Exam Question

Question 1

Alignment is the capacity to demonstrate a positive relationship between information technologies (IT) and the accepted financial measures of performance. On the other hand, Strategic Planning is a management tool that helps an organisation focuses its energy, to ensure that members of the organisation are working toward the same goals, to assess and adjust the organisation’s direction in response to a changing environment.
(A)There are several requirements a firm must meet to ensure a successful alignment of IT to business strategy. Discuss TWO (2) of them.

Answer 1

Knowing what type of data and information is needed to develop the strategic plan is one thing. Knowing when and how to get it is another. Market research is one of the ways and it is just the start of a long process. Once you have the information you need, then making the strategic decision based on the information collected will be the next challenge. This is where the decision makers have to decide where and when the data is to be collected and how much data to gather before the data collection activity is complete. Essentially, there are several sources of information that can be obtained in strategic planning. They are as follows:

(a) Internal Company Information – This comprises data gathered from within the organisation. It can include information generated by the system in the course of its day-to-day operations such as sales and purchase transaction records, weekly or monthly reports, performance indicators as well as records of communication with suppliers, clients and partners.
(b) Primary Data – These are data collected specifically for the purpose of the research. It is obtained directly from the sources of the research such as surveys, interviews and observations.
(c) Secondary Data – These are existing data acquired or made available to the organisation from sources such as suppliers, partners, government statistics, third party publications and public records.

Question 2

Explain TWO (2) main competitive forces challenging the movie industry currently now.
(10 marks]
It has been said that the advantage that leading-edge retailers such as Dell and WalMart have over their competitors is not technology; it is their management. Do you agree? Why or why not?

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Question 3

Project management is a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes from start to finish. A project is a one-time effort that produces a specific result, for example, building a new information system.
a.
How much does project management impact the success of a new information system?
[10 marks]
It has been said that most systems’ development fails because system developers ignore organisational behavior problems. Discuss.

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Question 4

The biggest difference between successful ERP implementations and failures is effective organisational plan for IT acceptance. Study has shown that these failures are often caused by a lack of focus on organisational plan and other tactics that can help optimise employee adoption. Discuss FOUR (4) best practices you think an organisation can adopt to ensure comprehensive and effective ERP implementation.
[TOTAL: 20 MARKS]
Question 3 Strategic information system is concerned with systems which contribute significantly to the
achievement of an organisation’s overall objectives. Describe the management challenges posed by strategic information systems.

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Question 5

Information system security is no longer a technology-focused problem. It has become the basis for business survival. Discuss.

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Question 6

A mobile network is a set of towers which a cell phone can communicate with. All of these towers are owned by the same company, and once a cell phone registers with one of them, it can transparently switch to communicate with whichever tower in the closet.
a.
Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce) is any direct or indirect transaction conducted and facilitated through a wireless telecommunication network. Describe FOUR (4) obstacles of Mobile Commerce.
(10 marks] Location based services (LBS) is an information and entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device. LBS is a target marketer's dream come true, although some consumers see it as tracking their social, economic and personal habits. However, the benefits of LBS far outweigh the potential for invasion of privacy. Explain TWO (2) LBS benefits.

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Question 7

The new economy or digital economy not only brings digitisation but also the opportunity to use
new business models. a. Explain the new business model by giving one example.
[10 marks]
b. Why is the Internet said to be the creator of new business models?
[10 marks]

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Question 8

Data quality and data integrity are important issues as they have a significant impact on the output of information and knowledge used by the organisation.
a.
Discuss data quality by considering its major attributes.
(10 marks] Why data integrity is imposed within a database? State FOUR ways data integrity is compromised.
(10 marks]

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Question 9

B2C e-tailers face some issues that need to be resolved in order to sustain the growth of the organisation’s e-tailing efforts. Discuss FOUR of the issues in detail.

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Question 10

Knowledge management consists of the initiatives and systems that sustain and support the storage, dissemination, assessment, application, refinement, and creation of relevant knowledge.
a.
Describe the role of portals and wikis in facilitating knowledge management.
[10 marks] Discuss the FOUR modes of knowledge creation. Give ONE example for each of the modes.
(10 marks]

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Question 11

Data visualisation refers to technologies that support the process of visualising and sometimes interpreting data. Scorecards and Dashboards are among the tools that can be used for visualisation. Many people use the terms Scorecard and Dashboard interchangeably, but there are significant differences between them. Discuss THREE differences.

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Question 12

Knowing about potential threats to IS is necessary but understanding measures to defend against these threats is equally critical. Defending information resources is a challenging and difficult effort. Discuss.
[TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 13

When designing Global Information Systems we are faced with many issues and challenges. Discuss FIVE of the issues and recommend ways to solve the issues.

