Subject category:
Knowledge, Information and Communication Systems Management
Published by:
Wits Business School - University of the Witwatersrand
Length: 17 pages
Data source: Field research
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https://casecent.re/p/20629
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Abstract
It was December 2000 and John Robertson, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Discovery, a healthcare finance and life insurance company, had to decide what to do with DiscoveryWorld, the group''s e-commerce problem child. The project had been conceived at the end of 1999, in the full flush of dotcom optimism. It was an attempt to put into action a grandiose plan to dazzle Discovery''s customers by creating an exciting site that they would enjoy visiting. At the same time, Discovery wanted the site to position the company as more than just another healthcare company. Now the project was a source of ever-increasing conflict and dissension within the group. Operating as a separate division that reported directly to the board, it was gobbling money and rubbing other members of the group up the wrong way with an arrogant and dismissive attitude. Moreover, DiscoveryWorld had not delivered on its promises, although there was definite potential in some of the functionality that it was developing. There had been high expectations of DiscoveryWorld when it started out, but the devil seemed to be in the implementation. Was the project worth salvaging? If so, what was the best way to do this?
About
Abstract
It was December 2000 and John Robertson, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Discovery, a healthcare finance and life insurance company, had to decide what to do with DiscoveryWorld, the group''s e-commerce problem child. The project had been conceived at the end of 1999, in the full flush of dotcom optimism. It was an attempt to put into action a grandiose plan to dazzle Discovery''s customers by creating an exciting site that they would enjoy visiting. At the same time, Discovery wanted the site to position the company as more than just another healthcare company. Now the project was a source of ever-increasing conflict and dissension within the group. Operating as a separate division that reported directly to the board, it was gobbling money and rubbing other members of the group up the wrong way with an arrogant and dismissive attitude. Moreover, DiscoveryWorld had not delivered on its promises, although there was definite potential in some of the functionality that it was developing. There had been high expectations of DiscoveryWorld when it started out, but the devil seemed to be in the implementation. Was the project worth salvaging? If so, what was the best way to do this?