Please answer the following questions:
1. Why are information systems so essential for running and managing a business
today?
Because information systems are the foundation for conducting business today.
2. What are the characteristics of a digital firm?
A digital firm would have numerous characteristics, such as:
- Significant business relationships are digitally enabled.
- Core business processes are accomplished through digital networks.
- Key corporate assets are managed digitally.
Additionally, digital firms offer greater flexibility in organization and
management:
- Time shifting, space shifting.
3. What are the six strategic business objectives of information systems?
The six strategic business objectives of information systems are:
1. Operational excellence
2. New products, services, and business models
3. Customer and supplier intimacy
4. Improved decision making
5. Competitive advantage
6. Survival
4. What is business model? Please give an example?
A business model is the way a company produces, delivers, and sells its products
and services.
An example could be Apple, as the company transformed old model of music
distribution with new model of music distribution through iTunes Store.
5. What are three ways an information system can add value to a business?
There are three ways an information system can add value to a business:
- Help managers make better decisions
- Help make business processes more efficient
- Increase profitability
6. What is an information system?
Information systems are interrelated components that:
– Transform raw data into meaningful information.
– Support decision-making and control.
– Help with analysis, visualization, and product creation.
7. How many components are there in an information system? What are they?
There are five components in an information system, they are:
- People Resources: End Users and IS Specialists.
- Software Resources: Programs and Procedures.
- Hardware Resources: Machines and Media.
- Network Resources: Communications Media and Network Support.
- Data Resources: Data and Knowledge Bases.
8. What are four functional areas in a business organization?
The four functional areas in a business organization are:
- Manufacturing and production.
- Sales and marketing.
- Finance and accounting.
- Human resources.
9. How information technology improves business processes?
Information technology improves business processes by:
- Increasing efficiency of existing processes:
• Automating steps that were manual.
• Enabling new processes.
- Replacing sequential steps with parallel steps:
• Improving decision making.
• Supporting new business models.
10.What are the four different types of information systems used in organizations?
Each type of the information systems will serve which level of management?
The four different types of information systems used in organizations and their
serving level of management respectively are:
- Transaction Processing Systems – Operational Management
- Management Information Systems – Middle Management
- Decision Support Systems – Middle Management
- Executive Information Systems – Senior Management
11.What are the five competitive forces proposed by Michel Porter?
The five competitive forces proposed by Michael Porter are:
- New market entrants.
- Substitute products.
- Suppliers.
- Customers.
- Competitors.
12.What are the four strategies for dealing with competitive forces by using
information systems? Please give an example for each strategy?
The four strategies for dealing with competitive forces by using information
systems and their respective example are:
1. Low-cost leadership (Walmart)
2. Product differentiation (Apple)
3. Focus on market niche (Hilton Hotels’ O n Q system)
4. Strengthen customer and supplier intimacy (Amazon)
13.How many types of decisions are there? What are they?
There are three types of decisions, they are:
- Structured decisions
- Semi-structured decisions
- Unstructured decisions
14.What are structured decisions? They are usually made by what level of
management? Give examples.
Structured decisions are repetitive, routine, with definite procedures for making the
decision. Structured decisions are usually made by operational managers.
Examples that could be taken are:
- Offer credit to customers
- Restock inventory
- Calculate gross pay for hourly workers
15.What are unstructured decisions? They are usually made by what level of
management? Give examples.
Unstructured decisions are decisions that requires judgment, evaluation, and
insight into non-routine situations to make. Unstructured decisions are usually
made by senior managers.
Examples that could be taken are:
- Decide long-term goals (>= 5 years)
- Decide to enter a new market
16.What are semi-structured decisions? They are usually made by what level of
management? Give examples.
Semi-structured decisions, a combination of the two structured and non-structured
decisions, are decisions where only part of problem has clear-cut answer provided
by accepted procedure. Semi-structured decisions are usually made by middle
managers.
Example that could be taken is:
- Design a marketing plan.
17.How many stages are there in the decision making process and what are they?
