Information Technology for Manager

Assignment A

Question 1: What strategic role can information technology play in business process
reengineering and total quality management?

Answers:
Information technology is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or
management of computer-based information systems”. It refers to the management and use
of information using computer-based tools and includes acquiring, processing, storing, and
distributing information. Usually, it is a term used to refer to business applications of computer
technology. Information technology studies, in particular, software applications and computer
hardware. IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert,
store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.

With the term information technology ballooning to encompass many aspects of computing
and technology, the umbrella has become quite large, making the term very recognizable and
covering many fields. Information technology professionals are involved in a myriad of tasks
and perform a number of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex
computer networks and information databases. Duties that IT professionals perform may also
include database management, network, computer hardware engineering, database and software
design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems.

As the term is used broadly in business to refer to anything that ties into the use of computers,
information technology plays a significant role in business process reengineering and total
quality management. Businesses today create data that need to be stored and processed on
computers. While small businesses either purchase or contract IT businesses provide software
packages and services such as hosting, marketing web sites and maintaining networks, larger
corporations usually have their own IT staffs to develop software, and handle in-house IT
needs. For instance, businesses working with the federal government are likely to need to
comply with requirements relating to making information accessible. The effective
implementation and use of information technology helps decrease liability by reducing the cost
Unauthorized copying, selling and redistribution of the content are prohibited. This material is
provided for reference only of expected failures and increasing flexibility by reducing the cost
of adjustment. The business’ reaction to the environment remains to be the vital determinant for
its effectiveness. The capabilities and flexibilities of computer-communication systems make
them gradually more appropriate to businesses by being able to respond to any specific
information or communication requirement. Furthermore, advances in IT would result in
remarkable decline in the costs of synchronization that would lead to new, concentrated
business structures. It enables the business to respond to the new and urgent competitive forces
by providing effective management of interdependence. Improvements in telecommunications
will make it easier to control business units dispersed over different parts of the world.
Advances in telecommunications, would result in increased distance-communication. Indirect
communication would be preferred for well-structured information for routine, preprogrammed
and decision processes. Through information technology, businesses are updated on

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developments in the market, customer feedback on their goods and services, and are able to
operate more effectively and efficiently.

Question 2: What are various approaches of MIS development in the organization?

Explain any two approaches in detail.

Answer:
A management information system (MIS) is a planned system of the collecting, processing,
storing and disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of
management. It is a subset of the overall internal controls of a business covering the
application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by management accountants to
solving business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. As
they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities within the
organization, management information systems are distinct from regular information systems.
The term is also used to refer to the group of information management methods tied to the
automation or support of human decision making. Such support systems include the decision
support system (DSS), expert systems, and executive information systems.

While MIS and information system are terms often used interchangeably, they should not be
mistaken for the other as unauthorized copying, selling and redistribution of the content are
prohibited. This material is provided for reference only information systems include systems
that are not intended for decision making. The area of study called MIS is sometimes referred
to, in a restrictive sense, as information technology management. Information technology
management is an area of study that should not be confused with computer science.
Information technology service management, on other hand, is a practitioner-focused
discipline. MIS has also some differences with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as ERP
incorporates elements that are not necessarily focused on decision support.

There are five approaches to MIS development in the organization. These include the (a)
traditional approach, (b) current practice approach, (c) reaction approach, (d) cafeteria
approach, and (e) human service approach.

Question 3: What are the benefits and limitations of the relational database model for
business applications today? Why is the Object-oriented database model gaining
acceptance for developing applications and managing the hypermedia databases at
business websites?

