Organizational Assessment

Paper Summary:

The paper is a case study considering whether the Ingram Micro company should install an e- learning system. The paper assesses the situation and recommends that Ingram Micro invest in an enterprise-wide e-learning system to meet their requirements globally. The paper concludes that the ability to quickly capture business faster than competitors is a major competitive advantage of Ingram. The paper recommends that the development of an e-learning system would align perfectly with and contribute to this strategic goal.

Outline:
Introduction
Readiness of Learners for e-learning within Ingram Micro
Type of Learning Best suited for Ingram Micro's learners Support
E-learning Curriculum Development (in-house development or purchased modules)
Assessing Software and Hardware Needs to Support e-learning
Skills Needed to Deliver the e-learning and Skills Needed to Participate in the e-learning
Instructor Training and Techniques
Overall Cost
Recommendation

From the Paper:

"As the majority of employees in Ingram Micro have backgrounds in IT-related industries including personal computing, Internet applications, Internet-based communication and selling techniques, e-mail and pervasive use of desktop and server-based applications, the level of readiness for e-learning is very high within Ingram Micro. As the company's core business mode is focused on the efficiency of its supply chain management, order management, and fulfillment processes for resold products and the synchronization of custom PC orders with Acer, Dell and HP, its clear the employee base is very literate with PCs, their applications, and the use of the Internet. Further, many employees see firsthand through managing and selling technology-related IT products how rapidly product lifecycles are moving and see evidence of how critical it is to stay current on the latest product-related and industry-related knowledge. Knowledge obsolescence in Ingram Micro is fairly rapid due to its supply chain and contract manufacturing businesses, further accentuating the need for making e-learning a priority so employees can continue to stay current in the industry overall and in their chosen fields specifically."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hart, M., Burgess, J., Betts, H. (2005), "The role of e-Learning in accelerating part-time student progression", paper presented at 4th European Conference on e-Learning [ECEL2005], Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 10-11 November, .
• Howell, Lindsay and Williams (2003). Thirty-two trends Affecting Distance Education: An Informed Foundation for Strategic Foundation. Online Journal of Distance Education Learning. Retrieved from the Web on November 15, 2007: http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html
• Damien Hutchinson (2007). Teaching Practices for Effective Cooperative Learning in an Online Learning Environment (OLE). Journal of Information Systems Education, 18(3), 357-367. Retrieved November 17, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1383369211).
• Likert, J (2003). The Toyota Way. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. (p. 307)
• McGreal, Dr. R. (2004, March). Development Principles for Online Courses: A Baker's Dozen. Retrieved November 15, 2007 from the Web: http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=best_practices&article=33-1

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