tech briefing
The only unchangeable characteristic of technology is that it is always changing. One of the jobs that you will do as an MBA-level manager is to research and provide information on various issues impacting your organization. So instead of a slide deck on the technologies use by organizations that will be out of date by the time I upload it, and that may or may not have meaning in your own organization, YOU get to pick a technology that is meaningful to you and do a deep dive on it. This assignment focuses on the task of reviewing new information technologies that may be of value to your organization.
Pick a form or type of information technology that you find interesting (hardware, platform, communication or storage method, etc.) Services like Facebook are not a form of technology in the context of this assignment. Look through Chapters 13-16 of your textbook for examples of technologies you can use.
Prepare a video presentation on this technology, and upload both your PowerPoint slide deck and video file. You should approach the briefing from the perspective of an organizational manager that has been charged with researching a prospective technology for adoption by their company. DO NOT do a sales pitch (red ink and sad faces will ensue if you do)!
The content of your briefing must include:
A clear and concise description of the technology (i.e., flash storage, business intelligence software, converged network platform, enterprise system, etc.)
A discussion of the technology’s purpose/supported industry or industries
An overview of the drivers supporting the creation and adoption of this technology *
A discussion of the benefits related to adoption of this technology
A discussion of the costs and cost factors related to adoption of this technology (i.e., licensing, infrastructure, personnel, etc.)
A discussion of the risks associated with implementing this technology (Costs and Risks are not the same – Risks are potential issues that can cause failure and loss of investment in a technology)
Your presentation should be no more than about 5 minutes long and contain no more than 6 slides (Remember that your analysis is the meat of the presentation, not the technology description). The title slide does not count towards the total.
Provide citations for your sources of information as part of your slide deck (doesn’t count toward the max slide count).
You must include video of yourself presenting the material. Basically, you need to have a picture-in-picture (pip) window of you delivering the presentation. (Note: PIP requirement is from the MBA Assessment Director, not me.)
* The problem and/or technological change that makes this technology a viable solution. We can conceive of two basic sorts of drivers; 1. those that cause change, and 2. those that allow change.
