Lecture 1 Reviewer

Question 1

a ___ is an organized collection of parts (or subsystems) that are highly integrated to accomplish an overall goal

Answer 1

system

Question 2

The system has various inputs, which go through certain processes to produce certain outputs, which together, accomplish the ___ for the system

Answer 2

overall desired goal

Question 3

a system is usually made up of many smaller ___, or ___

Answer 3

systems; subsystems

Question 4

___ range from simple to complex

Answer 4

Systems

Question 5

___ are comprised of numerous subsystems

Answer 5

complex systems

Question 6

Each subsystem has its own boundaries of sorts and includes various ___ geared to accomplish an overall goal for the subsystem

Answer 6

inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes

Question 7

___ usually interact with their environments and are, thus, open systems.

Answer 7

Complex systems

Question 8

A ___ continually exchanges feedback among its various parts to ensure that they remain closely aligned and focused on achieving the goal of the system.

Answer 8

high-functioning system

Question 9

If any of the parts or activities in the system seems weakened or misaligned, the system …

Answer 9

makes necessary adjustments to achieve its goals

Question 10

Consequently, a system is ___.

Answer 10

systematic

Question 11

___ are items that are use by the various processes in the system to achieve the overall goal of the system

Answer 11

inputs

Question 12

General types of inputs include, for example: (7)

Answer 12

people, money, equipment, facilities, supplies, people’s ideas and people’s time

Question 13

inputs to a service that provides training to customers might include: (6)

Answer 13

trained teachers, students, training materials, classrooms, funding, and paper and pencils

Question 14

___ can also be major forces that influence the organization and its products and services

Answer 14

Inputs

Question 15

For example, various laws and regulations influence how the product or service is provided

Answer 15

input influence

Question 16

___ are often identified with the cost to obtain and use them

Answer 16

Inputs

Question 17

a ___ is a listing of the
system’s inputs and the costs (expenses) to obtain and use the inputs, along with any monies
expected to be earned or raised (revenues) from the system’s outputs

Answer 17

budget

Question 18

or activities, are series of activities conducted by the organization, product, or service that manipulate the various inputs to achieve the overall desired goal of the organization, product, or service

Answer 18

processes

Question 19

For example, the major processes used by a service that provides training to customers
might include (5)

Answer 19

recruitment of students, pre-testing, training, post-testing, and certification

Question 20

Processes can range from the ___ of putting a piece of paper on a desk to the ___ of manufacturing a space shuttle

Answer 20

simplicity; complexity

Question 21

Leaders are usually concerned primarily with the most important recurring processes in the organization, for example, (3)

Answer 21

its plans, policies, and procedures

Question 22

Some people refer to the processes as the: (3)

Answer 22

“activities,” “methods” or “throughputs.”

Question 23

are the tangible results produced by the organization, product, or service

Answer 23

outputs

Question 24

are often described by using numbers, for example, the number of students who finished a certain program

Answer 24

outputs

Question 25

are often mistaken to indicate the success of an organization or one of its products or
services

Answer 25

outputs

Question 26

The success of a program or service is determined, not by the range and number of customers
trained (that is, not by the outputs), but by…

Answer 26

how well the customers benefited from that training (that is, from the outcomes of their participation).

Question 27

are the ultimate results that the system wants to accomplish

Answer 27

goals

Question 28

TRUE OR FALSE: All systems are goal-directed

Answer 28

TRUE

Question 29

it is so important for
leaders to establish __ and thoroughly ___ them throughout the organization

Answer 29

goals; communicate

Question 30

The ___ of an organization are usually described in terms of its mission, or purpose

Answer 30

overall goals

Question 31

TRUE OR FALSE: the mission, vision, and strategic goals are usually determined during strategic planning

Answer 31

TRUE

Question 32

___ is an important responsibility of the role of organization’s leaders

Answer 32

strategic planning

Question 33

Note that an organization can have goals in a variety of dimensions, for example: (3). These impacts are often referred to as ___

Answer 33

goals regarding activities of the organization, activities of customers, or impacts on customers; outcomes

Question 34

continuously exchanged among the various parts of an organization and, ideally, with
the environment external to the organization, as well

Answer 34

feedback

Question 35

comes from a variety of sources, for example, from external stakeholders (customers, community leaders, investors), Board members, the
Chief Executive Officer and other employees

