MISM 2301 Exam 1

Business Process

A sequential organization of activities for the accomplishment of a business goal

Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Financial performance that consistently outperforms industry averages

Framework

A way of thinking about a problem; allows us to see problems comprehensively to more easily come up with a solution

Porter’s 5 Forces Framework

Framework for analyzing the threats and advantages of a company compared to competition at an industry level

MECE Framework

Framework for solving operational problems to improve cost, quality, speed, and inventory problems

DARSIL Framework

Framework for understanding and analyzing digital transformation projects

What are Porter’s 5 forces?

(1) Supplier power, (2) Buyer power, (3) Competitive rivalry, (4) Threat of substitution, (5) Threat of new entry

Supplier power

An assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices

Buyer power

An assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down

Competitive rivalry

The number and capacity of competitors in the market

Threat of substitution

Where close substitute products exist in a market, increases the likelihood of customers switching to alternatives in response to price increases

Threat of new entry

Profitable markets attract new entrants, which erodes profitability

MECE

Mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive

Mutually exclusive

Information should be grouped into categories so that each category is separate and distinct without any overlap

Collectively exhaustive

All categories taken together should deal with all possible options without leaving any gaps

MECE Framework

Framework that typically uses decision trees

Digitization

Occurs when a business shifts from manual and paper-based ways of processing data and information to computerized approaches

Digitalization

Occurs when an organization shifts from isolated islands of digital technologies to networked and integrated technology systems

Digital transformation

Occurs when an organization uses technology to critically change the way it competes as well as its internal capabilities and internal digital assets

DARSIL Framework

Framework is used to understand the completed state of digital transformation

DARSIL Framework

Framework that is used to compare or benchmark digital transformation within an industry

DARSIL Framework

Framework that is used to plan digital transformation

Step 1 of DARSIL Framework

Define; Which issues or problems caused the organization to initiate a digital transformation journey?

Step 2 of DARSIL Framework

Analyze; Which specific processes, architectures, and systems needed to be changed or reconfigured?

Step 3 of DARSIL Framework

Review; Which of the listed digital technologies are potential solutions to the company’s challenges?

Step 4 of DARSIL Framework

Select; Which of the digital technologies did the company deploy?

Step 5 of DARSIL Framework

Integrate; Into which business and customer processes were the digital technologies integrated?

Step 6 of DARSIL Framework

Learn; In which area is the digital transformation journey complete and/or incomplete?

Business Requirements

Statements which describe WHY a business needs to accomplish something; often focused on customer satisfaction, customer problem-solving, and employee productivity

Functional Requirements

Statements which describe WHAT a system/solution must do to achieve a business requirement

Functional Requirements

Some hardware requirements include (1) being able to process credit card payments, (2) being able to process printed barcode labels

Functional Requirements

Some software requirements include (1) enabling workers to create worker schedules, (2) managers being able to create quarterly plans

Design Requirements

Statements which describe HOW a system/solution will achieve a functional requirement

Design Requirements

Some hardware design specifications include (1) the hardware will use magnetic stripe to process credit card payments, (2) the hardware will be 3 pounds

Strategic Activities

Activities that are carried out for the future (e.g. decisions about events to happen 3-5 years in the future by senior and upper level managers

Tactical Activities

Activities that are carried out periodically (e.g. monthly, quarterly by employees and lower and mid level managers)

Transactional Activities

Activities that are carried out daily or weekly by employees and front-line staff

Hardware

Electronic components and related circuitry that enable us to (1) input, (2) process, (3) output, and (4) store data according to instructions that are encoded in computer programs

What INPUTS/PREPARES data?

Input devices

What PROCESSES data?

Central Processing Unit

What PRESENTS information?

Output devices

What PRESERVES information?

