BSAD 353: Exam 2
Business Drivers of Information Systems: 6 objectives
1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3. Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. Survival
A Model of the Problem-Solving Approach: 4-step process
1. Problem identification 2. Solution design 3. Choice 4. Implementation
Steps in B P M
1.Identify processes for change 2.Analyze existing processes 3.Design new process 4.Implement new process 5.Continuous measurement
Private Networks
Employee monitoring software •Employers can monitor e-mail legally -A proposed law could prohibit this type of electronic monitoring or at least require the employer to notify the employee first
Centralized
Everything is located at the domestic home base.
Expert Systems
Expert Systems aka Knowledge-Based Systems •Type of artificial intelligence that uses a database to provide assistance to users •Knowledge Base is the database holding the data •Contains facts and rules to relate these facts distilled from a human expert
Solution Evaluation and Choice
Factors include: -Cost -Feasibility given resources and skills -Length of time needed to implement solution
Customers
Fickle to say the least, they are now armed with new information resources that make it easier for them to jump to your competitors, new market entrants, or substitute products.
Internet scams
Scams over the Internet
Internet Scams
Scams using the Internet. •Internet scams have created financial and legal problems for many thousands of people •Majority are initiated by a mass mailing to unsuspecting individuals
Data manipulation
Unauthorized access of a computer network and copying files to or from the server
Set the Tab Order
When entering data into a table, users use the Tab key to advance from one field to another. The tab order in this case is usually sequential. When working with forms, however, tab order does not have to be sequential. It can be set in a more useful manner
The Role of Critical Thinking in Problem Solving
Without critical thinking, easy to jump to conclusions, misjudge a problem, and waste resources
Continuous measurement:
You need to continually measure the new process against benchmarks and be ready to start this whole process over.
identity theft
illegal assumption of a person's identity for economic gain
Property
relates to who owns the data
Accuracy
responsibility of those who collect data •Must be secure and correct
Access
responsibility of those who control data and use that data
Producer perspective
-Conformance to specifications and absence of variation from specs
Global Business and System Strategies
- Domestic exporters - Multinationals - Franchisers - Transnationals
New in Management Information Systems
- New technologies - Management - Organizations
•Worms
- fills the computer with self-replicating information
Viruses
- migrate through networks and attach to different programs
•Trojan horse
- programs disguised as something else
•Big Data is exploding and ever-growing
-90% of the data collected has been collected over the last 2 years
Critical thinking
-Ability to collect and analyze data that might help understand the nature of the problem; a "data driven" approach
Accounting
-Accountants increasingly rely on information systems to summarize transactions, create financial records, organize data, and perform financial analysis. -Skills: §Knowledge of databases and networks §Online financial transactions and reporting systems §How systems are used to achieve accounting functions
Problem identification
-Agreement that problem exists -Definition of problem -Causes of problem -What can be done given resources of firm
Implementation
-Building or purchasing solution -Testing solution, employee training -Change management -Measurement of outcomes -Feedback, evaluation of solution
New technologies
-Cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things -Mobile digital platform
Information Resellers/Brokers
-Collect and sell personal data -Create electronic profiles
Information systems
-Fast changing and dynamic profession because information technologies are among most important tools for achieving business firms' key objectives -Skills: §Uses of new and emerging hardware and software to achieve six business objectives §An ability to take a leadership role in the design and implementation of new information systems
Hackers
-Gain unauthorized access with malicious intent
•Copyright
-Gives content creators the right to control the use and distribution of their work -Paintings, books, music, films, video games
Technology Problems
-Insufficient or aging hardware -Outdated software -Inadequate database capacity -Insufficient telecommunications capacity -Incompatibility of old systems with new technology -Rapid technological change
People Problems
-Lack of employee training -Difficulties of evaluating performance -Legal and regulatory compliance -Work environment, ergonomics -Poor or indecisive management -Lack of employee support and participation
Problem
-Limited facility capacity -High customer expectations -Intense competition, low profit margins
Management
-Managers use social networks, collaboration -Business intelligence applications accelerate -Virtual meetings proliferate
Network economics
-Marginal costs of adding another participant are near zero, whereas marginal gain is much larger -E.g., larger number of participants in Internet, greater value to all participants
Six sigma
-Measure of quality: 3.4 defects/million opportunities
Solutions
