see as the major pitfalls of the members of the firm on the same page? Plans are vacu- ous without the commitment of those who have to follow them. Your consulting firm has been engaged by the client Well," you tell yourself, "one step at a time." You more difficult situations. series of meetings you had today left you with the distinct has already formulated some ideas. In a meeting with you, the senior vice president of DISCUSSION QUESTIONS current Tumam manner in which the information systems budgetin and prioritization process is run? What do you believe are going to be the major chal- lenges you will encounter on this assignment? like Harrah's target our customers with precise marketin offers. We must invest in Business Intelligence and CRM tools or we will not survive." From the director of tech- nology services you heard mostly frustration: "They want 3. Do you agree with the CEO's seeming belief that the me to deliver a world-class infrastructure on a shoestrin The CFO, to whom I report, makes me justify every IT investment. ROI and net present value calculations are all he cares about! Yet two-thirds of my budget goes to keep. strategic information system planning process can be outsourced to a consulting firm? 4. What should be your next step as you get to work tomorrow morning? ing the lights on, and the remainder is spent on various pet Direch