Answer 35

feedback

Question 36

can also come from evaluations of the organization, products, services, and personnel

Answer 36

feedback

Question 37

TRUE OR FALSE: This ongoing feedback, or communication, is
absolutely critical to the success of the organization

Answer 37

TRUE

Question 38

An ___ has to continually include ongoing feedback within the organization and with its environment

Answer 38

organization

Question 39

___ means making some measurements from the feedback

Answer 39

assessment

Question 40

___ means collecting information, or feedback, in an orderly manner and making judgments to make important decisions

Answer 40

evaluation

Question 41

An effective organization is ___ to evaluate its effectiveness
in the organization

Answer 41

continually collecting and assessing feedback

Question 42

Often, ___ are focused on various outputs, or measures, from the system

Answer 42

assessment and evaluation

Question 43

___ can be focused on the entire organization or any of its subsystems, for example, on administrative and management functions, products, services, and personnel

Answer 43

Evaluation

Question 44

___ can be with regard to the quality of ongoing activities in the organization (formative evaluation) or the activities’ final results (summative evaluation).

Answer 44

Evaluation

Question 45

is enhanced knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are gained to remain or become more effective in achieving desired results

Answer 45

Learning

Question 46

occurs within people and, ideally, within groups, processes, and the organization itself

Answer 46

Learning

Question 47

Learning often is the result of the ___ of feedback in and around the organization

Answer 47

assessment and evaluation

Question 48

Learning is critical because it ensures that the organization
is…

Answer 48

continually improving its understanding of itself and its environment

Question 49

an approach to analysis that zeros in on how the different parts of a system interrelate and how systems work within the context of other, larger systems

Answer 49

Systems Thinking

Question 50

The concept of “Systems Thinking” originated in ___, when the ___ was created by ___ at the ___ at MIT

Answer 50

1956; Systems Dynamic Group; Professor Jay W. Forrester; Sloan School of Management

Question 51

It utilizes computer simulations and different graphs and diagrams to illustrate and predict system behavior

Answer 51

Systems Thinking

Question 52

Some of the popular graphics used in the analysis include the: (4)

Answer 52

causal loop diagram, the behavior over time graph, the management flight simulator, and the simulation model

Question 53

When it comes to managing organizations, many find ___ an effective approach, as it sees how different complex entities ___ each other and make up the whole system

Answer 53

systems thinking; interact and influence

Question 54

Different divisions or teams within an organization ___ each other; Ideally, they work together toward a goal

Answer 54

connect with and affect

Question 55

Business leaders who are systems thinkers see “___”, and that is what they focus on to maximize performance within the organization

Answer 55

the big picture

Question 56

Aside from understanding how various components work with and affect each other, systems thinkers also…

Answer 56

consider how their actions in any component can affect the system as a whole

Question 57

There’s also the concept of supply and demand, where systems thinkers know ___, as well as the external factors that can affect demand

Answer 57

when and where their outputs will be needed

Question 58

They also understand the capacity of their organization to meet the marketplace demand.

Answer 58

system thinkers

Question 59

An essential component of systems thinking is ___

Answer 59

focusing on feedback

Question 60

Giving attention to relevant feedback enables business leaders to…

Answer 60

come up with solutions to problems and avoid wasting resources

Question 61

___ is a primary goal of using systems thinking analysis.

Answer 61

Maximizing operational efficiency

Question 62

When business leaders are systems thinkers, they veer away from the practice of ___

Answer 62

just giving instructions and controlling the system

Question 63

___ recognize the importance of integrating the personal goals of employees with the overarching business goals of the company

Answer 63

systems thinkers

Question 64

In ___, business leaders allow employees to understand how the organization works and encourage them to help improve processes to meet overall corporate goals

Answer 64

systems thinking

Question 65

refers to the process by which multiple individual subsystems or sub-components are combined into one all-encompassing larger system thereby allowing the subsystems to function together

Answer 65

System Integration

Question 66

___ created through system integration allows the main system to achieve the overarching functionality required by the organization

Answer 66

symbiosis

Question 67

Using different IT components for different tasks is a common practice. But as business functions expand, ___. That’s when system integration comes to the rescue.

