Spring 2007		Room		Time		Instructor: Howard Rosenbaum		Telephone: 855-3250		Office hours
		L001		5:45-8:30 PM T		hrosenba@indiana.edu		Office: 005B@SLIS		12:30-2:00 M 3:30-5:30 PM T

		Assignments

You will be evaluated on the basis of a term project and four assignments (one of which is involved in the final project). You will complete three assignments on your own. You will complete one assignment and the term project with your team. The term project is broken into three components that will be due throughout the term. Because of its complexity, the term project is discussed first. The remaining assignments are also described below, and all will be discussed in greater detail in class.

• You will join a business startup team that will spend the semester developing a prototype of an innovative digital product or service (or an improvement of an existing product or service). This will be a hands-on project that will take you deeply into information systems design and development and digital entrepreneurship. Your goal is to develop a digital product or service and write a business feasibility plan to support it that will capture the imagination of IT professionals and venture capitalists.

  The team process

  On January 9, you will form your development team of no more than 4 people.

  Each team should have people familiar with business, database design, web design, electronic media, and research and writing. Communication and presentation skills will also be important.

  Team work and benchmarks

  Over the course of the semester, you will:

  • Brainstorm with your team to develop a project idea for a digital product or service (either a new one or an improvement of an existing one). Your team will send an email message describing your idea or ideas to the instructor by January 29. Note that this is a Monday. This will give the instructor time to review your descriptions and provide feedback the next night in class.
  • Receive signoff; your team then spends the rest of the term developing a prototype of the product or service.
  • Write a business feasibility proposal. This will be due on March 6
  • Meet regularly with the instructors throughout the term. All meetings begin at 4:30 PM and at least two members of the group must attend each meeting. The weeks of January 23 and April 10 are exceptions - all groups will meet with the instructor and the meetings begin at 4:00 PM.

    At each meeting, be ready to discuss:

    • What you have done;
    • What you have left to do;
    • Problems that you have encountered; and
    • What you are doing about them.

    During these meetings, the instructors will provide feedback about your progrss, help you work through problems (if there are any), and make suggestions about how to proceed.

    Here is the meeting schedule. All meetings will take place in the instructor's office:

    Date		Groups
    January 16		1: 4:00 2: 4:20 3: 4:40 4: 5:00 5: 5:20
    January 23		1: 4:30 3: 4:50
    January 30		2: 4:30 4: 4:50 5: 5:10
    February 13		3: 4:30 1: 4:50
    February 20		5: 4:30 2: 4:50 4: 5:10
    February 27		1: 4:30 3: 4:50
    March 20		4: 4:30 5: 4:50 2: 5:10
    March 27		3: 4:30 1: 4:50
    April 3		2: 4:30 5: 4:50 4: 5:10
    April 10		5: 4:00 4: 4:20 3: 4:40 2: 5:00 1: 5:20

  • With your team, turn in your edited feasibility proposal and some means by which your prototype can be accessed to the instructor on April 10, so that these materials can be made available to the judging panel.
  • Present your work on April 17. This presentation is described below.
  • Meet one last time on April 23 to find out the results of the judging and discuss what to do next, if you think you want to take the next steps to commercialize or make available the work that you have done.

  Working on the project:

  Each team will have its own account on a SLIS server called (ella).

  To access to this account, use ssh to access ella.sllis.indiana.edu:

  ssh ella.slis.indiana.edu

  Use your network password:

  ********

  Then you will be able to access your group directory

  The directory you see will look like your home directory on ella. You will find the files you want in the appropriately labeled subdirectories.

  Each team will work out its own rules and procedures for working in this common space.

  Project deliverables:

  The main deliverables are

  1. An abstract of an idea for an IS product or service

     This will be a 500 word description of your idea that explains what it is, why it's a good idea, what may be involved in developing it, what use it may have, and who the target audience is. You will submit your abstract by January 29.

     This abstract will be the basis of description of the product or service that appears in the business feasibility plan

  2. A business feasibility plan (described below) that will be due on March 6
  3. A project documentation report

     This report will provide a summary of the work that has gone into developing your product or service. You will keep an archive of the documentation you produce, the sketches and early versions of the idea, and the data from the testing and evaluation that you conduct. The report will have four main parts:

     • What you have done

     This will be a summary of the development process that allows the reader to understand how the product or service was created

     • Technological specifications of your product or service

     This section will include technical details about the product or service and should help the reader grasp its structures and functions.

     • Wireframes, diagrams, flow charts or some graphic representation (whichever is applicable) of your product or service

       These illustrations should support the previous section

     • Usability reporting

     This section should contain summaries of any testing and/or evaluations that you conducted on your prototype.

