IS 301 EXAM 2

Why is information quality important?

Business decisions are only as good as the quality of the information used.

What are the characteristics of high-quality information?

Accuracy, Completeness, Consistency, Uniqueness, Timeliness

What are the four primary sources of low-quality information?

1. Customers enter inaccurate information to protect privacy

2. Different entry standards and formats

3. Operators enter errors or abbreviations

4. Third-party/external data may have inaccuracies

What are the benefits of good information?

Improves decision-making, which impacts an organization’s bottom line.

What is a relational database?

A type of database that organizes data into tables (relations), structured in rows and columns.

What is an entity?

A person, place, thing, transaction, or event stored in a table.

What is an attribute?

A column in a table that represents a data field.

What is a record?

A collection of related data elements in a table.

What is an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD)?

A flowchart that illustrates how database tables relate to each other.

What is a Database Management System (DBMS)?

Software that allows users to create, read, update, and delete data in a database.

What is a primary key?

A field that uniquely identifies a record in a table.

What is a foreign key?

A primary key in one table that appears as an attribute in another table to establish a relationship.

What are the business advantages of databases?

✔ Increased flexibility
✔ Increased scalability and performance
✔ Reduced information redundancy
✔ Increased information integrity
✔ Increased security

What is scalability?

📈 The ability of a system to adapt to increased demand.

What is performance?

⚡ How quickly a system processes transactions.

What is information redundancy?

🚫 The duplication of data in multiple places, which databases aim to reduce.

What is information integrity?

✔ The measure of data quality in a system.

What are integrity constraints?

⚖ Rules that ensure data quality in a database.

What is a relational integrity constraint?

A rule enforcing fundamental database constraints.

What is a business-critical integrity constraint?

Rules that enforce business rules vital for success.

What are key security measures in databases?

🔒 Password – Authenticates users
🔒 Access level – Controls access to information
🔒 Access control – Determines the type of access (read-only, edit, etc.)

What is a data warehouse?

A centralized repository that aggregates information for business analysis and decision-making.

What is the purpose of a data warehouse?

To collect and centralize data from multiple sources for better decision-making.

What is ETL (Extraction, Transformation, and Loading)?

The process of extracting data from sources, transforming it into a standardized format, and loading it into a data warehouse.

What is a data mart?

A subset of a data warehouse containing specific business-related data.

How is data stored in a data warehouse?

In multidimensional format, also known as a cube.

What is information cleansing (or scrubbing)?

The process of detecting and correcting inaccurate, incomplete, or inconsistent data in a database.

What is a Local Area Network (LAN)?

A LAN connects a group of computers in close proximity, such as an office building, school, or home.

What is a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)?

A MAN is a large computer network that usually spans a city.

What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?

A WAN spans a large geographic area such as a state, province, or country.

What is Broadband?

A high-speed internet connection that is always connected.

What is a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)?

DSL allows high-speed digital data transmission over standard telephone lines.

What is an Internet Cable Connection?

Provides internet access using a cable television company's infrastructure and a special cable modem.

What is a Fiber Optic Connection?

Internet access over fiber optic cables, which use thin glass strands to transmit data as beams of light.

What is Bandwidth?

The maximum amount of data that can pass from one point to another in a unit of time.

What is Bit Rate?

The actual number of bits transferred or received per unit of time.

What is a Protocol?

A standard that specifies the format of data as well as the rules to be followed during transmission.

What is Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)?

A set of communication rules that provide the technical foundation for the public internet and private networks.

What is Network Convergence?

The efficient coexistence of telephone, video, and data communication within a single network, offering convenience and flexibility.

What is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?

A secure network that creates a private "tunnel" within the internet, allowing businesses to establish private connections.

What is a Personal Area Network (PAN)?

A network that provides communication over a short distance, typically between devices owned by a single user.

What is Bluetooth?

A wireless PAN technology that transmits signals over short distances between devices like cell phones and computers.

What is a Wireless LAN (WLAN)?

A local area network that uses radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet.

What is Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)?

A wireless networking technology that allows portable devices to connect to a LAN via access points using radio waves.

What is a Wireless WAN (WWAN)?

A wide area network that uses radio signals to transmit and receive data.

What are 4G and 5G?

Wireless broadband services that provide high-speed internet access for mobile devices.

What is Streaming?

A method of sending audio and video files over the internet in real-time.

What is a Satellite?

A space station that orbits the Earth, receiving and transmitting signals over a wide area.

What is Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID)?

A technology that uses electronic tags and labels to identify objects wirelessly over short distances.

What are RFID Tags?

Tiny tags with embedded microchips that contain data about an item and its location, transmitting radio signals to RFID readers.

What are RFID Readers?

Devices that receive data from RFID tags and send it over a network for processing.

What is the Difference Between Active and Passive RFID Tags?

• Active RFID: Tags have batteries, data can be rewritten, and they have a longer range (hundreds of feet).

• Passive RFID: Tags are smaller, less expensive, and powered by radio frequency energy, with a shorter range.

What are Common Uses of RFID?

• Automated toll collection

• Tracking goods in a supply chain

What is a Global Positioning System (GPS)?

A satellite-based navigation system that provides accurate position, time, and speed information.

What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?

A system that consists of hardware, software, and data that provide location information for display on a multidimensional map.

What are the Benefits of Business Mobility?

• Immediate access to data

• Increased location and monitoring capability

• Creation of mobile business opportunities

• Improved workflow

What are the Challenges of Business Mobility?

