MIS 300 Midterm

Line charts (or time-series charts)

(or time-series charts) show data changes over time.

Be interactive. Incorporate the human element as well as hardware and software. Use both internal and external data. Include mathematical and statistical models. Support decision makers at all organizational levels. Emphasize semistructured and unstructured tasks.

A DSS should meet the following requirements:

True

A data hierarchy is the structure and organization of data, which involves fields, records, and files.

communication software, task management software, and document and content management software.

Based on their features and capabilities, collaboration software is broadly divided into three groups:

Line Charts, Pie Charts, Bar Charts, XY(scatter) Charts, and Column Charts

Below are popular types of charts used by an EIS

Type of data

Captures aggregated data, whereas data in a database captures raw transaction data

Time variant

Categorized based on time, such as historical information, whereas data in a database only keeps recent activity in memory

synchronous and asynchronous

Collaboration software is divided into two groups:

integrated

Comes from a variety of sources, whereas data in a database usually does not

Access to data is often faster because of their smaller size. Response time for users is improved. They are easier to create because they are smaller and often less complex. They are less expensive. Users are targeted better because a data mart is designed for a specific department or division; identifying their requirements and the functions they need is easier. A data warehouse is designed for an entire organization's use.

Data marts have the following advantages over data warehouses:

Hypercubes

Data warehouses store multidimensional data, so they are sometimes called __________.

True

Despite being smaller, data marts can usually perform the same types of analysis as a data warehouse.

EIS; EIS; EIS

Ease of use plays an important role in the success of an ______. Because most ________ users are not computer experts, simplicity of the system is crucial, and _______ designers should focus on simplicity when developing a user interface. Typically, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are used, but adding features such as multimedia, virtual reality, and voice input and output can increase ease of use.

subject-oriented

Focused on a specific area, such as the home-improvement business or a university, whereas data in a database is transaction/function oriented

tracking performance, flagging exceptions, ranking, comparing, spotting trends, and investigating/exploring. Exception or variance reporting is another useful technique that managers use to flag data that is unusual or out of normal boundaries. Both unusual and periodic events can be defined to trigger visual cues or activate intelligent agents to perform a specific task.

Generally, executives perform six tasks for which an EIS is useful:

False

Government agencies are the only users of GISs. True or False?

False

In a data warehouse environment, ETL refers to extraction, transformations, and language.

structured—semi-structured—unstructured

In a typical organization, decisions fall into one of these categories:

More information can be generated from the same data. Complex requests can be handled more easily. Data redundancy is eliminated or minimized. Programs and data are independent, so more than one program can use the same data. Data management is improved. A variety of relationships among data can be easily maintained. More sophisticated security measures can be used. Storage space is reduced.

In summary, a database has the following advantages over a flat file system:

"flat files"; flat file; flat file; Data

In the past, data was stored in a series of files that were called _______________ because they were not arranged in a hierarchy, and there was no relationship among these files. The problem with this _______________ organization was that the same data could be stored in more than one file, creating data redundancy. For example, in a customer database, a customer's name might be stored in more than one table. This duplication takes up unnecessary storage space and can make retrieving data inefficient. Updating a ____________ system can be time-consuming and inefficient. ___________ might not be updated in all files consistently, resulting in conflicting reports generated from these files.

Document and content management tools that enable team members to store and track documents and files. Business writing tools that enable team members to write content together and create consistent professional business documents. Synchronous editing tools that allow several team members to edit the same document at the same time and see changes in real time. A variety of templates that enable team members to create documents faster.

Key features of document and content management software include:

Installation analytics

One of the following is not a type of mobile analytics:

Variance

One of the following is not among the 5 Vs of big data:

True

One of the main applications of database and database systems is database marketing.

Exploring and finding patterns in data Creating multiple charts to get meaningful insight in data Allowing analyzing data with different formats

Tableau and Power BI are used for all of the following purposes except:

intuition; information technology; research and development, hiring and firing, and introducing a new product; long-term

The decision maker's _________________ plays the most important role, as ______________ offers little support for these decisions. Areas involving unstructured decisions include _______________________. These decisions are mostly ______________ and they require external data sources for their implementation. Executive information systems, discussed later in the module, are suitable for these types of decisions. (for unstructured)

Velocity

The speed with which the data has to be gathered and processed. As an example, imagine a billboard that could display a particular ad as soon as a particular customer drives by it. The billboard would recognize the driver's face by comparing it to a huge database, integrate that data with the driver's social media data, find out what the driver's favorites are based on the number of likes and dislikes on his or her Facebook page, then display the applicable ad. All of this would need to happen in a nanosecond; otherwise, the window of opportunity will be lost!

data warehouse

Typically, data in a _________________ is described as having the following characteristics, in contrast to data in a database: subject-oriented, integrated, time variant, type of data, and purpose.

subject-oriented, integrated, time variant, type of data, and purpose.