     The entire report should not be more than about 1500 words (six-eight pages including illustrations). It will be an appendix to the business feasibility report and will be due in April 10.

  4. A working prototype of your product or service

  Presentation:

  Your team will present its feasibility plan and prototype on April 17. The format and requirements of the presentation will be discussed in class. You will be presenting your work to a panel of IT professionals from the local business community. This panel will be made of (at least) a venture capitalist, the CEO of an IT firm, and a small business specialist.

  Your presentation is sales pitch and presentation of the work you have done on your project. These presentations will take place in an electronic conference room at the Showers Building downtown. Your presentations will be videotaped so that you may have an archival copy to accompany your feasibility plan and prototype. Your team will go before the judging panel and present your work; the only other people in the room will be the instructor and other interested businesspeople.

  The schedule for these presentations will be distributed in class on April 3. On April 23 you will attend a final class where the results of the judging will be presented.

  Your presentation will be evaluated by the following criteria:

  • The commercialization value and creativity of the business idea
  • The written feasibility proposal
  • The prototype
  • The ability of your team to answer adequately questions from the judges
  • The professionalism of your team's presentation

  Grading:

  • Feasibility plan: 15%
  • Project documentation report: 5%
  • Prototype: 30%
  • Presentation: 10%

  The final project will be due on April 17 and will be worth 60% of your final grade - there will be a single grade assigned to all team members on the basis of the evaluation of the final project.

Return to Assignments list

• You will write a business feasibility report that will clearly and concisely explain your digital product or service and the plan you have to commercialize it.

  Your business feasibility plan will be the "road map" of the business that would be built around your product or service, assuming that you want to commercialize it. It will show your team how to get to where you all want to go.

  This plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your company's resume. The basic components include an estimated balance sheet, and an income statement with projections. This helps you allocate resources properly, handle unforeseen complications, and make good business decisions. Because it provides specific and organized information about your company and how you will repay borrowed money, a good business plan is a crucial part of any funding. Additionally, it informs sales personnel, suppliers, and others about your operations and goals.

  The business feasibility plan will include the following sections:

  • Executive Summary
  • Company Summary
  • Product or Service Description
  • Market Opportunity
  • Strategy and Implementation
  • Management Plan
  • Financing Requirements
  • Arrendix

You will write the plan in increments. Beginning on February 6 a draft of a section is due. Feedback will be given which should be incorporated into the final version. Here is the schedule:

Component	Date due
III. Description of Product and services	February 6
IV. The Market Opportunity	February 13
V. Strategy and Implementation	February 20
VII. Financing Requirements	February 27

Sections I, II, and VI do not require the same level of research and effort and can be done at the end of the process.

There are templates available that you can use to format the business feasbility plan. An online version is here: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/L561/syll/biz_plan.html and a Word version is here: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/L561/syll/biz_plan.doc

Here are two Excel spreadsheets that you can use to calculate your financial statements. The first is a complex tool that will automatically calculate a range of tables and charts based on the data that you provide. The results are needed for the "Market Opportunity" section of thre plan. It is here: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/L561/syll/financials-template.xls.

The second is a simple form (downloaded from Innovateur: Entrepreneur Intelligence (2006). The Financial Plan: High Growth Potential Ventures) that you can use for the break-even analysis that is needed for the "Financial Requirements" section of the plan. It is here: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/L561/syll/break-even.xls.

The business feasibility plan will be due and presented in class on March 6. Your team will come to the classroom at a prearranged time and will present your plan to the instructor. Presentations will occur at 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:30 PM and 8:00. For your presentation, you will use Powerpoint or an equivalent tool or a web-based presentation. You will also prepare a one page summary of your presentation for the instructor. Your presentation will be no more than 20 minutes in length. By the end of the week, the instructor will provide your team with feedback.

This assignment will be discussed in class on January 9. It is due on March 6 and will be worth 15% of the final grade. This percentage is divided as follows:

• 5% for the presentation of the plan, and
• 10% for the final version of the plan

Return to Assignments list

• For this assignment, you will investigate a publicly held company that has a significant online presence either in the business-to-consumer or the business-to-business sectors. You will write a company profile of about 1500 words that will explain the company's place in the ebusiness landscape. In your essay try to make use of principles and ideas that we discuss in class.In general, you will present a larger sense of your company. This may include:

  • Background information about the company

    • What is the mission or vision of the company?
    • What is the company's business model? What is its value proposition?
    • What does the company do? What kinds of products and/or services does it company provide?
    • Where is it located (headquarters and branches)?
    • How many employees does it have?
    • Who are the company's main clients/customers? Have they changed over the years?
    • Who are the company's main competitors? How does the company seem to handle the competition?

