Running head: SAMPLE CASE STUDY 1 Ima Student MGT 450 Sample Case Study: Siebel Systems Professor Amazing December 15, 2008 SAMPLE CASE STUDY 2 Sample Case Study: Siebel Systems Siebel Systems faced several problems at the time of this article. Primarily, corporate software customers are looking for integrated “suites” of software applications while Siebel offers only one application—customer relations management (CRM) software (“Siebel”). To solve this problem and to regain a corner of the corporate software market, Siebel Systems and its CEO and owner, Tom Siebel, will have to relinquish the idea of “doing one thing really well” (Kerstetter, 2003, p. 2). In order to grow and expand, Siebel Systems needs to diversify software applications and integrate the applications that corporations seek into one system. The introduction identifies the central problem. Thesis statement is located at the end of the introduction. Indeed, corporate software customers want integrated, user-friendly, and cost-effective software systems. Applications for financial data, corporate planning, and human resources (Kerstetter, 2003), as well as what Siebel currently offers, CRM, are in demand. While Siebel should consider modifying its software for manageability or even integrating with rival programs, this is not a long-term solution for the company. Nevertheless, Siebel Systems will continue to shrink and elicit poor customer satisfaction if it cannot create, buy, or partner with other software applications. Siebel should develop a strong suite of software applications quickly before it exhausts revenues and loses its current clientele. The background section is made up of important general facts. As a short-term solution, Siebel Systems should work with IBM and Microsoft on creating one version of Siebel’s new product line that is compatible with both platforms, saving the companies the $550 million for Here, the writer begins to develop the proposed solution. SAMPLE CASE STUDY 3 two versions that are in the works (Kerstetter, 2003). However, a long-term solution involves Siebel’s creating, buying, or merging with other software companies until an integrated, user-friendly suite of applications has been developed. Once this has been achieved, Siebel Systems must provide customer service that is geared toward problem avoidance rather than problem patches and offer upgrade packages that are cost effective, relevant, and easily implemented. These modifications should yield a high return on Siebel’s investment. Although the cost of acquiring additional applications is potentially greater than the co.

1. Running head: SAMPLE CASE STUDY
1
Ima Student
MGT 450
Sample Case Study: Siebel Systems
Professor Amazing
December 15, 2008
SAMPLE CASE STUDY
2
Sample Case Study: Siebel Systems
Siebel Systems faced several problems at the time of this
article.
Primarily, corporate software customers are looking for
integrated “suites” of
software applications while Siebel offers only one application—
customer

2. relations management (CRM) software (“Siebel”). To solve this
problem and
to regain a corner of the corporate software market, Siebel
Systems and its
CEO and owner, Tom Siebel, will have to relinquish the idea of
“doing one
thing really well” (Kerstetter, 2003, p. 2). In order to grow and
expand, Siebel
Systems needs to diversify software applications and integrate
the applications
that corporations seek into one system.
The introduction
identifies the central
problem.
Thesis statement is
located at the end of
the introduction.
Indeed, corporate software customers want integrated,
user-friendly,
and cost-effective software systems. Applications for financial
data, corporate
planning, and human resources (Kerstetter, 2003), as well as
what Siebel
currently offers, CRM, are in demand. While Siebel should

3. consider
modifying its software for manageability or even integrating
with rival
programs, this is not a long-term solution for the company.
Nevertheless,
Siebel Systems will continue to shrink and elicit poor customer
satisfaction if
it cannot create, buy, or partner with other software
applications. Siebel
should develop a strong suite of software applications quickly
before it
exhausts revenues and loses its current clientele.
The background
section is made up
of important general
facts.
As a short-term solution, Siebel Systems should work with IBM
and
Microsoft on creating one version of Siebel’s new product line
that is
compatible with both platforms, saving the companies the $550
million for
Here, the writer
begins to develop
the proposed

4. solution.
SAMPLE CASE STUDY
3
two versions that are in the works (Kerstetter, 2003). However,
a long-term
solution involves Siebel’s creating, buying, or merging with
other software
companies until an integrated, user-friendly suite of
applications has been
developed. Once this has been achieved, Siebel Systems must
provide
customer service that is geared toward problem avoidance rather
than problem
patches and offer upgrade packages that are cost effective,
relevant, and easily
implemented.
These modifications should yield a high return on Siebel’s
investment.
Although the cost of acquiring additional applications is
potentially greater
than the cost of the new product line Siebel Systems is presently
considering,