Typically, data in a data warehouse is described as having the following characteristics, in contrast to data in a database:

Purpose

Used for analytical purposes, whereas data in a database is used for capturing and managing transactions

synchronous

Using ______________ or real-time software allows team members to work together at the same time. For example, they edit a document or conduct a brainstorming session simultaneously.

Data marts; data warehouses

____________, however, usually have more limited scope than _____________, and consolidating information from different departments or functional areas (such as sales and production) is more difficult.

Communication software; third party tools

______________ provides the file-sharing feature that makes it fast and easy to upload and share files. The top three collaboration software programs in this group include Slack, Zoho Cliq, and join.me. In addition to using video-conferencing features available in this software group, team members can also use ________________.

Semistructured decisions

_______________ are not quite as well defined by standard operating procedures.

Semistructured decisions

_______________ are often used in sales forecasting, budget preparation, capital acquisition analysis, and computer configuration. Decision support systems, discussed later in the module, are suitable for these types of decisions.

Information technologies

________________ are a major support tool for making structured decisions.

Asynchronous; asynchronous

___________________ software enables team members to work together at different times. E-mail is an example of an ______________ tool. For example, a team member may leave a message or send a document to another team member. The recipient can respond at a later time and date.

Semistructured and unstructured

___________________________________________ decisions are challenging because they involve multiple criteria, and often users have to choose between conflicting objectives. For example, a manager might want to give raises to employees to boost morale and increase employee retention but has been asked to reduce the total cost of production. These two objectives conflict, at least in the short run.

Data Warehouse

a collection of data from a variety of sources used to support decision-making applications and generate business intelligence and store multidimensional data, so they are sometimes called hypercubes.

Tableau

a data visualization tool used for generating business intelligence. It is used to analyze data for generating trends using graphs and charts.

Graph database

a database that uses graph structures for query operation with nodes, edges, and properties to represent and store data.

Intelligence phase

a decision maker examines the organization's environment for conditions that need decisions. Data is collected from a variety of sources (internal and external) and processed. From this information, the decision maker can discover ways to approach the problem.

Foreign Keys

a field in a relational table that matches the primary key column of another table. It can be used to cross-reference tables.

Power BI

a platform that allows a user to analyze and visualize data from different sources with different formats.

Structured Query Language (SQL)

a standard fourth-generation query language used by many DBMS packages, such as Oracle 12c and Microsoft SQL Server. SQL consists of several keywords specifying actions to take.

Data-Driven Web Site

acts as an interface to a database, retrieving data for users and allowing users to enter data in the database.

Decision support system (DSS)

an interactive information system consisting of hardware, software, data, and models (mathematical and statistical) designed to assist decision makers in an organization. Its three major components are a database, a model base, and a user interface. The emphasis is on semistructured and unstructured tasks.

Fragmentation

approach to a distributed DBMS addresses how tables are divided among multiple locations. There are three variations: horizontal, vertical, and mixed.

Allocation

approach to a distributed DBMS combines fragmentation and replication, with each site storing the data it uses most often.

Replication

approach to a distributed DBMS has each site store a copy of the data in the organization's database.

Collaboration system or software

assists teams in communicating, collaborating, and coordinating their activities.

Object-oriented databases

both data and their relationships are contained in a single object. An object consists of attributes and methods that can be performed on the object's data.

Executive information systems (EISs)

branches of DSSs, are interactive information systems that give executives easy access to internal and external data and typically include "drill-down" features and a digital dashboard for examining and analyzing information.

Geographic information system (GIS)

captures, stores, processes, and displays geographic information or information in a geographic context, such as showing the location of all city streetlights on a map.

Model base

component includes mathematical and statistical models that, along with the database, enable a DSS to analyze information.

Managerial designer

defines the management issues in designing and using a DSS. These issues do not involve the technological aspects of the system; they are related to management's goals and needs.

Data Model

determines how data is created, represented, organized, and maintained. It usually contains data structure, operations, and integrity rules.

Bar Charts

emphasize the differences among data items.

Task management software

enables team members to prioritize and track tasks, which helps to keep track of deadlines. To make this process more efficient the software provides boards, timelines, and calendars. Any IT project such as designing an order entry system or designing an e-commerce Web site involves a number of tasks that must be accomplished before a project is up and running.

Document and content management software

enables team members to store, share, and work together on different files. Most of these tools track the history of changes that different team members make. The top three software programs in this group include Google Apps for Work, Confluence, and Samepage. Microsoft Office SharePoint Server is also a popular collaboration software for creating, managing, and sharing documents and Web services.

Student ID numbers, Social Security numbers, account numbers, and invoice numbers

examples of primary keys

Record keeping, payroll, and simple inventory problems

examples of structured tasks

Technical designer

focuses on how the DSS is implemented and usually addresses questions about data storage, file structure, user access, response time, and security measures.

