THE AMERICAN FOODS COMPANY [CASE STUDY 9]
This essential problem involved in this case is that substantial changes were made in the information systems of the American Foods Company in the absence of close coordination between all of the parties involved in the situation. The Information Services Department especially and the outside data entry vendor to a lesser extent tended to act as if their organizations were the only concerned entities with respect to their actions associated with changes effected to the company's information systems. The user entity in this case, the Materials Management Department, was less culpable; however, many of the problems encountered in the changing environment either could have been prevented or have been minimized had this department insisted from the beginning on a place at the table in the planning, development, and implementation stages of the changes to the company's information systems.
The specific problem in this case that now confronts the company is not how the earlier problem was addressed. Rather, the specific problem at this point is what the affected parties are going to do to assure that similar situations are not encountered in the future.
Justification For Problem Definition
The preceding definition of the problem is justified for several reasons. First, the efficient and effective functioning of the company's information system is crucial to the company's financial success. Second, substantial further changes to the company's information system will be required in the near future. Third, the corrections effected to deal with the present problem are not the systemic changes required to assure that situations similar to the present situation do not occur in the future.
There are a number of alternative courses of action that may be followed by the company to address the problem identified above. The more significant of the alternative courses of action open to the...