Final Exam Information Systems

Personal Area Network

Short-range networks—typically a few metres—that are used for communication among devices close to one person. They can be wired or wireless.

Metropolitan Area Network

Relatively large networks that cover large metropolitan areas; in some cases, they can span the entire planet and reach from Earth to Mars and beyond

Local Area Network

Connects two or more devices in a limited geographical region, usually within the same building, so that every device on the network can communicate with every other device.

Wide Area Network

A network that covers a large geographical area. WANs typically connect multiple LANs.

Dial-up

converts signals from analog to digital and vice versa

Cable

Modems that operate over coaxial cable. They offer broadband access to the Internet or to corporate intranets. Cable modems share bandwidth so the more people use it at the same time, the cable speed decreases significantly.

DSL

Operates on the same lines as voice telephones and dial-up modems. DSL modems always maintain a connection, so an Internet connection is immediately available.

Twisted-pair

Used for almost all business telephone wiring. It consists of strands of copper wire twisted in pairs. Relatively inexpensive to purchase, widely available, and easy to work with. However, it is relatively slow for transmitting data, it is subject to interference from other electrical sources, and it can be easily tapped by unintended recipients to gain authorized access to data.

Coaxial

Consists of insulted copper wire. It is much less susceptible to electrical interference, as it can carry much more data. Commonly used to carry high-speed data traffic as well as television signals. However, it is more expensive and more difficult to work with than twisted-pair wire. It is also somewhat inflexible.

Fibre Optic

Consists of thousands of very thin filaments of glass fibres that transmit information through pulses of light generated by lasers. They are significantly smaller and lighter than traditional cable media. They can also transmit far more data, and they provide greater security from interference and tapping. Typically used as the backbone for a network.

Application Layer

enables client application programs to access the other layers, and it defines the protocols that applications use to exchange data.

Transport Layer

provides the application layer with communication and packet services. This layer includes TCP and other protocols.

Internet Layer

responsible for addressing, routing, and packaging data packets. The IP is one of the protocols in this layer.

Network Interface Layer

places packets on, and receives them from, the network medium, which can be any networking technology.

Transmission Control Protocol

Performs three basic functions: (1) It manages the movement of data packets between computers by establishing a connection between the computers, (2) it sequences the transfer of packets, and (3) it acknowledges the packets that have been transmitted.

Internet Protocol

Responsible for disassembling, delivering, and reassembling the data during transmission.

Internet Protocol (IP) Address

Consists of sets of numbers, in four parts, separated by dots. Distinguishes a computer from all other computers.

Client/Server Computing

Links two or more computers in an arrangement in which some machines, called servers, provide computing services for user PCs, called clients.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Processing

A type of client/server distributed processing in which each computer acts as both a client and a server. Each computer can access all files on all other computers.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Defines how messages are formulated and how they are interpreted by their receiver.

Website

All the pages of a particular company or individual

Webmaster

The person in charge of an organization's website

Uniform Resource Locator

points to the address of a specific resource on the Web.

Browsers

provides a graphical font end that enables users to point and click their way across the Web, a process called surfing.

Crowdsourcing

An organization outsources a task to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.

Business Analytics

The process of developing actionable decisions on recommendations for actions based on insights generated from historical data.

Business Intelligence

A broad category of applications, technologies, and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to help business users make better decisions.

Structured decisions

deal with routine and repetitive problems for which standard solutions exist, such as inventory control. Follow a standard procedure.

Unstructured decisions

these decisions are intended to deal with "fuzzy" complex problems for which there are no cut-and-dried solution. No standard procedure only individual judgement.

Semi-structured decisions

only some of the decision-process phases are structured. Both standard solutions and individual judgement.

Operational control

Executive specific tasks efficiently and effectively

Management control

Acquiring and using resources efficiently in accomplishing organizational goals

Strategic planning

the long-range goals and policies for growth and resource allocation.

Descriptive analytics

Summarizes what has happened in the past and enables decision makers to learn from past behaviours.

Predictive analytics

Examines recent and historical data to detect patterns and predict future outcomes and trends. Provides estimates about the likelihood of a future outcome. Predicts what will happen in the future in order to make decisions.

Prescriptive analytics

Recommends one or more courses of action by identifying the likely outcome of each decision. Does not predict one possible future; rather, it suggests multiple future outcomes based on the decision-makers actions.

