MIS 204 Chapter 1-4

Information Vs. Data

- To one person in the company it could be information but to an outside observer it could be data. Example: Average hourly wage - to one person it is information. - to a manager it could be the average of one department and just be data. Information for a manager would be the overall average for all departments.

According to Brooks' Law, adding more people to a system development project will ________. A. lower the total project cost B. speed up the project C. delay the project's completion D. require less coordination

C

An organization's goals and objectives are determined by its ________. A. information systems B. business processes C. competitive strategy D. brand image

C

As production manager at a bottling plant for a cola manufacturer, you receive reports containing figures for raw materials from last year, but stated as the current year's. This information would qualify as bad information because it is ________. A. late B. voluminous C. inaccurate D. too narrow in scope

C

Information can be defined as ________. A. unprocessed data B. unbiased, non contextual data C. knowledge derived from data D. recorded facts or figures

C

Which of the following choices is least likely to be used for collaborating on a project where calculations and documentation are required? A. SharePoint B. Google Docs C. Survey Monkey D. Windows SkyDrive

C

Which of the following choices is not listed as one of the 12 most important characteristics of an effective collaborator? A. The person is open-minded and curious B. The person is a perceptive listener C. The person is someone that is immediately liked D. The person is enthusiastic about the collaboration topic

C

Which of the following choices is not one of the critical drivers of an effective collaboration effort? A. Content management B. Communication C. Data D. Workflow control

C

Porter defined value as the ________. A. amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource B. quality of after-sale service provided to customers C. perceived satisfaction of the customers and sellers after a transaction D. actual money exchanged in return of a product/service

A

Porter's five forces model is used to assess ________. A. industry structure B. value chains C. business processes D. employee performance

A

Software designed for a specific industry would fall under which category of application programs? A. Vertical-market application B. Horizontal-market application C. Open-source software D. Cloud computing

A

The most important component in an information system is _____________. A. people B. hardware C. software D. collaboration

A

The term "open source" means that the source code of the program is ________. A. available to the public B. compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit processors C. available for licensing if desired D. available only to carefully vetted contractors

A

Which of the following is a component of an IS but not of IT? A. hardware B. data C. people D. software

C

Which of the following statements is true of business process designs? A. Most process designs require people to work in new ways. B. Business process designs do not involve change in procedures. C. Business process designs should be accompanied by a change in management. D. Process designs attract very little employee resistance.

A

Locking in customers by making it difficult or expensive for customers to move to another product is called establishing high ________. A. entry barriers B. switching costs C. product standards D. value differentiation

B

Once we have defined the project's goals and scope, the next step is to ________. A. plan the project B. assess feasibility C. determine requirements D. form the project team

B

The fundamental purpose of the starting phase of a project is ________. A. designing the task status reporting process B. setting the ground rules for the collaboration C. assigning responsibilities for each task D. outlining the tasks to be accomplished

B

To run a program or process data, the computer first transfers the program or data from disk to the ________. A. optical drive B. main memory C. input device D. CPU

B

Which of the following accurately describes the five-component framework of information systems? A. computer hardware, software, data, people, and purpose B. computer hardware, software, data, procedures, and people C. computer hardware, software, purpose, data, and procedures D. computer hardware, software, communication networks, data, and procedures

B

Which of the following is an input hardware device? A. plotter B. bar code scanner C. projector D. printer

B

________ hardware consists of computers that are installed and operated by IT professionals and support the collaboration system. A. Client B. Server C. Program D. Support

B

________ is the process of converting a poorly structured table into two or more well-structured tables. A. Optimization B. Normalization C. Standardization D. Refactoring

B

Which of the following is the best example of information, and is not mere data? A. a list of property prices in a neighborhood B. the return on investment of an advertising campaign C. the price of company stock on a given day D. the number of students in various grades in a school

B

________ refers to the ability to model system components and show how the component inputs and outputs relate to one another. A. Abstract reasoning B. Systems thinking C. Dynamic correlation D. Operational logic

B

Data is defined as ________. A. information presented in a meaningful context B. unbiased information C. the knowledge derived from information D. recorded facts or figures

D

Phone number, email address, first and last name, are all examples of ___________ because they describe the characteristics of an entity. A. foreign keys B. identifiers 0% C. tables D. attributes

D

Which of the following pieces of information, if true, would confirm that a decision is operational? A. The decision is made by managers. B. It is a low risk decision. C. The decision is made by an individual rather than a group. D. The decision concerns day-to-day activities.

