1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjGfUZU_99g
Wireless enables more freedom on where organisations can operate.
2.
Allows the internet to carry voice in digital format, call costs have dramatically decreased as the international calls are now internet connections. This means that business's have a more cost effective way of making calls and also enables them to operate from different locations around the world at a cheaper price. For examples to call centers in India.
3.
Local area networks (LANs) connect computers that reside in a single geographic location on the premises of the company that operates the LAN. How ever WAN operate over a wider area. For example any company that have offices in different cities will use a WAN to connect data from the various offices.
4.
Passive RFID – no internal power, can pick up the very faint signal from an antenna, power up just enough to transmit data back to antenna. Can also store small amount of EPROM data. Active RFID – have power and transmit much stronger and accurate data.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Week 7 Questions
1.
Accuracy: Are all the values correct in the data correct and accurate.
Completeness: Are all the values complete in the data.
Consistency: Is the aggregate or summary information in agreement with detailed information.
Uniqueness: Is each transaction, entity, and event represented only once in the information.
Timeliness: Is the information Current with respect to the business requirements.
2.
A Database is a organised collection of data where a database management system (DBMS)is a group of programs that manipulate the database and provide an interface between the database and its users and other application programs.
3.
Databases can help prevent the following
Data redundancy: The same data are stored in many places.
Data isolation: Applications cannot access data associated with other applications.
Data inconsistency: Various copies of the data do not agree.
Datebases also ensure the following
Data security: Keeping the organization’s data safe from theft, modification, and/or destruction.
Data integrity: Data must meet constraints (e.g., student grade point averages cannot be negative).
Data independence: Applications and data are independent of one another. Applications and data are not linked to each other, meaning that applications are able to access the same data.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqvIGYjcLQ4&feature=related
4.
A relational database is a collection of tables from which data can be accessed in many different ways without having to reorganize the database tables.
5.
Data-driven websites are an interactive website kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers through the use of a database. The advantages of a data-driven website are as follows:
Development
Content management
Future expandability
Minimising human error
Cutting production and update costs
More efficient
Improved stability
Real time info like stock levels & price changes
6.
The primary purpose of a data warehouse is to aggregate information throughout an organisation into a single repository for decision-making purposes
Accuracy: Are all the values correct in the data correct and accurate.
Completeness: Are all the values complete in the data.
Consistency: Is the aggregate or summary information in agreement with detailed information.
Uniqueness: Is each transaction, entity, and event represented only once in the information.
Timeliness: Is the information Current with respect to the business requirements.
2.
A Database is a organised collection of data where a database management system (DBMS)is a group of programs that manipulate the database and provide an interface between the database and its users and other application programs.
3.
Databases can help prevent the following
Data redundancy: The same data are stored in many places.
Data isolation: Applications cannot access data associated with other applications.
Data inconsistency: Various copies of the data do not agree.
Datebases also ensure the following
Data security: Keeping the organization’s data safe from theft, modification, and/or destruction.
Data integrity: Data must meet constraints (e.g., student grade point averages cannot be negative).
Data independence: Applications and data are independent of one another. Applications and data are not linked to each other, meaning that applications are able to access the same data.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqvIGYjcLQ4&feature=related
4.
A relational database is a collection of tables from which data can be accessed in many different ways without having to reorganize the database tables.
5.
Data-driven websites are an interactive website kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers through the use of a database. The advantages of a data-driven website are as follows:
Development
Content management
Future expandability
Minimising human error
Cutting production and update costs
More efficient
Improved stability
Real time info like stock levels & price changes
6.
The primary purpose of a data warehouse is to aggregate information throughout an organisation into a single repository for decision-making purposes
Monday, October 18, 2010
Week 6 Questions
1.
Information architecture is a general plan of how IT is to be used by/within an organisation – useful for planning
Information infrastructure is the actual implementation that will provide for effective Information Systems, including the hardware, software, services and people involved.
You use information architecture to plan and then use the information infrastructure to implement the planed information systems.
2.
To implement a solid information architecture a organisation should concentrate on 1. back up and recovery, 2. disaster recovery and 3. Information security.
3.
The 5 required characteristics of infrastructure architecture is.
Flexibility: systems must be flexible enough to meet all types of business changes.
Scalability: how well a system can adapt to increased demands.
Reliability: ensures all systems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information.
Availability: when systems can be accessed by users, preferably for long periods of time.
Performance: how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction.
4.
A Service oriented architecture allows enterprises to plug in new services or upgrade existing services in a granular fashion. This means they will respond more quickly and more cost-effectively to changing market-conditions.
5.
Events are the eyes and ears of the business expressed in technology. They detect threats and opportunities and alert those who can act on the information. Uses IT systems to monitor a business process for events that matter.
6.
Services are more like software products than they are coding projects. They must appeal to a broad audience and they need to be reusable if they are going to have an impact on productivity.
