MIS200 Exam 2 Study Guide

MIS 200 Exam 2 Study Guide

Course Information

• University: Culverhouse College of Business, The University of Alabama

• Focus: Information Systems, Statistics, and Management Science

Module 4 – Key Terms and Concepts

Organizational Levels

• Definition: Levels of an organization describe the hierarchy within a company.

• Decision-Making:

  • Top Level: Strategic decisions (long-term).

  • Mid Level: Tactical decisions (short- to medium-term).

  • Lower Level: Operational decisions (daily tasks).

• Information Systems (IS):

  • Executive Information Systems at the top level.

  • Management Information Systems at the mid level.

  • Transaction Processing Systems at the lower level.

Business Strategy Concepts

• Functional Area IS: Specialized systems for departments (e.g., HR, Finance).

• Business Value: Strategic alignment of IS can enhance business value.

• Porter’s Five Competitive Forces: Framework to analyze competition in the market.

• Broad Organizational Strategies: General approaches to gaining competitive advantage.

• Value Chain Analysis: Identifies key activities that add value to products/services.

• Technology/Strategy Fit: Aligning technology capabilities with business strategies is crucial.

  • Importance: Enhances performance and competitive edge.

C-Suite Roles

• Typical Roles: CEO, CFO, COO, CTO.

• Business Models: Frameworks for creating, delivering, and capturing value online.

  • Revenue Models: Examples in the digital economy include advertising, subscription, and transaction fees.

• Innovation:

  • Open Innovation: Collaboration with external entities to enhance innovation capacity.

  • Lean Startup Methodology: Iterative product development process.

  • Radical Innovation / Disruptive Technology: New technologies that can significantly alter markets.

Module 5 – Key Terms and Concepts

IS Infrastructure

• Definition: The combined set of hardware, software, services, and processes that support the IS in an organization.

• Components:

  • Hardware: Physical devices supporting IS (PCs, servers).

  • System Software: Operating systems managing hardware resources.

  • Storage: Solutions to retain data (HDD, SSD).

  • Networking: Facilitation of communication between devices.

  • Data Center: Centralized repository for computing resources.

Applications and Databases

• Applications: Software designed for specific tasks (e.g., MS Office, enterprise applications).

• Databases: Organized collections of data.

Networking

• Types of Networks:

  • PAN: Personal Area Network.

  • LAN: Local Area Network.

  • WAN: Wide Area Network.

• Client-Server Model: Structure where client requests services and servers provide responses.

• Peer-to-Peer (P2P): Network architecture where each node can act as both a client and server.

Internet Fundamentals

• Key Concepts:

  • Internet vs Intranet vs Extranet:

    • Internet: Global network of interconnected computers.

    • Intranet: Private internal network.

    • Extranet: Extension of intranet to authorized outside users.

• Drivers for Evolving IS Infrastructure:

  • Moore’s Law: Prediction of technology advancement doubling approximately every two years.

  • Big Data Impact: Changing the landscape of IS due to vast data availability.

  • Cloud Computing: Delivers computing services over the internet, requiring considerations for implementation and service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).

Module 6 – Key Terms and Concepts

Types of E-Commerce

• E-Commerce Types:

  • B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Selling products directly to consumers (e.g., Amazon).

  • C2B (Consumer-to-Business): Individuals selling products/services to businesses (e.g., stock photography).

  • B2B (Business-to-Business): Transactions between businesses (e.g., wholesale suppliers).

  • C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): Consumers trading with each other (e.g., eBay).

E-Government Types

• E-Government:

  • G2C (Government-to-Citizen): Services provided to citizens (e.g., renewing licenses online).

  • G2B (Government-to-Business): Government services targeting businesses (e.g., permits).

  • G2G (Government-to-Government): Inter-governmental services.

E-Commerce Strategies

• Disintermediation: Cutting out intermediaries in transactions.

• Fintech: Financial technologies changing financial services delivery.

• Internet Marketing Types: Various strategies to promote online business.

  • B2C Strategies:

    • Brick & Mortar: Physical stores.

    • Click & Mortar: Combination of online and offline.

    • Click Only: Only operating online.

• Pros and Cons: Each type of business model has advantages and disadvantages.

E-Tailing

• Capabilities and Opportunities: Advantages of selling directly to consumers online.

• Revenue Models: Strategies employed by e-tailers to generate income.

• Keys to Success: Recommendations for building successful e-Commerce websites.

• Mobile E-Commerce: Growing trends and opportunities in m-commerce.

• Legal Issues: Regulatory and compliance matters affecting E-Commerce operations.

Excel – Key Terms and Concepts

Functions and Utilities

• Relational Functions:

  • COUNTIF: Counts cells meeting criteria.

  • SUMIF: Sums cell values based on criteria.

  • AVERAGEIF: Averages cell values based on criteria.

• Charts and Graphs: Visual representations of data, essential for analysis.

• XLOOKUP: Enhanced lookup function for finding data in arrays.

• Skill Progression: Emphasis on understanding foundational Excel functions from prior exams.

Administration

• ID Requirement: Students must bring identification to the exam.

• Submission Process:

  • Keep submission screen displayed upon completion.

  • Show the submission screen and ID to Teaching Assistants (TAs) upon exiting.