1- List
and describe four reasons why information systems are so important for business
today?
Answer:
- Capital Management
- Foundation of doing business
- Productivity
- Strategic opportunity and advantage
2- Describe five technology and business trends that have enhanced the role of information systems in today’s competitive business environment:
Answer: (chapter 1: page 8)
- Internet growth and technology convergence
- Transformation of the business enterprise
- Globalization
- Rise of the information economy
- Emergence of the digital firm
3- Describe the capabilities of a digital firm. Why are digital firms so powerful?
Answer:
- Digital firm is one in which nearly all of the organization’s significant business relationships with customers, suppliers, and employers are digitally enabled and mediated.
- Digital firms are so powerful because all companies can use internet technology for e-commerce transactions with customers and suppliers, for managing internal business process, and for coordinating with suppliers and other business partners. E-commerce includes e-commerce as well the management and coordination of the enterprise. And also digital management of key corporate assets.
4- What is information system? Distinguish between a computer, a computer program, and an information system. What is the different between data and information?
Answer:
- An information system can be defined technically as a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization.
- Data: streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions.
- Information: clusters of facts meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions.
5- What activities convert raw data to make information in information systems? What is their relationship to feedback?
Answer:
- Three basic activities produce the information organizations need: Input, processing and output.
- Feedback is output returned to appropriate people or activities in the organization to evaluate and refine the input.
6- What is purpose of an information system from a business perspective? What role does it play in the business information value chain?
Answer:
- From a business perspective, information systems are part or a series of value-adding activities for acquiring, transforming, and distributing information that managers can use to improve decision making, enhance organizational performance, and, ultimately, increase firm profitability.
- Using information systems effectively requires an understanding of the organization, management, and information technology shaping the systems. An information system creates value for the firm as an organizational and management solution to challenges posted by the environment.
7- What is information systems literacy? How does it differ from computer literacy?
Answer:
- Information systems literacy: broad-based understanding of information systems that includes behavioral knowledge about organization, management and individuals using information systems as well as technical knowledge about computers.
- Computer literacy: Knowledge about information technology, focusing on understanding how computer technologies work.
8- What are the organizational, management, and technology dimensions of information systems?
Answer:
- Organizational dimension: people, structure, business processes, politics, and culture.
- Management dimension: Sense makers, decision makers, planners, innovators or new processes, and leaders (set agendas).
- Technology dimensions: Hardware, software, storage, communication technology, and network.
9- What are the Internet and the World Wide Web? How have they changed the roles played by information systems in organizations?
Answer:
- Internet is the world’s largest and most widely used network.
- World Wide Web is a system with universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying information a networked environment.
10- Why do some firms obtain greater value from their information systems than others? What role do complementary assets and organizational and management capital play?
Answer:
Some firms obtain greater value from their information systems than others because…………
- Role of complementary assets play: New business processes, Management behavior, Organizational culture and training.
- Role of organizational and management capital play: supportive business culture that values efficiency and effectiveness, efficient business processes, decentralization of authority. Highly distributed decision rights and a strong information system development team.
11- Distinguish between a behavioral and a technical approach to information systems in terms of the questions asked and the answers provided. What major disciplines contribute to an understanding of information systems?
Answer:
- The technical approach to information systems emphasizes mathematically based models to study information systems. And Behavioral approach concentrates on changes in attitudes, management and organizational policy, and behavior.
- Major disciplines contribute to an understanding of information systems are:
+ Technical approaches: computer science, management science and
Operations research.
+ Behavioral approaches: Psychology, sociology and economics.
12- What are the key management challenges involved in building, operating and maintaining information systems today?
Answer:
- The information systems investment challenge: How can organization obtain business value from their information system?
- The strategic business challenge: What complementary assets are needed to use information technology effectively?
- The globalization challenge: How can firm understand the business and system requirements of a global economic environment?
- The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organization develop an information technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are changing so rapidly?
- Ethic and security: The responsibility and control challenge: How can organization ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible.
13-Identify and describe the three levels of the organizational hierarchy. Which types of information systems serve each level?
