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On October 10, 2017, the co-founders of Snapper Future Tech Private Limited (Snapper) were discussing the solutions they had proposed at a recent blockchain business conference. Snapper's initiative envisaged digital solutions for smooth land registration, adding transparency, accountability, and good governance at every stage of the process. Snapper had developed a proof of concept for land records on a private blockchain in a cloud-based environment. Its live demonstration of the proposal was well received by the conference attendees; the challenge was whether the government would consider the solution and engage on a long-term basis with the company for blockchain solutions in land registrations. Would Snapper's journey be acknowledged in the annals of the country's digital revolution?

This case examines the founding story of machine learning-enabled lending platform Mines and CEO Ekechi Nwokah. The case focuses on Nwokah's exploration and initial analysis of the different potential verticals and geographies his team could target to solve business problems using its proprietary cloud-based data platform. Students will be confronted with numerous entrepreneurial issues including founder partnership, fundraising, initial industry analysis, vertical-agnostic vs. vertical specific go-to-market strategies, developing products and operations in emerging markets, and hiring engineering talent.

This case covers the rise and fall of Theranos, the company founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2004 to revolutionize the blood testing industry by creating a device that could provide from a small finger prick the same results and accuracy as intravenous blood draws. As founder and CEO, Holmes was hailed as the most successful female tech entrepreneur ever. In October 2015, however, a Wall Street Journal article exposed internal struggles and questioned the startup's trajectory. Subsequent investigations revealed that Theranos, despite commercial operations in 40 retail locations, lacked a functioning product. Set in 2017, the (A) Case opens with Theranos' motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit filed by two investors who claimed that Theranos and its officers had violated California's securities law and engaged in fraud.

The Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) of the Gujarat government was a complex system that spanned multiple departments and stakeholders. It had been operational since 2009. However, over time, the underlying technology had become obsolete and the government wanted to upgrade to IFMS Phase-II on a new platform and provide additional functionality and integration with other systems that had not been a part of IFMS earlier. The government had floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the same. This case may be used to evaluate and identify factors for a clear, well-defined RFP. It also explores the challenges in coming out with such an RFP.

There are clear benefits for companies allowing website users to login with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Google. But the ease of user access that social logins make possible comes at a price: The platforms learn a great deal more about users' buying and searching behavior via these agreements - information that could wind up helping the company's competitors (including the platform itself) down the line.

The world of hackathons brings the study of balancing high-speed, creative autonomy and administrative control to bear in many interesting ways for managers across different industries.

New technologies arrive at a blistering pace and existing technologies become more ubiquitous by the day. Technology is so deeply embedded in daily lives and routines that people have become blinded by the promises of new technology. We have become fully engrossed in the benefits of technology in the form of automation, convenience, and immediacy. At the same time, we often fail-on a grand scale-to consider the challenges and drawbacks associated with new technologies. These drawbacks can be more profound and widespread than society acknowledges. As a result, we tend to interact with our technologies while being dangerously unaware of the potential repercussions. If we continue to interact with technology in this narrowly framed manner, significant societal problems are likely to result. This Executive Digest renews the call for increased privacy protections in the context of new technologies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a topic in nearly every boardroom and many dinner tables. Yet, despite this prominence, AI is still a surprisingly fuzzy concept and a lot of questions surrounding it are still open. In this article, we analyze how AI is different from related concepts, such as the Internet of Things and big data, and suggest that AI is not one monolithic term but instead needs to be seen in more a more nuanced way. This can either be achieved by looking at AI through the lens of evolutionary stages (artificial narrow intelligence, artificial general intelligence, and artificial supper intelligence) or by focusing on different types of AI systems (analytical AI, human-inspired AI, and humanized AI). Based on this classification, we show the potential and risk of AI using a series of case studies regarding universities, corporations, and governments. Finally, we present a framework that helps organizations think about the internal and external implications of AI, which we label the Three C Model of Confidence, Change, and Control.

With the soaring value of bitcoin and frenzy over cryptocurrency, the blockchain technology that sparked the bitcoin revolution has received heightened attention from both practitioners and academics. Blockchain technology often causes controversies surrounding its application potential and business ramifications. The blockchain is a peer-to-peer network of information technology that keeps records of digital asset transactions using distributed ledgers that are free from control by intermediaries such as banks and governments. Thus, it can mitigate risks associated with intermediaries' interventions, including hacking, compromised privacy, vulnerability to political turmoil, costly compliance with government rules and regulation, instability of financial institutions, and contractual disputes. This article unlocks the mystique of blockchain technology and discusses ways to leverage blockchain technology to enhance supply chain resilience in times of increased risks and uncertainty.

A sales channel serves two primary functions: delivering information and products to customers. Omnichannel retailing allows for the decoupling of these two functions as consumers can learn about products through channels that differ from those used to purchase them. This separation requires a sophisticated inventory and supply chain operation, as well as integration of all customer touchpoints, in order to match fast-moving supply and demand. The Internet of Things (IoT) can play a fundamental role in channel integration because it allows companies to rebalance supply and demand. We classify IoT initiatives on an opportunity map, presenting a strategic framework that distinguishes initiatives by the value they create and by their major area of impact. We justify the adoption of IoT in terms of its enabling capabilities-those immediately realized by deploying IoT sensor data-but its true potential resides in its enhancing capabilities-unanticipated benefits following IoT adoption-at the intersection of supply and demand.