-Monitor and reflow checkout lines -Customer analysis and prediction -Food temperature and monitoring -Online ordering - Mobile apps
Marketing
-No field has undergone more technology-driven change in the past five years than marketing and advertising. -Skills: §Work with databases for tracking and reporting on customer behavior, product performance, customer feedback, product development §Enterprise systems for product management, sales force management, customer relationship management
Solution design
-Often many possible solutions -Consider as many as possible to understand range of solutions
Organizational Problems
-Outdated business processes -Unsupportive culture and attitudes -Political in-fighting -Turbulent business environment, change -Complexity of task -Inadequate resources
Customer perspective
-Physical quality (reliability), quality of service, psychological quality
Operations management in services and manufacturing
-Production managers, administrative service managers, and operations analysts -Skills: §Hardware and software platforms for operations management §Use database and analytical software for coordinating and optimizing resources required for producing goods and services
Total quality management (TQM )
-Quality control is end in itself All people, functions responsible for quality
Globalization Challenges and Opportunities: A Flattened World
-Reduced economic and cultural advantages of developed countries: -Drastic reduction of costs of operating and transacting on global scale -Competition for jobs, markets, resources, ideas -Dependence on imports and exports -Requires new understandings of skills, markets, opportunities
Finance
-Relationship between information systems and financial management and services is so strong that many advise finance majors to co-major in information systems. -Skills: §Use systems for financial reporting, direct investment activities, implementation of cash management strategies §Plan, organize, implement information systems strategies for the firm
•Globalization benefits
-Scale economies and resource cost reduction -Higher utilization rates, fixed capital costs, and lower cost per unit of production -Speeding time to market
Organizations
-Social business -Telework gains momentum in the work place -Co-creation of value, collaboration across firms
•Strengthen customer and supplier intimacy.
-Strong linkages to customers and suppliers increase switching costs and loyalty -Toyota: uses I S to facilitate direct access from suppliers to production schedules §Permits suppliers to decide how and when to ship supplies to plants, allowing more lead time in producing goods. -Amazon: keeps track of user preferences for purchases, and recommends titles purchased by others
Management
-The job of management has been transformed by information systems. -Impossible to manage business today without information systems -Skills: §Use of information systems for each function of job, from desktop productivity tools to applications coordinating the entire enterprise
Five competitive forces shape fate of firm
-Traditional competitors -New market entrants -Substitute products and services -Customers -Suppliers
Outsourcing and offshoring
-Two types: outsourcing to domestic U.S. firms and outsourcing to low-wage countries such as India, China -Programming, system maintenance -Benefits: §Lower cost of building and maintaining systems within U.S. §Increased need for managerial positions
•Software piracy
-Unauthorized copying and distribution of software •Digital rights management (DRM) controls access to electronic media •Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects against piracy
Low-cost leadership
-Use information systems to achieve the lowest operational costs and the lowest prices -E.g. Walmart §Inventory replenishment system sends orders to suppliers when purchase recorded at cash register §Minimizes inventory at warehouses, operating costs §Efficient customer response system
•Product differentiation
-Use information systems to enable new products and services, or greatly change the customer convenience in using your existing products and services -E.g., Google's continuous innovations, Apple's iPhone -Use information systems to customize, personalize products to fit specifications of individual consumers §E.g., Nike's NIKE i D program for customized sneakers
Focus on market niche
-Use information systems to enable specific market focus, and serve narrow target market better than competitors. §Analyzes customer buying habits, preferences §Advertising pitches to smaller and smaller target markets -E.g., Hilton Hotel's On Q System §Analyzes data collected on guests to determine preferences and guest's profitability
•Virtual company
-Uses networks to link people, resources, and ally with other companies to create and distribute products without traditional organizational boundaries or physical locations
Four elements of critical thinking
1.Maintaining doubt and suspending judgment 2.Being aware of different perspectives §Including technology, organization, and people perspectives 3.Testing alternatives and letting experience guide 4.Being aware of organizational and personal limitations
The Value Web
A firm's value chain is linked to the value chains of its suppliers, distributors, and customers. •Value web -Collection of independent firms that use information technology to coordinate their value chains to produce a product collectively. -Value webs are flexible and adapt to changes in supply and demand.