Information architecture is a general plan of how IT is to be used by/within an organisation – useful for planning
Information infrastructure is the actual implementation that will provide for effective Information Systems, including the hardware, software, services and people involved.
You use information architecture to plan and then use the information infrastructure to implement the planed information systems.
2.
To implement a solid information architecture a organisation should concentrate on 1. back up and recovery, 2. disaster recovery and 3. Information security.
3.
The 5 required characteristics of infrastructure architecture is.
Flexibility: systems must be flexible enough to meet all types of business changes.
Scalability: how well a system can adapt to increased demands.
Reliability: ensures all systems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information.
Availability: when systems can be accessed by users, preferably for long periods of time.
Performance: how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction.
4.
A Service oriented architecture allows enterprises to plug in new services or upgrade existing services in a granular fashion. This means they will respond more quickly and more cost-effectively to changing market-conditions.
5.
Events are the eyes and ears of the business expressed in technology. They detect threats and opportunities and alert those who can act on the information. Uses IT systems to monitor a business process for events that matter.
6.
Services are more like software products than they are coding projects. They must appeal to a broad audience and they need to be reusable if they are going to have an impact on productivity.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Week 5 Questions
1.
There are 4 main technology related ethical issues. They are:
A. Intellectual property: Intangible creative work that is embodied in physical form
B. Copyright: The legal protection afforded an expression of an idea, such as a song, video game, and some types of proprietary documents.
C. Fair use doctrine: In certain situations, it is legal to use copyrighted material
D. Pirated software: The unauthorized use, duplication, distribution, or sale of copy righted software.
E. Counterfeit software: Software that is manufactured to look like the real thing.
There is also the issue of privacy. Privacy is an issue as people have right to be left alone when they wish to be. Privacy is one of the prime barriers to the growth of e-business as many people can not accept the trust required in the privacy issues that needs to be accepted for e-business to grow.
2.
An example of a practice that would fall into the 2nd quadrant of the Acting ethically and legally are not always the same figure 4.4 (Essentials of Information systems, 134) is if you were to buy a copy of a software program and then make a copy of it (which is illegal) as a back up copy for yourself this would be considered ethical but is also illegal.
3.
An ethical computer use policy will contain general principles to guide computer user behaviour. An example of one of these policies is acceptable use policy which is a policy that a user must agree to follow in order to be provided access to a network or to the Internet.
4.
The 5 main technology security risks are as follows. Human error which is not intentional. Natural disasters unplanned natural occurring events. Technical failures like crashes and bugs. Deliberate acts like sabotage and hacking. Management failure which includes lack of procedures, documentation and training.
5.
To stop deliberate acts of security risks an organisation can implement strong passwords, password changes regularly, system audits, strong penalties for misuse of data and firewalls. This will also cut down human error.
To prevent disasters company's should have information stored off site and all information must be recoverable, with regular recovering testing. This is will help if a hard drive crashes or a bug destroys and computers information.
There is also corporate protection systems available to prevent external hackers entering the site and also will protect against intentional viruses.
6.
In the case that a disaster occurs a company should have a system in place to ensure that all data and information is easily recoverable. To prevent disasters company's should have information stored off site and all information must be recoverable, with regular recovering testing. This is will help if a hard drive crashes or a bug destroys and computers information.
There are 4 main technology related ethical issues. They are:
A. Intellectual property: Intangible creative work that is embodied in physical form
B. Copyright: The legal protection afforded an expression of an idea, such as a song, video game, and some types of proprietary documents.
C. Fair use doctrine: In certain situations, it is legal to use copyrighted material
D. Pirated software: The unauthorized use, duplication, distribution, or sale of copy righted software.
E. Counterfeit software: Software that is manufactured to look like the real thing.
There is also the issue of privacy. Privacy is an issue as people have right to be left alone when they wish to be. Privacy is one of the prime barriers to the growth of e-business as many people can not accept the trust required in the privacy issues that needs to be accepted for e-business to grow.
2.
An example of a practice that would fall into the 2nd quadrant of the Acting ethically and legally are not always the same figure 4.4 (Essentials of Information systems, 134) is if you were to buy a copy of a software program and then make a copy of it (which is illegal) as a back up copy for yourself this would be considered ethical but is also illegal.
3.
An ethical computer use policy will contain general principles to guide computer user behaviour. An example of one of these policies is acceptable use policy which is a policy that a user must agree to follow in order to be provided access to a network or to the Internet.
4.
The 5 main technology security risks are as follows. Human error which is not intentional. Natural disasters unplanned natural occurring events. Technical failures like crashes and bugs. Deliberate acts like sabotage and hacking. Management failure which includes lack of procedures, documentation and training.
5.
To stop deliberate acts of security risks an organisation can implement strong passwords, password changes regularly, system audits, strong penalties for misuse of data and firewalls. This will also cut down human error.
To prevent disasters company's should have information stored off site and all information must be recoverable, with regular recovering testing. This is will help if a hard drive crashes or a bug destroys and computers information.
