Steven C. Ross

Up In Smoke: Rebuilding After an IT Disaster

On July 3, 2002, fire destroyed a facility that served as both office and computer server room for a College of Business located in the United States. The fire also caused significant smoke damage to the office building where the computer facility was located. The monetary costs of the disaster were over

Make, Source, or Buy: The Decision to Acquire a New Reporting System

4 million. This case, written from the point of view of the chairperson of the College Technology Committee, discusses the issues faced by the college as they resumed operations and planned for rebuilding their information technology operations. The almost-total destruction of the college’s server assets offered a unique opportunity to rethink the IT architecture for the college. The reader is challenged to learn from the experiences discussed in the case to develop an IT architecture for the college that will meet operational requirements and take into account the potential threats to the system.

SERVICE QUALITY EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS: USE OF THE SERVQUAL INSTRUMENT FOR REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS

The College of Business (COB) at Northern Washington University (NWU) needs new data systems to provide reports and information both internally and for its external accrediting body. Dewitt Brown, COB’s associate dean, has been tasked with determining COB’s needs and developing recommendations for sources of systems. COB could develop the systems internally since it has database expertise among its faculty and staff. Or, it could outsource to NWU’s information technology staff. A third option, at least for some systems, is to purchase from an outside vendor. The decision is crucial: efficient, accurate reporting of data is key to COB’s strategic plan to continue its accreditation as well as ensure that operations are smooth as possible. If COB were to lose its accreditation, it would lose status and likely lose funding and students as well.