  • The company's history

    • When was the company formed and incorporated?
    • How has the company grown?
    • Has it been involved in any mergers and acquisitions?
    • What can you find out about its leadership?
    • Has the company been in legal or other difficulties? What happened?
    • A description of of its "corporate culture"

  • The company's performance

    • How well is the company doing?
    • What kinds of evidence is there that can be used to illustrate company performance?
    • What sorts of changes might it have to make in the near future to continue to do well?
    • Has the company introduced new products or services recently? Is the company considering the introduction of any new or upgraded products or services?
    • What can we expect from this company in the next five years?

    You will email the instructor the name of the company you wish to investigate by February 6. You will receive a confirmation of your choice (or a suggestion that you make another choice) by February 8. The completed essay is due on March 27 and is worth 15% of the final grade. You will send the essay to the instructor as an attachment.

Return to Assignments list

• Undertake an analysis of one particular facet, theme, issue, or development in ebusiness that we will be raising in the course. Possible topics include:
• Internet demographics
• Why are internet demographics important?
• Who are the major providers of internet demographics?
• What are their best estimates of the number of people on the web?
• What are some of the important findings and insights that can be gathered from these providers?
• How do they gather their information?

Why do their estimates vary so much?

• Business models and strategies for ebusiness
• What are some of the dominant business models in web ebusiness?
• What is a portal and why are they important?
• What are some of the strategies that are being used to improve customer service?
• How are ebusiness firms attempting to build communities and why should they bother do to this?
• How do online auctions work and why are they so successful?
• What are affiliate programs, who is trying them, and how well are they working?

• Web advertising
• What are the dominant advertising strategies and how well are they working?
• What are the rates for different types of web media buys?
• What are the major techniques used to measure the effectiveness of web advertising?
• How are advertisers affected by new US laws (especially the Child Internet Protection Act)?
• What are the major techniques that advertisers use to gather information about people and what types of information do they gather?
• Who is making money from advertising and why?

• Commercial web site design and maintenance
• What are the dominant approaches to commercial web site design?
• What are some of the major issues web designers must consider when developing a commercial web site?
• What can we learn from usability studies of web sites?
• What are some of the components of a successful web design and/or administration and why are they important?
• How will organizations change as they begin to integrate their ebusiness web sites into their routine business processes?
• What are the typical skills and experiences that web server administrators or managers should have?

• Digital money and electronic banking
• What are some of the different forms of digital currency (emoney) and how do they work?
• What are the types of services being offered by online banks and financial services?
• What are smart cards, how do they work, and why haven't they caught on in the US?
• What are some schemes for processing microtransactions and what are the challenges they face?
• What are some digital payment systems that are currently in development and how do they work?

• Network security
• What are the major protocols and software solutions used to provide security for web based transactions?
• How can web site administrators protect their servers from intrusion?
• Describe a recent security attack and the ways that is could have been prevented
• Explain what steganography is and why it's important
• What is a firewall and how does it work?

• Legal and regulatory environment
• What is the current international copyright regime and how is it affecting ebusiness?
• What is the Administration's current position on ebusiness and how does it match up against positions taken by other governments?
• What are other governments doing to promote ebusiness in their countries or regions?
• What types of internet legislation is Congress considering and how will they affect ebusiness?

You will select one major area and investigate several questions for that area. Use relevant class readings as a basis for your essay, but include and sources (digital or otherwise) that help you answer these questions. Be sure to cite relevant sources that you use. Your essay should be about seven pages (~1,500 words), excluding bibliography. You will send your essay to the instructor as an attachment.

This assignment will be discussed in class on January 9. You will email your proposed paper topic to the instructor by February 20 and will receive email confirmation by February 22. The assignment is due on April 23 and will be worth 15% of the final grade.

Return to Assignments list

• Write an essay where you reflect on the process of developing your product or service and writing your business plan. In this essay:
• Explain how the labor was divided in your team
• Describe your role in gathering the information for and writing the business feasibility plan, the development of the prototype, and the creation and performance of the presentation
• Briefly summarize what you have learned about ebusiness from this experience.

• Suggest any ways that this experience can be improved when the course is taught again.

This essay should be no more than two pages (~500 words). This assignment will be discussed in class on January 9 and is due on April 23. You will send your essay to the instructor as an attachment. This assignment is worth 5% of the final grade.

Return to Assignments list