Final Exam Flashcards
Business View of
Information Systems according to Computer Science approach:
Interrelated components working together to
collect, process, store, and disseminate
information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization
in an organization
Business View of
Information Systems according to Business Perspective :
An organizational and management solution,
based on information technology, to a challenge
posed by the environment
The key elements of
an organization are?
its people, structure,
operating procedures, politics, and culture
Management sets:?
the organizational strategy, allocate resources and coordinate the work
A behavioral approach to IS focuses on questions such as:?
behavioral problems of systems utilization
implementation and system design
social and organizational impacts of information systems
political impacts of information systems
individual responses to information systems
A technical approach to information systems emphasizes:?
the physical technology and formal capabilities of IS
mathematically based, normative models to study IS
models of management
operations research models
What are the Trends in the global business environment
that have made Information Systems so important ?
Growing interdependence between business strategy, rules, and procedures on one hand, and information systems
software, hardware, databases, and telecommunications on the other
Growing reach and scope of systems projects and
applications and the relationship between information
systems and organizations
Soaring power of computer technology, spawning powerful
communication networks
Changing management processes with redefinitions of
organizational boundaries
What has the Influence of Information Systems on Organizations brought?
The use of IT and IS has provided tremendous
value to the effectiveness of common activities
It resulted in dramatic changes in the way many
common business processes are now
implemented
It introduced of new types of businesses and
business processes
Can reshape whole markets
Can create new markets
What are Business Processes?
The unique ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, information, and knowledge to produce a product or service The related groups of steps or activities that use people, information, and other resources to create value for internal or external customers
How do Information Systems change
the nature of business?
new combinations of products and services are appearing the limitations of geography and time are disappearing technology is easy available on demand organizations are becoming flatter and less hierarchical
What is the goal of Flattening organizations
providing managers with information to supervise larger numbers of workers giving lower level employees more decisionmaking authority team-work
Traditional business vs.
new style business ?
The traditional business firm was—and still is—a
hierarchical, centralized, structured arrangement of specialists that typically relied on a fixed set of
standard operating procedures to deliver a massproduced product (or service).
The new style of business firm is a flattened (less
hierarchical), decentralized, flexible arrangement of generalists who rely on nearly instant information
to deliver mass-customized products and services
uniquely suited to specific markets or customers.
Obstacles when applying new
technology in the real world
Unrealistic Expectations and Techno-Hype
Difficulty Building, Modifying and
Integrating new Technologies
Genuine Difficulty Anticipating What Will
Happen
First 2 Phases of Information System ?
Initiation is the process of defining the need
for the system, identifying the people who will
use it or be affected by it, and describing in
general terms what the system will do to meet
the need
• Development is the process of transforming
general system requirements into hardware and
software (and related documentation) that
accomplish the required functions
Phases 3 and 4 of Information System ?
Implementation is the process of putting a system into operation in the organization • Operation and maintenance is the ongoing use of the system after it has been installed, plus work to enhance it and correct bugs
What is Systems Development?
The activities that go into producing an
information systems solution to an
organizational problem or opportunity
• Structured kind of problem solving with
distinct activities:
systems analysis, systems design, programming,
testing, conversion, operation and maintenance
What is Systems Analysis?
The process of defining a problem, gathering pertinent information, developing alternative solutions, and choosing among those solutions • Includes defining the information requirements
What is a Feasibility study and what is its goal?
Part of the systems analysis process, the way to
determine whether the solution is achievable,
given the organization’s resources and constraints• Identifies several alternative solutions that the
organization can pursue and assesses the
feasibility of each
• A written systems proposal report describes the
costs and benefits, advantages and disadvantages
of each alternative
Three areas of feasibility study?
Technical feasibility - whether the proposed
solution can be implemented with available
hardware, software and technical resources
• Economic feasibility - whether the benefits of
the proposed solution outweight the costs
• Organizational feasibility - whether the
organization can handle the changes introduced
by the system, whether proposed solution is
desirables within existing
What are Information Requirements?
The detailed statement of the information needs that the systems must satisfy • Identifies who needs what information, when, where, how and why the information is needed • Defines functions that the system must perform
What is Systems Design?