Online analytical processing

also referred to as multidimensional analysis capabilities. OLAP involves "slicing and dicing" the data that are stored in a dimensional format, "drilling down" in the data to greater detail, and "rolling up" the data to greater summarization (less detail).

Data Mining

refers to the process of searching for valuable business information in a large database, data warehouse, or data mart. Can perform two basic operations: (1) identifying previously unknown patterns and (2) predicting trends and behaviours.

Electronic Commerce

The process of buying, selling, transferring, or exchanging products, services, or information through computer networks, including the Internet.

Electronic Business

Refers to servicing customers, collaborating with business partners, and performing electronic transactions within an organization, as well as buying and selling goods and services.

Types of eCommerce

- Business-to-consumer (B2C)

- Business-to-business (B2B)

- Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

- Business-to-employee (B2E)

- Government-to-citizen (G2C)

- Mobile Commerce (m-commerce)

- Social Commerce

- Conversational Commerce

Horizontal exchanges

Connects buyers and sellers across many industries.

Vertical exchanges

Connects buyers and sellers in a given industry. Vertical e-marketplaces offer services that are particularly suited to the community they serve.

Wireless

telecommunications in which electromagnetic waves, rather than some form of wire or cable, carry the signals between communicating devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Mobile commerce

refers to e-commerce (EC) transactions conducted with a mobile device.

Microwave Transmission

transmits data through electromagnetic waves. These systems are used for high-volume, long-distance, line-of-sight communication.

Satellite Transmission

makes use of communication satellites. Must receive and transmit data through line of sight. However, the enormous footprint—the area of Earth's surface reached by a satellite's transmission—overcomes the limitations of microwave data relay stations.

Radio Transmission

Uses radio wave frequencies to send ata directly between transmitters and receivers.

Geostationary-earth-orbit (GEO)

→ Satellites stationary relative to point on Earth

→ Few satellites needed for global coverage

→ Transmission delay (approx. 0.25 seconds)

→ Most expensive to build and launch

→ Longest orbital life (many years)

Medium-earth-orbit (MEO)

→ Satellites move relative to point on Earth

→ Moderate number needed for global coverage

→ Requires medium-powered transmitters

→ Less expensive to build and launch

→ Moderate orbital life (6-12 years)

Low-earth-orbit (LEO)

→ Satellites move rapidly relative to point on Earth

→ Large number needed for global coverage

→ Requires only low-power transmitters

→ Negligible transmission delay

→ Least expensive to build and launch

→ Shortest orbital life (as low as 5 years)

Rogue access point

an unauthorized access point into a wireless network.

Evil twin attack

The attacker is in the vicinity with a Wi-Fi-enabled computer and a separate connection to the Internet. May use a hotspotter.

War Driving

The act of locating WLANs while driving (or walking) around a city or elsewhere. The intruder can then obtain a free Internet connection and possibly gain access to important data and other resources.

Eavesdropping

Efforts by unauthorized users to access data that are travelling over wireless networks.

Radio frequency (RF) jamming

A person or a device intentionally or unintentionally interferes with your wireless network transmissions.

Bluetooth

An industry specification used to create small person area networks.

Wi-Fi

Wireless Fidelity, the most common type of medium-range wireless network. Provides fast and easy Internet or intranet broadband access from public hotspots.

Mobile Commerce

Electronic commerce (EC) transactions that are conducted in a wireless environment, especially on the Internet.

Internet of Things

A system in which any object, natural or manmade, has a unique identity (i.e., its own IP address) and is able to send and receive information over a network

Software as a Service

Least extensibility and greatest amount of security responsibility taken on by the cloud provider

Infrastructure as a Service

Greatest extensibility and least amount of security responsibility taken on by the cloud provider

Platform as a Service

Lies somewhere in the middle, with extensibility and security features that must be leveraged by the customer.

Collaborative Consumption

an economic model based on sharing, swapping, trading, or renting products and services, enabling access over ownership.

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

Supports the monitoring, collection, storage, and processing of data from the organization's basic business transactions, each of which generates data. The TPS collects data continuously, typically in real time—that is, as soon as the data are generated—and it provides the input data for the corporate databases.

Functional Area Information Systems (FAIS)

Supports a particular functional area in the organization by increading each area's internal efficiency and effectiveness. Ex: accounting IS, finance IS, production/operations management IS, marketing IS, etc.