Random Access Memory

Input Hardware Devices

Enable users to interact with computers by transforming humanly understandable characters, such as speech, texts, sound, drawings and pictures, into computer bits

Input Hardware Devices

Speech/Text —> Computers Bits

Input Hardware Devices

Keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, webcam, digitizer, touchscreen, bar code reader, magnetic ink reader, QR code reader, biometrics reader

Output Hardware Devices

Enable computers to interact with humans by transforming binary information into humanly understandable characters

Output Hardware Devices

Binary/Bits —> Numbers

Output Hardware Devices

Monitor, speakers, printer, headphones, 3-D printer, plotter, projector

Hardware performance

A measure of how well specific hardware features deliver (1) speed, (2) size, (3) quality, and (4) accuracy

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Also called primary storage

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The storage component that holds small quantities of instructions, data and software programs temporarily (volatile), as electrical bits, for the CPU, while the computer is turned on

Volatile Memory

Storage (such as RAM chips) that is wiped clean when power is cut from a device

Nonvolatile Memory

Storage that retains data even when powered down (i.e. flash memory, hard disc, DVD storage)

Secondary Storage (Magnetic Hard Drive)

Devices and associated storage discs that hold instructions, data and software permanently (over long periods of times), using magnetic energy, while the computer is turned on or off

Energy used in volatile memory

Electricity

Energy used in nonvolatile memory

Magnetic energy

Bits

Way in which computers express data that are either one or zero

Number of bits that form a byte

Eight

Bytes

Way in which the capacity of primary storages such as RAM are measured

Solid State Drive

Data stored in electrical circuits with no moving parts

Solid State Electronics

Semi-conductor based devices, i.e. RAM, Flash memory, microprocessors

Semiconductor

A substance such as silicon dioxide used inside most computer chips that is capable of enabling as well as inhibiting the flow of electricity

Flash Memory

Nonvolatile, chip-based storage, often used in mobile phones, cameras, and MP3 players

Magnetic Hard Disk

Data stored on a spinning platter and read/written using a moving read/write head

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A highly integrated electrical circuit, which handles the interpretation and execution of software programs; it transforms numbers and data on a computer; it is also called the brain of the computer

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Consists of the Arithmetic/Logical Unit (ALU) and Control Unit

Arithmetic/Logical Unit (ALU)

A circuit that manages all the arithmetic and logial tasks

Control Unit

A circuit that manages and controls the execution of tasks by the ALU and other parts of the CPU

Microprocessors

General purpose CPUs; i.e. laptops and servers

Moore’s Law

The number of transistors on a CPU chip will DOUBLE about every 18 MONTHS

1st Wave of Moore’s Law

1960s: Mainframe computers

2nd Wave of Moore’s Law

1970s: Minicomputers

3rd Wave of Moore’s Law

1980s: PCs

4th Wave of Moore’s Law

1990s: Internet computing

5th Wave of Moore’s Law

2000s: Smartphone revolution

6th Wave of Moore’s Law

2010s: Pervasive computing (embedding intelligence and communications in all sorts of mudance devices)

Why Moore’s Law is possible

The distance between the pathways inside silicon chips gets smaller with each successive generation

Limit to Moore’s Law

Packing pathways tightly together leads to the chips starting to melt

Limit to Moore’s Law

Chips can’t get smaller forever

Way to make Moore’s Law better/CPUs faster

Pack more cores on the computer chip

Multi-processor CPUs

PCs with two or more CPUs and multiple cores on each CPU

Multicore Microprocessors

Contain two or more calculating processor cores on the same piece of silicon; run cooler and draw less power; handles multiple tasks in parallel which significantly enhances performance

Graphics Processing Card

A highly specialized card for processing the data for graphical monitors

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

An integrated electronic circuit, consisting of many smaller and more specialized cores

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

An integrated electronic circuit, consisting of CPU cores that executes the commands and processes needed by your computer to run general purpose software and operating systems

CPU Purpose

To run programs which perform complex tasks, of across different disciplines, in short time

GPU Purpose

To run programs which perform huge volumes of simple tasks in a very short time

Number of cores in CPU

2-16

Number of cores in GPU

Thousands

How processing is done in CPU

Sequentially

How processing is done in GPU

Parallel

Time it takes CPU to perform an operation

Very fast

Time it takes GPU to perform an operation

Very slow

Time it takes CPU to perform millions of simple tasks

Very slow

Time it takes GPU to perform millions of simple tasks

Very fast

Computer Hardware

The physical components of information technology, which can include the computer itself plus peripherals such as storage devices, input devices (i.e. mouse, keyboard), output devices (i.e. monitors, printers), networking equipment, etc

Software

A computer program or a collection of programs; a precise set of instructions that tells hardware what to do

Levels of Software (Bottom to Top)

(1) Computer hardware, (2) Operating system, (3) Applications, (4) Users

Operating System

The software that controls the computer hardware and establishes standards for developing and executing applications

Operating Systems

Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Linux