Describes how the system will meet the
information requirements as determined
by the system analyst
• Logical design - lays out the components of
the IS and their relationship to each other as
they would appear to users
• Physical design - translating the abstract
logical model into specific
Programming
The process of translating the system
specification prepared during the design
stage into software
Testing
The exhaustive and thorough process that
determines whether the system produces
the desired results under known
conditions
Conversion
The process of changing from the old system to the new system
• Conversion strategies:
• Parallel - old and new system run together for a time• Pilot - introducing new system first only to the
limited area of the organization
• Phased - introducing new system in stages, by
functions or organizational unit
• Plunge (direct cutover) - replacing the old system
entirely with the new system on appointed day
What is Operation and Maintenance
Ongoing operation and support is the
process of ensuring that the technical system
components continue to operate correctly and
that the users use it effectively
• The operations manual specifies day-to-day
computer operations that include e.g. generating
summary reports for management and backups of
the database.
• Maintenance is the process of modifying the
system over time
Approaches for Building
Information Systems?
traditional system life cycle
• prototyping
• acquiring application package
• end-user development
Traditional system life cycle
A methodology that partitions the systems
development process into formal stages that
must be completed sequentially with very
formal division of labor between users end IS
specialists
• It tries to solve a control problem by keeping
the project on track
• It establishes tight controls to guarantee that
technical and organizational issues are
addressed at each step
Prototyping
The interactive process of building an
experimental system (prototype) for
demonstration and evaluation so that users can
better determine information requirements
• Prototyping is used when the precise
requirements for a new system are difficult to
visualize and define
• A prototype information system is a working
model of a system built to learn about the
system’s true requirements
Pros and Cons of
Prototyping
Quick and inexpensive • Valuable for the design of the end-user interface • Unpractical for large applications which have to be subdivided into many subprototypes • Difficult to build high performance systems
What does it mean when we say Acquiring Application Package?
An application package consists of a set of prewritten and precoded software available for sale and lease • An application package addresses a specific type of business
The phases 1 and 2 of the acquiring an
application package approach
INITIATION
• May start with user’s or manager’s recognition of a
business problem or with a sales call from a vendor.
• DEVELOPMENT
• The vendor develops the software, although the
purchaser still performs some typical development
activities, such as determining detailed requirements.
Development may include customization of the software
and user documentation.
The phases 3 and 4 of the acquiring an
application package approach
IMPLEMENTATION
• Implementation starts by deciding exactly how the
package will be used. It often relies on the vendor’s staff
(consultants) because they have the greatest knowledge
of the system.
• OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
• Operation occurs as it would with a traditional life cycle.
Maintenance is different because the vendor maintains
the software based on requests from customers and
demands of the market.
Pros and Cons of Acquiring
Application Package
Saves design, programming and testing activities
• Vendors supply much of the maintenance, supplying
enhancements to keep the system in line with
ongoing technical and business developments
• Difficult to address uncommon and unique
requirements
• Sometimes requires to supplement the package with
another piece of software
• Customization and additional programming cost and
time can overwhelm advantages
What is End-user development?
It is the development of information systems by
end users rather than IS professionals
• The user develops the system using tools that
do not require a professional level of
programming knowledge (forth generation
tools)
Pros and Cons of End-user
Development
Quick response to user needs • Meets user requirements, but not necessary organizational objectives • Low quality assurance • Testing and documentation often are inadequate • Difficult long-term maintenance
What are some Development Approaches we can use when Combining System
Use prototyping as part of a traditional system life cycle. • Use a small application package as a prototype. • Adopt aspects of a traditional life cycle to purchasing an application package. • Add an end-user development component to the traditional life cycle.
CASE (Computer-Aided
Systems/Software Engineering)
The automation, using software packages,
of step-by-step methodologies for
software and systems development to
reduce the amount of repetitive work
Joint application development
JAD
• Its distinguishing feature is a carefully
prepared 2 to 4 day meeting bringing
together user representatives and IS staff
members.