Online analytical processing (OLAP)

generates business intelligence. It uses multiple sources of information and provides multidimensional analysis, such as viewing data based on time, product, and location.

Normalization

improves database efficiency by eliminating redundant data and ensuring that only related data is stored in a table.

Semistructured decisions

include a structured aspect that benefits from information retrieval, analytical models, and information systems technology.

Digital dashboard

integrates information from multiple sources and presents it in a unified, understandable format, often as charts and graphs. It offers up-to-the minute snapshots of information and assists decision makers in identifying trends and potential problems.

Physical View

involves how data is stored on and retrieved from storage media, such as hard disks or magnetic tapes.

Logical View

involves how information appears to users and how it can be organized and retrieved.

Big Data

is data so voluminous that conventional computing methods are not able to efficiently process and manage it.

Data Mining Analysis

is used to discover patterns and relationships.

Online transaction processing (OLTP)

is used to facilitate and manage transaction-oriented applications, such as point-of-sale, data entry, and retrieval transaction processing. It generally uses internal data and responds in real time.

Structured decisions

or programmable tasks, can be automated because a well-defined standard operating procedure exists for these types of decisions.

Random access file structure

records can be accessed in any order, regardless of their physical locations in storage media. This method of access is fast and very effective when a small number of records need to be processed daily or weekly.

Indexed sequential access method (ISAM)

records can be accessed sequentially or randomly, depending on the number being accessed. For a small number, random access is used, and for a large number, sequential access is used.

Sequential access file structure

records in files are organized and processed in numerical or sequential order, typically the order in which they were entered.

inheritance

refers to new objects being created faster and more easily by entering new data in attributes.

Encapsulation

refers to the grouping into a class of various objects along with their attributes and methods—meaning, grouping related items into a single unit. This helps handle more complex types of data, such as images and graphs.

Extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL)

refers to the processes used in a data warehouse. It includes extracting data from outside sources, transforming it to fit operational needs, and loading it into the end target (database or data warehouse).

Create, read, update, and delete (CRUD)

refers to the range of functions that data administrators determine who has permission to perform certain functions.

XY (scatter) charts

show relationships between two sets of data—for example, total sales and advertising budgets or years of education and yearly income.

Network model

similar to the hierarchical model, but records are organized differently. Unlike the hierarchical model, each record in the network model can have multiple parent and child records.

Distributed database management system (DDBMS)

stores data on multiple servers throughout an organization

Data Dictionary

stores definitions, such as data types for fields, default values, and validation rules for data in each field.

Choice Phase

the best and most effective course of action is chosen.

Management support systems (MSSs)

the different types of information systems that have been developed to support certain aspects and types of decisions. Each type of MSS is designed with unique goals and objectives.

Model builder

the liaison between users and designers. He or she is responsible for supplying information on what the model does, what data inputs it accepts, how the model's output should be interpreted, and what assumptions go into creating and using the model.

Design phase

the objective is to define criteria for the decision, generate alternatives for meeting the criteria, and define associations between the criteria and the alternatives.

Implementation phase

the organization devises a plan for carrying out the alternative selected in the choice phase and obtains the resources to implement the plan.

Hierarchical model

the relationships between records form a treelike structure (hierarchy). Records are called nodes, and relationships between records are called branches. The node at the top is called the root, and every other node (called a child) has a parent. Nodes with the same parents are called twins or siblings.

Data Hierarchy

the structure and organization of data, which involves fields, records, and files.

Unstructured decisions

typically one-time decisions, with no standard operating procedure pertaining to them.

Primary key

uniquely identifies every record in a relational database. Examples include student ID numbers, account numbers, Social Security numbers, and invoice numbers.

Pie charts

used to show the proportions of different data items.

Column Charts

useful for showing data changes over a period of time or for illustrating comparisons among items.

Relational Model

uses a two-dimensional table of rows and columns of data. Rows are records (also called tuples), and columns are fields (also referred to as attributes).

Business Analytics (BA)

uses data and statistical methods to gain insight into the data and provide decision makers with information they can act on and is increasingly used for data-driven decision making that leverages and explores the data in a database, data warehouse, or data mart system.

Data Mart

usually a smaller version of a data warehouse, used by a single department or function, and focus on business functions for a specific user group in an organization, such as a data mart for the marketing department.

Communication software

which also includes audio and video conferencing, provides chat, messaging, or video features that enable real-time communication. It could include text conversations using direct messages or group chats or video communication in private or public channels. Video-conferencing features enable team members to see and talk to each other regardless of their locations. Team members are able to reply to one particular message in a group chat or a private channel without distracting other teammates.

Query by example (QBE)

you request data from a database by constructing a statement made up of query forms. With current graphical databases, you simply click to select query forms instead of having to remember keywords, as you do with SQL. You can add AND, OR, and NOT operators to the QBE form to fine-tune the query.