Comm 226-Final

Moore's Law

the number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 18 months.

Reich nonroutine cognitive skills (4)

Abstract reasoning

Systems thinking

Collaboration

Ability to experiment

Abstract reasoning

The ability to make and manipulate models

Systems thinking

The mental process of making one or more models of components of a system and connecting the inputs and outputs among those components into a sensible whole, one that explains the phenomenon observed

Collaboration

Most important skill for effective collaboration is to give and receive critical feedback

Ability to experiment/experimentation

careful and reasoned analysis of an opportunity, envisioning potential products or solutions or applications of technology, an then developing those ideas that seem to have the most promis, consistent with the resources you have

Management information systems (MIS)

An information system that helps businesses achieve their goals and objectives

Key elements of MIS

Processes, information systems, and information

Management and use

Achieve strategies

Process/business process

A sequence of activities for accomplishing a function

Information system

A group of components that interact to produce information

Information

Knowledge derived from data, where data is defined as recorded facts or figures

Data presented in a meaningful context

Data processed by summing, ordering, averaging, grouping, comparing, or other similar operations

A difference that makes a difference

Management (of MIS)

The creation, monitoring, and adapting of processes, information systems, and information

How does MIS relate to organizational strategy?

MIS exist to help organizations achieve their strategies

Porter’s Five forces model

bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitution, bargaining power of customers, rivalry among firms, and threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutions/ substitute

A competing product that performs the same or similar function as an industry's product by another means.

What makes threat of substitution stronger

Price is lower

Benefits are similar

Easy for buyer to switch products

Threat of new entrants

Based on industry barriers to entry and the reaction new entrants can expect from established companies in the industry

Barriers to entry

High customer switching costs

Large financial investments to get started

Sales and distribution channels that are not accessible to new entrants

Government policies

What makes existing rivals stronger

Rivals compete with each other using price discounting, new products, and service improvements

Rivals are numerous

Industry growth is slow

Exit barriers are high

Bargaining power of suppliers/Bargaining power of customers is affected by

Number of available suppliers/customers

Switching costs

Differentiation of the product

Relative size of the firm

Competitive strategy

The strategy an organization chooses a the way it will succeed in its industry.

Four fundamental competitive strategy

Cost leadership across an industry

Cost leadership within a particular industry segment

Product differentiation across an industry

Product differentiation across a particular industry segment

Value

The amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service

Value chain

A network of value-creating activities

Margin

The difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity

Primary activities in a value chain

The fundamental activities that create value

Inbound logistics

Operations

Outbound logistics

Marketing and sales

Customer service

Support activities in a value chain

The activities that contribute indirectly to value creation

Procurement

Technology

Human resources

Firm infrastructure

Inbound logistics

Receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to products

Operations/manufacturing

Transforming inputs into final products

Outbound logistics

Collecting, storing, and physically distribution products to buyers

Sales and marketing

Inducing buyers to purchase products and providing a means for them to do so

Customer service

Assisting customer's use of products and thus maintaining and enhancing the product's value

Procurement

Obtaining goods and services

The process of finding vendors, setting up contractual arrangement, and negotiating prices

Technology

Research and development, developing new techniques, methods, and procedures

Human resources

Recruiting, compensation, evaluation, and training of employees

Firm infrastructure

General management, finance, accounting, legal, and government affairs

Linkages

Process interactions across value chains.

Impact of competitive strategy

Organizations analyze their industry and choose a competitive strategy. Given that strategy, they examine their value chain and design business precess that span value-generating activities. Those processes determine the scope and requirements of each organization's information systems.

Business process/process

Sequence of activities for accomplishing a function

Activity

A task within a business process

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard

A standard set of terms and graphical notations for documenting business processes

Role

A subset of activities in a business process that is performed by a particular actor; resources are assigned to roles

Actor

A person or computer who performs a subset of activities in a business process

Swimlane

A long column in a BPMN diagram; each column contains all the activities for a particular role

Repository

A collection of records, usually implement as a database

Benefits of standardizing processes

Policies can be enforced

Results are more consistent

Processes can be copied and reused; they are scalable

Risks from errors and mistakes are deduced

How many information systems can support a process?

Process can be supported by any number of information systems--from zero to many

Procedure

Set of instructions for a person to follow when operating an IS. Procedures anchor an IS to a process.