5. the life of the company will be extended.
Siebel should turn to the companies with whom it is already
working
on software integration—Oracle, PeopleSoft, and BMC
(Kerstetter, 2003)—to
negotiate a merger or buyout. This would give Siebel leverage
to focus on
applications not offered by others but are needed by corporate-
software
customers. Moreover, Siebel can recruit interns from top
technology schools
to facilitate and help complete the development of this new
software
applications suite.
The writer provides
recommendations to
execute the
proposed solution
and the rationale
behind why they’re
beneficial.
There is a substantial risk with Siebel’s inaction and
remaining with their
current software offerings. Given the limited integration and
narrow

6. application market, Siebel Systems will continue to lose market
share,
revenue, and customers. Immediate action is needed to restore
its market
position—in particular, merging with another company or an
individual
SAMPLE CASE STUDY
4
provider of other corporate software applications. The ideal
merger would
combine CRM software with software for financial data,
corporate planning,
and human resource management.
In researching other companies, I found that in 2006,
Oracle Corporation
purchased Siebel Systems for $5.8 billion dollars. Siebel now
offers all
software applications that e-business and 24-hour customer
support require as
part of the larger Oracle Corporation (“Oracle”). Oracle also
acquired
PeopleSoft in 2005.

7. SAMPLE CASE STUDY
5
References
Kerstetter, J. (2003, June 2). Can Siebel stop its slide?
Missteps--and
tough rivals--undermine the software giant. BusinessWeek.
(3835),
48. Retrieved December 2, 2008, from ProQuest
database.
Oracle and Siebel [Announcement]. Retrieved December 2,
2008, from
http://www.oracle.com/siebel/index.html
Siebel [Product information]. Retrieved December 2, 2008,
from
www.siebel.com
http://www.oracle.com/siebel/index.html
1

8. Case Study Assignment
Each student should select an academic based case study for
which he/she will complete a case study analysis. A case
study is an in-depth investigative methodology that is conducted
to provide a holistic analysis of an individual, group,
organization or institution. The case study that you select must
relate in some measure to multicultural education.
According to some scholars, case studies provide descriptions
of realistic contextual situations wherein educators can
explore decision-making in the face of socio-cultural,
environmental, political, ethical and economic contexts. In
addition, it will probably be beneficial to revisit chapters in the
text pertaining to the development and analysis of a case
study.
Case studies generally explore dynamic complex issues, which
lead to multiple possibilities and proposed resolutions.
Therefore, case studies are excellent evaluative resources for
critical thinking assignments. The overarching goal of this
assignment is to afford each of you an opportunity to critically
think about salient socio-cultural issues that influence
educational processes, policies and pedagogical contexts. My

9. expectation is that this assignment will result in
expanding/enhancing students’ insight into the social, political
and economic complexities that will shape their
pedagogical development, classroom management, and policy
engagement.
As stated previously, each student is responsible for conducting
research that will result in the selection of a case study
related to a relevant socio-cultural educational issue. Each
student should conduct an extensive analysis of the case study
that will be written in APA format; the following is additional
information that will assist you in completing the case
study analysis assignment. This information is adapted from:
Pearson Online
(http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_laudon_mis_10/62/15948/4082759.
cw/index.html) &
(http://www.bell.uts.edu.au/awg/case_studies/analysing)
respectively.
1. How to Analyze a Case Study A case study analysis must not
merely summarize the case. It should identify key
issues and problems, outline and assess alternative courses of
action, and draw appropriate conclusions. The case study
analysis can be broken down into the following steps: 1.
Identify the most important facts surrounding the case. 2.
Identify

10. the key issue or issues. 3. Specify alternative courses of action.
4. Evaluate each course of action. 5. Recommend the best
course of action. Let’s look at what each step involves.
1. Identify the most important facts surrounding the case. Read
the case several times to become familiar with the
information it contains. Pay attention to the information in any
accompanying exhibits, tables, or figures. Many case
scenarios, as in real life, present a great deal of detailed
information. Some of these facts are more relevant that others
for
problem identification. One can assume the facts and figures in
the case are true, but statements, judgments, or decisions
made by individuals should be questioned. Underline and then
list the most important facts and figures that would help
you define the central problem or issue. If key facts and
numbers are not available, you can make assumptions, but these
assumptions should be reasonable given the situation. The
“correctness” of your conclusions may depend on the
assumptions you make.
2. Identify the key issue or issues. Use the facts provided by the
case to identify the key issue or issues facing the
company you are studying. Many cases present multiple issues