Answer 67

companies may become overwhelmed by lots of disjointed tools that can’t share data and work together

Question 68

___ is the process of joining software and hardware modules into one cohesive infrastructure, enabling all pieces to work as a whole

Answer 68

System integration

Question 69

system integration is also often called:

Answer 69

IT integration or software integration

Question 70

advantages of system integration

Answer 70

1) Increased productivity
2) More accurate and trustworthy data
3) Faster decision-making
4) Cost-effectiveness

Question 71

advantages of system integration: Integrated systems allow for centralized control over the daily processes which adds to the efficiency of the entire workflow. A company gets more work done in less time because employees can use all apps and data they need from one entry point.

Answer 71

Increased productivity

Question 72

advantages of system integration: Data is updated across all components of the system simultaneously, keeping all departments on the same page.

Answer 72

More accurate and trustworthy data

Question 73

advantages of system integration: Data is no longer scattered across siloed storages. So, to perform analytics, you don’t need to manually download and export it to the centralized repository. Instead, with a holistic view of all information, you can extract useful business insights to make good decisions more rapidly.

Answer 73

Faster decision-making

Question 74

advantages of system integration: More often than not, system integration comes at a lower cost than replacing all disjointed parts with a new single system. Not to mention the tricky process of implementing new computer infrastructures.

Answer 74

Cost-effectiveness

Question 75

most common types of system integration that meet different business needs:

Answer 75

1) Legacy system integration
2) Enterprise application integration (EAI)
3) Third-party system integration
4) Business-to-business integration

Question 76

Goal: integration of modern applications into existing outdated systems

Answer 76

Legacy system integration

Question 77

Goal: unification of different subsystems inside one business environment

Answer 77

Enterprise application integration (EAI)

Question 78

Goal: expanding the functionality of the existing system

Answer 78

Third-party system integration

Question 79

Goal: connecting systems of two or more organizations

Answer 79

Business-to-business integration

Question 80

Ways to connect systems:

Answer 80

1) Application programming interfaces (APIs)
2) Middleware
3) Webhooks
4) EDI

Question 81

provide the most common and straightforward way to connect two systems

Answer 81

Application programming interfaces (APIs)

Question 82

the hidden software layer that glues together distributed systems, applications, services, and devices

Answer 82

Middleware

Question 83

also known as HTTP callbacks, are real-time messages, sent by one system to another when a certain event happens

Answer 83

Webhooks

Question 84

the abbreviation for ___ — is the exchange of business information in a standard electronic format, that replaces paper documents

Answer 84

electronic data interchange; EDI

Question 85

___ is multifaceted and can be approached through different architectural models, depending on the number and nature of components that need to be connected.

Answer 85

System integration

Question 86

___ is the architectural pattern in which every system is directly connected to all other systems and apps it needs to work in tandem and share information with. This model can be realized via APIs, webhooks, or custom code.

Answer 86

Point-to-point integration (P2P)

Question 87

With a ___, data is extracted from one system, modified or formatted, and then sent to another system

Answer 87

point-to-point connection

Question 88

The ___ is a more advanced type of integration architecture that addresses the issues of point-to-point and helps to avoid the star/spaghetti mess. The connections between all subsystems are handled by a central hub (message broker), so they don’t communicate with each other directly.

Answer 88

hub-and-spoke model

Question 89

The ___ involves the creation of a separate specialized subsystem — an ___ — that serves as a common user interface layer connecting other subsystems.

Answer 89

Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) model; ESB architecture; enterprise service bus

Question 90

Key steps of system integration

Answer 90

1) planning and feasibility analysis
2) architecture modeling
3) implementation
4) maintenance

Question 91

A ___ is an individual or company that helps clients bridge scattered computer subsystems from different vendors and ensures those subsystems function in accordance with one integrator performing various tasks such as planning, regulating, testing, and often maintaining computer operations.

Answer 91

system integrator (SI)

Question 92

In most organizations that use system integration, there is a need to ___ and thereby ___ of their operations.

Answer 92

improve efficiency; productivity and quality

Question 93

The objective is usually to get the company’s various IT systems to ___ in the background so as to avoid the time and effort spent ___ with other departments/components of the organization including upper management.

Answer 93

communicate with each other; manually sharing information

Question 94

Through ___, the organization will experience an increase in information flow speeds as well as reduced operational costs.

Answer 94

system integration