• Protecting against theft

• Securing wireless connections

• Preventing viruses on mobile devices

• Addressing privacy concerns with RFID and location-based services (LBS)

Why Are Systems Vulnerable?

• Accessibility of networks

• Hardware problems

• Software problems

• Natural disasters

• Use of networks/computers outside the firm’s control

• Loss and theft of portable devices

What is a Hacker?

A technology expert who breaks into computer systems or networks, either for profit or for the challenge.

What is a Virus?

Malicious software designed to cause damage or disruption.

What is Spoofing?

A technique where hackers disguise their identity by using fake IP or email addresses.

What is Phishing?

A cyberattack where fake websites or emails impersonate legitimate businesses to steal personal data.

What is a Sniffer?

An eavesdropping tool that monitors data traveling over a network, often used to steal sensitive information.

What Are Evil Twins?

Fake Wi-Fi networks that trick users into connecting, allowing hackers to intercept data.

Why Do Software Vulnerabilities Exist?

Commercial software often contains bugs and security flaws, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks.

What is a Patch?

A small software update that repairs security vulnerabilities.

Why Are Exploits Dangerous?

Hackers often develop exploits (attacks targeting vulnerabilities) faster than patches can be released.

What is Authentication?

A method of confirming a user's identity.

What is Authorization?

The process of granting a user permission to access certain data or systems.

What Are the Three Authentication Methods?

• Something the user knows – Passwords (least effective).

• Something the user has – Tokens, smart cards.

• Something that is part of the user – Biometrics (most effective).

What is a Firewall?

A security system (hardware or software) that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic to block threats.

What Are Prevention and Resistance Measures?

• Encryption – Encoding data to prevent unauthorized access.

• Public Key Encryption – A secure communication method using two keys.

• Digital Certificate – A trusted electronic document verifying identity.

• Certificate Authority (CA) – An entity that issues and manages digital certificates.

What is Backup?

An exact copy of a system’s information.

What is Recovery?

The ability to restore a system after a crash or failure.

What is Fault Tolerance?

A system feature that allows it to continue operating seamlessly after unexpected failures.

What is Failover?

An automatic switch to a backup server when the primary server fails.

What is Failback?

The process of switching back to the primary server once it recovers.

What is a Disaster Recovery Plan?

A detailed strategy for restoring IT systems after catastrophic events such as fires or floods.

What is a Cost Curve in Disaster Recovery?

A tool used to determine the optimal balance between cost and system recovery time.

What is Business Continuity Planning (BCP)?

A plan outlining how an organization will recover critical operations within a set time frame after a disruption.

What is Risk Assessment?

A process to evaluate potential threats, their probability, and potential impact on a firm.

What Are the Key Elements of Risk Assessment?

• Types of threats

• Probability of occurrence

• Potential losses

• Value of the threat

• Expected annual loss

What is an MIS Audit?

A review of a firm’s security environment, including technologies, policies, and personnel. It may include simulated cyberattacks to test response effectiveness.

What is the Purpose of an MIS Audit?

• Identifies security weaknesses.

• Evaluates disaster response.

• Assesses financial and operational impacts of security threats.

What is Integration?

Integration allows separate systems to communicate directly with each other, eliminating the need for manual data entry into multiple systems.

What are the Types of Integration?

• Forward Integration – Data flows forward through a system, from sales to fulfillment to billing.

• Backward Integration – Data flows backward, allowing updates and corrections to be synchronized.

• Central Repository – A single database where all business data is stored and shared among systems.

What is Supply Chain Management?

SCM involves managing the flow of materials, information, and finances from suppliers to customers.

What are the Three Main Supply Chain Flows?

1. Material Flow – Movement of raw materials from suppliers and their upstream partners.

2. Transformation – Converting raw materials into semi-finished and finished products.

3. Distribution – Delivering products to customers and downstream partners.

What is Supply Chain Visibility?

The ability to track all supply chain processes in real time.

What is a Supply Chain Planning System?

A system that uses advanced algorithms to optimize supply chain efficiency and reduce inventory.

What is a Supply Chain Execution System?

A system that automates supply chain processes, ensuring seamless movement of goods.

What is the Bullwhip Effect?

A phenomenon where distorted demand information causes inefficiencies as it ripples up the supply chain

What is a Demand Planning System?

A system that generates demand forecasts using statistical analysis to improve supply chain responsiveness.

What are Key SCM Metrics?

• Back Order – Unfulfilled customer orders.

• Inventory Cycle Time – Time required to replenish inventory.

• Customer Order Cycle Time – Time between order placement and delivery.

• Inventory Turnover – Frequency of inventory replacement.

What are the Challenges of SCM?

1. Cost – Implementation costs can run into millions of dollars.

2. Complexity – Globalization increases supply chain complexity.

What are the Benefits of CRM?

CRM helps businesses identify their most valuable customers using RFM (Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value).

What is Operational CRM?

A system that supports daily front-office operations, such as sales, marketing, and customer service.

What is Analytical CRM?

A system that supports back-office operations and strategic analysis without directly interacting with customers.

What are CRM Challenges?

Customers have more power due to the internet, requiring businesses to improve customer engagement strategies.

What are Future CRM Trends?

• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) – Focuses on keeping suppliers satisfied for better supply chain efficiency.

• Partner Relationship Management (PRM) – Manages relationships with resellers and alliance partners to optimize sales channels.

• Employee Relationship Management (ERM) – Provides employees with CRM tools to improve productivity and engagement.