• It tries to eliminate misunderstandings that often persist despite lengthy user
interviews during the analysis needed for
functional specifications and external
specifications
Rapid Application
Development (RAD)
• Process of developing systems in a very
short time by using prototyping, CASE
tools, forth generation tools and close
teamwork among users and IS specialists.
Definition of System
A system is a set of interacting
components that operate together to
accomplish a purpose
Definition of SubSystem
A subsystem is a component of a system
that can also be considered a system in its
own right
True or False? A business is a system consisting of
many subsystems, some of which are
information systems
True
What is an Information System
A set of interrelated components that collect,
process, store, and distribute information to
support decision making in an organization
• The terms business information system or
management information system refer to
information systems used mainly in commercial
organizations but they cover also systems used
in other nonprofit organizations, for example in
public administration
What is Information technology
Information technology is the hardware
and software that make information systems possible
• Hardware refers to the devices and other
physical things involved in processing
information
• Software refers to the computer programs that interpret user inputs and tell the hardware what to do
A system’s purpose is?
A system’s purpose is the reason for its
existence and the reference point for
measuring its success
A system’s boundary defines?
what is inside the system and what is outside
A system’s environment is?
everything
pertinent to the system that is outside of
its boundaries
Main formal functions of IS?
input
• processing
• output
What is the role of Input
Input captures data (also called input, or input
data) from the inside of an organization or from
its external environment
What is the role of Processing
Processing (called also transformation)
converts data into meaningful and useful form
• May involve storing data for future use
What is the role of Output
output distributes information (also called output)
to entities inside and outside an organization
• Output from one system can directly provide data
for input to another system
Definition of Data
Streams of raw facts representing events occurring in
organizations or the physical environment before
they have been organized and arranged into a form
that people can understand and use.
Definition of Information
Data that have been shaped into a form that is
meaningful and useful to human beings.
Two Types of data?
Hard (well-structured) data - clearly
defined data generated by formal systems
• Soft (not structured) data - intuitive or subjective data obtained by informal
means such as talking to people,
interpreting stories or opinions
Types of ISs in communication and
decision making?
Office Automation Systems • Communication Systems • Transaction Processing Systems • Management Information Systems (Information Reporting Systems) • Decision Support Systems • Executive Information Systems
What is an Office automation system
(OAS) and what are its functions?
Various software applications designed to
increase workers’ productivity by supporting the activities in the typical office
• The main functions include:
• document creating and handling – for example:
word processing, desktop publishing, image
processing,
• scheduling – for example using electronic
calendars
• communication – for example: electronic mail,
presentation systems, videoconferencing
What do Communication Systems do and what are some examples given in the class powerpoint?
They help people work together by sharing information in many different forms • Examples: • Teleconferencing: audio conferencing, audiographic conferencing, and video conferencing • Messaging Systems: electronic mail, voice mail, and fax • Groupware
Types of communication?
Synchronous communication occurs when both sender
and recipient are available simultaneously
• Asynchronous communication occurs when the
participants are not available simultaneously and
therefore requires recording of a message
• one-way and two-way communication
• presence of the sender and recipient at the same place
The ways information systems can help
improve communication include:?
making face-to-face communication more effective • eliminating unnecessary person-to-person communication • making communication systematic • combining and extending electronic communication functions
What do Transaction processing systems
(TPS) do?
Operational-level systems
• They collect, process and store data about
transactions (sometimes daily routine
decisions are made as part of a transaction)
• They keep track of elementary activities
performed in organizations, such as: sales,
orders, cash deposits, payroll, credit
decisions, the flow of materials in a factory,
and the grades of students at a university
Main types of transaction
processing?
With batch processing, data for individual transactions are gathered, stored and later the set of transaction data is sorted and processed to update the database • With real time processing, each transaction is processed immediately
What do Information reporting systems do?
IRSs provide managers and other business
professionals with reports or with on-line access to information on the current performance of the
organization and to historical records
• IRSs typically extract and summarize data from TPSs
• Output information from IRSs is usually aggregated and presented in the form of tables or charts
• IRSs are often not built as separate systems but
they have a form of the module of a TPS allowing
direct reporting from data stored in such system
In terms of Management Information
System (MIS) what does the Mangement level have to deal with?