D

Competitive Strategy

Determines an organizations goals and objetives therefore determines.... structure, features, and functions of every information system

Worth its Cost

Does the cost of information (time, salary, operating costs) exceed its value to you?

Four Competitive Strategies

Firms engage in one of the competitive stratgies cost, Industry-wide -lowest cost across the industry Cost, focus -Lowest cost within an industry segment Differentiation, Industry-wide -Better product/service across the country Differentiation, Focus -Better product/service with an industry segment

Increasing Difficulty to Change

Goes from Hardware to People

Communication (Collaboration Driver 1)

Two key elements 1) communication skills and abilities of the group -ability to give feedback is important 2)Availability of effective communication system -face-to-face is used less today -more emails, and more sophisticated Communication Systems

Alternatives for sharing Content

No Control - Email w attachments, shared files on a server Version Management- Wikis, Google Docs, Windows Live Skydrive Version Control- Microsoft Sharepoint

Moore's Law

Number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 18 months

Competitive advantage via products (Product Implementations)

Product Implementations -create a new product or service -enhance products or services -differentiate products or service Process

Activity

a business function that receives inputs and produces outputs - can be by human or computer -output can be physical or digital

Information System

a group of components that interact to produce information.

Only job security that exists is

a marketable skill and the courage to use it

Five-component Framework

a model of the components of the information system 1. Hardware 2. Software 3. Data 4. Procedures 5. People 1 & 5 = Actors 2 & 4 = Instructions for 1 & 5 3 = bridge between computer side and human side

Problem

a perceived difference between what is and what ought to be -can be individual or group -USE COLLABORATION TO SOLVE AND DEFINE PROBLEMS -because it is a perception problem for a group to agree on a common definition

File Server

a simple computer that stores information- just like a disk on your computer NO CONTROL

Accurate

based on correct and complete data has been processed correctly -managers must be able to rely on the results of their information system. Could be a waste of money and time if not CROSS CHECK INFORMATION YOU ARE RECEIVING AT THE BEGINNING OF USING OF NEW INFORMATION SYSTEM

computer-based information system

is what some people call IS that use computers -Today the term is SYNONYMOUS with INFORMATION SYSTEM -an information system does not need to include a computer but most do these days.

System

group of components that interact to achieve some purpose.

Linkages

interactions across value activities -used to reduce inventory costs/ acquire inventory as needed

People

most important component of an IS - humans mind and thinking - Without quality thinking you are wasting time and money EXAMPLE: If disney is going to die and your IS knows this. You have 50 K to invest. Do you sell it because you expect the stock to decrease or buy because you expect the stock to decrease? Answer: Thinking is important. One could realize that Disney's arts value would increase.

Microsoft SharePoint

must be installed on server -pay fees to use it -once set up, users can use a browser to access see page 45 for more

business process

network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs.

Timely

produced in time for its intended use -monthly report that arrives 6 months late is USELESS -An IS that tells you not to extend credit to a customer after you have shipped is unhelpful *Can be measured against a calendar (6 months) or against an event (Before we ship).

Window Live SkyDrive

similar to google docs -Office Web Apps -free browser-based versions of word, excel, PP

Abstract Reasoning

the ability to make and manipulate models

Collaboration

the activity of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. - not about being nice. - important to give and receive critical feedback.

Value

the amount of money that a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service

What is MIS (Management Information Systems)?

the management and use of information systems that help businesses achieve their goals and objectives.

Version Management

track changes to documents and provide features and functions to accommodate concurrent work Example: Google Docs, Windows Live Skydrive- including Office Web Apps

Collaboration Procedures

two types: 1) procedures for using the collaboration software 2) procedures for conducting the collaborative project -concerns how the team will perform its collaborative work at various stages of a project

Strong non-routine cognitive thinking

- abstract reasoning - systems thinking - collaboration - ability to experiment

Ability to Experiment

- make a reasoned analysis of an opportunity, envisioning potential solutions, - evaluating those possibilities, and developing the most promising one - not throwing ton of money at every crazy idea

Systems thinking

- the ability to model the components of the system. - the ability to show how inputs and outputs relate to one another.

