ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING

Assignment 1

You have until 11-01-15 to complete this assignment, after which the late policy will be in effect (see Student Center for details).

1.      Read the integrated case study on GBI (starting on page 15 of the text book) and follow the instructions for a complete understanding of the company profile.

2.      Complete the following:

•      Step 1: Identify the purpose and scope of the business (1 page, 30 points)

•      Step 2: Document strategic business direction (1 page, 30 points)

•      Step 3: Identify key information sources and technologies (2 pages, 30 points

•      Step 4: Document the detailed IT SWOT elements (3-5 pages, 40 points)

•      Step 5: Document the current IT “as-is” for the company (1-2 pages, 40 points )

3.      APA Compliance (see below, 20 points)

All CIS511 papers must adhere to APA style standards including the following:

•      Double-spaced, 1” margins, title page (includes course number/name, your name, my name, Strayer University and the submittal date), three peer-reviewed references in addition to the text, in-text citations of references, all text in Times New Roman size 12 and a reference page called “References”.  If you include a Table of Contents, make sure it includes page numbers. 

GBI

Throughout this book, we will use the case of Global Bike Incorporated (GBI) to illustrate important concepts, processes, and techniques. GBI is a fictional company, and its operations have been greatly simplified to make its business processes and its SAP ERP system easier for you to work with. Although GBI might seem complex as you progress through the chapters of this textbook, rarely will the business operations of a real-world company be as simple as those found in GBI. Much the data used in this textbook are based on GBI and represent the many aspects of its fictional suppliers, customers, employees, and materials. In addition, all of the hands-on exercises are intended to be completed in a functioning (live) SAP ERP system that is configured with GBI data. (Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, systems integrate a company’s various functional and cross-functional business processes. We explain ERP systems in greater detail in Chapter 2.) It is very important that you quickly become familiar with GBI and their business operations in order to master the key concepts in this course and to complete your course assignments. The following paragraphs provide a brief overview of GBI. However, you must retrieve the detailed GBI Annual Report from the WileyPLUS course site (explained later) or the SAP University Alliances Community (SAP UAC) at http://uac.sap.com to learn the full story of how GBI came into existence and to familiarize yourself with the specifics of the company’s operations. The SAP UAC is a free site for all university students who are enrolled in an SAP course. The registration process is very simple and is free. In addition to the detailed GBI information on the SAP UAC site, you will also gain access to several SAP career services, including certification information and internship and job opportunities. Your instructor can show you where to access the GBI Annual Report on the SAP UAC site once you have registered. GBI was founded in 2001 following the merger of two bicycle manufacturers, one based in the United Sates and the other in Germany. GBI has three lines of business: deluxe and professional touring bikes, men’s and women’s off-road bikes, and bike accessories. GBI sells its bikes to a network of specialized dealers throughout the world, and it procures its raw materials from a variety of suppliers globally. GBI has two manufacturing facilities, one in the United States and one in Germany. It also has three additional warehouses, two in the United States and one in Germany. GBI has more than 100 employees globally. The organization uses SAP ERP to support its processes. Figure 1-11 illustrates GBI’s enterprise structure.