11. or problems. Identify the most important and separate
them from more trivial issues. State the major problem or
challenge facing the company. You should be able to describe
the problem or challenge in one or two sentences. You should
be able to explain how this problem affects the strategy or
performance of the organization.
You will need to explain why the problem occurred. Does the
problem or challenge facing the company come from a
changing environment, new opportunities, a declining market
share, or inefficient internal or external business processes?
In the case of information systems-related problems, you need
to pay special attention to the role of technology as well as
the behavior of the organization and its management.
Information system problems in the business world typically
present a combination of management, technology, and
organizational issues. When identifying the key issue or
problem, ask what kind of problem it is: Is it a management
2
problem, a technology problem, an organizational problem, or a

12. combination of these? What management, organizational
and technology factors contributed to the problem?
consider whether managers are exerting
appropriate leadership over the organization and monitoring
organizational performance. Consider also the nature
of management decision-making: Do managers have sufficient
information for performing this role, or do they
fail to take advantage of the information that is available?
examine any issues arising from the organization’s
information technology infrastructure: its hardware, software,
networks and telecommunications infrastructure,
and the management of data in databases or traditional files.
Consider also the whether the appropriate
management and organizational assets are in place to use this
technology effectively.
of organizational factors, examine any
issues arising from the organization’s structure,
culture, business processes, work groups, divisions among
interest groups, relationships with other organizations,
as well as the impact of changes in the organization’s external

13. environment-changes in government regulations,
economic conditions, or the actions of competitors, customers,
and suppliers.
You will have to decide which of these factors-or a combination
of factors-- is most important in explaining why the
problem occurred.
3. Specify alternative courses of action. List the courses of
action the company can take to solve its problem or meet the
challenge it faces. For information system-related problems, do
these alternatives require a new information system or the
modification of an existing system? Are new technologies,
business processes, organizational structures, or management
behavior required? What changes to organizational processes
would be required by each alternative? What management
policy would be required to implement each alternative?
Remember, there is a difference between what an organization
“should do” and what that organization actually “can do.” Some
solutions are too expensive or operationally difficult to
implement, and you should avoid solutions that are beyond the
organization’s resources. Identify the constraints that will
limit the solutions available. Is each alternative executable
given these constraints?

14. 4. Evaluate each course of action. Evaluate each alternative
using the facts and issues you identified earlier, given the
conditions and information available. Identify the costs and
benefits of each alternative. Ask yourself “What would be the
likely outcome of this course of action? State the risks as well
as the rewards associated with each course of action. Is
your recommendation feasible from a technical, operational, and
financial standpoint? Be sure to state any assumptions on
which you have based your decision.
5. Recommend the best course of action. State your choice for
the best course of action and provide a detailed
explanation of why you made this selection. You may also want
to provide an explanation of why other alternatives were
not selected. Your final recommendation should flow logically
from the rest of your case analysis and should clearly
specify what assumptions were used to shape your conclusion.
There is often no single “right” answer, and each option is
likely to have risks as well as rewards.
2. Steps in Analyzing Case Studies
It is very important that cases are comprehensively rather than
superficially analyzed. Therefore, the following general
approach is recommended:

15. 1. Gain an Overview of the Case. Read through the case quickly
to gain a general familiarity with the major events and
characters and to note what appears to be the central problem or
problems.
2. Establish What has Happened. Go over the case in greater
detail, trying to establish a clear picture of what has
happened. Try to establish the who, what, where and when of
the situation. If particular knowledge or theories etc. are to
be applied to the case, these theories, etc. may well be useful in
indicating what is important information to look for. For
example, a theory of leadership may indicate what are important
situational factors to assess, or a model of the
3
management process may suggest what important functions need
to be carried out. This analysis of what has happened
should also clarify the major problem or problems in the case.
3. Determine the Causes. Address the question of why it
happened. It is generally best to consider a variety of possible

16. causes to see how well they are supported by the facts of the
case, and how well they explain everything that has
happened. Students should guard against adopting stereotypes as
causes. For example, saying that all older workers or all
female employees always act in a certain way is unlikely to be
justifiable. The theories, research, and other knowledge
learned in the subject being studied are more likely to be useful
than stereotypes and other simplifications. Given the
complexities of the real world and the limited information
available in most case studies, it may not be possible to
establish a single cause for most of the events and resulting
problems. In many cases, several causal factors appear to
interact to produce the end results.
4. Develop Possible
Solution
s. Having considered what happened and why, you should now
develop a number of
possible solutions to the problem or problems. If particular
knowledge or theories have proven to be useful in answering

17. the questions of what happened and why, these same concepts
are likely to be most useful in terms of generating possible
solutions. Different solutions may need to be considered,
depending upon whether the aim is to have prevented what has
already happened, to salvage the present situation, or to avoid
similar problems in the future. Unless you are asked to
focus on only one of these approaches, all should be considered.
5. Evaluate these