Designed to demonstrate how software can support managerial decision-making activities, this casebook features 20 cases (more than another casebook currently on the market) that cover functional areas of the firm, are spread across three difficulty levels-basic, intermediate, and advanced-and require students to apply spreadsheet, database, Web-page development, and/or presentation graphics software, often in an integrated manner. The cases present common managerial issues and problems and encourage students to actually use their models to make decisions for the case's characters. Many of the cases require students to prepare both written and oral presentations of their solutions.

• Tutorials-Text's companion website includes tutorials on spreadsheets, databases, and web page development.

  • Helps students get up to speed quickly with the skills needed to tackle the cases.

• Case difficulty levels-Cases are rated on a 1 to 5 level of difficulty. The focus is on foundation skills and involve forecasting decisions, inventory decisions, what-if analysis, pricing strategies, billing decisions, chart preparation, and more.

  • Enables instructors to choose cases appropriate for the specific skill-levels of their students. Encourages studentsto apply information technology to support managerial decision-makingactivities at varying levels of decision difficulty, especially because in the real business world, managers are not always given representative samples, but are asked to just solve the problem.

• Case variety-Cases reflect realistic decisions made by human resources, production, accounting, financial, and information systems managers. Cases require students to use spreadsheet, database, Web-page development, and/or presentation tools to prepare the case solutions. Cases can be assigned as individual homework problems.

  • Provides instructors with a large case repertoire, allowing them to "mix and match" and rotate cases to tailor classes to their students. Presents studentswith various decision-making situations and encourages them to use their creativity to identify possible solutions for the decision problem.

• Managerial decision-making activities-E.g., one case requires students to make decisions regarding minimum inventory levels, safety stock levels, and maximum inventory levels for a product line. Students are then asked to discuss their findings and results in a written report.

  • Provides instructors with realistic decision-making situations that help reinforce concepts presented in class. Encourages studentsto determine how software can be used to help solve common decision problems and facilitate decision-making activities.

• Skills Check -Identifies the major skills-database, spreadsheet, and web-page development-necessary for tackling each case.

  • Allows instructors to quickly assess the difficulty level of a case and its appropriateness for their students. Identifies for studentsthe major skills required to complete the case. Students can review these skills, if necessary.

• Case deliverables-Identifies what should be submitted to the instructor for grading. Depending on the level of case, deliverables may include written and verbal presentations, electronic working copies, relevant printouts, and end-user and technical documentation.

  • Enables instructors to see at a glance what case deliverables are required so they can adjust the required deliverables, if necessary.