Management of Information Systems Assignment
EBS PROGRAMME – RISEBA
Management of Information Systems Assignment
Tutor: Sandra Andermane
Student: Pedro Garcia Garcia (ERASMUS EXCHANGE STUDENT)
Case study: 'MetLife Selects the Best Technologies around the Globe'.
1. What challenges did MetLife face in deploying a global platform for its information systems, and how did they resolve them?
The challenges MetLife faced are disparate systems, high complexity and U.S. Centric thinking. MetLife resolved them by acquiring a system with enough flexibility to acommodate different languages, regulations and currencies based on:
- Modular common knowledge database.
- Customization of the global platform.
- Implementing the system one country at time.
Other challenges that MetLife has faced are:
Local infrastructures differ widely in countries. This challengeg was resolved by designing a system that came closest to meeting everyone's needs.
Truly global perspective. This challenge was faced by forming an international team.
2. What are the benefits the MetLife will enjoy once all of its global offices are connected to a common global platform?
The benefits that MetLife will enjoy are:
Better communication and understanding of customers' needs.
The business can grow without simultaneously increasing head count.
Achievement of a better ROI (Return On Investment) due to economy scales.
Moving to a global platform will yield big cost savings due to consolidate MetLife's IT infrastructure by reducing its 300 to 400 servers to about 10 to 20 worldwide.
3. Why might U.S.-centric approach to technology infrastructure be problematic in other countries?
Because local infrastructures differ widely in countries. Countries favor different technologies, use different software and hardware options. Some countries, for example, favor non-U.S. Products and are more familiar with their homegrown products. It would mean a lot of losses for MetLife.
4. How can upgrading to a new global information
Management of Information Systems Assignment
Tutor: Sandra Andermane
Student: Pedro Garcia Garcia (ERASMUS EXCHANGE STUDENT)
Case study: 'MetLife Selects the Best Technologies around the Globe'.
1. What challenges did MetLife face in deploying a global platform for its information systems, and how did they resolve them?
The challenges MetLife faced are disparate systems, high complexity and U.S. Centric thinking. MetLife resolved them by acquiring a system with enough flexibility to acommodate different languages, regulations and currencies based on:
- Modular common knowledge database.
- Customization of the global platform.
- Implementing the system one country at time.
Other challenges that MetLife has faced are:
Local infrastructures differ widely in countries. This challengeg was resolved by designing a system that came closest to meeting everyone's needs.
Truly global perspective. This challenge was faced by forming an international team.
2. What are the benefits the MetLife will enjoy once all of its global offices are connected to a common global platform?
The benefits that MetLife will enjoy are:
Better communication and understanding of customers' needs.
The business can grow without simultaneously increasing head count.
Achievement of a better ROI (Return On Investment) due to economy scales.
Moving to a global platform will yield big cost savings due to consolidate MetLife's IT infrastructure by reducing its 300 to 400 servers to about 10 to 20 worldwide.
3. Why might U.S.-centric approach to technology infrastructure be problematic in other countries?
Because local infrastructures differ widely in countries. Countries favor different technologies, use different software and hardware options. Some countries, for example, favor non-U.S. Products and are more familiar with their homegrown products. It would mean a lot of losses for MetLife.
4. How can upgrading to a new global information