Perform Internet research to find out as much as you can about fitness center operation

Perform Internet research to find out as much as you can about fitness center operation

Personal Trainer, Inc. owns and operates fitness centers in a dozen Midwestern cities. The centers have done well, and the company is planning an international expansion by opening a new “supercenter” in the Toronto area. Personal Trainer’s president, Cassia Umi, hired an IT consultant, Susan Park, to help develop an information system for the new facility. During the project, Susan will work closely with Gray Lewis, who will manage the new operation. Background At their initial meeting, Susan and Gray discussed some initial steps in planning an information system for the new facility. The next morning, they worked together on a business profile, drew an organization chart, discussed feasibility issues, and talked about various types of information systems that would provide the best support for the supercenter’s operations. Their main objective was to carry out a preliminary investigation of the new system and report their recommendations to Personal Trainer’s top managers. After the working session with Gray, Susan returned to her office and reviewed her notes. She knew that Personal Trainer’s president, Cassia Umi, wanted the supercenter to become a model for the company’s future growth, but she did not remember any mention of an overall strategic plan for the company. Susan also wondered whether the firm had done a SWOT analysis or analyzed the internal and external factors that might affect an information system for the supercenter. Because the new operation would be so important to the company, Susan believed that Personal Trainer should consider an enterprise resource planning strategy that could provide a company-wide framework for information management. After she finished compiling her notes, Susan listed several topics that might need more study and called Gray to arrange another meeting the following day

Tasks

1. Review the fact statements in Chapter 1, and perform Internet research to find out as much as you can about fitness center operation

2. Does the proposed system present a strong business case? Why or why not?

3. What fact-finding techniques should Susan and Gray consider during the preliminary investigation? Also develop a list of questions they should include in an employee survey

4. For each type of feasibility, suggest two questions that will help Susan reach a determination.