Answer: A relational database is a database that group’s data according to common attributes
found in a given data set. It consists of a collection of tables that store particular sets of data.
The resulting "clumps" of organized data are much easier for people to understand. This kind
of grouping uses the relational model. The software used to do this grouping is called a
relational database management system. Thus, such a database is called a "relational
database”. Relational databases are currently the predominant choice in storing financial
records, manufacturing and logistical information, personnel data, and much more. The
invention of this database system has standardized the way that data is stored and processed.
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This is evidenced in the fact that most of the database systems in use today are based on the
relational system. Through the database, data is independent of any hardware or storage system
and provides for automatic navigation between the data elements. In practice, this means that
data should be stored in tables and that relationships would exist between the different data
sets, or tables. The relation is the primary unit of storage in a relational database, which is a
two-dimensional table. A relational database can contain one or more of these tables. Each
table consists unauthorized copying, selling and redistribution of the content are prohibited.
This material is provided for reference only of a unique set of rows and columns. A single
record is stored in a table as a row, also known as a tuple. Attributes of the data are defined in
columns, or fields, in the table. The characteristics of the data, or the column, relates one
record to another. Each column has a unique name and the content within it must be of the
same type. The benefits of such a database lie in its ability to cluster or group large amounts of
data, making it easier for users to understand the data presented to them. The database makes
storing records, information, and personnel data much more manageable and easily accessible.

An object oriented database is a database model where information is represented in the form
of objects as used in object-oriented programming. This is generally recommended for
businesses with a need for high performance processing on complex data. The reason why the
object-oriented database model is

Gaining acceptance for developing applications and managing the hypermedia databases at
business websites lies in its ability to process complex sets of data, making processing time
shorter. As most object databases have some kind of query language, objects can be found
faster and data processed quicker. Access to data becomes faster because joins are often not
needed (as opposed to the tabular implementation of a relational database). This is because an
object can be retrieved directly without a search, by following pointers. Benchmarks have also
shown that ODBMS is clearly superior for certain kinds of tasks. The main reason lies in its
ability to perform operations using navigational rather than declarative interfaces, as
navigational access to data is usually implemented very efficiently by following pointers.
Pointer-based techniques are optimized for very specific "search routes" or viewpoints. For
general-purpose queries on the same information, however, pointer-based techniques tend to
be slower and more difficult to formulate than relational ones. Hence, navigation appears to
simplify specific known uses at the expense of general, unforeseen, and varied future uses.
However, with suitable language support, direct object references may be maintained in
addition to normalized, indexed aggregations, allowing both kinds of access. Furthermore, a
persistent language may index aggregations on whatever its content elements return from a call
to some arbitrary object access method, rather than only on attribute value, which allows a
query to 'drill down' into complex data structures. Unauthorized copying, selling and
redistribution of the content are prohibited. This material is provided for reference only

Question 4: What are the business benefit and management problems of client/server
networks? Discuss also in Network Computing and Peer-to-peer networks?

Answer:
A client-server network refers to the popular model for computer networking that utilizes
client and server devices each designed for specific purposes. Often used on the internet as
well as local area networks (LANs), it is a distributed system comprising both client and server
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software wherein a client software process may initiate a communication session while the
server waits for requests from any client. The client-server network describes the relationship
between two computer programs in which one program, the client program, makes a service
request to another, the server program. Standard networked functions such as email exchange,
web access and database access, are based on the client-server model.

The client-server model has become one of the central ideas of network computing. Most
business applications being written today use the client-server model. A server is simply a
computer that is running software that enables it to serve specific requests from other
computers, called “clients”. The server is called "dedicated" because it is optimized to serve
requests from the "client" computers quickly.
Aside from its ability to quickly process requests from client computers, the business benefits
of a client-server network include:
 Optimization, as server hardware is designed to serve requests from clients quickly;
 Centralization, as files are stored in one location for easy access and administration;
 Security, as multiple levels of permissions can prevent users from doing damage to files;
 Redundancy and back-up, as data can be stored in redundant ways making for quick
restore in case or problems;
 Cost savings
 Scalability, as frequent changes within the IT infrastructure requires continued strategic
support for cooperative mechanisms that render a forged cooperative database;
 Manage workflow, as interfaced logic and legacy-based solutions provide an under girth
sub-structure endeavor;
 Multi-tier service, as all tri-axial units provide sub-forth instrumentation beyond all first
level response units; and, Instrumentality, as utilization of data resources must have
exchange access quality of service to maintain inter-operability amongst unified systems.

