REAL WORLD CASE 1

SUMMARY.
1. Today it will not be enough for companies to offer
valuable services for their products but they will have
to provide “smart services.”
2. To provide smart services, companies must use
information technology to build “smart products,”
products with awareness and connectivity into the
products themselves.
3. Typically, smart products can detect that a part is
approaching failure and alert users, thus giving the
company opportunity to provide maintenance services
and enjoy the resulting benefits.

REAL WORLD CASE 2

SUMMARY.
1. Keep 3,500 pilots
i. Trained on the latest technology and
procedures
ii. Plugged into the corporate infrastructure
iii. Informed about schedules, weather events,
and other facts that affect their jobs
2. Control costs
3. Provide Internet access to passengers
Today, Lufthansa pilots enjoy state-of-the-art notebook
PCs weighing less than 3.5 pounds with several times the
power and performance of the early Pentium III platforms.
So far, the payoff from mobile computing at Lufthansa
has been significant. Giving notebooks to pilots provided the
company with several key tangible and intangible benefits:
• Pilots are more productive because they can access
updated
data electronically.
• They are more productive because they can work in a
variety of locations, including airplanes, airports, hotels,
and other remote locations.
• Pilots appreciate the convenience of not having to
carry heavy manuals and documentation to multiple
locations.
• Pilots can take their required training on their laptops
during downtime in any airport.
Now that all of Lufthansa’s pilots have laptops,
Lufthansa no longer conducts classroom training. “Such
training used to mean preparing training centers, arranging
a time when pilots could attend the sessions, and actually
getting the pilots to the training location,” recalls Rolf
Mueller, project manager for the Lufthansa Mobile Initiative.
“Now pilots use their notebooks for computer-based
training whether they are learning about new aircraft or
things like specific hydraulic systems.” Lufthansa also plans
to phase out the desktop computers that it had previously
deployed in airports, thereby streamlining its infrastructure
and cutting even more costs.

REAL WORLD CASE 3

SUMMARY.
1. Supplier of airplane parts and components
2. Had lost track of its inventory
a. Price-tracking software didn’t work with inventory
control or purchasing forecasting
b. Sent wrong parts to wrong customers
c. Sales falling
3. Needed a middleware vision
a. Get all the software to work together

REAL WORLD CASE 4

SUMMARY.
1. Building customer loyalty has become crucial for
success in the airline industry
 2. Continental employs CallMinder systems to…
3. Monitor calls and keystrokes
4. Data mine keystrokes and voice calls
5. This technology resulted in…
6. Fewer calls going to the help desk
7. Higher customer satisfaction
8. Reduction of flight confirmation calls
9. Cost savings in excess of $1 million

CHAPTER 2
REAL WORLD CASE 1
SUMMARY.
i. Does IT matter?
1. No
a. Nicholas Carr argues that IT is
infrastructure, much like electricity
b. Too commonplace to offer a competitive
advantage
2. Yes
a. It is not just networks and computers
b. The important part is the software and
information
and how IT is used

REAL WORLD CASE 2

SUMMARY.
1. The Internet rapidly advanced large-scale
storage and data analysis
a. Products could be networked and accessed
at customer sites
b. Connectivity was cheap
c. Unprecedented opportunities for strategic
relationships and returns
 2. The Internet rapidly advanced large-scale
storage and data analysis
a. Products could be networked and accessed
at customer sites
b. Connectivity was cheap
c. Unprecedented opportunities for strategic
relationships and returns

REAL WORLD CASE 3

SUMMARY.
1. A satisfied customer has expectations met
a. A loyal customer wants to do business with
the company again, and recommends it to
others
2. A good customer loyalty system combines
a. Customer feedback
b. Business information
c. Sophisticated analysis
3. IT must take the lead in loyalty
a. Create actionable results

REAL WORLD CASE 4

SUMMARY.
1. The DOC uses DOC Insider to offer advice on
doing business abroad
2. The AskMe system includes…
a. Automated best practices
b. Automatic experts’ profile creation
c. Methods for accessing and delivering
knowledge
d. Real-time collaboration services
e. Analytic capabilities