For this discussion, imagine you’ve taken on the role of a manager at an engineering company.
You’ve been approached by a supplier of goods—one you haven’t worked with before. The
supplier shows you the new software package it is launching in a few months, and it piques your
interest. The demo of the new technology shows you how it could really help your team design
and develop projects faster. It also includes many add-ons for items that your company is not
currently working on, but that your intuition says it should be.
The supplier’s study says that 90 percent of your industry will be transitioning to this new
technology in a couple of years, and that if your company doesn’t move forward with it, you will
fall behind. You are eager to grow revenue, develop your team, and wow your clients. The
supplier says it is not making the new technology available to your competitors because it would
prefer to partner with a prestigious company like yours. You think the supplier’s representative is
knowledgeable about the new technology and your industry, and you enjoy the conversations
you’ve had, but you still feel uneasy about making a decision on whether to partner with this
new supplier.
In your initial post, address the following:
● What research steps need to take place before you can make a decision?
● How would you use qualitative or quantitative data to help you make a decision? Explain
the difference between these two methods.
● How would you use primary and secondary sources to support your decision? Explain
the difference between these two source types.
Write a post of 2 to 3 paragraphs.
_____________________________________________________
In response to at least two of your peers, address the following:
● Can you spot bias or illogical or unethical arguments your peer’s initial post? Explain
your response and give examples.
Peer 1
–
Patti Basin
Before making a decision, we need to take steps to help us make the best decision for any
given circumstance or opportunity. Since decision-making is based on what we know, we need
to be sure we gather all the necessary information so that we can be sure to make the best
decision. We will need to use critical thinking skills to determine credible information and what
is not. It will be next to impossible to be 100% certain of the right decision, but we need to
research enough to feel comfortable with making a decision and acting on it.
I would use qualitative data to describe what I observed using my five senses. For example, if I
wanted to understand better who my customer is, I would gather qualitative data through
interviewing or a focus group. Quantitative data is beneficial if I need to look at numerical
values. For example, what were my production levels the past year using my current software
program, and what are my possible production levels using the new technologyffered? Does
the profit potential outweigh the cost of the software? Quantitative data can be represented by
two types; discrete or continuous. With discrete, the numbers are exact and can not be 5.5, for
example. This would help in determining the number of people collected in the data. The other
type is continuous, measuring distance, weight, or speed. A good example would be it took an
extra 5.5 hours to finish a cabinet design with the old software and 4.3 hours to use the new
software.
I would first review primary sources, which are accounts from people directly connected to the
subject. I would look for primary sources with firsthand accounts working with the company and
any reports that would help me decide on using the new technology offered. I will also look at
secondary sources interpreting the software and upcoming industry changes. I will avoid biased
sources as that will not help me make an informed decision on going with the new software.
Soomo Learning. (2020). Critical business skills for success. https://www.webtexts.com
Peer 2
Carson Peardon
A few research steps that need to take place are doing my due-diligence research of the
supplier companies reputation and reviews and opinions of other companies that use the
proposed software. Another bit of due-diligence research that needs to be done is researching
the engineering industry and evaluating whether that 90% of industry transition is accurate or
not.
Qualitative data is is data that can’t be represented by numbers, whereas quantitative data is
data that can be represented by numbers. Both types of data is crucial in the decision making
process. The above research is a great example of both qualitative and quantitative data and
there uses.
The above research is also a great example of the difference between using primary sources
and secondary sources. We would be using a primary source by contacting other companies
directly regarding the proposed software and their thoughts on it. It is a secondary source with
the suppliers claim that 90% of the industry will be transitioning to the new software.
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