Peer-to-peer networks also enjoy the same business benefits. However, its limitation lies in
that it is only good for small networks. Peer-to-peer networks perform best in an environment
of 10-15 computers. Beyond that, computers start to slow down, processing of client requests
takes some time, file searching becomes harder, and security is no longer existent. It is
therefore important to identify and establish the right kind of network for an organization to
make the most of its time and resources.

Question 5: How can information systems support a company’s business operations,

discuss making by their managers, and give them a competitive advantage? Give
examples to illustrate your answer?

Answer:
Information systems support a company’s business operations by properly managing
information databases and effectively and efficiently disseminating information within the
business. With proper information systems put in place, information is readily available for
data users. The installation of proper information systems also helps update various
departments of the latest development in the business, whether it concern their department or
other departments. Such information is valuable, helping business operations and the different
departments within it well-informed. Under this scenario, businesses are able to operate
efficiently and effectively.

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In addition, the installation of proper information systems also aids managers in making
decisions regarding the future direction or course of a business. The availability of such
information for their perusal is crucial and essential in making well-informed decisions. Based
on data presented to them, they are capable of making well thought-out decisions regarding
their business objectives and the future course of their operations. Such decisions help make
them more effective as an organization and give them a competitive advantage. As managers
operate in an environment of uncertainty, getting hold of information unauthorized copying,
selling and redistribution of the content are prohibited. This material is provided for reference
only is valuable and helps a business adjust its environment. This gives them the competitive
edge through the minimization of risks and the maximization of outputs.

To best illustrate the edge that information systems have on a business, given two businesses
with varying levels of information systems technology, the one better equipped would be
better prepared to adapt and adjust to the changing and uncertain times. An example would be
two businesses engaged in the manufacture of raw materials into a finished product. A
business with the proper information systems would help it locate the best source of raw
materials, where available at the least amount of cost. As such, the business is already
minimizing its cost and would be able to maximize its profits even if it sells at a lower price
than its competitor. Another example would be a business selling a particular good or
commodity. With the proper information systems in place, a business is able to collect data on
pricing and quality. With this information, a business is able to competitively price its product,
making its good or service more attractive than its competitor. Clearly, the installation of
appropriate information systems help give businesses that competitive edge. Unauthorized
copying, selling and redistribution of the content are prohibited. This material is provided for
reference only

Assignment B

Question 1: What is meant by Network topology along with different network models?

Answer:
Network topology is the study of the arrangement or mapping of the elements (e.g. links,
nodes, etc.) of a network, especially the physical (real) and logical (virtual) interconnections
between nodes. A local area network (LAN) is an example of a network that exhibits a
physical topology and a logical topology. Any given node in the LAN will have one or more
links to one or more other nodes in the network and the mapping of these links and nodes onto
a graph results in a geometrical shape that determines the physical topology of the network.
The mapping of the flow of data between the nodes in the network determines the logical
topology of the network. While the physical and logical topologies in a particular network
could be identical, it is also possible that they could be different.

Network topology is determined only by the graphical mapping of the configuration of

physical and/or logical connections between nodes. LAN network topology, therefore, is
technically a part of graph theory where distances between nodes, physical interconnections,

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transmission rates, and/or signal types may differ in two networks and yet their topologies may
be identical.

There are six basic types of topology in networks:

1. Bus topology
2. Star topology
3. Ring topology
4. Mesh topology
5. Tree topology
6. Hybrid topology

In addition, there are also three basic categories of network topologies:

• Physical topologies
• signal topologies
• Logical topologies

Though there is a subtle difference between the two, signal topology and logical topology are
often used interchangeably and distinction between the two terms is not often made or
mentioned.

When referring to networking, "network model" and "network layer" are terms often used.
Network models define the set of network layers and how these interact with one another.
While there are several different network models, the two most important are:
• The TCP/IP Model – sometimes referred to as the DOD model as it was initially designed
for the department of defense (DOD). It is also called the internet model because TCP/IP is
the protocol used on the internet.
• OSI Network Model - The International Standards Organization (ISO) has defined a
standard called the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. This is a seven
layer architecture.

