The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate emerging technologies that can meet business needs and improve competitive advantage. Technology is always evolving, and business organizations must continually evaluate their technology needs in relation to operations and strategic goals in order to improve competitive advantage. For this assignment, consider the industry in which you are currently employed. Regardless of your position, consider how you would answer the following questions. What is a technology that is impacting your exiting business? What is a technology that could impact business that the organization would like to start doing? Is the technology driving the business, or is the business driving technology? Part 1 Visit the World Economic Forum website and conduct a search for “emerging technology.” Generate a list of at least five technologies that are of interest to you and could be applied to a product or service in the industry in which you are currently employed. Based upon the industry in which you are currently employed, select a product or service where one of the emerging technologies could be applied to produce a positive impact on the business and improve competitive advantage. For example, if you are working in a retail setting, what technology could be employed to help the retailer gain competitive advantage in inventory management, customer acquisition, supply chain, etc.? In 250 words, summarize the five technologies from the list you generated and provide an overview of the selected emerging technology you would apply to produce a positive impact on the business. Explain how this emerging technology would be applied and how application of the emerging technology could improve competitive advantage for the business. Part 2 Once you have selected your product or service and the emerging technology that could be applied to improve competitive advantage, create a chart that illustrates the potential advantages, potential disadvantages, and the technology adoption life cycle, including the s-curve. Provide a five-item timeline detailing the evolution of the stages of technology. Include a description for each timeline item. Part 3 Write a 500-word summary that addresses the following: Describe the current state of the product or service to which the emerging technology would apply. Explain the emerging technology that would potentially impact the product or service. Using Porter’s competitive strategy, discuss the competitive advantage that the new technology would support. While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance. Benchmark Information This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies: MS Information Technology Management 1.1: Recommend information technology strategies aligned to business needs to improve an organizationâ€s competitive advantage. 2.4: Perform relevant, industry-specific research to identify, evaluate, and select emerging technologies that meet business needs.