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Question 14

“Videoconferencing technology allows communication through two-way video and audio
transmissions at the same time”.
a.
How can videoconferencing technology provide value to a business? Discuss whether
you consider it smart management.
(10 marks]
b.
If you were in charge of a small company, what factors would you consider to implement videoconferencing at the company? Discuss.
[10 marks]

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Question 15

Organisations are increasingly relying on effective supply chains, to compete in the global market and networked economy.
a.
Explain the activities or functions of Supply Chain Management Systems.
(10 marks]
Discuss how Supply Chain Management (SCM) can benefit businesses.
[10 marks]

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Question 16

Question 1
“Data are the foundations of any information system and need to be managed
throughout their useful life cycle. Managers and information workers may be constrained
by data that cannot be trusted because they are incomplete, out of context, inaccurate,
or so overwhelming that they require too much time to analyse”.
Discuss how reducing uncertainty would lead to an improvement in net earnings of a
business.
[10 marks]
b.
“Managing legacy data to improve business performance would normally have to deal with a lot difficulties”.
Discuss the above statement.
[10 marks]

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Question 17

Question 2 “Payment is an integral part of doing business, whether in the traditional way or online. Unfortunately, in several cases, traditional payment systems are not effective for electronic commerce”.
Discuss various methods for online payment in a B2C setting. Which one would you prefer and
why?
[TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 18

Question 3 “Many companies may benefit from the lower cost of outsourced activities. Nevertheless, outsourcing raises an array of complex interrelated issues that are not always positive. For instance, outsourcing may be advantageous to some groups of people, but detrimental to others. At the same time, competition in outsourcing is becoming very stiff.
If you are the CEO of one outsourcing company, discuss strategies you would employ for your company to gain the competitive advantage.
[TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 19

Question 4 “User resistance is a common occurrence when new information systems are implemented and
this could contribute to implementation failure”.
Discuss strategies that can be used to overcome user resistance to IT implementation.
APN
[TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 20

Question 5
a.
Discuss how information overload have become a problem for your works or study.
[10 marks]
b.
Based on your experience, what personal and organisational solutions could you recommend in solving the information overload problem? Discuss.
[10 marks)

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Question 21

(B) Describe TWO (2) tools that can be used for strategic planning.

Answer 21

a) System Software – This generally comprises the operating system in combination with drivers, utilities and user interface functions which, together, allow the computer system to operate and to be used.
(b) Application Software – This type of software makes up the bulk of all software installed in any system. It is also commonly referred to as applications. It is generally a stand-alone program that is designed to achieve certain business needs independently as well as in conjunction with other applications that have complementary functions. Examples include educational software, word processors, databases and accounting information systems.
(c) Engineering or Scientific Tools – There are many types of software in this category. They are usually highly specialised applications as opposed to general purpose software such as those discussed in (b). Examples include computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems, automotive stress analysis tools, molecular biology vector sequence databases and flight training simulators.
(d) Embedded System – This refers to the type of software which comes preinstalled in another product and is usually ready to be used straight out of the box. Examples include the software which is used to control household appliances such as the fridge, microwave oven, television and the entertainment system in a vehicle. Embedded systems are usually not upgradable and they must be sent back to the manufacturer in order to be upgraded.
e) Product-line Software – Designed to be used by specific groups of customers, this type of software is usually focused on a specific marketplace like those used to address mass consumer markets or inventory control.
(f) Web Applications – This refers to online applications which require a browser and connection to the Internet in order to function. These „apps‰ are very popular nowadays as more and more users are getting connected to their mobile devices. As such, they would need the apps to accomplish whatever tasks that they wish to do online.
(g) Artificial Intelligence (AI) System – This type of software applies non- numerical algorithms to come up with solutions for problems that are difficult to solve using current computing applications. An AI system is mostly found in fields such as expert system, robotics research and fuzzy logic application.
(h) Software Development Tool – This is a special set of software that is used specifically to develop all the other types of software mentioned in this subtopic. A software development tool generally includes a programming language coder (source code editor), an interpreter and compiler, a library of functions, profiling and debugging utilities as well as system maintenance

Question 22

The role of information technology (IT) in supporting business activities has tremendously
improves due to continuous general and network computing developments and trends.
Information technologies have exercised a major role in providing communication support in
organizations. However, organization must determine the IT technologies that could be
used to provide communication support to its specific needs or group of users. Information
architecture however, provides the conceptual foundation for building the information
infrastructure and specific applications. It maps the information requirements as they relate
to information resources.
a. What are the major technological development and trends with respect to network
computing?
[8 marks]