Question 2: Why there is a trend toward cross-functional integrated enterprise systems

in business?

Answer:

Organizations view cross-functional enterprise systems as a strategic way to use information

technology (IT) to share information resources, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
business processes, and develop strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, and business
partners.

The trend of businesses to move towards cross-functional integrated enterprise systems lies in
the system’s ability to reengineer and improve vital business processes regardless
organizations view cross-functional enterprise systems as a strategic way to use IT to share
information resources and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations.

As cross-functional integrated enterprise systems integrate and automate many of the internal
business processes of a company, businesses tend to use such systems. The cross-functional
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integrated enterprise system serves as a backbone information system, helping companies
achieve efficiency and responsiveness required to succeed in a dynamic business environment.
The system also enables companies a cross functional view of its core business processes, such
as production and sales, and its resources such as cash, raw materials, production and people.
While putting in place such a system is difficult and costly, a properly implemented and
functioning cross-functional integrated system has plenty of benefits. Among these are:

 Decreased costs – companies with up and running systems have reported a significant
reduction in transaction processing costs and hardware, software, and IT support staff
compared to those with the non-integrated legacy systems;
 Decision support – as the system is cross-functional, it provides managers quickly with
vital information on business performance to significantly improve their ability to make
better decisions in a timely manner across the entire business enterprise;
 Enterprise agility – with the integrated system, many former departmental and functional
walls have been broken down, resulting in more flexible organizational structures, better
managerial responsibility, and clear-cut work roles. It also resulted in a more adaptive
organization and workforce that can easily capitalize on new business opportunities; and,
 Quality and efficiency – it creates a framework for integrating and improving a company’s
internal business processes that results in significant improvements in the quality and
efficiency of customer service, production, and distribution.

In addition, businesses’ exposure to the multiplicity of security risks to and the emergence of
increasingly complex threats necessitate an aggressive, integrated organizational approach to
security. It is in this light that cross-functional integrated systems are needed, and the reason
why there is an increasing trend among businesses to use such systems.

Question 3: How do you think sales force automation affects salesperson productivity,
marketing management, and competitive advantage?

Answer:
Sales force automation (SFA) system is a system that automatically records all the stages in a
sales process and is typically part of a company’s customer relationship management system.
SFA includes a contact management system, which tracks all contact that has been made with
a given customer, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required. The
system ensures that sales efforts are not duplicated, reducing the risk of irritating customers.
SFA also includes a sales lead tracking system that lists potential customers through paid
phone lists, or customers of related products. Other elements that can be found in an SFA
system include sales forecasting, order management, and product knowledge. The more
advanced SFA systems have features where customers can model a product to meet their
required needs through online product building systems. This feature is becoming more and
more popular in the automobile industry, where customers can customize various features such
as color and interior features such as leather or upholstered seats. An integral part of any SFA
system is companywide integration among different departments. If SFA systems aren’t
adopted and properly integrated to all departments, there might be a lack of communication
which could result in different departments contacting the same customer for the same
purpose. In order to mitigate this risk, SFA must be fully integrated in all departments that deal
with customer service management.

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As such, sales force automation clearly affects salesperson Productivity, marketing
management, and competitive advantage. Following is how sales force automation affects:

a) Sales person productivity:

The sales manager, rather than gathering all the call sheets from various sales people and
tabulating the results, will have the results automatically presented in easy to understand
tables, charts, or graphs. This saves time for the manager;
Activity reports, information requests, orders booked, and other sales information will be sent
to the sales manager more frequently, allowing him/her to respond more directly with advice,
product in-stock verifications, and price discount authorizations. This gives management more
hands-on control of the sales process if they wish to use it; and,
The sales manager can configure the system so as to automatically analyze the information
using sophisticated statistical techniques, and present the results in a user-friendly way. This
gives the sales manager information that is more useful in (a) providing current and useful
sales support materials to their sales staff; (b) providing marketing research data: demographic,
psychographic, behavioral, product acceptance, product problems, detecting trends; (c)
providing market research data: industry dynamics, new competitors, new products from
competitors, new promotional campaigns from competitors, macro-environmental scanning,
detecting trends; (d) coordinating with other parts of the firm, particularly marketing,
production, and finance; (e) identifying your most profitable customers, and your problem
customers; and, (f) tracking the productivity of their sales force by combining a number of
performance measures such as: revenue per sales person, revenue per territory, margin by
customer segment, margin by customer, number of calls per day, time spent per contact,
revenue per call, cost per call, entertainment cost per call, ratio of orders to calls, revenue as a
percentage of sales quota, number of new customers per period, number of lost customers per
period, cost of customer acquisition as a percentage of expected lifetime value of customer,
percentage of goods returned, number of customer complaints, and number of overdue
accounts.

b) Marketing management:
• Understanding the economic structure of your industry;
• Identifying segments within your market;
• Identifying your target market;
• Identifying your best customers in place;
• Doing marketing research to develop profiles (demographic, psychographic, and
behavioral) of your core customers;
• Understanding your competitors and their products;
• Developing new products;
• Establishing environmental scanning mechanisms to detect opportunities and threats;
• Understanding your company's strengths and weaknesses;
• Auditing your customers' experience of your brand in full;
• Developing marketing strategies for each of your products using the marketing mix
variables of price, product, distribution, and promotion;
• Coordinating the sales function with other parts of the promotional mix (such as
advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and publicity);
• Creating a sustainable competitive advantage;

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• Understanding where you want your brands to be in the future, and providing an empirical
basis for writing marketing plans on a regular basis to help you get there; and,
• Providing input into feedback systems to help you monitor and adjust the process.

c) Competitive advantage:
 As mentioned earlier, productivity will increase. Sales staff will use their time more
efficiently and effectively. The sales manager will also become more efficient and
effective. The increased productivity can create a competitive advantage in three ways: it
can reduce costs, it can increase sales revenue, and it can increase market share;

 Field sales staff will send their information more frequently. Typically information will be
sent to management after every sales call (rather than once a week). This provides
management with current information, information that they will be able to use while it is
still valuable. Management response time will be greatly reduced. The company will
become more alert and more agile;

 These systems could increase customer satisfaction if they are used with wisdom. If the
information obtained and analyzed with the system is used to create a product that matches
or exceeds customer expectations, and the sales staff use the system to service customers
more expertly and diligently, then customers should be satisfied with the company. This
will provide a competitive advantage because customer satisfaction leads to increased
customer loyalty, reduced customer acquisition costs, reduced price elasticity of demand,
and increased profit margins.

Question 4: Case Study

a) How Mr. Joshua is going to maintain information on Bank branches and security
password information on customers.
Answer:
Mr. Joshua is going to maintain information on bank branches and security passwords through
proper information systems and network models. The installation of proper information
systems will help collect, process, store, and disseminate data in the form of information
needed to carry out the functions of the bank and management. This system will put in place a
database to collect, maintain, and store all information on the different bank branches and
information on its clients and customers. This database will ensure that data on the various
accounts the different bank branches are holding, information on the numerous clients of the
bank, and the various services that the bank offers to its clients are readily available for use of
permitted users. Furthermore, the installation of a proper information system ensures that
information is properly secured and used only by those with access to the system.

In addition, putting in place the appropriate network model would help in the circulation of
information among the various users within the network. Such a network system would make
information readily available for users and could process requests of the various clients
quickly, saving time and cost. The appropriate network model would centrally manage clients’
accounts, as they may have one or more accounts in the Bank spread across one or more
branches. As customers open bank accounts with a specified opening balance and either
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deposit funds into the account or withdraw from them, personal information is then uploaded
to the database.

