CMIS EXAM 1 Vocabulary

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

application (or app)

Systems that provide computer-based support for complex, nonroutine decisions, primarily for middle managers and knowledge workers.

business intelligence (BI) systems

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

computer-based information system (CBIS)

A business analytics presentation tool that provides rapid access to timely information and direct access to management reports

dashboard

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

data items

A collection of related files or tables containing data.

database

The business strategy that leverages IT to dramatically improve employee, customer, and business partner relationships; support continuous improvement in business operations and business processes; and develop new business models and businesses.

digital transformation

A type of interorganizational information system that enables organizations to conduct transactions, called business-to-business (B2B) electronic commerce, and customers to conduct transactions with businesses, called business-to-consumer (B2C) electronic commerce.

electronic commerce (e-commerce) systems

Information systems that take a business process view of the overall organization to integrate the planning, management, and use of all of an organization’s resources, employing a common software platform and database.

enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems

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

expert systems (ES)

ISs that support a particular functional area within the organization.

functional area information systems (FAISs)

A device such as a processor, monitor, keyboard, or printer. Together, these devices accept, process, and display data and information.

hardware

Data that have been organized so that they have meaning and value to the recipient.

information

A system that collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and disseminates information for a specific purpose.

information system (IS)

Any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization.

information technology (IT)

Hardware, software, databases, and networks.

information technology components

IT components plus IT services.

information technology infrastructure

The name given to the combination of the IT components of hardware, software, networks (wireline and wireless), and databases.

information technology platform

Activities performed by IT personnel using IT components; specifically, developing information systems, overseeing security and risk, and managing data.

information technology services

A person who is knowledgeable about information systems and information technology.

informed user

Information systems that connect two or more organizations.

interorganizational information systems (IOSs)

Data and/or information that have been organized and processed to convey understanding, experience, accumulated learning, and expertise as they apply to a current problem or activity.

knowledge

Professional employees such as financial and marketing analysts, engineers, lawyers, and accountants, who are experts in a particular subject area and who create information and knowledge, which they integrate into the business.

knowledge workers

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

network

The set of instructions for combining hardware, software, database, and network components in order to process information and generate the desired output.

procedures

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

software

The flow of materials, information, money, and services from suppliers of raw materials through factories and warehouses to the end customers.

supply chain

Information system that supports the monitoring, collection, storage, and processing of data from the organization’s basic business transactions, each of which generates data.

transaction processing system (TPS)

The combination of social, legal, economic, physical, and political factors in which businesses conduct their operations.

business environment

A collection of related activities that create a product or a service of value to the organization, its business partners, and its customers.

business process

A management technique that includes methods and tools to support the design, analysis, implementation, management, and optimization of business processes.

business process management (BPM)

A radical redesign of a business process that improves its efficiency and effectiveness, often by beginning with a “clean sheet” (i.e., from scratch).

business process reengineering (BPR)

The tight integration of the IT function with the strategy, mission, and goals of the organization.

business–information technology alignment

An advantage over competitors in some measure such as cost, quality, or speed; leads to control of a market and to larger-than-average profits.

competitive advantage

A business framework devised by Michael Porter that analyzes competitiveness by recognizing five major forces that could endanger a company’s position.

competitive forces model

No single functional area is responsible for a process’s execution.

cross-functional processes

The gap between those who have access to information and communications technology and those who do not.

digital divide

Product or service feature that customers expect from organizations in a certain industry; an organization trying to enter this market must provide this product or service at a minimum to be able to compete.

entry barrier

The integration and interdependence of economic, social, cultural, and ecological facets of life, enabled by rapid advances in information technology.

globalization

The strategy of producing customized products and services.

make-to-order

A production process in which items are produced in large quantities but are customized to fit the desires of each customer.

mass customization

Efforts by organizations to solve various social problems.

organizational social responsibility

Those business activities related to the production and distribution of the firm’s products and services, thus creating value.

primary activities

Systems that help an organization gain a competitive advantage by supporting its strategic goals and increasing performance and productivity.

Strategic information systems (SISs)

Business activities that do not add value directly to a firm’s product or service under consideration but support the primary activities that do add value.

support activities

A sequence of activities through which the organization’s inputs, whatever they are, are transformed into more valuable outputs, whatever they are.

value chain

Model that shows the primary activities that sequentially add value to the profit margin; also shows the support activities.

value chain model

A stream of activities that includes the producers, suppliers, distributors, and buyers, all of whom have their own value chains.

value system

A tenet of ethics that refers to determining who is responsible for actions that were taken.

accountability

A collection of principles intended to guide decision making by members of an organization.

code of ethics

An electronic description of an individual and his or her habits.

digital dossier

Tracking people’s activities with the aid of computers.

electronic surveillance

The principles of right and wrong that individuals use to make choices to guide their behaviors.

ethics

The right to determine when, and to what extent, personal information can be gathered by or communicated to others.

information privacy

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

liability

A model of informed consent in which a business is prohibited from collecting any personal information unless the customer specifically authorizes it.

opt-in model

A model of informed consent that permits a company to collect personal information until the customer specifically requests that the data not be collected.

opt-out model

The right to be left alone and to be free of unreasonable personal intrusions.

privacy

An organization’s guidelines for protecting the privacy of customers, clients, and employees.

privacy policies (or privacy codes)

The process of forming a digital dossier.

profiling

A tenet of ethics in which you accept the consequences of your decisions and actions.

responsibility

Controls that restrict unauthorized individuals from using information resources and are concerned with user identification.

access controls

Alien software designed to help pop-up advertisements appear on your screen.

adware

Clandestine software that is installed on your computer through duplicitous methods.

alien software

Software packages that attempt to identify and eliminate viruses, worms, and other malicious software.

anti-malware systems (antivirus software)

An examination of information systems, their inputs, outputs, and processing.

audit

A process that determines the identity of the person requiring access.

authentication