Chapter 2 - Global E-business and Collaboration

Structured knowledge

Knowledge in the form of formal text documents and reports.

Enterprise systems

Integrated, enterprise-wide information systems that coordinate key internal processes of the firm. Also known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Chief privacy officer

(CPO) Responsible for ensuring that the company complies with data-privacy laws.

Chief knowledge officer

(CKO) Responsible for the firm’s knowledge management program.

Transaction processing systems

(TPS) Computerized systems that perform and record the daily, routine transactions necessary to conduct the business; they serve at the organization’s operational level.

End users

Representatives of departments outside the information systems group for whom applications are developed.

Middle management

People in the middle of the organizational hierarchy who are responsible for carrying out the plans and goals of senior management.

Virtual worlds

Online 3-D environments populated by users who have built graphical representations of themselves called avatars.

Digital dashboard

Displays all of a firm’s key performance indicators as graphs and charts on a single screen to provide a one-page overview of all the critical measurements necessary to make key executive decisions.

Portal

Web interface for presenting integrated, personalized content from a variety of sources. Also refers to a website service that provides an initial point of entry to the web.

Chief information officer

(CIO) Senior manager who oversees the use of information technology and information systems in the firm.

Tacit knowledge

Expertise and experience of organizational members that have not been formally documented.

Chief knowledge officer

(CKO) Responsible for the firm’s knowledge management program.

Supply chain management

(SCM systems) Information systems that automate the flow of information between a firm and its suppliers to optimize the planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery of products and services.

End users

Representatives of departments outside the information systems group for whom applications are developed.

Chief privacy officer

(CPO) Responsible for ensuring that the company complies with data-privacy laws.

Digital dashboard

Displays all of a firm’s key performance indicators as graphs and charts on a single screen to provide a one-page overview of all the critical measurements necessary to make key executive decisions.

Portal

Web interface for presenting integrated, personalized content from a variety of sources. Also refers to a website service that provides an initial point of entry to the web.

Decision-support systems

(DSS) Information systems at the organization’s management level that combine data and sophisticated analytical models or data analysis tools to support semi structured and unstructured decision making.

E-government

Use of the Internet and related technologies to enable government and public sector agencies’ relationships with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government digitally.

Electronic commerce

(e-commerce) The process of buying and selling goods and services by using the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies.

Executive support systems

(ESS) Information systems at the organization’s strategic level designed to address unstructured decision making, providing graphs and data from many sources through an interface that is easy for senior managers to use.

E-commerce

The process of buying and selling goods and services by using the Internet, networks, and other digital technologies.

Chief security officer

(CSO) In charge of information systems security and responsible for enforcing the firm’s information security policy.

Production or service workers

People who actually produce the products or services of the organization.

Electronic business

(e-business) The use of the Internet and digital technology to execute all the business processes in the enterprise; includes e-commerce as well as processes for the internal management of the firm and coordination with suppliers and other business partners.

Senior management

People occupying the top of an organization’s hierarchy and who are responsible for making long-range decisions for the organization.

Enterprise applications

Systems that can coordinate activities, decisions, and knowledge across many functions, levels, and business units in a firm; include enterprise systems, supply chain management systems, customer relationship management systems, and knowledge management systems.

E-business

The use of the Internet and digital technology to execute all the business processes in the enterprise; includes e-commerce as well as processes for the internal management of the firm and coordination with suppliers and other business partners.

Telepresence

Technology that allows a person to give the appearance of being present at a location other than his or her true physical location.

Knowledge management systems

(KMS) Systems that support the creation, capture, storage, and dissemination of firm expertise and knowledge.

Chief security officer

(CSO) In charge of information systems security and responsible for enforcing the firm’s information security policy.

Production or service workers

People who actually produce the products or services of the organization.

Electronic business

(e-business) The use of the Internet and digital technology to execute all the business processes in the enterprise; includes e-commerce as well as processes for the internal management of the firm and coordination with suppliers and other business partners.

Senior management

People occupying the top of an organization’s hierarchy and who are responsible for making long-range decisions for the organization.

E-government

Use of the Internet and related technologies to enable government and public sector agencies’ relationships with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government digitally.

Enterprise applications

Systems that can coordinate activities, decisions, and knowledge across many functions, levels, and business units in a firm; include enterprise systems, supply chain management systems, customer relationship management systems, and knowledge management systems.

E-business

The use of the Internet and digital technology to execute all the business processes in the enterprise; includes e-commerce as well as processes for the internal management of the firm and coordination with suppliers and other business partners.

Telepresence

Technology that allows a person to give the appearance of being present at a location other than his or her true physical location.

Data workers

People such as clerks or bookkeepers who assist with administrative work at all levels of the firm.

Information systems department

The formal organizational unit that is responsible for the information technology services in the organization.

Chief data officer

(CDO) Responsible for enterprise-wide governance and usage of information to maximize the value the organization can realize from its data.

Programmers

Highly trained technical specialists who write computer software instructions.