Select three (3) of the following eight problems.

The entire essay should be no longer than 12 double-spaced pages and should be no shorter than 9 double-spaced pages. Basically 3 pages for each problem.

The examination is an opportunity to apply what we’ve discussed in class to the optimization and delivery of technology at your (past or current) company or your industry. This is a practical exercise designed to get you to think realistically about how technology could help your company make money, save money and improve services.

Problem #1: Big Data & Internet of Things (IoT)

How will big data impact the Internet of Things (IoT)? Will it be as impactful as business technology pundits believe it will be? Why or why not?

Problem #2: Business Models & Processes

Take a hard look at your company’s business model and key business processes. What do you see? Does anyone “own” business processes and business modeling? How does your company identify, refine and test new business models and processes? Does it use any BPM tools? What do you suggest your company do here? Would an inventory of processes help? How would you go about building such an inventory?

Problem #3: Customers

How do you feel about companies keeping track of your personal data, your likes, web sites that you have visited and places you have been? Is this something that we should just accept and why or why not?

Problem #4: New Management

You have just been promoted into a newly created role in your company as Chief Digital Officer. Prioritize what are the first five things that you would do in this role and explain why?

Problem #5: Cloud Delivery

Conduct a core competency assessment for your company: what should you do in-house with technology, with partners and completely outside? Should you enter the cloud? Should you rent versus buy? What would a business case look like for entering the cloud? Should you start with some “as-a-service” model, like software-as-a-service (SaaS)? Should you rent applications, hardware, services—or all of the above? What would a cloud strategy look like at your company?

Problem #6: Social Media

How would you develop a business case for an investment in social media at your company? What are the implementation risks? What should the objectives be? What should you "listen" to? What would you expect to learn from social media and what should you do about what you learn?

Problem #7: Security

Security breaches have become more common. It is now a matter of not if it will happen but when. What steps would you take to manage security in your organization?

Problem #8: Measurement

How should you measure the current and future contribution that technology makes at your company? What total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) models make sense at your company? What ROI models should be applied to technology investments? What hardware, software, infrastructure and processes should be measured? What decisions should be based on the results of a measurement project?