Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases

The digital media software (DMS) industry is an important yet relatively underexplored industry in terms of dynamics, evolution, market potential and growth opportunities. Using Adobe as an exemplar, this case highlights the evolution of the DMS industry with a focus on Adobe’s key business segments, business model and business strategy – product diversification and inorganic expansion – specifically capturing Adobe’s response to changing market needs. Why Adobe made an important yet risky strategic decision to transition from the time-tested perpetual licence price model to a cloud and subscription-based pricing model is the primary focus of this case. We cover the contextual imperatives that caused this strategic shift and the repercussions of the strategic decision on Adobe’s overall performance and future growth trajectory. This case attempts to familiarize readers with the dynamics of the DMS industry and allow them to assess Adobe’s customer value proposition and business models by utilizing concepts and frameworks from the strategy, technological innovation and platform business domains.

The teaching case focuses on central bank digital currency, or CBDC, which would be a new kind of government-issued digital currency. Currently, money already flows around the world through electronic circuits. Private/non-government digital currencies such as cryptocurrencies are decentralised, unregulated and highly volatile. Unlike the private digital money, CBDC would be centralised and controlled digital money. CBDC would provide a stable means of exchange amongst the citizens and businesses as it would be controlled by the central bank and backed by the government. CBDC could be programmed, transferred and traced more easily and at a lower cost. Through this case, students will get the opportunity to understand the advantages, risks and challenges of CBDC and how CBDC is different from the existing digital currencies such as Bitcoin, stable-coins and Diem. The efficient integration of CBDC with existing banking and payment systems to ensure flawless operations is a vital success factor for a country to embrace CBDC. The digital system’s simplified administrative and regulatory requirements will also assist governments in significantly lowering operational and technology maintenance expenses. At the same time, a CBDC could threaten the commercial banks, allowing the government to communicate directly with CBDC holders. Through this case, students will learn about different models that can be used to implement and integrate the CBDC system.

Green Cargo is a state-owned railway logistics company based in Sweden. The company has a wealth of experience in train logistics, and it is well-positioned to benefit from the push toward the zero-carbon future. To materialize this potential and to support growth, Green Cargo needs to create a strong digital foundation. This teaching case presents challenges faced by Mr Ingo Paas, CIO of Green Cargo, who is looking for ways to deal with an existing digital debt that has been hindering company’s digital transformation efforts.

The face is the index of the mind. It is commonly said that the face reveals one’s emotions. Facial expressions convey feelings and reaction to any given situation. The application of technology in this field has influenced decisions in legal judgements, policy decisions, education, security and medicine and in almost all other social interactions. In this article, we go through the concept of facial recognition technology (FRT, and its application – not just for invading one’s privacy but to check on its authenticity too).

The application of this technology, and the possibility of technological bias that perpetuates the human bias, is the core issue to be solved in this case.

1. Does the expression of the face depict and portray real emotions of an individual?

2. When emotions like anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise are not expressed explicitly on the face for various reasons, does it limit the performance of this technology?

Efficient and optimized port operations are required to keep up with the enormous pressure on the maritime supply chain caused by the rising demand for global goods. To achieve optimized and efficient port call operations, digitalization of the entire process is of the utmost importance. This case study thus analyzes the digitalization of port call operations in the maritime supply chain. We explain the port call operations, the inefficiencies of the traditional way the process is done and how digitalization can help reduce the inefficiencies. We then take the example of a port in Rotterdam, Netherlands and how they developed a platform called PortXchange and helped digitalize the port call operations, thus making the maritime supply chain resilient, efficient and fast. This case attempts to familiarize the readers with the dynamics of port operations, to assess the operational strategy taken by the Rotterdam port for developing the digital platform and to determine the competitive advantage it provides the users.

Digitalization captures most aspects of human life. New trends in digitalization have a great impact on the retail chain stores; hence, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) has somewhat become necessary to cope up with the changing trend in this sector. This case study analyses the use of artificial intelligence in an unstaffed supermarket called LIFVS located at the rural areas of Sweden. As the number of supermarkets was decreasing in the rural areas over the years due to high maintenance costs, many have opted out of business. In response to the situation, Co-founder Daniel Ludh (hereafter Daniel) implemented a sustainable business model using AI, which serves the purpose of supermarket chains meeting the demands of the consumers in the rural areas while keeping the costs truncated. The case also discusses the various challenges an unstaffed supermarket face and highlights the success of LIFVS, paving the path for the future retailers of the industry.

