Information systems quiz

Informed user

A person knowledgeable about information systems and IT

Digital transformation

the business strategy that leverages IT to dramatically improve employee, customer,, and business partner relationships to support continuous improvements in operations and develop new models

Industries that drive digital transformation

business analytics, social computing, mobile computing, cloud computing, etc

Who works in information technology staff

programmers, business analysts, systems analysts, and designers

What is a CIO?

The executive who is in charge of the Information system function, works with the chief executive officer, financial officer, and other senior executives. The work in strategic planning process

Why is managing information systems difficult

Have enormous strategic value to organizations, if the system is down the firm may not function

Very expensive to acquire, operate, and maintain

Management information systems within an organization evolve quickly

Factors that determine how maintaining and developing information is divided between MIS and end users

• The size and nature of the organization

• The amount and type of IT resources

• Attitude towards computing

• The countries in which the company operates

What are Management information systems responsibilities?

Corporate level and shared resources

What are End users responsibilities?

Department resources

Old Management information systems functions?

• managing system developments

• Computer operations, including computing center

• Staffing, training, and developing IS skills

• Provide technical services

Information systems

A system that collects, processes, stores, and distributes data to support decision-making and control in an organization. It includes hardware, software, databases, networks, and people.

New management information system functions

• Designing specific strategic information systems

• Partnering with business executives

• Deciding the strategic systems that are needed

Data Items

An elementary description of things, events, activities, and transactions that are recorded, classified, and stored but are not organized to convey any specific meaning

Information

Refers to data that has been organized so that they have meaning and value to recipient

Knowledge

Consists of data and information that have been organized and processed to convey understanding, experience, accumulated training, and expertise that is applied to a current business program

Computer-based information system

An information system that uses computer technology to perform all of its intended tasks

Are all information system computerized?

false

What are the first four components of a computerized information system?

1. Hardware

2. Software

3. Database

4. Network

Hardware

Consists of devices such as the processor, monitor, keyboard, and printer. Together these devices accept, process, and display data and information

Software

A program or collection of programs that enable the hardware to process data

Network

A connecting system (wireline or wireless) that enables multiple computers to share resources

Database

A collection of related files or tables containing data

Procedures

The instructions for combining the above components to process information and generate the desired output

People

Use the hardware and software, interface with it, or utilize its output

What are the IT components

• Hardware

• Software

• Database

• Network

• Procedures

• People

What are the major capabilities of Information Systems?

• Perform high-speed numerical computations

• Provide fast, accurate communication within and among organizations

• Analyze and interpret vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently

What is an application?

A computer program designed to support a specific task or business process

Transaction processing systems

Supports the monitoring, collection, storage, and processing of data from the organization basic business transactions which create data.

Organization supply chain

The flow of materials, information, money, and services from suppliers of raw materials

Electronic commerce systems

Enables organizations to conduct transactions

Knowledge workers

Professional employees such as financial and marketing analysts, engineers, lawyers, and accountants

Business analytic systems

Provide computer-based support for complex, nonroutine decisions primarily for middle man

Expert systems

Attempt to duplicate the work of human experts by applying reasoning, capabilities, knowledge, and expertise within a specific domain

Dashboards

A special form of Information Systems that support all managers of the organization

What are the three fundamental elements of a business process?

1. Inputs

2. Resources

3. Outputs

Inputs

Materials, services, and information that flow through and are transferred as a result of process activities

Resources

People and equipment that perform process activities

Outputs

The product or a service that perform process activities

Comparative advantage

Any assets that provide an organization with an edge against competition

Cross-functional process

No single functional area is responsible for their action

What makes a cross-functional process successful?

Each functional area must execute its specific process steps in a coordinated collaborative way

Procurement process

Includes all of the tasks involved in acquiring needed materials externally from a vendor

Fulfillment process

Concerned with processing customers orders

How does an information system help execute a process?

Information systems help organizations execute processes by informing people when its time to complete a task by providing the necessary data to complete a task.

How does an information system have an advantage over other systems by storing and capturing data?

Data only needs to be entered twice and some of this data is generated automatically

How do information systems monitor process performance?

They indicate how well a process is executing. As well as they can also detect problems with the process

globalization

The integration and interdependence of economic, social, cultural, and ecological factors of life, made possible by rapid advances in technology

The changing nature of the workforce?

• The workforce, particularly in developing countries is becoming more diversified

• A number of women, disabled, and minorities are being employed more

• IT allows people to work at home

Powerful customers?

• Increasing consumer sophistication and expectations

• Consumers are more knowledgeable about products and services

Technology Pressures?

• Technological innovation & Obsolesces

• Rapid development of both new and substitute products and services

Information Overload?

• Vast stores of data, information, and knowledge

• Difficulties in managing data for decision making

Compliance with Government Regulations?

• Businesses tend to view government regulations as expensive constraints on their activities

Why are ethical issues important?

If handled poorly they can damage an organizations image and destroy employees morale

Strategic systems

Provide organizations with advantages that enable them to increase their market share and profits

Make to order

A strategy of providing customized products and services

Mass customization

A company produces a large quantity of items, but it customizes them to match the needs and preferences of individuals customers

Porter Competitive forces model

1. Threat of Entry of New Competitors

2. Bargaining power of suppliers

3. Bargaining power of customers/buyers

4. Threat of substitute products or services

5. Rivalry among existing firms within the industry

A value chain

A sequence of activities through which the organizations inputs, whatever they are, are transformed into more valuable outputs

Primary activities

relate to the production and distribution of the firms products and services, These activities create value for which customers are willing to pay

Support activities

Contributes to the firms competitive advantage by supporting the primary activities

What are the strategies of Competitive advantage

1. Cost leadership

2. Differentiation

3. Innovation

4. Operational effectiveness

5. Customer orientated

Cost leadership

I can sell at a lower price than you can

Differentiation

I am better because I am different

Innovation

I am doing something new and you can’t catch up

Operational effectiveness

I can do something more efficiently than you

Customer orientated

I treat my customers better than you do

What are the ethical standards

1. Utilitarian approach

2. Rights Approach

3. Fairness approach

4. Common good Approach

5. Deontology approach

Utilitarian approach

• an ethical action is one that provides the most good or does the least harm

Rights approach

•  one that best protects and respects the moral rights of the affected parties

Fairness approach

• ethical actions treat all human beings equally, or, if unequally, then fairly, based on some defensible standard

Common good approach

• highlights the interlocking relationships that underlie all societies. This approach argues that respect and compassion for all others are the basis for ethical actions. It emphasizes the common conditions that are important to the welfare of everyone.

Deontology Approach

•  the morality of an action is based on whether that action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules rather than based on the consequences of that action. An example of deontology is the belief that killing someone is wrong, even if it was in self-defense

What is the framework for ethics

1. Recognize an ethical issue

2. Get the facts

3. Evaluate alternative actions

4. Make a decision and test it

5. Act and reflect on the outcome of decisions

Responsibility

You can accept the consequences of your decisions and actions

Accountability

To determining who is responsible for actions that were taken

Liability

A legal concept that gives individuals the right to recover the damages done to them by other individuals organizations or systems

What are the fundamental tents of ethics

1. Responsibility

2. Accountability

3. Liability