Final Exam Part 1

Question 1

What is Moore’s Law

Answer 1

The speed of computers doubles every 18 months

Question 2

What does More’s Law do to the cost of communications and data storage?

Answer 2

It drives the cost to essentially zero

Question 3

What are the four non-routine cognitive skills that give you job security?

Answer 3

1. Abstract Reasoning (able to make a model or diagram)
2. Systems Thinking (able to show how inputs relate to outputs)
3. Collaboration (give and receive feedback)
4. Ability to Experiment (Create and test viable alternatives)

Question 4

What are the 5 components of information systems?

Answer 4

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Data
4. Procedures
5. People

Question 5

What is BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation)?

Answer 5

It is an international standard for creating business diagrams.

Question 6

What is swimlane format?

Answer 6

It is a graphical arrangement in BPMN where all of the given activities for a given role are shown in a single vertical or horizontal lane.

Question 7

What is a “role”?

Answer 7

A subset of the activities in a business process that is performed by an actor.

Question 8

What is an “actor”?

Answer 8

A group, person, or organization (when speaking about a business process).

Question 9

What are data flows?

Answer 9

In a BPMN, data flows represent the movement of data from one activity to another. They are indicated by a dotted line.

Question 10

What are sequence flows?

Answer 10

This refers to the sequence of events in a BPMN and is depicted with a solid line.

Question 11

What is a business process?

Answer 11

A network of activities for accomplishing a business function like: buying inventory, selling to customers, paying bills etc.

Question 12

What is a Repository?

Answer 12

This is where data is stored, whether that is on a computer, in a filing cabinet, or online. This is referenced in the BPMN.

Question 13

What are the dimensions of process quality?

Answer 13

Effectiveness and Efficiency

Question 14

What is information?

Answer 14

There are several like:

• Knowledge derived from data
• Data presented in a meaningful way
• Processed data

Question 15

What data characteristics are needed to produce quality information?

Answer 15

1. Accurate
2. Timely
3. Relevant
4. Barely Sufficient
5. Worth its cost

Question 16

What is efficiency? (in relation to BPMN)

Answer 16

Efficiency is judged by the ratio of benefits to cost

Question 17

What is an effective business process?

Answer 17

One that enables the organization to accomplish its strategy.

Question 18

What is a Competitive Strategy?

Answer 18

There are 4

1. Lowest Cost across the industry
2. Lowest cost within an industry segment
3. Better product/service across the industry
4. Better product/service within an industry segment

Question 19

What is the Five Forces Model?

Answer 19

Also known as the Porter model. There are to types of forces: competitive and bargain power.

Competitive Forces:

• competition from vendors or substitutes
• competition from new competitors
• competition from existing rivals

Bargaining Power:

• Bargaining power of suppliers
• Bargaining power of customers

Question 20

What was the Five Forces Model originally intended for and what is it used for now?

Answer 20

Originally: to determine the profitability of an industry.
Now: It’s used as a way of understanding an organization’s competitive environment.

Question 21

What are linkages?

Answer 21

interactions across value activities. An example would be using sales forecasts to plan production.

Question 22

What is margin?

Answer 22

Value - Cost

Question 23

What are primary and support activities?

Answer 23

Primary activities are business functions that directly relate to the production of a product or service.

Support activities are business functions that assist primary activities.

Question 24

What are switching costs?

Answer 24

This is when there is a high cost to the customer if they want to switch to a new supplier. An example would be having to buy an X-box to play X-box games.

Question 25

what is a value chain?

Answer 25

A network of value creating activities

Question 26

32 bit vs 64 bit processor?

Answer 26

A 32 bit processor is cheaper, but also less capable than a 64 bit processor.

Question 27

What is application software?

Answer 27

Software that runs on top of the operating system.

Question 28

What is ARM?

Answer 28

ARM is a computer architecture designed for mobile devices.

Question 29

What are binary digits?

Answer 29

Bits. Remember, eight bits makes a byte.

Question 30

What is a bus? What is a data channel?

Answer 30

Both are used to carry instructions from main memory to the CPU.

Question 31

What is cache?

Answer 31

Memory stored in the CPU. This is faster than RAM.

Question 32

What is a client?

Answer 32

A client computer is just a PC, as opposed to a server.

Question 33

What are client-server applications?

Answer 33

Applications that process code on both the client and the server.

Question 34

Horizontal vs Vertical application?

Answer 34

Horizontal applications are things that everyone uses, like word processors and databases.

Vertical applications serve a specific industry. Like a scheduling and billing program for a dentist’s office.

Question 35

What is a thin client vs a thick client?

Answer 35

A thick client is pre-installed (like a PC), whereas a thin client runs within a browser (like a chrome book)

Question 36

Tradable

Answer 36

A tradable job is one that can be outsourced.