Written Case Analysis

Name: Kissah A. Neri

Chapter/Topic: Chapter 2/ Strategic Uses of Information System
Case Title: Knight in Shining Trucks
Date Submitted: May 4, 2019

Thinking about the Case:

1. The Knight Transportation Inc, was not efficiently make use of their trailers and trucks in
instance, the company do not have the exact location of its empty trucks or trailer so
what will happen they tend to send an emptied trucks or trailer to travel long distance to
pick-up some cargo while there is an available trailer or trucks much closer to the
location. The company also spent at least an hour just to find empty trailers to be use, so
imagine the time waste each day. The other inefficiencies also is that since they got a lot
of trailers to monitor they tend to send their trailers in wrong location.

2. After installing the Fleet-View information system, managers now have an accurate
location of its trailers and information of its cargo in a click of a button. The managers
now can easily determine which trailer is empty and which is not. Managers can now
determine if their drivers stop more often than the necessary stops needed. Since, the
Fleet-view also send the trailers current performance such as fuel level and air-pressure
so the can able to inform the driver to make necessary stops to take care of their trucks.

3. The company is trying to reduce the ratio of trailers to trucks from 3 to 1. After
installation of the Fleet-View, now the ratio of trailers to trucks is now 2.3 to 1 compared
to 4.4 to 1 in 2002. In this industry, this is a significant indicator of efficiency which is now
the company enjoyed an 11 percent profit.

4. The approach to gaining strategic advantages applies to this case is the resources-
based view. The company can able to determine the available resources that can be use
or assign much more efficiently.

5. Yes, because since now the company can able to dispatch their trailers and trucks more
efficiently so they can able to save fuel and money and instead spend this money to
invest or upgrade their services. Compared to the competitors who are not using such
device, they can able to send their cargo the location much efficiently and faster.

Concept/s or Theory/ies Used in Analyzing the Case:

1. The concept used in this case is the optimal utilization of information system to gain
competitive advantage.