Relationship between IS and processes

An IS will have different procedure for every process, and a process will have a different procedure for every IS that supports it.

Structured process

Formally defined, standardized processes that support day-to-day operations

Dynamic process

A process whose structure is fluid and dynamic

Characteristic of structured process

Formally defined process, activity flow fixed

Process change slow and difficult

Control is critical

Innovation not expected

Efficiency and effectiveness are important

Procedures are prescriptive

Characteristic of dynamic process

Informal process

Process change rapid and expected

Adaptation is critical

Innovation required

Effectiveness typically more important

Procedures are supportive

Hardware

Electronic components and related gadgetry that input, process, output, store, and communicate data according to the instructions encoded in computer programs or software.

CPU

Central processing unit, selects instructions, processes them, performs arithmetic and logical comparisons, and stores results of operations in memory (speed in hertz)

Main memeory

Set of cells in which each cell holds a byte of data or instruction; each cell has an address, and the CPU uses the addresses to identify particular data items. Can be call RAM (random access memory)

Storage hardware

Computer components used to save data and programs

Types of hardware

Personal computer

Tablet/slates

Smartphones

Server

Server farm

Server

A computer that provides some type of service. Server computers are faster, larger, and more powerful than client computer. Designed to support processing from many remote computers and users.

Server farm

A large collection of server computers that coordinates activities of the servers, usually for commercial purpose.

How do computer represent data?

Using binary digits called bits

Bytes

A character of data. An 8-bit chunk

Size of data

Byte

Kilobyte

Megabyte

Gigabyte

Terabyte

Petabyte

Exabyte

Operating system

A computer program that controls the computer's resources.

Categories of computer software

Client operating system

Client application program

Server operating system

Server application program

Client operating system

Programs that control the client computer's resources

Client application program

Applications that are processed on client computers

Server operating system

Programs that control the server computer's resources

Server application program

Applications that are processed on server computers

Types of operating system

Nonmobile client operating system (Windows, MacOS, Unix, Linux)

Mobile client operating system (Symbian, Blackberry OS, iOS, Android, Windows RT)

Server operating system (Windows server, Unix, Linux)

Virtualization

Process by which one computer hosts the appearance of many computers

Host operating system

An operating system that runs one or more operating system as applications

Virtual machines (vm)

A hosted operating system

Types of virtualizaiton

PC virtualization

Server virtualization

Desktop virtualization

PC virtualization

Using a personal computer to host several different operating system

Server virtualization

A system in which a server computer hosts one or more other server computers

Desktop virtualization

A desktop operating system hosted by a server that can be accessed from any computer to which the user has access

License

Agreement that stipulates how a program can be used.

Site license

A flat fee that authorizes the company to install a product, such as an operating system or application, on all of that company's computers or on all of the computers at a specific site.

Types of application

Horizontal-market application

Vertical-market application

One-of-a-kind application

Ways to obtain a software

Off-the-shelf

Off-the-shelf then customized/with alterations

Custom-developed

Application software

Programs that perform a business function

Horizontal-market application

Software that provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries ex. Office

Vertical-market application

Software that serves the needs of a specific industry.

One-of-a-kind application

Software that is developed for a specific, unique need

Off-the-shelf software

Generic application software that is used without customization

Off-the-shelf with alterations software

Generic application software that is customized before use

Custom-developed software

Tailor-made software

Firmware

Software that is installed into devices such as printers, print servers, and various types of communication devices.

Open source

Source code of the program is available to the public

Source code

Computer code that is written and understood by humans

Machine code

Code that has been compiled from source code and is ready to be processed by a computer

Closed source

Source code that is highly protected and only available to trusted employees and carefully vetted contractors

Native application

Applications that can run on just one operating system

Thin-client application

A software application that requires nothing more than a browser and can be run on many different operating systems

Characteristics of native application

Object-oriented languages

Developed by professional programmer only

High skill level required

High difficulty

User experience can be superb

High cost

Distributed via application stores

Characteristics of thin-client application

Scripting languages

Developed by professional programmers and technically oriented web developers and business professionals

Low to high skill level required

Easy to hard difficulty

User experience simple to sophisticated

Low to medium cost

Distributed via web sites

Roaming

When users move their activities, especially long-running transactions, across devices

Push data

Data that the server sends to or pushes onto a device

Pull data

Data that the device requests from the server