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Question 23

b. Describe briefly the following THREE different types of information architecture
i. Mainframe Environment
ii. PC Environment
iii. Distributed Computing Environment
[6 marks]

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Question 24

c. Explain briefly THREE major factors that influence selection decisions relating to
communication technologies?
[6 marks]

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Question 25

With advance development of communication technology and mobile computing, pervasive
computing can be realized and purchased. In purchasing materials, products or services,
transactions can be easily automated and performed over the intranet, extranet or Internet.
a. Discuss FOUR mechanisms of electronic payment systems used in B2C. Which one
you prefer and why?
[12 marks]
b. Discuss major properties of pervasive computing and TWO ways that pervasive
computing can be used in the home.
[8 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 26

Information systems application can support many activities in the organizations. The
backbone of most information systems applications is the transaction processing system
(TPS), which keeps track of the routine, mission central operations of the organization. CRM
application on the other hand focuses on the enterprise effort to automate acquisition and
retention of organizations’ customers.
a. What are the objectives of a TPS? With example, distinguish between batch and
online TPS.
[10 marks]
b. Discuss FIVE major reasons for CRM failures.
[10 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 27

All businesses need to measure the benefits and impact of their IT investments. This
includes the investment on Knowledge Management, Interorganizational Information
Systems (IOS) and Global IOS. Multinational, international and virtual companies need
global IOS for their B2B operations. However, the task of designing an affective IOS is
complicated. It is even more complex when the IOS is a global system.
a. Discuss FIVE issues that escalate the complexity of designing global IOS.
[10 marks]
b. What is knowledge management and explain why is it hard to evaluate the impacts of
knowledge management?
[10 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 28

Some big organizations have resorted to using Expert System (ES) and knowledge
discovery to expedite their businesses. Knowledge discovery’s major objective is to identify
valid, novel, useful, and understandable patterns in data.
a. Discuss the following FOUR recent technologies that make knowledge discovery
achievable?
i. Data Storage
ii. Retrieval
iii. Mining
iv. Data Analysis
[10 marks]
b. What do you understand by an Expert Systems (ES) and discuss FOUR major
components of ES?
[10 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 29

People in organizations use IT to add value to the organizations and help them make better
decisions compared to without using IT. However, the economic justification of IT investment
becomes more difficult due to the increase of intangible benefits of IT.
a. Explain how IT can add value to a company in both direct and indirect ways.
[10 marks]
b. What is an intangible benefit of information technology? Give TWO examples in your
answer and discuss the different approaches to evaluating intangible benefits.
[10 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 30

Question 7
“Application Service Provider (ASP) is a vendor who assembles the software needed by
enterprises and packages it. Companies can lease IT systems including e-commerce
applications from ASPs. However, many companies are concerned with the adequacy of
protection offered by the ASP against hackers, theft of confidential information, and virus
attacks. Therefore, a company must use an organized way of controls to prevent or detect
security problems”.
a. Discuss the benefits of leasing IT applications from an ASP.
[10 marks]
b. Discuss FIVE major categories of general security controls.
[10 marks]
[Total: 20 marks]

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Question 31

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software has played a key roles in improving an organisation’s effectiveness and efficiency in attaining its goals. ERP applications have bought many benefits to various sections in an organisations.

a. Elaborate the roles of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software in improving an organisation’s operation performances.
(10)
b. Discuss the main elements of application modules in ERP that may enhance manufacturing companies performance, with appropriate examples.
(10)
(Total: 20)

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Question 32

QUESTION 1 Critically discuss factors which are considered as business environmental pressures and propose responses to overcome and counteract the mentioned business pressures. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 33

QUESTION 2 Data warehouses enables managers and knowledge workers to leverage data for advantages from across the enterprise thereby helping them make the smartest decisions.

Describe the characteristics of a data warehouse and argue on the benefits of data warehousing towards an organisation. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 34

a) Identify and explain what are the “security requirements” when conducting e-commerce. [10 marks]
b) Propose and describe four forms of e-payment methods that can be used when purchasing products over the Internet.

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Question 35

Information systems automate manual business processes and make an organization more efficient. Discuss the characteristics of MIS and how it differs from TPS. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Answer 35

Middle management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. MIS have the following characteristics: •MIS provide middle managers with reports on the organization’s current performance. This information is used to monitor andcontrol the businessand predict future performance. •MIS summarize and report the company’s basic operations using data supplied by TPSs. The basic transaction data from TPS are compressed and usually presented in reports that are produced on a regular schedule. •MIS serve managers primarily interested in weekly, monthly, and yearly results, although some MIS enable managers to drill down to see daily or hourly data if required.•MIS generally provide answers to routine questions that have been specified in advance and have a predefined procedure for answering them. •MIS systems generally are not flexible and have little analytical capability. •Most MIS use simple routines, such as summaries and comparisons, as opposed to sophisticated mathematical models or statistical techniques. (Choose 5 points = 10 marks)

Question 36

MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS. (4 marks)

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Answer 36

While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports “what-if” analyses rather than a long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities.