Vendor-managed Inventory (VMI)

When suppliers monitor a business' inventory levels and ship products as they are needed. This eliminates the need for the company to submit purchasing orders.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

The planning process that integrates production, purchasing, and inventory management of interdependent items. Deals only with production scheduling and inventories.

Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRPII)

Integrates a firm's production, inventory management, purchasing, financing, and labour activities. It adds functions to a regular MRP system.

Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM)

An approach that integrates various automated factory systems. Has three basic goals: (1) to simplify all manufacturing technologies and techniques, (2) to automate as many of the manufacturing processes as possible, and (3) to integrate and coordinate all aspects of design, manufacturing, and related functions through computer systems.

Product life cycle

Introduction, growth, maturity, decline

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems

Designed to correct a lack of communication among the functional area IS. They resolve this problem by tightly integrating the functional area IS through a common database.

Drill-down reports

displays a greater level of detail. Ex: a manager might examine sales by region and decide to "drill down" by focusing specifically on sales by store and then by salesperson.

Key indicator reports

summarizes the performance of critical activities. Ex: a chief financial officer might want to monitor cash flow and cash on hand.

Comparative reports

they compare. Ex: the performance of different business units or of a single unit during different times.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

A customer-focused and customer-driven organizational strategy. Organizations concentrate on assessing customers' requirements for products and services and then provides a high-quality, responsive customer experience.

Analytical CRM Systems

Provides business intelligence by analyzing customer behaviour and perceptions.

On-demand CRM systems

hosted by an external vendor in the vendor's data centre. Spares the organization the costs associated with purchasing the system.

Mobile CRM system

an interactive system that enables an organization to conduct communications related to sales, marketing, and customer service activities through a mobile medium for the purpose of building and maintaining relationships with its customers. Involves interacting directly with consumers through portable devices.

Open-source CRM system

CRM systems whose source code is available to developers and users.

Social CRM

the use of social media technology and services to enable organizations to engage their customers in a collaborative conversation in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent manner. Ex: running a social media account for a company.

Real-time CRM systems

Helps organizations to respond to customer product searches, requests, complaints, comments, ratings, reviews, and recommendations in near real-time, 24/7/365.

Upstream

sourcing or procurement from external suppliers occurs.

Internal

where packaging, assembly, or manufacturing takes place

Downstream

where distribution takes place, frequently by external distributors

Push model

also known as make-to-stock, the production process begins with a forecast, which is simply an educated guess as to a customer demand. The forecast must predict which products customers will want and in what quantities. The company then produces the number of products in the forecast, typically using mass production, and sells, or "pushes" those products to consumers.

Pull model

also known as make-to-order, the production process begins with a customer order. Therefore, companies make only what customers want, a process closely aligned with mass customization.

Bullwhip Effect

refers to erratic shifts in orders up and down the supply chain. Basically, the variables that affect customer demand can become magnified when they are viewed through the eyes of managers at each link in the chain. If each distinct entity makes ordering and inventory decisions places its interests above those on the chain, then stockpiling can occur.

Just-in-time (JIT) Inventory System

Delivers the precise number of parts, called work-in-progress inventory, to be assembled into a finished product at precisely the right time.

Vendor-managed inventory (VMI)

Occurs when the suppliers, rather than the retailer, manages the entire inventory process for a particular product or group of products.

Vertical Integration

a business strategy in which a company purchases its upstream suppliers to ensure that its essential supplies are available as soon as the company needs them.

Electronic data interchange (EDI)

A communication standard that enables business partners to exchange routine documents, such as purchasing orders, electronically.

Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The traditional systems development method that organizations use for large-scale IT projects. A structured framework that consists of sequential processes by which information systems are developed.

Agile Development

A software development methodology that delivers functionality in rapid iterations, which are usually measured in weeks.

Computer-aided software engineering (CASE)

refers to a group of tools that automate many of the tasks in the SDLC. early stages = upper CASE tools, later stages = lower CASE tools, between = integrated CASE (ICASE)

SDLC stages

1) Systems investigation

2) Systems analysis

3) Systems design

4) Programming and testing

5) Implementation

6) Operation and maintenance

Information System

collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and disseminates information for a specific purpose

Data

a collection of individual facts or statistics, raw and unorganized.

Information

knowledge gained through study, communication, research, or instruction.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Information systems that correct a lack of communication among the functional area ISs by tightly integrating the functional area ISs via a common database. Example: Oracle, SAP system.