Information systems and data analytics

Question 1

What are the levels of control?

Answer 1

• strategic planning
• management control
• operational control

Question 2

What are the key characteristics of strategic planning?

Answer 2

• takes place at the top of the organisation
• concerned with setting a future course of action for the organisation

Question 3

What are the key characteristics of management control?

Answer 3

• concerned with the effective use of resources to achieve targets set at strategic planning

Question 4

What are the key characteristics of the operational control?

Answer 4

• concerned with the day-today implementation of the plans of the organisation.

Question 5

What is TPS (Transaction Processing Systems)?

Answer 5

• records historic information and represents the simple automation of manual systems
• routinely captures, processes, stores and output the low level transaction data
• for operational control
• facilitates the immediate processing of data

Question 6

Management information systems (MIS)

Answer 6

• converts internal and external data into useful information which is then communicated to managers at all levels
• collate information from individual transactions recorded in the accounting system
• for middle management
• support for structured decision making
• provide an internal rather than external focus
  -summary reports and comparisons
• detailed information about the organisation’s operations

Question 7

What are four broad types of MIS?

Answer 7

• database systems
• direct control systems
• enquiry systems
• support systems

Question 8

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

Answer 8

• computer based systems which enable managers to confront ill-structured problems
• support for decision making

Question 9

Tools of decision support system

Answer 9

• spreadsheet
• expert systems
• 4GLs
• databases
• statistical programs

Question 10

Executive Information System (EIS)

Answer 10

• gives senior executives access to internal and external information
• information is provided in a summarised form

Question 11

Expert systems (ES)

Answer 11

• at all levels of management and hold specialist knowledge

Question 12

Enterprise resource planning system (ERPS)

Answer 12

• integrate the data from all operations within the organisation
• can be set up with extranet link to customers and suppliers

Question 13

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems

Answer 13

• is used to support these processes, information about customers and customer interaction can be entered

Question 14

Big Data, what it is?

Answer 14

• large volumes of data beyond the normal processing, storage and analysis capacity of typical database application tools

Question 15

What are five characteristics of Big Data?

Answer 15

• velocity - speed
• volume
• variety
• veracity - accurate, credibility of data
• value

Question 16

What is data mining?

Answer 16

• is the process of identifying trends and patterns in large sets of data

Question 17

What are 4 steps in The Big Data pyramid?

Answer 17

• data: a collection of facts
• information: facts put into context
• knowledge: some insight gained form the information provided
• wisdom/insight: adjusting our business decisions. Based on how our business is growing, we will accelerate the launch of our product

Question 18

What means that business managers should be sceptical?

Answer 18

recognise the limitations of analytics based on predictions

Question 19

What are the benefits of Big Data?

Answer 19

• driving innovation
• gaining competitive advantage
• improving productivity

Question 20

What are the risks of Big Data?

Answer 20

• availability of skills
• security of data
• data protection