Info Systems Quiz 3 Flashcards
Database
collection of related data files or tables that contain data
What makes databases unique?
database decisions are much harder to undo, contains what an organization can do with its data for a long time
data warehouses
data stored in databases must be accessible in a form that helps users to make decisions
Difficulties of managing data
-data increases exponentially with time
-multiple sources of data
-new sources of data
-data rot, or data degradation
-data security, quality, and integrity
-government regulation
internal, personal ,and external sources
internal: corporate databases and company documents
personal: personal thoughts, opinions, and experiences
external: commercial databases, government reports, corporate websites, clickstream data
clickstream data
data that visitors and customers produce when they visit a website and click on hyperlinks
Data rot
problems with the media on which the data is stored (ex. cds -> no player, physically damaged)
data governance
approach to managing information across an entire organization
master data management
process that spans all of an organization’s business processes and applications. allows companies with the ability to store, maintain, exchange, and synchronize a consistent, accurate, and timely “single version of the truth”
master data
set of core data, such as a customer, product, employee, vendor, and geographic data that spans the enterprise’s information systems
transactional data
generated and captured by operational systems, describe the business’s activities, or transactions
data file
collection of logically related records
Problems database systems minimize
redundancy, isolation, inconsistency
Data redundancy
same data are stored in multiple locations
Data isolation
applications cannot access data associated with other applications
Data inconsistency
various copies of the data associated with other applications
Problems database systems maximize
security, integrity, and independence
Data security
risk of losing a lot of data at one time so must have extremely high security measures in place to minimize mistakes
Data integrity
data meet certain constraints
Bit
represents the smallest unit of data a computer can process
Byte
group of eight bits, represents a single character
Field and record
field: logical grouping of characters into a. word, a small group of words, or an identification number
record: local grouping of related fields, such as the student’s name, the courses taken, the data, and the grade
Database management system (DBMS)
set of programs that provide users with tools to create and manage a database
Relational database model
based on the concept of two dimensional tables
data model, entity, instance, and attribute
data model: diagram that represents entities in the database and their relationships
entity: person, place, thing, or event about which an organization maintains information
instance: entity refers to each row in a relational table, which is a specific, unique representation of the entity
attribute: characteristic or quality of a particular
Primary key vs. secondary key vs. foreign key
primary: every record in the database must contain at least one field that uniquely identifies that record so that it can be retrieved, updated, and sorted
secondary: another field that has some identifying information but typically does not identify the record with complete accuracy
foreign: field in one table that uniquely identifies a row of another table - used to establish/enforce link between two tables
structured and unstructured data
structured: highly organized in fixed fields in a data repository such as a relational database, must be defined in terms of field name and type
unstructured data: does not reside in a traditional relational database ex. e-mail, videos, photos
Big data
superabundance of data available today, collection of data that is is large and complex that it is difficult to manage using traditional database management systems
Big data characteristics
-exhibit variety
-include structured, unstructured, and semistructured data
-generated at high velocity with an uncertain pattern
-do not fit neatly into traditional, structured, relational databases
-can be captured, processed, transformed, and analyzed in a reasonable amount of time only by sophisticated information systems
Three distinct characteristics of big data
volume: simply just so much data
velocity: rate at which data flow into an organization is rapidly increasing
variety: traditional data formats tend to be structured and relatively well described, they change slowly
Issues with big data
-can come from untrusted sources
-big data is dirty (misspelled, inaccurate)
-big data changes, especially in data streams
What systems processes big data?
NoSQL - “not only SQL” (structured query language)
can manipulate structured and unstructured data as well as inconsistent or missing data
Putting big data to use
making big data available, enabling organizations to conduct experiments, micro segmentation of customers, creating new business models, organizations can analyze more data
knowledge management
process that helps organizations manipulate important knowledge that comprises part of the organization’s memory, usually in an unstructured format
Knowledge
information that is contextual, relevant, and useful aka intellectual capital
explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge
explicit: more objective, rational, and technical knowledge
tacit: cumulative store of subjective or experiential learning
Knowledge management systems (KMSs)
use of modern information technologies to systematize, enhance, and expedite knowledge management both within one firm and among multiple firms
Customer relationship management
customer-focused and customer-driven organizational strategy, customer-centric way of thinking and acting
treat different customers differently because their needs differ and their value to the company may also differ
CRM strategy vs. CRM systems
CRM systems are information systems designed to support an organization’s CRM strategy
Customer touch points
numerous and diverse interactions organizations have with their customers
Omni-channel marketing
refers to an approach to customers that creates a seamless experience regardless of the channel used to “touch” the business
Collaborative CRM systems and customer identity management
Collaborative: provide effective and efficient interactive communication with the customer throughout the entire organization, integrate communications between the organization and its customers
customer: large businesses need to understand who their customers are across the business and how their relationship has changed over time
Operational CRM systems
support front-office business processes (sales, marketing, service)
Customer-facing CRM applications
organization’s sales, field service, and customer interaction center representatives interact directly with customers (ex. support, market, campaign management)
Customer-touching CRM applications
use technology to interact directly with the applications themselves
Analytical CRM systems
provide business intelligence by analyzing customer behavior and perceptions
provide information concerning customer requests and transactions
Supply chain
flow of materials, information, money, and services from raw material suppliers, through factories and warehouses, to the end customers
Supply chain visibility
refers to the ability of all organizations within a supply chain to access or view relevant data on purchased materials as these materials move through their suppliers’ production processes and transportation networks to their receiving docks
Three segments of supply chain
Upstream: where sourcing or procurement from external suppliers occurs (orders, information, payments, and returns)
internal: where packaging, assembly, or manufacturing takes place
downstream: where distribution takes place, frequently by external distributors (products, services, and information)
function of supply chain management
improve the processes a company uses to acquire the raw materials it needs to produce a product or service then deliver that product or service to its customers
Five basic components of SCM
plan, source, make, deliver, return
Interorganziational information system
information flows among two or more organizations
-reduce costs of routine business transactions
-improve the quality of information flow by reducing or eliminating errors
-compress the cycle time involved in fulfilling business transactions
-eliminate paper processing and its associated inefficiencies and costs
-make transfer and processing of information easier for users
SCM push model
known as make-to-stock, production process begins with a forecast, which is simply an educated guess as to customer demand -> often incorrect
SCM pull model
make-to-order, production process begins with a customer order
Problems along supply chain
primarily from two sources: uncertainties and the need to coordinate multiple activities, internal units, and business partners
Bullwhip effect
erratic shifts in orders up and down the supply chain
Solutions to supply chain problems
using inventories to solve supply chain problems and information sharing
Vertical integration
business strategy in which a company purchases its upstream suppliers to ensure that its essential supplies are available as soon as the company needs them
Just-in-time
deliver the precise number of parts, called work-in-process inventory, to be assembled into a finished product at precisely the right time
Vendor-managed inventory (VMI)
occurs when the supplier, rather than the retailer, manages the entire inventory process for a particular product or group of products
Three flows of supply chain
material flows: physical products, raw materials, supplies
information flows: data related to demand shipments, orders, returns, schedules
financial flows: money transfers, payments, credit card information/authorization
data hierarchy
bit, byte, field, data file/table, database
smallest and largest name for data
smallest: kilobyte
largest: yottabyte
