Genox Fuels Case Study: Assessing IT Infrastructure and SAP Strategy

This case study examines Genox Fuels, a major crude oil and natural gas producer, and its challenges with decentralized IT and slow adaptation to technological advancements. The CEO's concerns about the company's 'scrappy' IT infrastructure and its inability to leverage technology for competitive advantage are explored. The decision to hire a technology consultant, Sandy, is analyzed as a crucial step in assessing the IT mess and formulating effective strategies. The case study also discusses strategies for successfully implementing an enterprise-wide system like SAP, emphasizing phased implementation, data backup, and cultural changes within the organization. The conclusion underscores the need for Genex to integrate IT into daily operations and improve decision-making tools to gain a competitive edge, highlighting the importance of Sandy's expertise in addressing IT issues and the necessity of employee training for successful system implementation. Desklib offers this solution and many more for students.

Running Head: GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 1
Genox Fuels Case Study
Names
Institution

GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 2
Genox Fuels Case Study
Introduction
Genex Fuel Company categorized as one of the major producer of the crude oil and
natural gas (Alice, 2012). It is also know to be the principal marketer of the petroleum and
petroleum products in the section. Currently, the IT which is part of distinct business division has
also been decentralized into other divisions, with each being given a specific work to perform.
Evidence the CEO is using to suggest that Genex is not using technology completely
The CEO is trying to put more emphasize on the scrappy nature of Genex. According to
the CEO, the division has made each part to work as a separate business thus operating its affairs
individually. This is portrayed by lack of collaboration between distinct business divisions and
minimal integration of Information Technology. This aspect has made the organization to have
limited management capability to successfully run the company as one entity.
Evidence is based on the organization adaptability to respond to the shifting nature of the
production. For instance, the Information Technology department which according to the CEO’s
observation is very low slow. In addition, the ability to respond to the organizational needs is
very slow. According to Suzanne (2015), organizations should be fast in addressing the business
needs as well as those of employees to prevent things that may risk good performance.
The IT department is also very reluctant to respond to strategic challenges and the
actions that the CEO wants to put into practice. This discourages the CEO and makes him
believe that the IT infrastructure at Genex is obsolete. This factors make him to conclude that
Genex will not be in a position to acquire Comparative advantage over its competitors without
considering the use of Information Technology.

GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 3
Did Delvin need to hire Sandy, a “high-priced technology consultant,” to tell him that
technology at Genex was a mess
To hire Sandy, a “high priced technology consultant,” was the best decision made by
Genex CIO Nick Devlin. The appointment of Nick Devlin by the Genex CEO would play a
significant role in assisting the management to address some of the IT related issues. The
management needed to comprehend the nature of the problem in order to come up with efficient
and effective way of solving the problem identified. Oredola (2013) affirms that appointing
experts when a firm experience challenges plays a vital role in implementing effective strategies
to solve the problems. This implies that hiring Sandy would assist in preventing the company
from experiencing more IT related issues.
In the case study Delvin approached Sandy and his assistant Yee to be briefed on how to
tackle the problem and the next course of action. This indicates that Delvin was convinced that
sandy had proper knowledge concerning the issue and his input would assist in making the
company to get out of the mess.
The major reason for Genex CEO realizing that there was a problem which he felt it
needed to be addressed was because the company was not utilizing the available technology to
perform better. The system was inadequately geared up thus being unable to meet the day to day
equipped needs and also challenges of the company in the long run. In order to solve the
problem, the CEO and Devlin needed an expert who was in possession of key competence skills
and adequate experience (Tysiac, 2015).
In addition, the aim of the company to bring external consultant was to help in increasing
the credibility of companywide IT strategy and therefore hiring sandy would aid in this because
he is a technology consultant. Its management also wanted information that would help it in

GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 4
implementing strategies that would aid in challenging its competitors because proper utilization
of IT would make the company to attain a competitive advantage. Hiring sandy in this case
would play a key role in making the firm to attain a competitive power because his expertise
allow him to give detailed information to Devlin concerning the IT infrastructure that would be
helpful.
Sandy is very well informed in relation to the capability and boundaries of each
technology and therefore can give clear details that can change the entire company through
utilization of IT. Additionally, Sandy is able to realize the genuineness of the state of affairs as
he mention that Genex was very lucky to have been survived this long. Thomas (2012) affirms
that hiring best consultants during the times of needs in organizations is always fundamental
because it helps in things that are beyond other leaders’ capability. This is shown by the fact that
the CEO and CIO might have been aware of the existing problem but unable to determine to
what extent may affect the company.
Strategy to successfully implement enterprise wide system (such as SAP) at Genex
One of the strategies that Genox can use to implement enterprise wide system is first
considering the business needs, expertise, and how the value which the system will add to the
company. To successfully implement this system and avoid failure, it is important to do t it in
phases (McKeen & Smith, 2009). This may be in some sections and later in all departments. This
will play a key role in making the employees to adapt to the changes, and also to test if it can
assist in better performance in the company.
To ensure success of the company, there is the need to digitally backup all the data. With
the changes in IT, it is easy to retrieve data after backing it up as compared to the old storage
formats where any form of destruction would lead to large amount data loss (Cortada, 2012).

GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 5
Therefore to ensure protection and also be guaranteed of the data security, there is need to
digitally backed-up the old data and also store in a format well-matched with the new activity
wide IT system.
While implementing this system the management should ensure there is radical changes
in its IT culture (Hopeton, 2011). This will aid in making the staff members to shift their old idea
concerning the IT infrastructure to the more advanced systems. There is also the need to advance
coordination among its business distinct divisions in order to make them understand the how to
utilize this system to enhance performance.
Conclusion
There is need for Genex to change the notion of IT from a detach department to an
incorporated component of daily to daily operations. Also the company should improve basis for
decision making tool to enable the company acquire Competitive advantage over its competitors.
The idea of hiring Sandy was crucial for this organization because it would help the CEO to get
information which would help him come up with strategies for address some of the IT issues that
were affecting its performance. To successfully implement enterprise wide system, the
management should first do it in phases and train its employees on how to use it and also enable
them to understand it’s important.

GENOX FUELS CASE STUDY 6
References
Alice, H. (2012). Computer Security Threats Faced by Small Businesses in Australia. Trends &
Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 433, 69-78.
Cortada, J. W. (2012). The Digital Flood: Diffusion of Information Technology across the
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Hopeton, M. (2011). Enterprise Cloud Computing: A Stratety Guide for Business and
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McKeen J. D., & Smith, H. A. (2009). IT Strategy; Issues and Practices. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Pearson
Oredola, O. E. (2013). Effect of Virtualization on Enterprise Network, Server/desktop Systems
on Small and Mid-Size Businesses (SMB). Journal of International Technology and
Information Management, 22(2), 56-75.
Suzanne, B. M. (2015). Powering Up: How We Began with Data Analytics. The Journal of
Government Financial Management, 64(2), 25-41.
Thomas, H. P. (2012). Predicting Information Technology Adoption in Small Businesses: An
Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model. Academy of Information and
Management Sciences Journal, 15(1), 87-98.
Tysiac, K. (2015). How Small Businesses Can Keep Data Secure. Journal of Accountancy,
219(3), 78-90.