Types of Synchronous Virtual Meetings

-Conference Calls/video conferencing -Webinars= virtual meetings in which attendees view one of the attendees computers EXAMPLES: WebEx and Microsoft SharedView -Multiparty text chat

Switching Costs

-Make switching to a competitor expensive

4 Support Activities (of Value Chain)

-contribute indirectly to the production, sale and service of the product procurement - This concerns how resources are acquired for a business (e.g. sourcing and negotiating with materials suppliers) human resource management -Those activities concerned with recruiting, developing, motivating and rewarding the workforce of a business Technology Development -Activities concerned with managing information processing and the development and protection of "knowledge" in a business Infrastructure -Concerned with a wide range of support systems and functions such as finance, planning, quality control and general senior management

Phases of Collaboration Procedure

1)Starting -set the ground rules for the collaboration -what authority do team members have 2)Planning -"who will do what and by when" 3)Doing -Tasks are accomplished = make sure done on time, identify schedule problems ASAP 4)Wrapping-Up -Are we done? If not define more tasks and continue step 3 -If yes then document results Iteration and Feedback -part of every phase

A ________ is a network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs. A. business process B. competitive strategy C. linkage D. repository

A

A new drug that has shown promise in curing lung cancer has been discovered by a famous chemical laboratory. This is the only drug effective for treatment of this disease. The laboratory obtains a patent for the product and decides to sell it. This situation is characterized by a ________. A. low threat of substitutions B. high bargaining power of customers C. high threat of new entrants D. low bargaining power of suppliers

A

An as-is model ________. A. documents the current situation of a business process B. contrasts the former and current states of a process C. indicates the desired outcome of a business process D. represents the ideal state of a business process

A

An operating system like Windows or Linux is an example of the ________ component of an information system. A. software B. hardware C. data D. procedure

A

For a one-time, ad hoc workgroup, ______ is the most important driver for effective collaboration. A. communication B. version management C. asynchronous communication D. version control

A

Microsoft's source code is considered ______ because the code is highly protected. A. closed source B. open source C. machine code D. proprietary

A

Version-management systems ________. A. improve the tracking of shared content B. provide version control of documents C. limit the actions that can be taken by any particular user D. give control over the changes to documents to particular users

A

Which of the following components of an IS is the easiest to change and causes the least amount of organizational disruption? A. hardware B. software C. data D. procedures

A

Which of the following is a program used to create, process, and administer a database? A. DBMS B. KMS C. Operating system D. Database application

A

Which of the following is defined as an organization's response to the structure of its industry? A. competitive strategy B. vertical integration C. nonprofit marketing D. selling orientation

A

Which of the following is true for the relationship between business processes and information systems? A. Starting with processes and working toward systems is more likely to result in processes and systems that are aligned with the organization's strategy and direction. B. Information systems incorporate all business process activities, and hence should be developed before business processes. C. Starting from processes and working toward information systems is the best option to anticipate future demands and new business processes. D. Developing information systems before business processes ensures that all activities are considered in the development process.

A

______ is the standard language for inserting, updating, and deleting data in a database. A. SQL B. DBMS C. HTML D. XML

A

_______ allows you to install two operating systems on the same computer. A. PC virtualization B. PC customization C. Cloud computing D. GNU

A

________ feasibility refers to whether existing information technology is likely to be able to meet the needs of the new system. A. Technical B. Organizational C. Cost D. Schedule

A

Value Chain

A network of value-creating activities -generic chain contains 5 PRIMARY ACTIVITES 4 SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

An organization looking to lease much of its IT infrastructure would be good candidates for _________. A. cloud computing B. server farming C. vertical-market applications D. horizontal-market applications

A or C

Workflow Control (Collaboration Driver 3)

A process or procedure by which content is created, edited, used, and disposed -Specifies order of tasks and processes for handling rejected changes

Not all Information is equal

Accurate, Timely, Relevant = to context or to subject, Just Sufficient, Worth its cost.

business process design

Aka: business process redesign. The creation of new, usually cross-departmental business practices during information system development.

Relationship between decision Type and Decision Process

As the type gets more broad, less structure and more need for collaboration apply AKA few structured decisions involve collaboration

A business process that crosses into multiple companies is known as a(n) ________ business process. A. functional B. inter-organizational C. cross-functional D. multifunctional

B

A person, place, or object would be represented in a database as a(n) ________. A. class B. entity C. attribute D. identifier

B

Determining which team members will do what task and when the task are to be completed is accomplished in the ________ project phase. A. Communication B. Planning C. Starting D. Doing

B

In a relational database, a collection of similar records is called a(n) ________. A. file B. table C. application D. field

B

Sufficient

BUT JUST BARELY SO -do not want to receive too much information and then need to sort it out. -as you go higher up in an orgs management, you receive more information to sort through.

