1. Read the following scenario. Create what would be an Executive Summary for your assessment. Be sure to include a justification of the importance of data quality, the key areas for vigilence, and the mechanisms you will create for the future. You don't need to convince the CIO, but you do need to convince the owners. (40 points)

Smalltown Hardware and Home Improvement (yes, headquartered in Smalltown, Arkansas!) began as a local hardware store in the 1950s. During the last ten years, the company has grown from three stores (all in Smalltown) to 27 stores throughout Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and northeastern Texas. After this relatively rapid expansion that included opening 15 new stores and acquiring 9 stores through the purchase of 2 competitors, the owners decided it was time to take IT seriously so they hired a CIO just a few months ago. Prior to this hire, the company supported its IT needs through a patchwork of employees and systems. The new CIO now faces a daunting list of IT needs, most notably system integration, security, and data quality. She has hired your small consulting company to analyze the data quality issues within Smalltown Hardware and Home Improvement. The owners are in full support of the need to integrate systems, especially in light of the recent acquisitions, and they are quite scared of the possibility of a security breach. However, they are convinced that the data throughout the company is fine and that data quality is not really a critical task.