Since 2020, SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) has forced organizations to pivot towards digital transformation. Yet, the same period has seen a dramatic rise in hacking and ransomware attacks, especially from internationally malicious actors attempting to simultaneously disrupt and profit. Although a knee-jerk reaction has been the adoption of new-fangled technologies as the only way to prevent, detect, and mitigate attacks, this case study highlights how imperative it is for organizations to proactively review and re-engineer their process inefficiencies and human errors as a systematic counter-strategy. Using fictitious characters reflecting real-world hacking processes and outfits, this case projects the need for a new cybersecurity order, where cybersecure process reengineering and human training deserve greater attention than simply investing in newer cybersecurity technologies.

The influence of big data affects all aspects of life, including insurance. With car insurance, companies have the ability to go beyond the traditional driving history and current usage questions to customize policies for each holder, especially with the introduction of monitoring technology that is either installed directly into the car or accessed via cell phone. Most consumers who are interested in usage-based insurance coverage are willing to sacrifice any concerns with data security for the trade off of financial savings, but car insurance companies must be aware of the ethics of their actions and work to protect user data. Erie Insurance Company is specifically analyzed in this article as an example.

Clinical trials investigate the effectiveness and safety of new medications and treatments before market introduction. Data quality and speed are keys to clinical trials success, together with the overall time to bring innovative medicines to patients in need. Cutting edge trials programs rely on data from participant devices to track and monitor health. The supply chain of these devices, and leveraging supply chain data to improve it, have become critical to clinical trials success. This case presents how a small Business Unit specialized improved their device supply chain by digitizing supply chain processes and leveraging supply chain data. Set in the Swiss pharmaceuticals industry, case provides rich insights on data collection and exchange in clinical trials supply chains.

In a rapidly advancing technological world, traditional supply chains must evolve into becoming connected, smart, and digital. With the implementation of a Transport Management System, the Chocolate Co. automated their supply chain processes. Inevitably, preparing and executing the subsequent move in digital supply chain transformation is necessary.

Increasingly, companies across diverse fields are focusing on the customer experience as a means to creating compelling customer offerings in highly competitive markets. To gain customer empathy and deliver something that truly resonates with the customer, companies are stepping into the shoes of their customers. The aim of this case study is to allow students to evaluate Apple Card from customer experience and value-in-use perspectives. The case focuses on the nature of Apple’s credit card innovation and sources of customer value when it comes to using a credit card. It provides an opportunity for students to take a management perspective on service experience conception and design by unpacking the dimensions of customer value and mapping the touchpoints in a customer journey. The case also provides an opportunity for students to reflect on organizational challenges of customer experience design execution.

The retail sector constantly works hard to enhance consumer experience and maximize profit margins by improving operational effectiveness. The approach of smart technology in-store management, known as “smart retailing” works on this issue and helps increase positive customer experience. This case narrates the use of smart technology in Algramo—a start-up based in Chile, by getting information from secondary sources. It discusses the execution of the mission of Algramo to help everyone drastically alter their consumption patterns to ensure a prosperous future for both the current and following generations. This case portrays how Algramo is using this technology-led innovation to combat tax for the poor, revolutionize the way consumers spend, and mitigate climate change.

Wegmans Food Markets have been in the Northeastern United States since 1916 and have grown into a large chain with $11.2 billion in annual sales, a reputation among consumer as “America’s favorite grocery store,” and a business model that keeps them highly competitive in the market. While the stores have the feel of a European open-air market, Wegmans is using cutting-edge technology and modern philosophies to remain relevant and expand. This article discusses the history of Wegmans and how they are employing technology to benefit customers and their bottom line.

This case is designed to illustrate the conceptual foundations of business intelligence (BI) and business analytics (BA); thus, analysts can develop an understanding of how to utilize the BI & BA framework to make proper decisions in human resource recruitment. The case starts when Roger, the HR General Manager of Ford Motor Company Thailand, and his team decided to develop a BI-based integrated Team Leader Recruitment System for not only selecting the right candidates for the job but developing them into great team leaders for Ford production line as well. The team started discussing its current evaluation criteria, such as the score from its production system exam, the results of a case study and roleplay exam, and the final interview score, and then dove into more factors that helped create insights into the value of Ford employees. Employee Lifetime Value (ELTV) was then introduced, along with some other factors such as IQ and EQ scores and Myers Briggs Psychological Type Indicator (MBTI) scores. Finally, the team developed a BI dashboard that gathered all relevant factors to evaluate its final five candidates: Tom, James, Andy, Jonas, and Tony. The dashboard also displayed each candidate’s individual KPIs and the departmental and corporate KPIs they contributed to. Indexes measuring the candidate’s job satisfaction, workplace culture, and leadership and teamwork skills were also included as important factors for selecting the right candidates.

Essemtec AG develops, manufactures, and sells machinery and equipment to the electronics industry. This teaching case presents Essemtec AG’s experience with implementing a configure, price, quote (CPQ) system in its supply chain from the perspective of Tim, the Product Manager, who led the implementation project. This case helps students understand the value and organizational impact of a CPQ system on companies like Essemtec AG.