Frito Lay
Touro University International
Erin S. McDonald
ITM:501
Module 1 Session Long Assignment
Dr. Kurt Diesch
22 January 2007
In reading these two cases I found that both of them seemed similar in many ways. Both Frito-Lay and Step Two approached the task at hand the same way. They identified the problem and then found a suitable solution. The problem was the same, both needed to organize their information and data in a common point so that everyone had access to it. Both had a need for information sharing. So their concept of knowledge management was the same, create a central point for the information to be shared. When looking at the problems that both companies faced we see some similarities and some contrasting points. First of all Frito-Lay faced a problem of needing to be able to access lots of information that was always changing and evolving. The same information such as research and market analysis on shopping behaviors was being requested by multiple salespersons. This required the head office to duplicate work over and over again. They needed a central place where the information could be kept and accessed by whomever needed it. RTA in contrast had valuable information that didn’t change and wasn’t evolving. It was information that very rarely would change. RTA had a lot of information that was kept in the heads of senior people that needed to be put out there so everyone could benefit from it. But just like Frito-Lay it needed to be centrally located so that everyone could have access to the information and have it readily available. As I take a look at the solutions that both companies came up with I think there are a lot more similarities than differences. Both companies appointed one individual to drive the creation train. The two companies did an excellent job of creating the team. The best move that they made was bringing in people who were experts or the best at their jobs and held the majority of the information that they
Erin S. McDonald
ITM:501
Module 1 Session Long Assignment
Dr. Kurt Diesch
22 January 2007
In reading these two cases I found that both of them seemed similar in many ways. Both Frito-Lay and Step Two approached the task at hand the same way. They identified the problem and then found a suitable solution. The problem was the same, both needed to organize their information and data in a common point so that everyone had access to it. Both had a need for information sharing. So their concept of knowledge management was the same, create a central point for the information to be shared. When looking at the problems that both companies faced we see some similarities and some contrasting points. First of all Frito-Lay faced a problem of needing to be able to access lots of information that was always changing and evolving. The same information such as research and market analysis on shopping behaviors was being requested by multiple salespersons. This required the head office to duplicate work over and over again. They needed a central place where the information could be kept and accessed by whomever needed it. RTA in contrast had valuable information that didn’t change and wasn’t evolving. It was information that very rarely would change. RTA had a lot of information that was kept in the heads of senior people that needed to be put out there so everyone could benefit from it. But just like Frito-Lay it needed to be centrally located so that everyone could have access to the information and have it readily available. As I take a look at the solutions that both companies came up with I think there are a lot more similarities than differences. Both companies appointed one individual to drive the creation train. The two companies did an excellent job of creating the team. The best move that they made was bringing in people who were experts or the best at their jobs and held the majority of the information that they