Ch5 - Decision Support Systems (DSS) Introduction

Knowledge management is an effort to randomly collect organizational knowledge and make it accessible to others. a. True b. False

F

One of the easiest tasks when designing and implementing a Marketing Information System (MIS) is to identify in advance the data that managers will need so you can get it into the system. a. True b. False

F

Primary data make up most of the data included in the systems approach to marketing research. a. True b. False

F

Sales and cost data compiled in the normal accounting cycle represent a promising source of external secondary data. a. True b. False

F

The most significant advantages of primary data is the time and money they can save. a. True b. False

F

Looking for evidence that the research was done properly is a way to gauge the accuracy of secondary data. a. True b. False

T

What system relies most on the production of preformatted reports? a. Decision Support Systems b. Marketing Information System c. Research project d. Intelligence gathering system e. Marketing analysis system

b. Marketing Information System

The set of procedures and methods for the regular planned collection, analysis, and presentation of information for use in making marketing decisions. This describes a. Decision Support Systems b. Marketing Information Systems c. Research projects d. Verbal presentations e. Written presentations

b. Marketing Information Systems

The systems approach to marketing research is most accurately compared to a a. flashbulb. b. candle. c. strobe light. d. lantern. e. flame.

b. candle.

The component of a Decision Support System that allows users to manipulate the data and conduct analysis is known as the a. data system. b. model system. c. dialog system. d. information system. e. research system.

b. model system.

Putting systems in place that provide marketing research data on an ongoing basis is called a. the project approach. b. the systems approach. c. the automated approach. d. the repetitive approach. e. the scientific approach.

b. the systems approach.

Which of the following is a general rule of marketing research data sources? a. Secondary data should only be used when it is impossible to collect primary data. b. Primary data should always be collected. c. Look for secondary prior to collecting primary data. d. Primary AND secondary data should always be used. e. None of these statements are true.

c. Look for secondary prior to collecting primary data.

Which of the following is NOT an example of internal secondary data? a. Customer inquiries b. Customer complaints c. U.S. Department of Commerce reports d. Sales invoices e. Product registration card data

c. U.S. Department of Commerce reports

Once a problem has been carefully defined, research projects should begin with a. a careful search for a marketing research agency. b. a comprehensive primary data collection effort. c. a careful search for existing secondary data. d. All of these are correct. e. None of these are correct.

c. a careful search for existing secondary data.

Secondary data can exist a. inside the organization only. b. outside the organization only. c. inside or outside the organization. d. from government agencies only, such as the Census Bureau. e. None of these are correct.

c. inside or outside the organization.

Poor fit of secondary data is usually due to which of the following problems? a. Different units of measurement b. Different class definitions c. Age of the data d. All of these are correct. e. None of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Which of the following is an example of secondary data? a. An online survey to gather demographic information on product purchasers b. Existing data compiled from product warranty registration cards c. Neither of these are correct. d. Both of these are correct.

d. Both of these are correct.

Which executive is typically in charge of information to ensure that it is used in support of strategic thinking? a. CEO b. COO c. CFO d. CIO e. CMO

d. CIO

Which of the following is an example of using the modeling system of a DSS? a. To enable brand managers to make better marketing mix decisions b. To help bankers make stronger credit decisions c. To guide managers when they make new product development decisions d. To assess alternative marketing plans for motion pictures before they are released e. All of these are valid examples.

e. All of these are valid examples.

Data systems most commonly hold information relating to a. existing customers. b. prospective customers. c. competitors. d. suppliers. e. All of these may be held in a data system.

e. All of these may be held in a data system.

One of the most important uses of a Decision Support System (DSS) in marketing is a. Accounts Receivable Visualization. b. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). c. Revenue Automation. d. Marketing Information Systems (MIS). e. Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

e. Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

With secondary data, who incurs the expense of collecting it? a. The user of the secondary data b. The government c. No one—secondary data by definition is always free. d. Taxpayers e. The original compiler of the information

e. The original compiler of the information

Which of the following statements are TRUE about the problems that commonly arise with secondary data? a. They are never available when you need it. b. They do not completely fit the problem. c. They are too expensive to collect and they are never available when you need it. d. They are not totally accurate. e. They do not completely fit the problem and they are not totally accurate.

e. They do not completely fit the problem and they are not totally accurate.

Many firms have the position of CIO on their organization charts. The primary role of the person filling this position is to a. assist the Vice President of Marketing. b. concentrate on the technical aspects of programming within the DSS. c. gather relevant data for the DSS database. d. serve as the liaison between the marketing department and other departments such as finance, production, and accounting. e. run the company's information and computer systems like a business.

e. run the company's information and computer systems like a business.

The challenge of having a Marketing Information System (MIS) be effective is a. to train managers on its use. b. to justify the cost of the system. c. to protect the data in the system from hackers. d. to get accurate reports from the system. e. to identify, in advance, the data that managers will need to ensure it gets into the system.

e. to identify, in advance, the data that managers will need to ensure it gets into the system.