Digital technologies are revolutionizing traditional interdependencies among businesses. As a result, managers have begun to recognize their business environments as digital ecosystems. For firms accustomed to framing their business environments as industries, this represents a significant shift in perspective-one that requires an understanding of fresh strategic initiatives necessary to compete in the digital era. In this article, we highlight what is new and different about digital ecosystems for firm strategy. We offer frameworks that explain how digital ecosystems provide firms with new sources of value and new avenues for growth. Two sets of underlying concepts govern these frameworks: (1) production and consumption ecosystems and (2) digital envelopes and product-in-use information. We introduce and elaborate upon these foundational concepts and highlight new strategic options for firms to compete in digital ecosystems.

This case presents the logic and execution underlying the launch of Data.gov, an instantiation of President Obama's initiative for transparency and open government. The process used by Vivek Kundra, the federal CIO, and his team to rapidly develop the website and to make available high-value data sets for reuse is highlighted. The case recounts Kundra's experience at the state and local government levels in developing open data initiatives and the application of that experience to the federal government. The case demonstrates the benefits of making government data available in terms of both engaged citizens and the potential for new innovations from the private sector. Potential drawbacks of open access including security and privacy issues are illustrated. Issues related to the role of government in releasing data and the balance between accountability and private-sector innovation are explored.

Most of the big car manufacturers now have an automatic vehicle ('AV') division and expect to make the technology available to the mass market as early as 2025. And by the year 2045, AV market share is predicted to be as high as 87.2 per cent. The authors share findings from their study of 55 cities worldwide that are taking a holistic approach to implementing multifaceted AV policies-covering everything from traffic rules to land use, ride sharing and taxi reform. They describe the progress made to date and the key challenges that lie ahead as consumers, cities and regions embrace this disruptive technology.

The combination of artificial and human intelligence will not only drive breakthrough discoveries, it will also free employees from mundane work. Already, human creativity and judgment augmented by the computational power of AI has led to breakthroughs in energy generation and storage, drug therapies and space exploration. Next, it could yield solutions to some of humanity's most intractable problems. And what lies beyond could be even more transformative: A convergence of information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology that promises to overhaul the very definition of what it means to be human.

Since its founding in 2014, Malus Analytics International (MAI), a US-based player in the analytics consulting industry, had focused on helping its clients move to cloud-based computing and database management. However, by 2018, this strategy had left many of MAI's customers vulnerable to "Shadow IT," an information technology (IT) phenomenon where employees used computing devices, data, and software that were not provided, approved, or sanctioned by an organization's IT department for work. Twenty of MAI's top clients had experienced data breaches as a result of the use of unsanctioned applications. In response, MAI's management team needed to develop a collaborative plan to help ameliorate the natural tensions between the chief information officers and the end-users. The plan needed to balance security requirements and resource management with innovation and flexibility.

On April 2, 2017, the two founders of Foxcore Retail were preparing for a third summer managing their small retail business in Ontario, Canada. They had spent the weekend reviewing budgeting, staffing schedules, and inventory planning for their biggest expansion to date. There was only one pressing concern that had not been solved. In the past, employees had tracked sales by hand, on paper, which led to headaches when it came to calculating sales representatives' commissions. Additionally, the two partners knew that by not documenting key information about each sale, they were missing the opportunity to collect valuable data that could provide insight into the performance of employees, events, and products. As the business grew, they were starting to notice the impact of these inefficiencies on customer service, and it was clear that this was the right time to implement a more disciplined database system.

Supplement to W18796

This case recounts the journey of Evie.ai, a Singapore-based tech startup. Specifically, the case examines how founder Lee Jin Hian and his team developed and implemented Evie, an artificial intelligence (AI) personal assistant. There are very few teaching cases on AI and its impact on work and employment. Commercial applications of AI may promise substantial potential gains to individual and organizational productivity, but we need to be aware of their limits as well. This case introduces students to AI and how this technology can be informed by data analytics and applied to various tasks. It also offers lessons on the realities of running a startup: students will gain a deeper understanding of tech entrepreneurship (or "technopreneurship") from analysing the challenges and opportunities that confronted Evie.ai, and in navigating the decisions the startup needed to make in the face of mounting competition and rapid technological shifts.

Industry note for case NTU226

This case presents the second phase of DBS Bank's internationally acclaimed digital transformation. Upon completing the first phase (2009-2014) of the transformation that radically "rewired" the entire enterprise for digital innovation, DBS initiated its second digital push in 2015 to address ever-emerging threats from fintech companies and institutional constraints on acquisition-led organic expansion. To DBS, the largest bank in Southeast Asia by assets, this digital transformation was an on-going journey in building a next-generation enterprise. It centred on developing the core capabilities to be ready for a digital future, i.e., the agility to scale technology infrastructure, to delight customers, to connect with ecosystem partners, and to innovate in ways that are unimaginable today. The case details how DBS was preparing these capabilities by undertaking three fundamental "philosophical shifts": to reinvent DBS by becoming digital to the core, embedding DBS in the customer journey, and creating a 26,000-person start-up. The case also highlights the bank's methodology for measuring financial value created by digitalisation; DBS is believed to be the first bank in the world to have done so. Furthermore, the case describes DBS's latest strategic move to embark onto its next stage of transformation, i.e., to reorganise the company around (technology) platforms.