After doing so, transactions that involve the opening of accounts, assignments of Account
Numbers, and Deposit and Withdrawal would then be stored and reflected in the central
database. The account Numbering scheme now uniquely identifies the Bank Branch to which
the account belongs. Customers often travel to the bank branch to request for a new cheque
book. To ensure that Customers are ensured of high level security, the E-Banking services
need to provide Customers with a unique Personal Identification password which can be
changed from time to time. All Services are accessible only upon correct password
verification.

b) Draw MIS design for the above case study covering every aspect of e-Bank.
Answer:
Above would be the proposed MIS design for the e-Bank. Each computer in the figure
represents various bank branches of e-Bank. The central database, where all information from
the various bank branches are kept, is represented by the switch. Clients may have one or more
accounts in the Bank spread across one or more branches. Customers open bank accounts with
a specified opening balance and may either deposit funds into the account or withdraw from
them. The transactions involve the opening of accounts, assignments of Account Numbers,
Deposit and Withdrawal transactions etc. One of the most frequent requests for specific
transactions carried out in the Bank. The account Numbering scheme now uniquely identifies
the Bank Branch to which the account belongs. Customers often travel to the bank branch to
request for a new cheque book. To ensure that Customers are ensured of high level security,
the E-Banking services need to provide Customers with a unique Personal Identification
password which can be changed from time to time. All Services are accessible only upon
correct password verification.

Assignment C

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Objective Type Questions

1. Which of them does not support decision making?

Options
a) DSS,
b) GDSS,
c) ESS
d) All of above

2. TPS stands for—

Options
a) Transaction price system secret socket layer
b) Transaction processing system
c) Transfer peer system
d) Transfer protocol system

3. This type of network is contained over a large geographic area.

Options
a) Local area network
b) Wide area network
c) Start topology
d) None of the above

4. A web browser is best described as a—

Options
a) General purpose application program
b) Application specific program
c) System management programs
d) System development programs

5. Which one of the following functional business systems supports the

finance business function?

Options
a) Cash Management
b) Financial forecasting
c) Both a & b
d) Neither a or b

6. The utility called located in the System Tools folder, allows

you to select when and how often maintenance tasks are performed.

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Options
a) Disk Cleanup
b) Scheduled Tasks
c) Disk Defragmenter
d) System Restore

7. Which type of network connects each node to the next, forming a loop.

Options
a) Star topology
b) Bus Topology
c) Ring Topology
d) All of the above

8. Which is the most common network topology where each node is

connected to a switch.

Options
a) Star topology
b) Ring topology
c) Bus topology
d) Local area network

9. The computer monitor's sharpness or clarity is referred to as its

___________

Options
a) Image
b) Resolution
c) Contrast
d) Setting

10. The manages the hardware components including the CPU,

memory storage, and peripheral devices.

Options
a) Operating System
b) Device Drivers
c) Motherboard
d) Ports

11. ESS is helpful for--

Options
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a) Top Management
b) Middle management
c) Operational management
d) None of above

12. Which of the following is not a way DSS, GDSS, and ESS support decision making?

Options
a) Automate certain decision procedures
b) Provide information about different aspects of the decision situation and the decision
process
c) Stimulate decision making by helping managers question decision procedures or
explore different solution designs
d) Generate monthly, hardcopy reports

13. Which of the following is primarily a stand-alone DSS that uses some type of model to
perform "what-if" and other kinds of analyses?

Options
a) Model-driven.
b) Data-driven.
c) Data mart.
d) Data warehouse.

14. The technology for finding hidden patterns and relationships in large databases and
inferring rules from them to predict future behavior best describes:

Options
a) Data warehousing.
b) Knowledge acquisition.
c) Data mining.
d) Data clustering.

15. Which of the following is NOT a type of information yielded from data mining?

Options
a) Sequences
b) Classification
c) Clustering
d) Intelligence

16. Each of the following is a DSS component EXCEPT:

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Options
a) Database.
b) Software system.
c) User interface.
d) Inference engine

17. Models that ask "what-if" questions repeatedly to determine the impact of changes in one
or more factors on outcomes best describes:

Options
a) Optimization analysis.
b) Sensitivity analysis.
c) Forecasting.
d) Goal-seeking

18. According to the textbook, National Gypsum uses its DSS application for:

Options
a) Identifying customer buying patterns and fraud detection.
b) Price, advertising, and promotion selection.
c) Defense contract analysis.
d) Corporate planning and forecasting.