A big advantage of the systems approach over the project approach is that current information needed for normal operations is available when managers need it. a. True b. False

T

Knowledge that resides inside employees' heads is often referred to as organizational knowledge. a. True b. False

T

One of the most important uses of a Decision Support System in marketing is customer relationship management. a. True b. False

T

The CIO serves as liaison between the firm's top management and its information systems department. a. True b. False

T

The common problem with secondary data is that it is sometimes difficult (or impossible) to judge their accuracy. a. True b. False

T

There are two basic ways marketing research can gather marketing intelligence. a. True b. False

T

When using secondary data, the task of assessing accuracy is more difficult. a. True b. False

T

Which of the following is NOT a useful means of assessing the accuracy of secondary data? a. The cost of the data b. The source of the data c. The sponsor of the research d. The data collection methods e. The presentation of the data

a. The cost of the data

A big advantage of the systems approach over the project approach is a. current information is available when managers need it. b. systems automatically gather all needed information. c. The systems approach requires no special software or programming. d. The project approach yields less accurate data. e. The systems approach better anticipates future informational needs.

a. current information is available when managers need it.

A concern about the expanding number of commercial databases and corporate information systems is the issue of a. privacy. b. accuracy. c. cost. d. access. e. compatibility.

a. privacy.

Sales and cost data are promising internal secondary data for many research problems. In B2B con-texts, the ______ is a gold mine of information. a. sales invoice b. packing slip c. inventory report d. general ledger e. accounts payable report

a. sales invoice

All of the following terms are associated with the dialog system EXCEPT a. the modeling system b. data mining c. parallel processing d. the language system e. All of these terms are associated with the dialog system.

a. the modeling system

A firm might be expected to initiate a specific research project to supplement the DSS in which of the following situations? a. Information is needed on projected inflation rates over the next five years. b. Information is needed on initial consumer response to the introduction of a new product. c. Information is needed to evaluate the past performance of one of the company's wholesale distributors. d. Information is needed to determine next year's goals for the company sales force. e. Information is needed to forecast demographic needs.

b. Information is needed on initial consumer response to the introduction of a new product.

While reviewing the customer database, the manager of Arthur's Auto Center has a preconceived idea of how the database works and is able to see the interesting and worthwhile applications of the data. Such an idea is called a(n) a. hypothesis. b. model. c. manipulation. d. procedure. e. system.

b. model.

Marketing Information Systems (MIS) produce ___________ reports based on data held in an organization's database(s). a. regular, customized b. regular, standardized c. random, customized d. random, standardized e. None of these are correct.

b. regular, standardized

A big disadvantage of the systems approach is a. it takes a manager a long time to get data. b. that managers are limited to the information that is available in the database. c. that the databases lack historical information. d. that collection of data is a manual, time-consuming process. e. All of these are correct.

b. that managers are limited to the information that is available in the database.

What is the primary difference between a Marketing Information System (MIS) and a Decisions Support System (DSS)? a. Ease of use b. Cost of implementation c. A DSS uses software that allows managers to more fully utilize available information to assist in making decisions. d. The ability to produce standardized reports e. Access to information in a corporate database

c. A DSS uses software that allows managers to more fully utilize available information to assist in making decisions.

Which of the following is NOT one of the modules of a typical Decision Support System (DSS)? a. Customer information b. General economic and demographic information c. Employee information d. Competitor information e. Industry information

c. Employee information

Research that has been collected in such a way that the results will support a particular position is often referred to as ______ research. a. sponsored b. biased c. advocacy d. persuasive e. supporting

c. advocacy

The element of a Decision Support System (DSS) that clearly separates it from a Marketing Information System (MIS) is its a. data system. b. model system. c. dialog system. d. security system. e. backup system.

c. dialog system.

A key distinction of a Marketing Information System (MIS) is that a. the information is accurate. b. it can only be used by marketing managers. c. information is collected on a regular basis. d. it does not involve focused reports. e. the information is used in making marketing decisions.

c. information is collected on a regular basis.

The primary purpose of dialog systems is to allow the marketing manager to a. write programs to control the flow of information between various modules in the DSS. b. communicate via electronic mail with her sales team. c. interact with the DSS to target and manipulate relevant information contained in the DSS database. d. collect data from primary sources and add it to the database. e. collect data from secondary sources and add it to the database.

c. interact with the DSS to target and manipulate relevant information contained in the DSS database.

Which of the following components is part of a Decision Support System (DSS)? a. Data System b. Model System c. Dialog System d. All of these are components of a DDS. e. Only a and b are part of a DSS.

d. All of these are components of a DDS.

Effective MIS or DSS systems are often difficult to implement for which of the following reasons? a. People tend to resist change. b. Decision makers don't want to tell others what factors they use. c. Decision makers don't want to share how they combine factors to make decisions. d. All of these are correct. e. None of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Which of the following are ways to judge the accuracy of secondary data? a. Consider the source of the data b. Look at the sponsor of the research that yielded the secondary data c. Look for evidence that the research was done properly d. All of these are correct. e. None of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Data should only be added to a Decision Support System (DSS) database if they a. do not violate privacy protection. b. are relevant marketing data. c. can be put into a truly accessible form. d. All of these are reasons to add data to a DSS database. e. Only b and c are reasons to add data to a DSS database.

d. All of these are reasons to add data to a DSS database.

Which of the following is TRUE? a. Secondary data is always available. b. You should only resort to secondary data if primary data is unavailable. c. Primary data collection saves time and money. d. Some types of marketing research rely almost exclusively on secondary data. e. Any needed secondary data can be found on the internet.

d. Some types of marketing research rely almost exclusively on secondary data.

The data system for a Decisions Support System (DSS) would hold data from a. a standard source in a standard form. b. a standard source in a variety of forms. c. a variety of sources in a standard form. d. a variety of sources in a variety of forms. e. None of these are correct.

d. a variety of sources in a variety of forms.

A marketing _________ is one way of visually presenting relevant marketing information to a manager. a. guide b. book c. control panel d. dashboard e. display

d. dashboard