Discussion Forums

Better than Email for Asynchronous communication -harder for a discussion to get off track

During the requirements definition stage of developing an information system, the project team will include mostly ________. A. programmers and testers B. testers and business users C. business and systems analysts D. database designers and administrators

C

Employees of multinational organizations who work in different time zones will likely find ________ communication to be more effective. A. parallel B. synchronous C. asynchronous D. sequential

C

If a professor wants to track data that involves multiple themes like student grades, student emails and student office visits, it is best he/she uses a __________ rather than a __________ which is best for data consisting of a single theme. A. DBMS, spreadsheet B. spreadsheet, database C. database, spreadsheet D. database, DBMS

C

In a ________ installation, the new system runs alongside the old one until it has been tested and is fully operational. A. pilot B. phased C. parallel D. plunge

C

Lynn is going through this week's delivery schedule. She calls her team and assigns territories for each executive. She contacts the fleet supervisor to arrange trucks for transportation. Which activity of the value chain is Lynn executing? A. marketing B. customer service C. outbound logistics D. inbound logistics

C

The ________ is called the "brain" of the computer. A. main memory B. RAM C. CPU D. storage hardware

C

The automobile industry is characterized by many manufacturers and intense competition among them. This statement represents ________. A. low threat of substitutions B. high bargaining power of suppliers C. high levels of rivalry D. low bargaining power of customers

C

To ensure that every row in a table is unique, a column or combination of columns must be selected to serve as the ________. A. unique key B. primary field C. primary key D. foreign key

C

Which of the following statements about collaboration is true? A. Effective collaboration is predominantly about being nice. B. Collaboration aims to connect the inputs and outputs among system components. C. The single most important skill for effective collaboration is to give and receive critical feedback. D. The ability to collaborate is innate and cannot be learned.

C

Which of the following terms refers to the process of creating and maintaining information systems? A. competitive intelligence B. process mapping C. systems development D. marketing management

C

Computers-in-products

Computers within products that do not look like computers -kindles, ipads, classroom in a box Winners: Students, Apple Losers: Dell and Microsoft if they dont adapt -Book Publishers

Effect of Moore's Law

Cost of data communications and data storage is essentially ZERO

A database developer is likely to use a(n) ____________ to serve as the blueprint for building a database. This tool describes the entities, attributes, and relationships among entities. A. database design model B. normalization table C. database management system D. entity-relationship data model

D

A(n) ________ is a collection of something, such as data and raw materials. A. activity B. value chain C. linkage D. repository

D

If a student is allowed to have multiple advisers and advisers are assigned to handle multiple students, it would be an example of a ________ relationship. A. 1:N B. M:1 C. 1:1 D. N:M

D

In a business process, a role is ________. A. a physical repository B. movement of data C. a collection of data D. a collection of procedures

D

In the following image, the VEND_CODE in the PRODUCT table represents a(n) __________ because it creates the logical connection between the two tables. A. primary key B. entity key C. linking key D. foreign key

D

Tasks in the ________ phase of the system development process are to build, test, and convert the users to the new system. A. system definition B. component design C. system maintenance D. implementation

D

Which of the following is a program that controls the computer's resources? A. application program B. server farm C. firmware D. operating system

D

Which of the following is most likely to be the last-choice alternative for a business when deciding to acquire an application software? A. off-the-shelf software B. third-party software C. open-source software D. software developed in-house

D

________ is the activity of two or more people working together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. A. Abstract reasoning B. Systems thinking C. Experimentation D. Collaboration

D

________ represents the software installed in the read-only memory of devices like printers or communication devices. A. Application software B. Vertical-market software C. Operating system D. Firmware

D

Analysis of Decision Making

Decision Level (types) -Operational -Managerial -Strategic Decision Process -Structured -Unstructured

5 Primary Activities (of Value chain)

Each of these adds value to the product Inbound Logistics - receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to the product Operations/Manufacturing - Transforming inputs into the final product Outbound Logistics - collecting, storing, and distributing the product to buyers Sales and Marketing - Inducing buyers to purchase the product Customer Service - Assisting customers us of the product

Critical Collaboration Drivers

Effectiveness of a collaboration effort is driven by three critical factors: 1) Communication 2) Content Management 3) Workflow Not all three are always equal -Ex: one time "Ad hoc" work groups- seldom worthwhile to create and formalize workflows. Communication is most important -Ex: Formally defined workflow for a team of engineers designing an airplane is crucial