Answer:
The three levels of the organizational hierarchy:
- Senior Managers
- Middle Managers
- Operational Managers
Types of information systems serve each level:
- Operational-level systems: support operational mangers, keeping track of the elementary activities and transactions.
- Management-level systems: serve the monitoring, controlling, decision-making, and administrative activities of middle managers.
- Strategic-level systems: help senior management tackle and address strategic issues.
14- List and briefly describe the major types of system in organization?
Answer:
- Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): are the basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization. And it is also a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business.
- Management Information Systems (MIS): serve the management level of the organization, providing managers with reports and often-online access to the organization’s current performance and historical records and primarily serve the functions of planning, controlling, and decision-making.
- Decision-Support System (DSS): also serve the management level or the organization. DSS help mangers make decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance.
- Executive Support System (ESS): serve the strategic level of the organization. They address nonroutine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight because there is no agreed on procedure for arriving at a solution.
15- What are the five types of TPS in business organizations? What functions do they perform? Give example of each.
Answer:
Five types of TPS with example:
- Sale/Marketing Systems (eg. Sale management, customer service…)
- Manufacturing/Production Systems (eg. Purchase order, scheduling,…..)
- Finance/Accounting Systems (eg. General ledger, payroll…….)
- Human Resources Systems (eg. Personnel records, training,…….)
- Other types of TPS that are unique to a particular industry. (eg. University: admissions, grade records,…..)
16- What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS?
Answer:
- Characteristics of MIS: (Inputs: high volume transaction level data; Processing: simple models; Outputs: summary reports; Users: Middle Manager)
- MIS differ from TPS: MIS serve at management level and TPS serve at Operational level.
- MIS differ from ESS: MIS serve at management level and ESS serve at strategic level.
17- What are the characteristics for DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS?
Answer:
- Characteristics for DSS: (Inputs: transaction level data; Processing: Interactive; Outputs: Decision analysis; Users: Professional and staff)
- DSS differ from ESS: DSS serve at management level and ESS serve at strategic level and its characteristics are: Inputs: Aggregate data; Outputs: projections; Users: senior managers.
Answer:
- Capital Management
- Foundation of doing business
- Productivity
- Strategic opportunity and advantage
2- Describe five technology and business trends that have enhanced the role of information systems in today’s competitive business environment:
Answer: (chapter 1: page 8)
- Internet growth and technology convergence
- Transformation of the business enterprise
- Globalization
- Rise of the information economy
- Emergence of the digital firm
3- Describe the capabilities of a digital firm. Why are digital firms so powerful?
Answer:
- Digital firm is one in which nearly all of the organization’s significant business relationships with customers, suppliers, and employers are digitally enabled and mediated.
- Digital firms are so powerful because all companies can use internet technology for e-commerce transactions with customers and suppliers, for managing internal business process, and for coordinating with suppliers and other business partners. E-commerce includes e-commerce as well the management and coordination of the enterprise. And also digital management of key corporate assets.
4- What is information system? Distinguish between a computer, a computer program, and an information system. What is the different between data and information?
Answer:
- An information system can be defined technically as a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to support decision making and control in an organization.
- Data: streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions.
- Information: clusters of facts meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions.
5- What activities convert raw data to make information in information systems? What is their relationship to feedback?
Answer:
- Three basic activities produce the information organizations need: Input, processing and output.
- Feedback is output returned to appropriate people or activities in the organization to evaluate and refine the input.
6- What is purpose of an information system from a business perspective? What role does it play in the business information value chain?
Answer:
- From a business perspective, information systems are part or a series of value-adding activities for acquiring, transforming, and distributing information that managers can use to improve decision making, enhance organizational performance, and, ultimately, increase firm profitability.
- Using information systems effectively requires an understanding of the organization, management, and information technology shaping the systems. An information system creates value for the firm as an organizational and management solution to challenges posted by the environment.
7- What is information systems literacy? How does it differ from computer literacy?
Answer:
- Information systems literacy: broad-based understanding of information systems that includes behavioral knowledge about organization, management and individuals using information systems as well as technical knowledge about computers.
- Computer literacy: Knowledge about information technology, focusing on understanding how computer technologies work.
8- What are the organizational, management, and technology dimensions of information systems?
Answer:
- Organizational dimension: people, structure, business processes, politics, and culture.