Functions
Accounting Marketing Human Resources Production Research
Support Activities
Administration and Management: Electronic scheduling and messaging systems Human Resources: Workforce planning systems Technology: Computer-aided design systems Procurement: Computerized purchasing systems
Networked
All business units participate in development and operations.
Traditional competitors
Always nipping at your heals with new products and services, trying to steal your customers.
DoS, Denial of service
Attempts to slow down or stop a computer system or network by flooding a computer or network with requests for information and data
Encryption
Coding information to make it unreadable, except to those who have the encryption key or key •The key will decrypt the information into a readable format •Common uses for encryption: •E-mail encryption •File encryption •Website encryption •HTTPS - hypertext transfer protocol secured •Virtual private networks (VPNs) •Wireless network encryption restricts access to authorized users •WPA2 - Wi-Fi Protected Access
Management Information Systems (MIS)
Computer-based information systems that: •Produce standardized reports to support decision-making by middle managers •Integrate data and summarizes details from databases in a structured form •Produce predetermined reports •Periodic reports - produced at regular intervals •Exception reports - call attention to unusual events •Demand reports - produced on request
DDoS, Distributed denial of service
Coordinates several computers making repeated requests for service
Malicious Hardware
Criminals use hardware for crimes.
Substitute products and services
Customers may be willing to try substitute products and services if they decide your price is too high or the quality of your products and services is too low.
Duplicated
Development occurs at the home base; operations are located at foreign branches.
Decentralized
Each business unit, regardless of location, has its own system.
Decision Models
Give the DSS its analytical capabilities •Three basic types of decision models •Strategic models •Assists top level managers in long-range planning •Tactical models •Assists middle-managers control the work •Financial and sales promotion planning •Operational models •Assists lower-level managers accomplish the daily activities and objectives •GDSS - Group Decision Support Systems •Support multiple or team decision makers
Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
Helps organizations keep track of routine operations and records these events in a database. •Records day-to-day transactions in a database •Also called data processing systems (DPS) •One of the most essential uses of a TPS is in Accounting
Common requirements for all majors
How IT helps achieve six business objectives Central role of databases Business analytics and intelligence systems Working with specialists and systems designers Ethical, social, legal environment and issues Use of IT to meet legal requirements
Primary Activities
Inbound Logistics: Automated warehousing systems Operations: Computer-controlled machining systems Sales and Marketing: Computerized ordering systems Service: Equipment maintenance systems Outbound Logistics: Automated shipment scheduling systems
Large Databases
Large organizations compile information about us daily
•Top Managerial-Level Information Flow
Long range planning •Vertical, horizontal, and external
Ransomware
Malicious software that encrypts your computer's data and ransoms the password to the user
Domestic Exporter
Most operations are located in the domestic country and the company exports products to foreign companies. A company located in India that imports rugs to the United States would fit this category. All corporate offices are in India, and products are sent to distributors in the United States.
New market entrants
Not constrained by traditional ways of producing goods and services, they can easily jump into your markets and lure customers away with cheaper or better products and services.
•Supervisory-Level Information Flow
Operational matters •Primarily vertical
Social Engineering
Practice of manipulating people to divulge private data. Played a key role in: •Identity theft •Internet scams •Data manipulation •Phishing •Attempts to trick Internet users into thinking a fake but official-looking website or e-mail is legitimate
Making IT Work for You ~ Security and Technology
Precautions you as an individual can and should take to make sure that you aren't the victim of high-tech criminals •Update software •Be careful when browsing •Be alert to e-mail scams •Use antivirus software •Strong passwords
Measures to Protect Computer Security
Principle measures to ensure computer security •Computer Fraud and Abuse Act •Crime for unauthorized person to view, copy or damage data using computers across state lines •Prevents use of any government or federally insured financial institution computers
Cookies
Small data files that are deposited on your hard disk from web sites you have visited •First-party cookies - generated only by websites you are visiting •Third-party cookies - generated by an advertising company that is affiliated with the website •Also known as tracking cookies that keep track of your Internet activities through 3rd party cookies
Ethics
Standards of moral conduct •Computer Ethics - guidelines for the morally acceptable use of computers -Copyright and Digital Rights Management -Cyberbullying Plagiarism
Industry Value Chain
Suppliers' Suppliers Suppliers Firm Distributors Customers
•Middle Managerial-Level Information Flow
Tactical planning vertical and horizontal
Online Identity
The information that people voluntarily post about themselves online -Archiving and search features of the Web make it available indefinitely -Major Laws on Privacy •Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act protects personal financial information •Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects medical records •Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) resists disclosure of educational records
Suppliers
The number of suppliers you use may determine the ease or difficulty your business will have in controlling your supply chain. Too few suppliers and you lose a lot of control.
A delete query
automatically removes records from a table based on criteria you specify.
Privacy
concerns the collection and use of data about individuals
Combo Boxes
•A combo box provides a menu that displays a list of options from which to choose. It is created to make data entry easier when the field contains information that is repeated over all records.
•Export Data to Excel
•A common way to distribute data stored in an Access database is to export it to another application. •Manipulating data in Excel is preferred over changing the data in Access. You want the raw data to remain. •You can export an entire table to Excel or filter the table and export only the records needed. •A query can be created and used as the medium of the export. •When exporting forms and reports to Excel, the result can be unpredictable. If your result is not what you wanted, you do not have to accept the results.
•Create a Hyperlink Field
•A hyperlink enables you to link to a file on your computer, to a webpage on the Internet, or to an email address. •When you click the hyperlink in Datasheet view, Access launches the program required and displays the file you specified or opens the webpage defined by the URL you entered.
Business Process Reengineering
•A radical form of fast change •Not continuous improvement, but elimination of old processes, replacement with new processes, in a brief time period •Can produce dramatic gains in productivity •Can produce more organizational resistance to change
Action Queries
•Action queries change data. Access displays a warning when running an action query.
Core Competency
•Activities for which firm is world-class leader -E.g., world's best miniature parts designer, best package delivery service, etc •Relies on knowledge gained over years of experience as well as knowledge research •Any information system that encourages the sharing of knowledge across business units enhances competency E.g., Procter & Gamble uses intranet to help people working on similar problems share ideas and expertise
Basic strategy
•Align I T with business objectives -Identify business goals and strategies -Break strategic goals into concrete activities and processes -Identify metrics for measuring progress -Determine how I T can help achieve business goals -Measure actual performance
•Add Attachment Controls to Forms and Reports
•An attachment control is a control that enables you to manage attached files in forms and reports. •You can use the attachment control to switch between attachments in a report. •When a report is viewed in the print view, the first attachment is displayed.
•Add an Attachment Field
•An attachment field is similar to an attachment in an email. You can attach multiple files of different types, and launch them from Access. The files are copied into the database itself. •Access can only open attachments. It cannot be used to modify them. They must be modified in the program in which they were written.
Export Objects to Another Access Database
•Before you can export a table from one database to another, the database has to be created if it does not exist. •Once the database is created, you can export from one database to the other. Use Export from the Navigation pane.
Survival
•Businesses may need to invest in information systems out of necessity; simply the cost of doing business. •Keeping up with competitors -Citibank's introduction of A T M s •Federal and state regulations and reporting requirements -Toxic Substances Control Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Controls
•Calculated fields based on a query can display on a form or report. •You can also create calculated fields on reports using unbound controls. •Page break controls are used to break forms or reports at appropriate places.
Personal information is a marketable commodity, which raises many issues:
•Collecting public, but personally identifying information (e.g., Google's Street View) •Spreading information without personal consent, leading to identity theft •Spreading inaccurate information •Mistaken identity •Freedom of Information Act •Entitlement to look at your records held by government agencies
Zombies
•Computers infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan Horse •Botnet or Robot Network is a collection of Zombies
Cybercrime / Computer Crime
•Criminal offense that involves a computer and a network -Effects over 400 million people annually -Costs over $400 billion each year
Customer and Supplier Intimacy
•Customers who are served well become repeat customers who purchase more. -Mandarin Oriental hotel §Uses I T to foster an intimate relationship with its customers, keeping track of preferences, and so on •Close relationships with suppliers result in lower costs. -J C Penney §I T to enhance relationship with supplier in Hong Kong
Rules for Appending Data from one table to another
•Data types of the fields in both the tables must match in most cases; there are some exceptions to this rule •All the normal rules for adding a new record to the destination table apply •The destination table should not contain an AutoNumber field. An AutoNumber in the source table should append to a number field in the destination table. •If a field from the source table does not exist in the destination table, Access leaves a blank in the Append To row - you have to manually specify the destination field name
•Information workers distribute, communicate, and create information
•Data workers •Knowledge workers
Executive Support Systems (ESS)
•Designed for top management •Sophisticated software for presenting, summarizing, and analyzing data, but specifically designed to be easy-to-use •Provides immediate access to a company's key performance indicators
•Anti-Spyware programs
•Detect and remove privacy threats
The Internet's Impact on Competitive Advantage
•Enables new products and services •Encourages substitute products •Lowers barrier to entry •Changes balance of power of customers and suppliers •Transforms some industries •Creates new opportunities for creating new markets, building brands, and large customer bases •Smart products and the Internet of Things
Privacy Modes
•Ensures your browsing activity is not recorded on your hard drive •Incognito Mode •Google Chrome •Private Browsing Safari
Export Data to a PDF or XPS Document
•Exporting from Access to a PDF or XPS document is similar to exporting to Word except that you are not typically able to edit the exported documents. •Both PDF and XPS documents can be opened by their respective document readers, but they cannot be edited. •When exporting forms in PDF, you cannot differentiate which forms are needed. You get them all. •Reports are a better choice for PDF because usually reports are intended for reviewing and printing, not for modifying.
Solving Information System Related Problems: The Problem-Solving Approach
•Few business problems are simple or straightforward. •Most business problems involve a number of major factors that can fall into three main categories: -Organization -Technology -People •Problem solving is a continuous process, not a single event -Sometimes chosen solution doesn't work or needs adjustment
Decision Support Systems (DSS)
•Flexible tool for analyzing data for decision-making purposes •Enables managers to get answers to unexpected and generally non-recurring problems •Reports do not have a fixed format •Consists of four parts: •User - anyone who has to make decisions •System software - operating system •Data - both internal and external •Decision models - analytical capabilities •3 basic types
Sections (1)
•Form header and Report header serve the same purpose. They are at the top of the form or report and are the place for the title of the form or report. •Form footer and Report footer serve the same purpose. They are located at the end of the form or report. •Page headers and footers are used for each page. The page headers and footers can be turned off if not needed. •The Detail section is the main part of the form or report, where the actual data from the tables appears. This is the body of the form or report. •Each section can be resized or hidden if not needed.
Preventing Data Loss
•Frequent backups •Redundant data storage Store off-site in case of loss of equipment
•Password Managers
•Helps to create strong passwords
The Business Value Chain Model
•Highlights specific activities in a business where competitive strategies can best be applied and where information systems are likely to have a strategic impact. -Primary activities -Support activities -Benchmarking -Best practices
•When browsing the web, critical information is stored on the hard drive in these locations:
•History Files •Temporary Internet Files •Browser cache •Cookies •Privacy Mode •Spyware
Identify processes for change
•You shouldn't necessarily try to change every business process. Rather you should first understand exactly what business processes are most important and how changing them will help improve your organization.
Improved Decision Making
•If managers rely on forecasts, best guesses, and luck, they will misallocate employees, services, and inventory. •Real-time data improves ability of managers to make decisions. •Verizon: Web-based digital dashboard to update managers with real-time data on customer complaints, network performance, and line outages
Link to Versus Import an Excel Spreadsheet
•If you want to use Excel data in an Access database, you have three options: •You can manually enter the information in the spreadsheet into your table •You can create a link from Access to Excel that enables you to update tables or create reports based on the data in the spreadsheet. •You can import the data into your Access database. •Linking and importing are similar but they do have distinct differences. When you link an Excel spreadsheet in Access, you can view the data but you cannot update the data from within Access. You would have to update the table in Excel and redisplay the linked table in Access. •Importing an Excel workbook into Access would allow you to modify the data in the imported table. •When importing a spreadsheet into your database, you can choose to append a copy of the Excel records to the table. •Always examine the Excel spreadsheet to determine that the data will properly import to Access.
•Rogue Wi-Fi Hotspots
•Imitating legitimate free Wi-Fi •Capture data coming through the Rogue Wi-Fi
•Link to an Access Table
•Importing is the opposite of exporting. You are copying data directly into Access from another source. •Importing tables from external databases is a convenient way to reuse data from other sources; you can modify an imported table or its records, or append the data to an existing table. •You can also import other objects like queries, forms, and reports into existing databases. •Linking enables you to connect to a table without having to import the table data into your database. You can link only to tables, not queries, forms, reports, macros, or modules.
Operational Excellence
•Improved efficiency results in higher profits. •Information systems and technologies help improve efficiency and productivity. •Example: Walmart -Power of combining information systems and best business practices to achieve operational efficiency—and over $473 billion in sales in 2014 -Most efficient retail store in world as result of digital links between suppliers and stores
History Files
•Include locations or addresses of sites you have recently visited
New Products, Services, and Business Models
•Information systems and technologies enable firms to create new products, services, and business models. •Business model: how a company produces, delivers, and sells its products and services •Example: Apple -Transformed old model of music distribution with iTunes Constant innovations—iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc.
•Web bugs
•Invisible images or HTML code hidden within an e-mail message or web page
Synergies, Core Competencies, and Network-Based Strategies
•Large corporations comprised of business units -Financial returns overall are tied to performance of business units •Information systems improve performance of business units by promoting -Communication -Synergies -Core competencies
•Infect USB Flash Drives
•Left on purpose in hopes for people to pick up and use •Have malicious software contained on them
Malicious Programs - Malware
•Malicious Programs or Malware •Designed by crackers, computer criminals, to damage or disrupt a computer system •Computer Fraud and Abuse Act makes spreading a virus a federal offense
Analyze existing processes
•Model the process, document how it's currently done, identify redundant steps, paper-intensive tasks, bottlenecks, and other inefficiencies. If you don't completely understand the current process, how will you know what to change?
A Look to the Future ~ The End of Anonymity
•Most forums and comment areas on websites allow users to post messages anonymously •Future software can identify you and track your moves through a mall or store
•Computer monitoring software
•Most invasive and dangerous •Keystroke Loggers •Record activities and keystrokes
Competitive Advantage
•Often results from achieving previous business objectives •Advantages over competitors: -Charging less for superior products, better performance, and better response to suppliers and customers -Examples: Apple, Walmart, U P S are industry leaders because they know how to use information systems for this purpose
Transnational
•One globe, one company. Nestlé is headquartered in Switzerland with corporate offices worldwide. The company has a set of core values that it expects each geographic unit to follow while taking into account local factors such as legislation, culture, and religious practices.
Restrict Edits in a Form
•One of the reasons for having forms read-only is to restrict casual users from altering the information. They may look at it, but will not be permitted to change it. Only those authorized will be allowed to make changes.
Multinational
•Part of the company is located in the domestic country and other parts are located in foreign countries. Japanese automobile manufacturers might be in this category. Years ago, we complained loudly in the United States about cheaper Japanese-made cars flooding our markets and demanded that they produce vehicles in our country if they wanted to sell them in our country. So they left their corporate operations in Japan, built some factories in America, and satisfied our concerns.
Restricting Access
•Passwords •Dictionary attack •Uses software to try thousands of common words sequentially in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a user's account •Biometric scanning •Fingerprint scanners •Iris (eye) scanners •Facial recognition
•Illusion of anonymity
•People are not concerned about privacy when surfing the Internet or when sending e-mail
Anticipating Disasters
•Physical Security protects hardware •Data Security protects software and data from unauthorized tampering or damage •Disaster Recovery Plan describes ways to continue operating in the event of a disaster
The Internet and Globalization
•Prior to the Internet, competing globally was only an option for huge firms able to afford factories, warehouses, and distribution centers abroad. The Internet drastically reduces costs of operating globally
Verizon or A T&T : Which Company Has the Best Digital Strategy
•Problem -Opportunities from new technology -Intense competition •Solutions -A T & T : Bundle content; improve package of services -Verizon: Mine customer data; emphasize mobile content and ads •Demonstrates difficulty of sustaining competitive advantage with low-cost rivals
•Security Suites
•Provide a collection of utility programs designed to protect your privacy and security
•Spyware
•Record and report Internet activities •Change browser to manipulate what you view
How Information Systems Improve Quality
•Reduce cycle time and simplify production •Benchmark •Use customer demands to improve products and services •Improve design quality and precision -Computer-aided design (C A D) systems •Improve production precision and tighten production tolerances
Plagiarism
•Representing some other person's work and ideas as your own without giving credit to the original person's work and ideas
TPS for Accounting
•Sales order processing -Records the customer requests •Accounts receivable -Records money received from or owned •Inventory -Parts and finished goods in stock •Purchasing -Buying of materials and services •Accounts Payable -Money the company owes •Payroll -Activity involving employer paychecks •General Ledger -Keeps track of all summaries of all the above referenced items
Temporary Internet Files / Browser Cache
•Saved files from visited websites •Offers quick re-display when you return to the site
Sections
•Sections are parts of a form or report that can be manipulated separately from each other. •They are visible in design view. •The sections can be expanded or collapsed as necessary. •Forms and Reports have similar sections.
Firewalls
•Security buffer between a corporation's provide network and all external networks
Franchiser
•Some operations are located in the domestic homeland whereas extended activities associated with the product are conducted in foreign countries. Starbucks Coffee Company is a primary example of this type of global business. Its corporate headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington. Recipes for products are developed in Seattle. Some coffee beans are roasted in Seattle and then shipped to coffee shops in England. These operations are franchised to keep quality controls in place, and the final product is made in the local area.
Specialized Queries
•Specialized queries help you analyze and improve the integrity of the data in the database.
Subforms
•Subforms can be created on tables that have a relationship. Subforms are generally laid out in a tabular fashion.