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

IS that support operational decision making

Five Forces Model

Five competitive forces determine industry profitability 1)Bargaining Power of customers -ex: Toyatas purchase of auto paint 2)Threat of substitutions -ex:Frequent-travelers choice of auto rental 3) bargaining power of suppliers -ex:Students purchasing gasoline 4) Threat of new entrants -ex:Corner latte stand 5) Rivalry among existing firms -used car dealers

Collaboration system Components and Parts

Hardware -Client hardware -Server hardware Software Examples: Google Docs, Windows Live, Microsoft SharePoint Data Examples: Docs, Discussion Lists, Task Lists, Wikis, Blogs Procedures - procedures for using the collaboration software - procedures for conducting the collaborative People -make sure to communicate different ideas and opinions

Feedback

In a collaboration environment, team members review each others' work product and revise that product as a result (Feedback and Iteration)

Version Control (Shared Content)

Like Version management but allows limiting the actions that can be taken by any particular user -specific LIBRARIES have documents in them that need to be "Checked out" in order to use. docs can only be checked out by 1 person

Low Tech vs. High Tech IS

More human work is required on low-tech and less on high-tech. - important when considering IS alternatives

Virtual Meetings

Participants do not meet in the same place and possibly not at the same time

Competitive advantage via process (Process Implementations)

Process Implementations -Lock in customers and buyers -Lock in suppliers -Raise barriers to market entry -establish alliances -reduce costs

Iteration

Series of steps, in which one person produces something, others comment on what was produced, a revised version is produced, and so forth (Feedback and Iteration)

People

Surprisingly, GETTING ALONG is not an important trait -must be willing to speak mind, give feedback, think differently, etc

Margin

The difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity

Content Management (Collaboration Driver 2)

Track and report when and why changes were made to a task -Important that people don't save over someone else's work In some collaborations members have different rights and privileges -EX: some members have full permissions to create, edit, and delete content while others are restricted to edit or read only.

Future business Professionals need to be able to ______, ______ , ______ emerging information technology to business

assess, evaluate, and apply

repository

collection of something ex: database- repository of data Inventory- repository for raw materials or products

Strategic Decisions

concern broader-scope, organizational issues Ex: Should we start a new product line? Should we open a centralized warehouse in Tennessee?

Managerial Decision

concern the allocation and utilization of resources -necessitates team feedback and iteration and will benefit from collaboration if it requires consideration of different perspectives Ex: How much should we budget for computer hardware and programs for department A next year?

Operational Decisions

concerns day-to-day activities -require little in the way of collaboration Ex: How many widgets should we order from vendor A ?

Server Hardware

consists of computers that are installed and operated by IT professionals that support the collaboration system Example: Google docs runs server hardware to store, process and share documents

Client Hardware

consists of the computers and other communication devices (iphones, blackberries) that users employ to participate in collaboration activities

Cost of the business process

cost of the inputs plus the cost of the activities

Google Docs

google allows users to store information on docs and access them on their own servers but the user does not need to worry about the servers.

Information

is DATA presented in a meaningful context. Exemple: Statement that the average of all the employees is 22.37 per hour is INFORMATION

Synchronous Communication

occurs when ALL TEAM MEMBERS meet AT THE SAME TIME, such as conference calls or face-to-face communication

Asynchronous Communication

occurs when TEAM MEBERS DO NOT MEET AT THE SAME TIME -employees who work dif shifts at same location or who work in diff time zones must use it

Collaboration

occurs when two or more people work together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product -involves coordination and communication but is greater than either alone -when effective has greater results than individuals working alone

Structured Decision Process

one for which there is an understood and accepted method for making the decision. Ex: A formula for computing the reorder quantity of an item in inventory

Unstructured Decision Process

one for which there is no agree-on decision-making method. Ex: Predicting the future direction of the economy or the stock market Ex: Assessing how well-suited an employee is for performing a particular job

Team Surveys

one team member creates a list of questions and other team members respond -effective way to obtain team opinions

Information Technology

products, methods, inventions, and standards that are used for the purpose of producing information Hardware, Software, data components of IS - can buy IT but not IS - additional costs of purchasing new IT = training, setup, etc.

Data

recorded facts or figures Ex: 22.37 -- is a data, alone it does't mean much.