- Management dimension: Sense makers, decision makers, planners, innovators or new processes, and leaders (set agendas).
- Technology dimensions: Hardware, software, storage, communication technology, and network.
9- What are the Internet and the World Wide Web? How have they changed the roles played by information systems in organizations?
Answer:
- Internet is the world’s largest and most widely used network.
- World Wide Web is a system with universally accepted standards for storing, retrieving, formatting, and displaying information a networked environment.
10- Why do some firms obtain greater value from their information systems than others? What role do complementary assets and organizational and management capital play?
Answer:
Some firms obtain greater value from their information systems than others because…………
- Role of complementary assets play: New business processes, Management behavior, Organizational culture and training.
- Role of organizational and management capital play: supportive business culture that values efficiency and effectiveness, efficient business processes, decentralization of authority. Highly distributed decision rights and a strong information system development team.
11- Distinguish between a behavioral and a technical approach to information systems in terms of the questions asked and the answers provided. What major disciplines contribute to an understanding of information systems?
Answer:
- The technical approach to information systems emphasizes mathematically based models to study information systems. And Behavioral approach concentrates on changes in attitudes, management and organizational policy, and behavior.
- Major disciplines contribute to an understanding of information systems are:
+ Technical approaches: computer science, management science and
Operations research.
+ Behavioral approaches: Psychology, sociology and economics.
12- What are the key management challenges involved in building, operating and maintaining information systems today?
Answer:
- The information systems investment challenge: How can organization obtain business value from their information system?
- The strategic business challenge: What complementary assets are needed to use information technology effectively?
- The globalization challenge: How can firm understand the business and system requirements of a global economic environment?
- The information technology infrastructure challenge: How can organization develop an information technology infrastructure that can support their goals when business conditions and technologies are changing so rapidly?
- Ethic and security: The responsibility and control challenge: How can organization ensure that their information systems are used in an ethically and socially responsible.
13-Identify and describe the three levels of the organizational hierarchy. Which types of information systems serve each level?
Answer:
The three levels of the organizational hierarchy:
- Senior Managers
- Middle Managers
- Operational Managers
Types of information systems serve each level:
- Operational-level systems: support operational mangers, keeping track of the elementary activities and transactions.
- Management-level systems: serve the monitoring, controlling, decision-making, and administrative activities of middle managers.
- Strategic-level systems: help senior management tackle and address strategic issues.
14- List and briefly describe the major types of system in organization?
Answer:
- Transaction Processing Systems (TPS): are the basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization. And it is also a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business.
- Management Information Systems (MIS): serve the management level of the organization, providing managers with reports and often-online access to the organization’s current performance and historical records and primarily serve the functions of planning, controlling, and decision-making.
- Decision-Support System (DSS): also serve the management level or the organization. DSS help mangers make decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance.
- Executive Support System (ESS): serve the strategic level of the organization. They address nonroutine decisions requiring judgment, evaluation, and insight because there is no agreed on procedure for arriving at a solution.
15- What are the five types of TPS in business organizations? What functions do they perform? Give example of each.
Answer:
Five types of TPS with example:
- Sale/Marketing Systems (eg. Sale management, customer service…)
- Manufacturing/Production Systems (eg. Purchase order, scheduling,…..)
- Finance/Accounting Systems (eg. General ledger, payroll…….)
- Human Resources Systems (eg. Personnel records, training,…….)
- Other types of TPS that are unique to a particular industry. (eg. University: admissions, grade records,…..)
16- What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS?
Answer:
- Characteristics of MIS: (Inputs: high volume transaction level data; Processing: simple models; Outputs: summary reports; Users: Middle Manager)
- MIS differ from TPS: MIS serve at management level and TPS serve at Operational level.
- MIS differ from ESS: MIS serve at management level and ESS serve at strategic level.
17- What are the characteristics for DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS?
Answer:
- Characteristics for DSS: (Inputs: transaction level data; Processing: Interactive; Outputs: Decision analysis; Users: Professional and staff)
- DSS differ from ESS: DSS serve at management level and ESS serve at strategic level and its characteristics are: Inputs: Aggregate data; Outputs: projections; Users: senior managers.
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