Mgmt 408

Case Study 1 – Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems

Date: September 4, 2015

Course: MGMT 408

Instructor: Susanne Marshall

INTRODUCTION:

In this case study, Leon Lassiter, the Vice President of Marketing with the Midsouth Chamber of Commerce, was faced with a multitude of problems. He was in charge of a major project, which was to oversee major systems conversion for the marketing and sales division. Unfortunately, as the project went on, all forms of progress simply broke down. As time continued to pass, the project with moved slowly with little to no work to show for it. Lassiter began to notice more problems causing the project to move even slower. Problems ranging from: lack of information technology experience, the fall of responsibilities, and even the breakdown of communications… the project seemed like a disaster.

BACKGROUND:

The broadening of MSCC’s role brought substantial change to the organization. In 1988 the MSCC had a staff of 14, a membership of 3,000 businesses and individuals, and an annual budget of $1,720,000. Over the years, the MSCC had been able to develop a reserve account of just over $1.5 million. By 2000, the staff had grown to 24, the $1.5 million cash reserve had been drawn down to $250,000, and membership had dropped to 2,300, largely because of the loss of some major manufacturers in the region, the bursting of the Internet bubble, and the resulting economic slowdown.

The MSCC had reached the point were it needed to modernize its computing systems to a more efficient configuration in order to meet the demands the employees and members of certain departments. The computer systems where initially designed, installed and supported by an outside consultant, Ted Vassici. He helped support MSCC for a certain amount of years before Simon Kovecki was hired. The reserve reduction, supported by the Board of Directors, had fueled considerable internal growth in terms of...