19. A system with software that can analyze and display data using digitized maps to enhance
planning and decision making best describes:

Options
a) Geographic information system.
b) Executive support system.
c) Demographic analysis system.
d) Location analysis system.

20. An interactive computer-based system to facilitate the solution to unstructured problems by

a set of decision makers working together as a group best describes a(n):

Options
a) Group decision-support system.
b) Decision-support system.
c) Executive support system.
d) Geographic information system.

21. GDSS software tools that allow individuals to simultaneously and anonymously contribute
ideas on the meeting topics are called:

Options
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a) Electronic questionnaires.
b) Tools for voting or setting priorities.
c) Electronic brainstorming tools.
d) Idea organizers.

22. A GDSS can enhance group decision making by:

Options
a) Improving preplanning.
b) Increasing participation.
c) Providing documentation of meetings.
d) Doing all of the above.

23. Each of the following is a basic GDSS element EXCEPT:

Options
a) Hardware.
b) Software tools.
c) A data warehouse.
d) A user interface.

24. Contingencies affecting the outcome of group meetings include:

Options
a) The design of an electronic meeting system and its technology.
b) The nature of the group.
c) The manner in which the problem is presented to the group.
d) All of the above.

25. A useful tool used during the electronic meeting activity of idea generation is:

Options
a) Group matrix.
b) Policy formation.
c) Topic commenter.
d) Personal productivity.

26. An information system at the strategic level of an organization designed to address

unstructured decision making through advanced graphics and communications best described as:

Options
a) Decision-support system.
b) Executive support system.
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c) Management information system.
d) Group decision support system.

27. SSL is a--

Options
a) Protocol
b) A technology
c) A kind of digital signature
d) A virus

28. Assembling a product, identifying customers and hiring employees are--

Options
a) Transaction
b) Phases
c) Business processes
d) Business functions

29. The computer can potentially be used to monitor most of our actions, thus robbing us of-----
--

Options
a) Tapping
b) Backlog
c) Privacy
d) Security

30. A is a programmable electronic device that can input, process, output, and store
data.
Options
a) Computer
b) Motherboard
c) CPU
d) Operating System

31. The nonvolatile, permanent memory that remains in the computer even when it is turned off
is called:

Options
a) ALU
b) CPU
c) RAM
d) ROM

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32. The computer and equipment that connects to it are called the:

Options
a) Hardware
b) Motherboard
c) Software
d) Control Unit

33. Which of the following do transactional e-commerce businesses provide?

Options
a) Sale of goods and services.
b) Sale of goods only.
c) Online sale of goods.
d) Online sale of transactions.

34. Which of the following best describes a Business-to-Business?

Options
a) Sale of goods online to a consumer.
b) Sale of goods online to many consumers.
c) Sale of goods to a business from a Brick and Mortar business.
d) Sale of goods to a business online only.

35. What determines how a system will work to meet the business needs defined during system
investigation?

Options
a) System Implementation
b) System development
c) System Review
d) None

36. Who is involved in helping users determine what outputs tey need and constructing the plans
needed to produce these outputs?

Options
a) CIO
b) Application programmer
c) System Programmer
d) System Analyst

37. What consists of all activities that, if delayed would delay the entire project?

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 Information Technology for Manager
Options
a) Deadline activities
b) Slack activities
c) RAD tasks
d) The critical path

38. The concept in which organizations adapt to new conditions or alter their practices over time
is called—

Options
a) Organizational Learning
b) Organizational change
c) Continuous improvement
d) Re-engineering

39. What is the measure of the output achieved divided by input required

Options
a) Efficiency
b) Effectiveness
c) Productivity
d) Return on Investment

40.
What components of a decision support system allow decisions makers to easily access and
manipulate the DSS and to use common business terms and phrases?

Options
a) The knowledge base
b) The model base
c) The user interface or dialogue
d) The expert system

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