MIS Test 2 (Chapter 2)

Question 1

What are the 3 stages of evolution?

Answer 1

1. Stand-alone mainframe system
2. Client-server architecture
3. Service-oriented architecture

Question 2

What is a stand-alone mainframe system?

Answer 2

• The application software, operating system, and database were all contained on a single piece of hardware.
• There was no monitor or mouse, users interacted with the mainframe via a terminal that was physically connected to the mainframe and input commands using punch cards.

Question 3

What are the mainframe architecture limitations?

Answer 3

• Expensive
• Limited scalability
• Custom design
• in 1970s, software firms began to develop packaged applications, which reduced cost; however hardware operating systems and database needed to run the packaged application were still expensive

Question 4

What is client-server architecture?

Answer 4

• Separated the three layers – presentation, application, and data – which allows layers to run simultaneously on different computers rather than a single mainframe
• Much more scalable and flexible
• Dramatically reduce costs of acquiring, implementing, and using an ES

Question 5

What technology advances drove client-server architecture?

Answer 5

• More advanced operating systems that made it easier to manage complex hardware.
• Hardware and software continued to evolve becoming more efficient and capable and less expensive.
• Networking technologies, which allowed employes to connect to ES remotely.

Question 6

What is service-oriented architecture?

Answer 6

• Use web services to integrate multiple client-server applications across multiple companies.
• Can be used to create mashups
• Enables companies to build composite applications on top of their existing three-tier client-server applications without changing the existing application.
• Gives companies extreme flexibility for very little cost.

Question 7

Types of Enterprise Systems

Answer 7

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system
• Supply Chain Management (SCM) system
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) system
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
• Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) system

Question 8

What is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system?

Answer 8

• Support processes within a company (intracompany processes)

Question 9

What is a supply chain management (SCM) system?

Answer 9

• Connect a company’s ERP system to those of its suppliers

- Help plan for production demand requirements and optimize complex transportation and logistics for materials

Question 10

What is a supplier relationship management (SRM) system?

Answer 10

• Manage overall relationship with the materials suppliers

- Manage the quotation and contracts processes

Question 11

What is a customer relationship management (CRM) system?

Answer 11

• Connect a company’s ERP system to those of its customers

- Manage marketing, sales, and service

Question 12

What is a product life cycle management (PLM) system?

Answer 12

• Help companies administer processes of research, design, and product management
• Help take new product ideas from drawing board to manufacturing facility

Question 13

Best-of-breed

Answer 13

• Applications that are isolated to one process or part of a process
• Have evolved from departmental applications
• E.g., i2 for supply chain planning; aruba for procurement

Question 14

Niche applications

Answer 14

• Highly specialized applications for various industries and functions
• E.g., for retailers (pricing management tool from Vendavo)
• E.g., for dynamically displaying the organization chart of a company

Question 15

What are ES delivery methods?

Answer 15

• On premise (installing software on physical hardware located at the customer site)
• Software-as-a-service (SaaS) (allows companies to acquire certain ES functionalities without physically installing software on their servers; aka cloud computing)

Question 16

What are 3 types of data in a ES?

Answer 16

• Organizational data
• Master data
• Transaction data

Question 17

What is organizational data?

Answer 17

• Defines the organizational structure of the enterprise
• including definitions of:
  1. Companies
  2. Divisions based on, product or geographical hierarchy
  3. Sales organizations
  4. Purchasing organizations
  5. Physical facilities: plants, warehouses, distribution centers
  6. HR organizations
• Data early changes

Question 18

What is master data?

Answer 18

• Defines key entities in an organization
• Products (basic data: description, weight, color; purchasing data; sales data; manufacturing data)
• Customers (basic information: name, address, contact information; financial information: payment terms, methods; sales information: delivery terms)
• Vendors/suppliers (similar information as customer)
• Employees (basic data, personal data: dependents; payroll data, tax data)
• Data changes occasionally

Question 19

What is transaction data?

Answer 19

• Data that is the consequence of day-to-day transactions (who, what, when, where, how, how much)
• Sales (customer, products, quantities, dates and times, location (shipping, delivery), sales person)
• Purchase (vendor, products, quantities, dates and times, location (delivery), sales person, requester
• Production (materials, quantities, facilities, resources (machine, people), dates and times, locations (storage, production))