Sessions 15 and 16 (Hardware and Software) Flashcards
___ bits make up one byte. One byte creates a ____.
8 bits. One byte creates a character
byte size measurement: (4)
- kilobyte
- megabyte
- gigabyte
- terabyte
CPU cycles determine:
how quickly a central processing unit executes software instructions
examples of input devices
- keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, pointing stick, microphone
- point of sale: captures transactions
- bar code reader –> needs to be in direct line of sight
- radio frequency ID (RFID) –> ex. opus card
what is the limiting factor with hardware?
heat –> how we can compact more into less space
the operating system:
directs traffic, manages files, manages resources
what does utility manage
add-ons
what are the two types of application software?
- personal productivity (Word, Excel, desktop publishing, personal finance, etc.)
- enterprise software (ERP, CRM, SCM)
what are types of personal operating systems (4?)
- Mac OS
- Microsoft Windows
- Linux –> open source OS for high-end workstations and network servers
- Handheld: Android, iOS
how to choose the operating system?
- compatibility
- cost
- customization
- ease of use
- stability
- security
desktop vs enterprise software?
desktop: apps installed on a personal computer, typically supporting tasks performed by a single user
enterprise: apps that address the needs of multiple simultaneous users throughout an organization or work group
what are the problems with implementing enterprise IT?
- incompatible IS
- inconsistent operating practices
- info is fragmented and stored in a myriad of places
- individual function, business unit, factory, office
- help support a local activity
- maintenance of legacy systems is a nightmare
advantage of enterprise systems
different departments can now talk to each other
impact of enterprise systems
- re-engineer business processes
- streamline workflows, reduce inventories
- shorten cycle times
what is a database management system?
- aka database software
- software used for maintaining, creating, manipulating data
most enterprise software works in conjunction with:
a database management system
what are erp systems
- enterprise resource planning
- commercial software systems that automate and integrate many or most of a business’ processes
objective:
- tightly integrate functional areas of organization
- enable seamless info flow across the functional area
enterprise resource planning previously included:
- silos of info
- walking office to office
- long lines
- lack of communication
- open 8-5, 5 days of week
- inconsistent info
erp now includes:
- no silos/no hassle
- customer focused
- cross-departmental
- accessed by web
- seamless service
- 24/7
- consistent info
upstream activities are:
supplier
downstream activities are:
customer
your ERP is the ____ with both CRM and SCM
interface
buy side: SCM interfaces with ___
suppliers
sell side: CRM interfaces with ___
customers
what do business intelligence systems allow?
enables collaboration and monitoring of critical data across the three systems (ERP, CRM, SCM)
types of customer relationships to measure with data analytics:
- relationship profitability
- relationship duration
- number of relationships
examples of frictions on supply chain
- time
- cost
- inventories
discuss making your own ERP from scratch
- can mix and match components
pro: benefit of customization which fits need of firm
con: advantage comes at expense of high development and maintenance costs; time consuming (longer implementation time)
discuss buying an ERP (vs making)
- most vendor’s ERPs are flexible enough that you can install some modules (finance/HR) without buying whole package
pros: faster implementation, lower IT overhead, builds on industry best practice
cons: may not always be exact fit for your organization; costly modifications to preserve processes that provide a competitive edge
what are three interesting issues with software
- handling upgrades
- compatibility
- piracy issues
conventional software firms vs. open source software
conventional:
- does not provide source code for commercial products
- treat intellectual property as closely guarded secret
OSS:
- anyone can look at source code
- anyone can change it and redistribute it provided modified software remains open and free
- generally is free
OSS examples
- Linux (found on 30% of servers in corporate America)
- Firefox, OpenOffice, SugarCRM
a popular combination of OSS: LAMP
Linux
Apache Web server software
MySQL
P (several programming languages- Perl, Python, PHP)
why open source?
- cost
- reliability (many eyes on code, can fix problems quickly)
- security
- scalability (most can run on low-end to high-end hardware)
- agility and time to market
where is the money in OSS?
– Vendors make money on OSS by selling support
and consulting services (Redhat)
– Sell advanced hardware (Sun, IBM)
– Sell proprietary software to augment or optimize
OSS
– Steal customers from a stronger competitor
(Oracle)
drawbacks of OSS? (3)
- Complexity of some OSS products
– Difficult to install and maintain
– Higher total cost of ownership for some products - Concern about the ability of a product’s
development community to provide support
or product improvement - Legal and licensing concerns
– violation of software patents or other unauthorized
use of proprietary code
– Varying types of OSS licensing agreements
what are the system development methodologies? (4)
SDLC a.k.a. Waterfall methodology
Prototyping
Rapid application development (RAD)
Agile Method
the systems development life cycle looks at:
how do we develop the software?
discuss phase 1 of the Waterfall method (planning):
What are our opportunities
What are our priorities
Can IS be used to address these needs?
Define the system to be developed
Critical success factor - a factor simply critical to your
organization’s success
Set the project scope
Project scope document - a written definition of the
project scope and is usually no longer than a
paragraph
Develop the project plan including tasks,
resources, and timeframes
discuss phase 2 of the Waterfall method (Analysis):
The first challenge is finding the right people
to participate.
The second challenge is collecting and
integrating the information
Functional Requirements:
User Interface Requirements
Automatic entry of product data and easy-to-use
data entry screens for web customers
Processing Requirements
Fast, automatic calculation of sales totals and
shipping costs
Storage Requirements
Fast retrieval and update of data from product,
pricing, and customer databases
discuss phase 3 of the Waterfall method (Design):
- user interface design
- data design
- process design
discuss phase 4 of the Waterfall method (Development):
Build the technical architecture
Build the database and programs
Both of these activities are mostly performed by IT
specialists
what are the pros of the system development life cycle?
Pros: Oldest and most widely used model Life cycle concept is very useful Still the optimal model when requirements are relatively certain and not likely to change
what are the cons of the system development life cycle?
Cons:
Errors detected late are very costly
Not very useful when requirements are uncertain
Many real projects rarely follow a sequential flow
Often difficult to know all requirements early on
Customers and users need to be patient
Developers get delayed, often unnecessarily
What is this:
A model of a proposed product, service, or system An iterative approach to the systems development lifecycle The process of building a model that demonstrates the features of a proposed product, service, or system.
prototyping
what are potential issues with prototyping?
Leads People To Think System Will Come Sooner
Than It Will
Avoidance In Creating Formal Documentation
Lack of Testing
Project Is Often Hard To Terminate
No Indication of Performance In Operational
Conditions
Company Resources Not Often Used Efficiently
Don’t Usually Fit Well With Other Corporate
Systems (stand alones)
waterfall vs protyping
Traditional SDLC Linear Structured Rigid Slow / Methodical / Thorough First Delivered Is Last Delivered
Prototyping Iterative or Cyclical Less Structured Flexible Fast Initial Delivery First Delivered Is Rarely The Last Delivered
when to use traditional SDLC vs Prototype
Traditional SDLC Requirements Well-Known Routine Issues Risk of Failure Low Cost Associated with Failure is Lower
Prototyping Requirements Not WellKnown Non-Routine Issues Risk of Failure High Cost Associated with Failure is Higher When Communication Problems Exist When a Concrete Form is Needed to Evaluate
discuss rapid application development
RAD stresses the mechanics of the system
itself and does not emphasize the company’s
strategic business needs
Might allow less time to develop quality,
consistency, and design standards