There is also corporate protection systems available to prevent external hackers entering the site and also will protect against intentional viruses.
6.
In the case that a disaster occurs a company should have a system in place to ensure that all data and information is easily recoverable. To prevent disasters company's should have information stored off site and all information must be recoverable, with regular recovering testing. This is will help if a hard drive crashes or a bug destroys and computers information.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Week 4 questions
1.
Internet protocol, way in which data is transferred from one data to another around the internet. Each computer has its own unique IP address which it transfers between internet and networks, a communications protocol.
2.
Web 1.0
One way internet: These sites contain just read content and do not allow user participation.
Web 2.0
Allow users to participate and has lead to social networking sites, collaboration, user built content. Users can update and change the web page (e.g. Facebook, Myspace) this has lead to more business opportunity.
3.
Web 3.0 is a semantic web - A way of data basing the internet by using metadata. Through metadata we can build the internet into a database and search for different sorts of media.
4.
E-business is much broader than E-commerce: E-business links other parts of business (advertising and marketing online, making sure funds go securely from purchaser to company, packing of goods) into the internet not just the buying and selling of goods that e-commerce involves.
5.
Business to Business: Involves businesses buying and selling to each other through the internet.
Business to Consumer: Involves businesses selling their products to consumers through the internet
Consumer to Business: When a consumer sells a product to a business through the internet.
Consumer to Consumer: When a site offers goods that will be sold from consumer to consumer. Ie Ebay.
6.
Major B2B models contain three parts.
Seller side: Contains One seller and many buyers (e.g. ebay)and works in a ‘forward auction model. That is costs go up as time passes.
Buyer side: Price should go down as time passes. Buyers put out conditions to a number of sellers the sellers come back to that response. End price will be lowest price for the best service.
Electronic exchange: Will involve a medium or website where buyers and sellers can see each other’s offers/goods. The web site is already built meaning they don’t have to build a website themselves to run the ecommerce.
7.
Two challenges are:
1. Order fulfillment: This involves locating the product to be shipped, packaging the wanted product and then arranging for quick delivery to the customer. Also involves handling the returned unwanted or defective products.
2. Channel conflict: This occurs when manufacturers disintermediate their channel partners. This includes distributors, retailers, dealers, and sales representatives, by using the internet to sell their products directly to consumers.
Two Opportunities are:
1. Increased Global reach: Through business online it enables businesses to access overseas markets without having to set up shop in that country. This has potential to enable consumers and sellers to buy and sell goods from all over the world.
2. Increased Convenience: Business online allows sellers to more conveniently sell goods to consumers. Sellers can display goods on the internet with all relevant information about the goods making it more convenient that selling through a shop. This has also lead to a more convenient way of purchasing goods for the consumer as they can access a larger range of goods all in the one location.
Internet protocol, way in which data is transferred from one data to another around the internet. Each computer has its own unique IP address which it transfers between internet and networks, a communications protocol.
2.
Web 1.0
One way internet: These sites contain just read content and do not allow user participation.
Web 2.0
Allow users to participate and has lead to social networking sites, collaboration, user built content. Users can update and change the web page (e.g. Facebook, Myspace) this has lead to more business opportunity.
3.
Web 3.0 is a semantic web - A way of data basing the internet by using metadata. Through metadata we can build the internet into a database and search for different sorts of media.
4.
E-business is much broader than E-commerce: E-business links other parts of business (advertising and marketing online, making sure funds go securely from purchaser to company, packing of goods) into the internet not just the buying and selling of goods that e-commerce involves.
5.
Business to Business: Involves businesses buying and selling to each other through the internet.
Business to Consumer: Involves businesses selling their products to consumers through the internet
Consumer to Business: When a consumer sells a product to a business through the internet.
Consumer to Consumer: When a site offers goods that will be sold from consumer to consumer. Ie Ebay.
6.
Major B2B models contain three parts.
Seller side: Contains One seller and many buyers (e.g. ebay)and works in a ‘forward auction model. That is costs go up as time passes.
Buyer side: Price should go down as time passes. Buyers put out conditions to a number of sellers the sellers come back to that response. End price will be lowest price for the best service.
Electronic exchange: Will involve a medium or website where buyers and sellers can see each other’s offers/goods. The web site is already built meaning they don’t have to build a website themselves to run the ecommerce.
7.
Two challenges are:
1. Order fulfillment: This involves locating the product to be shipped, packaging the wanted product and then arranging for quick delivery to the customer. Also involves handling the returned unwanted or defective products.
2. Channel conflict: This occurs when manufacturers disintermediate their channel partners. This includes distributors, retailers, dealers, and sales representatives, by using the internet to sell their products directly to consumers.
Two Opportunities are:
1. Increased Global reach: Through business online it enables businesses to access overseas markets without having to set up shop in that country. This has potential to enable consumers and sellers to buy and sell goods from all over the world.
2. