Information systems-midterm prep
Internet and Society (on the one hand)
-Free speech-CDA vs. the 1st Amendment -"power to the people"- Decentralization (everyone, everywhere) -Free access to information-Education, health, government -Easier access to different people and views -Knowledgeable consumers-Pure competition
With ERP
-Intergrated systems -Consistent interface -one database -Access to current data -improved planning capabilities -multinational capabilities
Internet and Society(on the other hand)
-Mind control- Google as a gateway to the world -Privacy concerns-Cookies, spyware -HOw credible is the information we receive? -Free access to information may be problematic -A haven for criminal activity, illegal porn, terrorism -Breach of copyright law(music,movies,books)
To appply the systems aproach succesful, one must
-Move from conceptual to operational and from objectives to means -Allocate a seperate time period for each step -do each step independently of the ones following it -carry out each step in an explicit manner and with a written summary
Feedback loops are how systems "learn"
-Output is applied to control the system -Drives the system towards its goal -creates stability
Stackeholder analysis
-brainstorming can identify relevant groups. -Publicizing the fact of change will bring out others
Characteristics of a design thinking approach to challenges
-colloboration and interaction -Multi-disciplinary -Prototyping and frequent iteration -Human-centeredness -wicked problems -Systems-oriented
system-oriented
-design thinking focuses on the relationships between people, things and their environment. -Seeks better solutions at the level of a whole artifact, process or experience
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
-founded in 1986 -Creates and promotes internet standards
Developing programs
-reduce alternatives to a manageable number to rate against one another -scenarios are useful in insuring that all important aspects of the program are covered -cost-benefit analysis based on stakeholder objectives makes scenes at this stage -Programmers and similarly trained technicians tend to rush to this stage
CRM systems
-softare systems that enable organizations to understand their customers better and tailor solutions to customers' needs -generally focus on the creation and use of large customer databases -Includes operational and analytical functionality
How can seeing the world as composed of systems help us
-to initiate a change? -to design something new? -to solve a perceived problem?
feedforward loops
Result from people acting on predictions about the future -This is the concept of a sulf-fulfilling prophecy
customer-facing processes
Result in a product or service that is received by an organization's external customers
Association detection
Reveals the degree to which variables are related and the nature and frequency of the relationships in the information
IP(internet protocol)
Routes packets from one location to the next until their destination
Online collaborative environemets
Support document sharing and collaborative editing (e.g., MS sharepoint)
Armstrong's systems approach
The "systems approach" is a general framework for solving problems. -Addressing a business challenge(e.g., rising costs, a declining revenues) -Creating a new business strategy -changing the culture -Initiating a societal change
Downward Causation. synthesis/systems thinking
The behavior of the parts is to some degree determined by the behavior of the whole
Artificial Intelligence
The branch of computer science that is concerned with producing machines that can manifest intelligent behavior and are capable of learning and adapting -The aim is to automate human tasks that require intelligent behavior: problem solving, decision making, adaptation
hardware
The physical components that enable computing: -central processing unit (cpu) -storage components -input devices -output devices -communications devices
Open systems
The principle of side effects- when you are dealing with a system you never do just one thing
Collaboration
The rise of project - oriented and distributed work
Software
The sets of instructions(i.e., computer programs) that enable computers to perform tasks as well as that encoded data that the programs use
TCP/Ip
The suite of protocols or communications standard that enable data transmission via packet switching
Infrastructure
The underlying foundation or basic infrastructure
Analysis/Reductionism
The whole is determined by the behavior of its part
SCM systems
They are often classified as "procurement systems"
Domain Name server (DNSs)
They are used because an IP address may be hard to remember.
The system analyst
This is a special type of stakeholder: A specialist who studies the problems and needs of an organization to determine how people, data, processes, and information technology can best be combined to bring about improvements in the organization
Control vs. Empowerement
Throwing away the managerial leash
Management Information Systems
Where technology meets business
Augmented Intelligence
Working with machine learning
What is design thinking
a process and perspective that applies a designer's sensiblities and methods to a business challenges or opportunities
2^128 2001:0DB8:AC10:08F1:7CE6:0000:7219
another type
Circuit switching
communications process in which in a single path or line must remain open between sender and receiver to enable transmission
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)
controlling manufacturing process based on designs
3D printing
creating physical prototypes and finished goods based on software models
Market mechanics
decentralizing of choice and evaluation
The evolution of computing devices
decreasing size Increasing computational power Increasing affordability and accessibility Increasing mobility Increasin intergration and embeddedness From scarcity to surplus(e.g., bandwith, memory, computing power)
why should managers care about design thinking?
design thinking is an engine of innovation, and modern business innovatiotion. -contemporary markets increasingly represent "wicked problems" -Remergence of a focus on the desires of the customer
Colloboration and interaction
designing is genrally done is teams, with individuals building on one another's ideas and insights. -The emphasis on collaboration extends beyond the design team to clients and other stakeholders
Systems are janus-faced
looking up, they are parts of wholes. looking down they are whole parts with.
System thinking
looks for circular relations
Database based systems
maintains a central repository of documents and routes editing roles to individuals
Three types of smart machines
movers: Autonomous robots that move items without human intervention Doers: Robots that use sensors, cameras and machine learning to perform "manual" complex tasks Sages: Information-based systems sense context, preferences, and patterns to generate recommendations
Before ERP
multiple systems maintained throughout the organization meant: -Different interfaces -Difficult to extract info about customers, suppliers, orders, etc -Hard to maintain: Many languages and databases, with tremendous inconsistencies -Could take weeks or months to obtain info about customers, or where systems change were needed.
Initial internetworking concepts
open-architecture networking: -No changes required for member networks -Communication on a best effort basis -black boxes would connect the networks -No global control at the operations level
Wicked problems
problems which do not have one definite solution because of how complicated they are. The concept of indeterminacy.
what makes satisfied employees
salary, variety of tasks, challenge, level of discretion
Product design systems
software platforms that enable collaborative teams to design new products and artificial environments
System software
software that organizes and controls the hardware devices and coordinates other software
System
systems are nested meaning that systems sit inside of other systems. Sometimes this makes it hard to tell where one system ends and another system begins
Time-series information
time stamped information collected a particular frequency
Internet Society (ISOC)
-Founded in 1992 -Mission;"To assure the open development, evolution, and use of the internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world"
Key functionality of SCM systems
-Demand planning -warehouse & inventory management -supplier portals -Electronic data interchange (EDC) _ Transportation management & logistics -Business process redesign
systhem thinking "rules"
-Begin by defining the output -Question the boundary -Look both ways- up and down - Expect loops, delays, lagged impacts, and side-effect. Look for them if they are not evident -Identify feedback and feedforward controls. How does the system learn? -Worry about using just one view of a system
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers(ICANN)
-Founded in 1998 -Controls assignment of IP address, domain names, and transport protocols
BI techniques
-Cluster analysis -Association detection -Statistical analysis & forecasting
Nine attitudes for design thinking
1. Curiosity 2. challenging assumptions 3.Constructive dicontent 4.A belief that most problems can be solved 5. The ability to suspend judgment and criticism 6. Seeing the good in the bad 7.problems lead to improvements 8.A problem can be also to a solution 9. Problems are interesting and emotionally acceptable.
IP addresses
A unique numeric identifier for an internet host(i.e device on the internet) -Every host must have an ip address -IPv4: Four segments, called octects
What is systems thinking
A way to see the patterns that connect parts and determine the rules that govern these connections
social network
A social structure made up of individuals (or groups) and the relationships between them; individuals are nodes in the network
People
A stakeholder is anyone who has an interest in an existing or proposed information system e.g owners(CEO), users (administrative staff), designers(networ architects), builders(programmers)
Business processes
A standerdized set of of activities that accomplish a specific task(e.g., processing a customer's order)
Cluster analysis
A technique used to divide an informationset into mutually exclusive groups such that the members of each group are as close together as possible to one another and the different groups are as far apart as possible -CRM systems depend on cluster analysis to segment customer information and identify behavioral traits
enabling flexibility
Allowing individuals to interact in dynamic ways
Colloboration system
An IT based set of tools that supports the work of teams by facilitating the sharing and flow of information
Social Networking service
An online environment designed to enable the creation and enhancement of social networks amongst individuals
Skills of a system analyst
Analytic: -general problem-solving skills -systems thinking Technical: -working knowledge of It (e.g., programming; types of IT) -Understanding the potential and limitations of IT Managerial: -Broad business knowledge and acumen -Flexibility and adaptability Interpersonal: -Good communication skills -character and ethics
The mechinal Era
Babbage- designed the "difference engine" to perform basic mathematical functions Scheutz-Built a machine that processed 15 digit numbers, used to calculate the orbit of mars Hollerith- Punch card machine; used by the US Census Bureau
Mainfram Era
Begins using transistors(developed at Bell laps) Increased computational power; reduced electricity consumption and heat production First supercomputers are developed IBM system 360 mainframe intended for large businesses and universities
TCP(Transmission control protocol)
Breaks application data into packets for transport -reassembles packets on the receiving end -Acknowledges receipt of all packets
Analogies for the system analyst
Bridge, interpreter
Organizational Information systems
Business intelligence, enterprise resource planning(ERP), supply chain management(SCM), Customer relations management(CRM), collaboration platforms, workflow automation, manufacturing systems, delivery systems, financial systems, product design
client/ sever Era
Combining the benefits of the preceding eras- mainframe and Pc Individual PCs(clients) get networked together through more powerful devices, often mainframes (servers) The term "server" refers to both the software that manages access and the devices themselves Example of servers: web, database, print, mail, network.
The disappearance of IT
Computing increasingly becoming "invisible" -Computing devices that are embedded in our environment -They are interconnected through wireless networks -They are context-aware -They enable 'smart' interactive environments
URLs
Converts IP addresses into more easily remembered uniform resource locators
Packet switching
Data is broken up into small packets and datagrams -Individual packets are routed to their destination by the most efficient means available and reassembles at their destination
Information
Data that has been organized in a way to make it useful for solving problems
Multi-disciplinary nature
Design touches upon large classes of human and technical phenomena and capabilities: -Anthropology -Cognitive science
Human-centeredness
Designers focus on the real needs and experiences of individuals and groups-this is the idea of empathy
Workflow
Detailed informatin of all the sequential steps ot business rules required for a business process
An Enterprise view
ERP systems collect data from across an organization and correlate the data, generating an enterprise-wide view
Text-based communication
Email,IM, discoussin boards
Bridging space
Enabling interaction of geographically-distributed groups
Co-creation
Engaging the commitment and effort of customers in creating value
Automating Business processes
Enterprise systems also automate business processes
Data
Facts about the world
Comfort with Failure
Failure as a learning mechanism
Reducing hierarchies
Flattening of organization structures
The power of Iteration
Fostering feedback and evolution of solutions
Identifying objectives
Generaly ignored. no consideration should be given to alternatives at this stage.
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IPv6: Hexadecimal format with eight segments
Indicators of success
Identify how changes in the system will affect each of the objectives. -How will you know if you succeeded? -Optimally, indicators will be quantifiable -Use multiple measures
Business Intelligence
Increased emphais on envidence-based management
Groupware
Information and communications technologies (ICTs) that supports team interactions
Messaging-based systems
Informs individuals when thier actions are needed
Core functions of IT
Input-> processing-> output->storage
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
Integration of departments and functions throughout an organization into a single IT system so that employees can make decisions using enterprise-wide information on all business operations. -Keeping everyone on the same page. -Reducing the potential for errors
Business-facing processes
Invisible to the external customer, but esssential to the effective management of the business
IT infrastructure
It is the shared technology resources that provide the platform for a firm's specific information system applications. -These include hardware and software.
Sharing
Joint creation and exchange of information
Enterprise Social networking
Just like it sounds-social networking software used inside the enterprise
Customer relationship managemt (CRM)
Managing all aspects of a customer's relationship with an organization to increase loyalty and retention (and in turn, an organization's profitability)
what challenges does design thinking pose?
Most managers aren't trained in design approaches: intergrative vs. analytic perspectives, collaboration vs. control Design thinking may imply a more expensive process -The need for moving from vision to implementation -Exploitation vs. exploration
Enterprise/Internet Computing Era
Moving to a common networking standard for tying together all of the devices in an enterprise connects machines using the Internet-specifically, the TCP/Ip standard A protocol is just a standard set of rules for doing somethings. TCP/Ip is the set of rules that create the internet Makes enterprise applications (like we discusssed last week) possible
Business Intelligence
Refers to the exploration and analysis of large quantities of data to discover meaningful patterns and rules: -by automatic(i.e. algorithmic) or semi-automatic means -Focuses on informing strategic and mangerial decisons
MIS triangle
People: The actors who interact in a business process. Business processes: Goal- oriented activities conducted by a business Information technology: Hardware and software used to facilitate business activities
Information systems categories
Personal(phone), Public(apps), Enterprise/Organizational
forecast
Predictions made on basis of time-series information
Acceptance of Ambiguity
Problems and opportunities don't come pre-formed
Prototyping and frequent iteration
Prototyping serves as a tool for learning more about the needs of prospective users -The focus on iteration implies a certain comfort with "incompleteness"
Application software
Software that enables users to perform specific tasks
Workflow management systems
Software that supports the automation and management of activities outlined in a workflow
Computer-aided design (CAD)
Software tools for 2D and 3D modeling of new artifacts
What is a system
Something that maintains its existence and functions through the interactions of its parts
Information technology
The combination of computer technology anf telecommunication technology used in the processing and distribution of data.
Information systems
The combination of people, business processes, and information technology to accomplish business objectives
What is an information system
The combination of people, information technology, and business processes to accomplish a business objective
systems are subject to multiple interpreations
The complexity of reality means that multiple perspectives may be applied.
Interney of Things
The connection of diverse devices to the internet; these devices can thus send and receive data. -Builds upon sensors and computing embedded in the devices -Enables users to access and monitor a network of devices remotely -Examples of "things": vehicles, appliances, industrial machinery, roads, pacemakers- just about anything
Digitization
The conversion of nearly any type of information into a digital format, making it subject to use and manipulation through computing resources. -Access to knowledge" making all text, audio -Enhanced experiences: virtual and augmented reality have "informated" our analog world -Business Model Innovation: creating entirely new classes of good and sevices -Power shifts: The emergence of non-governmental authorities for exchange (bitcoin)
PC Era
The introduction of microcomputers From 1,000 devices per circuit to 100,000 devices per circuit Entire processors can fit on to a single chip- the microprocessor The Winter model windows OS with an intel chip
Supply chain management (SCM)
The management of information and material flows between stages in a supply chain to maximize total supply chain effectiveness and profitability
Alternative strategies
The must be more than one -They should differ substaintially -Include a non-technically solution in the set -Experts are usually trained in only of a small number of strategies
Apocryphally
To provide a communications network that could withstand a nuclear attack -Initial application: email, telnet, file transfer
Design thinking process
Understand Observe Point of view Ideate prototype test
Cloud computing Era
Using the internet to access computing power, software applications, and storage remotely on an "as needed" basis. Cloud computing is kind of like a return to the client/ server model- weaker computers accessing more powerful ones The client devices may have little computing power themselves- that is why we sometimes call them "thin clients" They just need to be connected to the Internet
Videoconferencing
VoIP conferencing (e.g.,skype), video telepresence
Web conferencing
Web-based presentation and demonstration (e.g., WebEx)