Question 37

a. Why is selecting computer hardware and software for the organization an important business decision?
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Answer 37

As computer hardware and software significantly impact an organization’s performance, the selection of IT assets is critical to the organization’s operations and ultimate success. (5 marks)

Question 38

b. Discuss difficulties one will face when deciding computer hardware and software selection. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Answer 38

Difficulties one will face when selecting computer hardware and software include:
•planning for capacity and scalability of computer hardware
•deciding the right need for computer processing •deciding the right need for storage capabilities •deciding the right computer and computer processing topology
•deciding the right kind of software tools needed for the business
•acquiring and managing of the organizations hardware and software assets
•selecting the right criteria necessary for the right software
•Anticipating new available technologies that can beneficial the firm.

Question 39

Information systems automate manual business processes and make an organization more efficient. Discuss the characteristics of MIS and how it differs from TPS. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

ok

Answer 39

Middle management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. MIS have the following characteristics:
•MIS provide middle managers with reports on the organization’s current performance. This information is used to monitor andcontrol the businessand predict future performance.
•MIS summarize and report the company’s basic operations using data supplied by TPSs. The basic transaction data from TPS are compressed and usually presented in reports that are produced on a regular schedule.
•MIS serve managers primarily interested in weekly, monthly, and yearly results, although some MIS enable managers to drill down to see daily or hourly data if required.
•MIS generally provide answers to routine questions that have been specified in advance and have a predefined procedure for answering them.
•MIS systems generally are not flexible and have little analytical capability.
•Most MIS use simple routines, such as summaries and comparisons, as opposed to sophisticated mathematical models or statistical techniques. (Choose 5 points = 10 marks)

Question 40

MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS. (4 marks)

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Answer 40

While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports “what-if” analyses rather than a long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities. (6 marks)

Question 41

Why is selecting computer hardware and software for the organization an important business decision? b. Discuss difficulties one will face when deciding computer hardware and software selection. [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Answer 41

As computer hardware and software significantly impact an organization’s performance, the selection of IT assets is critical to the organization’s operations and ultimate success. (5 marks)
Difficulties one will face when selecting computer hardware and software include:
•planning for capacity and scalability of computer hardware
•deciding the right need for computer processing
•deciding the right need for storage capabilities
•deciding the right computer and computer processing topology
•deciding the right kind of software tools needed for the business
•acquiring and managing of the organizations hardware and software assets
•selecting the right criteria necessary for the right software
•Anticipating new available technologies that can beneficial the firm.

Question 42

a) Discuss the various forms of enterprise systems and provide examples of its applications. [10 marks]
b) Explain the reasons for companies to migrate to enterprise systems. [10 marks] [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 43

a) Classify and discuss three major categories of “IT unintentional threats”. Provide examples. [8 marks]
b) Outline and discuss the key steps in an “IT Security Defense In-depth Model”. [12 marks] [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 44

a) Discuss how businesses can use Web 2.0 technologies to their benefit. Provide examples. [10 marks]
b) b) Argue on the negative impact of the Internet social media from the perspective of privacy violations [10 marks] [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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Question 45

c) Information technology (IT) can contribute to an organisation’s strategic objectives and competitive advantage in various ways (Turban et al., 2008). However IT strategic alignment failure remains one of the major issues for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to solve.
d) a) Analyse and discuss how IT can contribute to an organisation’s strategic objectives and competitive advantage. Provide examples in your answers. [10 marks]
e) b) Provide suggestions on what activities can be engaged to improve IT-business alignment. [10 marks] [TOTAL: 20 MARKS] END OF QUESTION PAPER

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Question 46

Question 1 The managers of Leaders Company Limited (LCI) are concerned about staying competitive in business by taking advantage of information systems (IS) applications in accomplishing routine tasks, as well as for business growth and survival.

(a) Identify the different types of IS support systems that the managers can use to support the employees and the company’s activities. (6 marks)
(b) Describe the four (4) popular business models that the managers of LCI can make use of if they operate in the new economy. (8 marks)
(c) Describe the three parts of supply chain and how Information Technology can be used to support the supply chain of LCI. (6 marks) [TOTAL: 20 MARKS]

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