Management level • Structured and semi-structured decisions • Past and present data • Internal orientation • Inputs: High-volume past and present data • Processing: Simple models • Outputs: Summary reports • Users: Middle managers
What is Business Information System
All types of information systems used in
business
What is Business Informatics
The study of information systems focusing
on their use in business and management
What is a Decision support system
(DSS) and what does it do?
DSSs provide direct computer support to managers during the decision making
• DSSs support decision making in semistructured
and unstructured situations
• DSSs use various advanced technologies,
sophisticated processing methods, complex
analytical models, and data analysis tools to
support nonroutine decision making
• The typical DSS methods include what-if analysis,
risk analysis, and simulations
• Often referred as business intelligence systems
In terms of Decision support system
(DSS) what does the Mangement level have to deal with?
Management level
• Inputs: Low-volume data
• Processing: Interactive, complex models
• Processing: Interactive, complex models
• Outputs: Decision analysis
• Users: Professionals, analysts, middle
managers
What is Executive information system
(EIS)?
Also called: executive support system (ESS) • It is a highly interactive system providing managers and executives flexible access to information for monitoring operating results and general business conditions
In terms of Executive information
system (EIS) what does the Strategic LEvel have to deal with?
Strategic level
• Inputs: Aggregate internal and external data• Processing: Interactive, various models
• Outputs: Projections
• Users: Senior managers
Technological solutions for
decision making support?
Online analytical processing (OLAP) is an online data analysis tool that can explore large databases of transaction data. It uses data warehouse technology - separate database together with the analytical software. • Data Mining is the use of data analysis tools to find useful patterns in large transaction databases
What is a Group Decision Support
System (GDSS)?
It is a special type of groupware containing hardware and software that facilitates meetings, e.g. electronic decision room. • Typical GDSS capabilities include: • brainstorming • topic commenting • issue analysis • voting • alternative evaluation
What is and what does an Expert System do?
It supports the intellectual work of professionals engaged in design, diagnosis, or evaluation of complex situations requiring expert knowledge in a well-defined area • Try to capture and apply an expert’s understanding of a type of problem through a set of rules about reasoning
What are some Inference methods in expert
systems?
backward chaining
• forward chaining
• sideways chaining
What is a Neural network?
It is an information system that recognizes objects or patterns based on examples that have been used to train it • They are modeled after the human brain's network of interconnected processing elements, called neurons
What is IS (information system) failure?
• project was never completed and finally
abandoned
• system completed but abandoned
• system lacks some functionality and can not be
used in the way it was intended
• system does not perform as expected
• system was not operational at a specified time• system was not operational at a specified cost
How many IS (information systems) are failures?
28% percent of all big software projects are cancelled before completion • 46% percent of all big software projects are behind schedule or over budged • total: 74%
Top factors in application
development project failure:?
• Lack of user input (12,8%) • Incomplete requirements and specifications (12,3%) • Changing requirements and specifications (11.8%) • Lack of executive support (7.5%) • Others (55.6%)
What usually happens in terms of Cost estimation
underestimation - average IS cost is
180% over the budget
• typical underestimated costs:
11• salaries of users and management involved in
the project
• work distraction during the implementation• cost of system maintenance
• consulting and training
Common Reasons for Project Failure at Initiation phase?
• The reasons for building the system have too little
support.
• The system seems too expensive.
Common Reasons for Project Failure at DEVELOPMENT phase?
- Unclear or missing system requirements.
- Poor project management.
- The system is not technically feasible.
- The project is too difficult for technical staff assigned.
- Documentation is inadequate.
- Testing is not sufficient.
Common Reasons for Project Failure at IMPLEMENTATION phase?
• The system requires too great a change from existing
work practices.
• Potential users dislike the system or resist using it.
• Insufficient user training.
• Wrong choice of conversion method.
Common Reasons for Project Failure at OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE phase?
- System controls are insufficient.
- Too little effort goes into supporting effective use.
- The system is not updated as business needs change.
Why do Mergers and Acquisitions usually fuckup a company’s IS
• the difficulty of integrating the systems of
different companies
• different organizational characteristics and
culture
• different IT infrastructures
• requires considerable organizational
change and complex system projects
