Please assist with this short report. I’ve attached the rubric, a short report example, and the instructions.
BUS105
Needs Improvement
(1)
Satisfactory
(2)
Exemplary
(3)
Content Many key elements of the
assignment unmet. Content
not covered in a substantive
and/or comprehensive way.
Work reflects some
confusion with important
aspects of the assignment.
Student illustrates a lack of
understanding and insight of
assignment objectives.
All key elements of the
assignment are met, but
content not always covered in
a substantive and/or
comprehensive way. Work
reflects a solid grasp of each
important aspect of the
assignment. Student
illustrates insight and
understanding of assignment
objectives.
All key elements of the
assignment met. Content is
covered in a substantive and
comprehensive way with
each important aspect of the
assignment addressed.
Student illustrates insight and
understanding of assignment
objectives.
Organization Main points are unclear and
many are not sufficiently
supported. Ideas are not
logically arranged.
Construction of sentences
and paragraphs reflects
difficulty with organizing
coherent thoughts.
Main points are clearly stated,
but not always supported.
Ideas are logically arranged,
but sentences and paragraphs
are not well-constructed.
Organization reflects coherent
thought, but transitions are
needed to help connect ideas.
Main points are clearly stated
and supported. Ideas are
logically arranged. Sentences
and paragraphs are well-
constructed. Organization
reflects coherent thought
with effective transitions
used to connect ideas.
Support
(Support and
Elaboration)
Points are not supported
with evidence. Student
does not make an effort to
anticipate the reader’s
concerns.
Most points are supported
with evidence (facts, statistics
when applicable) and
examples.
Student makes an effort to
anticipate the reader’s
concerns by offering relevant
explanations and clear
support for the author’s
position.
Main points are supported
with effective evidence
(facts, statistics when
applicable) and examples.
Student anticipates the
reader’s concerns by offering
relevant explanations and
clear support for the author’s
position.
Tone & Style
(Professionalism)
Word choice is informal and
is not directed towards
appropriate audience. Tone
and style are not
appropriate for assignment.
Font type and/or size are
not appropriate for
assignment. White space is
not used effectively.
Word choice is directed
towards the appropriate
audience, but some issues
related to tone and style
noted. Font type and size
choices may not be
appropriate for assignment.
White space is used
effectively.
Word choice is directed
towards the appropriate
audience. Tone and style are
appropriate for assignment.
Professional font type and
size for assignment purpose.
Effective use of white space.
Grammar/Mechanics Many errors noted in
sentence structure and/or
spelling. Rules of grammar,
usage, and punctuation not
followed. Documentation
style not used or formatting
contains several major
errors.
Sentences are complete and
spelling is correct. Minor
grammar, usage, and/or
punctuation errors noted.
Appropriate documentation
style used where applicable
with some minor formatting
errors.
Sentences are complete and
spelling is correct. Rules of
grammar, usage, and
punctuation followed.
Appropriate documentation
style used where applicable.
The Benefits and Risks of
Using Skype at Darcy’s:
A Short Report
September 20, 2013
Prepared for:
Darcy’s Department Store
Prepared by:
Student Name
BUS105
2
Background
The East Coast buyers for Darcy’s Department Store are looking for an economical and
efficient way to share information about the deals buyers are getting from various
suppliers and use real-time transmission of that information between one another to
help save money.
There are a number of tools to do this, but Skype has been mentioned as a leading
contender. Skype claims to be an easy to use, online tool that allows users to connect
with any other Skype user around the world for free. A user can make video and voice
calls to other Skype users at no charge. Users can even share files among themselves,
which provides a great asset during a business meeting. However, when there are group
video calls, then Skype begins to charge a fee.
Also, for buyers throughout the East Coast, this tool can be useful if they need to talk
with one another. However, for meetings that require more than two attendees, Skype
is not a useful tool and is not intended to work that way for business.
Benefits
Among the most attractive benefits of Skype is that it is free and you can see the person
you are talking with. To purchase a software license for 20 buyers that is compatible to
what Skype can do will cost Darcy’s roughly $1,500 per month. There are no hidden
charges with Skype. According to Skype’s web page, users get video and voice calls to
other Skype users and “instant messaging and file sharing” all at no charge.
The video sharing feature of Skype will allow the buyers to see products in real time.
For example, if two buyers are looking at similar merchandise from two different
suppliers who are offering different pricing, then they can quickly Skype one another
and compare the product to see if it is the same and to then get the best pricing for it.
Two business writers for the Auburn Citizen in NY, state that there are business users
“who can save time and money in scheduling and holding conferences or training
sessions, demonstrate products or services for potential customers, and extend
customer service by showing customers how to get the most from your product” (Leon
and Leon).
Downsides
Despite the benefits mentioned above, there are clear downsides to this product. I
tested Skype over a one-week period by calling various Skype users throughout the East
Coast and tried to simulate a conversation that a buyer might have.
First, using Skype takes getting used to. During my five-day test, I never mastered the
connection stage. This is when one Skype user “calls” another Skype user. Skype makes
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a distinctive sound that lets the user know it is making a call. However, once you
connect to whom you are calling, the picture shows, but it takes about five seconds for
that picture to catch up with the person sitting there. In essence, it is a still picture for
five seconds.
Second, once I was connected to the user, I quickly realized that what I was saying was
not being transmitted in real-time. There could be up to a three second lag in what I
said and the user hearing it. This created a number of challenges, but the biggest one
was this lag kept the other user and me talking over each other. I just assumed the user
could not hear what I said, so I repeated myself. Of course, as soon as I spoke, then I
heard the user’s response to my original message, and thus began us talking over one
another. This was a persistent problem throughout my first two calls, but got better
once I became more familiar with the technology.
Third, the picture is grainy, like an old TV. In this world of high definition, the picture I
was getting with Skype looked like a 1970s television set. I could see the person fine,
but the lack of clarity was alarming. If buyers were trying to compare colors of a fabric,
for instance, that would be nearly impossible to do because of the degraded picture
quality.
Fourth, I experienced a number of connectivity issues throughout my test. I was only
able to connect immediately on four of my 10 test calls. On the others, I thought the
person picked up, but there was no one there, and I had to re-connect. This caused
frustration and made me want to discard Skype each time it happened. Also during
calls, it was not uncommon for the connection to be lost, and I would have to try and re-
connect again. I am not sure why this occurs, but it happened on nearly 40% of my calls.
Again, this caused a great deal of frustration.
Finally, there are concerns that the privacy of Skype users is being violated by Microsoft,
“Anyone who uses Skype has consented to the company reading everything they write”
(“Skype with Care).
Recommendation
The use of Skype really boils down to money. If we are trying to save money and need a
readily available, free solution, then Skype is a contender. However, even though it is
free, Skype poses a number of technology challenges that are outlined above. This
alone makes this technology untenable for our company. At the swift pace we move,
little challenges like the one Skype poses lead me to not recommend the product.
There are a number of other services we can use, including many instant messaging
programs that provide similar services as Skype, but do it better. We can even use
FaceTime, from Apple, that can be used on Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and most of
our buyers seem to have at least one of these products.
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In summary, although Skype is free, it does not meet the need we have to interconnect
buyers across the East Coast and allow them to quickly and efficiently conduct business.
I do not recommend Skype for Darcy’s buyers.
5
Works Cited
Leon, Norma, and Tony Leon. “Sky’s the limit for Skype video call uses.” The Citizen. N.p.,
Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
“Skype with care – Microsoft is reading everything you write. .” The H Security. N.p., May 2013.
Web. 20 Sept. 2013.
“What is Skype?.” Skype. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2013.