Organizational Information Flow
•Supports the vertically and horizontally flow of information throughout an organization •View from a functional perspective to examine an organization's structure •Can study different functional areas and the different types of people within these functional areas
Disruptive Technologies
•Technologies with disruptive impact on industries and businesses, rendering existing products, services and business models obsolete -Personal computers -World Wide Web -Internet music services •First movers versus fast followers -First movers of disruptive technologies may fail to see potential, allowing second movers to reap rewards (fast followers)
Business Process Management
•Technology alone is often not enough to improve business •Organizational changes often necessary -Minor changes in work habits -Redesigning entire business processes •Aims to continuously improve processes •Uses variety of tools and methodologies to -Understand existing processes Design and optimize new processes
Import a Text File
•Text files are common methods of exchanging information between two computer systems. Text files usually contain consistent formatting. •CSV text files use a comma to separate one column from the next, enabling the receiving software to distinguish one set of field values from another. •Fixed length text files allocate a certain number of characters for each field. Any fields with fewer than the allocated number of characters have spaces added to the end of the value. If values are longer, the fields are cut off when the field length is reached.
A Look to the Future ~ IBM's Watson
•The Ultimate Information-Finding Machine •As information amounts increase, it is more difficult to keep up •Can Watson save us?
Export Data to Word
•The process is similar to the exporting process of Excel. Access creates a file in the Rich Text Format (RTF) that enables documents created in one software application to be opened with a different application. Once the export is opened in Word, it can be saved as a Word file. •The objects you export to Word should have a tabular layout, such as tables, queries, and tabular reports. •Other objects exported to Word are unpredictable and can be poorly formatted. •Columnar forms and reports do not export to Word properly.
Porter's Competitive Forces Model
•This model provides a general view of the firm, its competitors, and the firms environment
Implement the new process
•Translate the redesigned process into a new set of procedures and work rules. You probably will have to implement new information systems or enhancements to existing systems to support the new process. Once you roll out the new process, be ready to address problems that will probably arise.
Design the new process
•Try to improve the process by designing a new one. Document it and model it for comparison to the old process. You should also justify the new design based on how much time and money you save or how it enhances customer service and value.
The Grocery Store of the Future: Look at Kroger
•Use of networked sensors and powerful analytics to drive business operations and management decisions •Demonstrates how technology can be used to improve customer experience •Illustrates why information systems are so essential today
Cyberbullying
•Use of the Internet to send or post content intended to harm another person
Benefits of Action Queries
•When an end user is required to enter same information in multiple records. • •To move outdated records from one table to another • •To update specific records in a table • •To delete records form a table
The Connections Among Business Objectives, Problems, and Solutions
•When firms cannot achieve business objectives these objectives become challenges. •Information systems often present solutions, partially or fully, to these challenges.
Synergies
•When output of some units can be used as inputs to other units •When two firms can pool markets and expertise (e.g., recent bank mergers) •Lower costs and generate profits •Enabled by information systems that ties together disparate units so they act as whole
information system
•a collection of people, procedures, software, hardware, data, and connectivity •They all work together to provide information essential to running an organization •Computers are used in organizations to keep records of events and to help make decisions •Competent end users need to understand how the information flows as it moves through an organization
An unbound control
•a control that is not tied to a specific field such as the title of a form or report.
An append query
•adds records to a table from external sources; appended records appear in the destination table in primary key order, or they are added to the bottom of the table if no primary key exists
Controls
•an object on a form or report that can display data, perform calculations, and add visual effects to that form or report.
A bound control
•any control that is connected to a field in a table or query. A bound control contains the label (field name) and text box (the data).
Office automation systems (OASs)
•are designed primarily to support data workers •Project managers •Videoconferencing systems
Crosstab queries
•calculate data using a sum, average, or other function and group the results by a set of values.
Knowledge work systems (KWSs)
•create information in their areas of expertise •Used by OAS systems •Use specialized systems, such as CAD/CAM
Find unmatched queries
•enable you to identify mismatched records.
Duplicate records queries
•finds duplicate items in a database.
A make table query
•is used to automatically create a new table from data that already exists in the database.
An update query
•is used to update or change data automatically based on criteria that you specify.
