Park Place Hotels Mis Project - Feasibility Study Essays

Park Place Hotels Mis Project - Feasibility Study Running Head: Feasibility Study. Park Place Hotels MIS Project MBA 2000 - Cohort Team Three Mark Carey, Tim Swanson, Sherri Nelson, Sherri Thomas City University, Tacoma WA March 20, 1999 STRATEGIC NETWORKING, INC. Park Place Hotels, Ltd. - Installation of a Hotel Management Information System March 20, 1999 Internal Feasibility Report Number SNI-FS-990320 STRATEGIC NETWORK, INC. Park Place Hotels, Ltd. - Installation of a Management Information System March 20, 1999 Research Team Mark Carey Sherri Nelson Tim Swanson Sherri Thomas Internal Feasibility Report Number SNI-FS-990320 Read and Approved: _____________________________________________ _________________ Jonathan Edwards, CEO Date EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SNI has been sought out to implement a Management Information System for Park Place Hotels in South Korea. The MIS project, part of a hotel management system, will be an integral part of positioning Park Place Hotels as a world class facility appealing to affluent business travelers. We have researched the project with respect to technical requirements and cultural risks of conducting business in South Korea. SNI has successful, relevant experience in developing and installing a similar system for Comfort Suites in Texas eighteen months ago. Based on this experience and the close parallel in system requirements, we believe SNI possesses the technical expertise to be successful. The project is expected to generate $1.28 million in revenue. Doing business in a foreign country will be new to SNI. South Korea is an excellent place for this expansion of our market. Korea, with its abundant skilled workforce, well-developed social infrastructure, and large domestic marketwill create an environment in which business can prosper (American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, 1998). We have explored the extensive research available on Korean culture and protocol and believe that with proper preparation our technicians and managers will succeed in building successful working relationships. We believe this project presents a unique opportunity for SNI to expand its market and will likely result in additional opportunities in Korea and potentially other countries. We recommend a team be assigned to negotiate an agreement with Park Place Hotels for the development, installation, training, and maintenance of their Hotel Management System. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Introduction 6 II. Method and Criteria 6 Sources of information 6 Project elements 6 Technical 6 Cultural 6 III. Evaluation and Analysis 7 About SNI 7 Mission Statement and Vision 7 Organizational Chart 7 Strategic Business Plan 8 Management Strategy 8 Project Description and Purpose (Goal) 8 Overview 8 Current Situation and Project Objective 9 Proposed System 10 Software Hardware, Manpower Resources Required 10 Financial Breakdown and Implications 11 Critical Success Factors 12 Design, Training, and Implementation 12 Anticipated Difficulties in Development and Implementation 12 Cultural Success Factors 13 Overview 13 Language, Education, and Work Ethic 14 Legal and Financial Issues 15 Social and Ethical Issues 16 Korean Business Practices 17 Customs and Protocols 18 IV. Conclusions and Recommendations 20 V. Annotated Bibliography 22 VI. Appendix A. Capabilities of LMS PRO 1.4 24 B. Financial Breakdown of Park Place Hotel Project 26 C. Gantt Chart 27 I. INTRODUCTION Strategic Networking, Inc. (SNI) is an innovative information services and business solutions company. This feasibility study explores the advantages, disadvantages, and critical success factors in expanding our reach beyond the borders of the United States into the global marketplace. Specifically, SNI was approached to implement a Management Information System for a hotel chain in South Korea. Remarkably, the project is nearly identical to the Comfort Suites Project SNI completed eighteen months ago in Dallas, TX. Our success and reputation resulting from that project came to the attention of our potential Korean partners. Does SNI have the capability and available resources to implement this project? Absolutely! This paper explores the financial benefits and risks associated with conducting business in Korea. Extensive research was conducted concerning the cultural, political, and social environment in Korea. It is our belief that the financial rewards of this project outweigh the numerous challenges we will face. II. METHOD AND CRITERIA Sources of Information Information in this paper should be considered extremely reliable. It is based on extensive research on American/Korean business practices conducted through the U. S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy, Seoul, Korea, U.S. Department of Commerce, Korea-U.S. Committee on Business Cooperation (CBC), Korean American Chamber of Commerce, Central Intelligence Agency, area Korean business leaders, as well as traditional library and internet sources. Project Elements There are two elements to this feasibility study: 1. Technical Does SNI have the software, hardware, manpower, and training assets available to successfully implement the project? 2. Cultural The cultural risks associated with this project are immense. We will assess political,