There are four stages in the decision making process, they are:
- Intelligence: Discovering, identifying, and understanding the problems
occurring in the organization
- Design: Identifying and exploring various solutions to the problem.
- Choice: Choosing the best solution
- Implementation: Making chosen solution work and monitoring how well it is
working
18.How do information systems support the activities of managers and
management decision making?
Information systems support the activities of managers and management decision
making via two ways:
- Information systems can support some of the roles played by managers, but
not all.
- Information systems can support in making decisions, but not as the final
answer.
19.What is classical model of management?
Classical model of management is a management model that has five functions that
are:
- Planning.
- Organizing.
- Coordinating.
- Deciding.
- Controlling.
20.What is behavioral model of management?
Behavioral models of management include:
- Perform a great deal of work.
- Activities are fragmented.
- Prefer current, specific, and ad hoc information.
- Prefer oral communications rather than written documentation.
- Maintain a diverse and complex web of contacts.
However, actual behavior of managers appears to be less systematic, more
informal, less reflective, more reactive, and less well organized than in classical
model.
21.What are the six elements in business intelligence environment supported
decision making?
The six elements in business intelligence environment supported decision making
are:
- Data from Business Environment, such as call centers, web data, mobile
devices…
- Business Intelligence Infrastructure, such as databases, data marts…
- Business Analytics Toolset, such as models, data mining, OLAP…
- Managerial Users and Methods, such as business strategy, forecasts…
- Platform including MIS, DSS, ESS.
- User Interface, such as reports, mobile, web portal…
22.Building a new information system involves much more than new hardware and
software. It is one kind of planned organizational change. Information
technology can promote 4 levels of organizational change. What are they?
The four levels of organizational change are:
Automation:
- Increases efficiency.
- Replaces manual tasks.
Rationalization of procedures:
- Streamlines standard operating procedures.
- Often found in programs for making continuous quality improvements:
• Total quality management (TQM).
• Six sigma.
Business process redesign:
- Analyze, simplify, and redesign business processes.
- Reorganize workflow, combine steps, eliminate repetition.
Paradigm shifts:
- Rethink nature of business.
- Define new business model.
- Change nature of organization.
23.Among 4 levels of organizational change. Which one is most radical type of
change? Why?
Among four levels of organization change, paradigm shifts would be the most
radical types of change because paradigm shifts would bring out the highest return
while taking the highest risk and therefore, would have the greatest effect on an
organization.
24.How many stages in the systems development process? What are they?
There are six stages in the systems development process, they are:
1. Systems analysis
2. Systems design
3. Programming
4. Testing
5. Conversion
6. Production and maintenance
25.What are the advantages of using object-oriented development methods instead
of the traditional system life cycle?
The advantages of using object-oriented development methods instead of the
traditional system life cycle are:
- Object-oriented development is more iterative and incremental than
traditional structured development:
• Systems analysis: Interactions between system and users analyzed to
identify objects.
• Design phase: Describes how objects will behave and interact;
grouped into classes, subclasses, and hierarchies.
• Implementation: Some classes may be reused from existing library of
classes, others created or inherited.
- Objects are reusable:
• Object-oriented development can potentially reduce time and cost of
development.
26.How many methods for building information systems? What are they?
There are five methods for building information systems, they are:
- Traditional Systems Life Cycle.
- Prototyping.
- End-User Development.
- Application Software Packages and Cloud Software Services.
- Outsourcing.
27.What are new approaches for system building in the digital firm era?
New approaches for system building in the digital firm era are:
- Rapid application development (RAD): Process of creating workable
systems in a very short period of time.
- Joint application design (JAD): Used to accelerate generation of information
requirements and to develop initial systems design.
- Agile development: Focuses on rapid delivery of working software by
breaking large project into several small subprojects.
- DevOps: Builds on Agile development principles as an organizational
strategy.
28.Please write a short paragraph to introduce yourself (about 150 words) and
explain what kind of job do you prefer to do after graduation?
29.Please provide a detailed job description of the following positions: Business
Analyst, Systems Analyst, Information Security Analyst, Project Manager,
Database Developer, Programmer, Software Tester, Bridge System Engineer…
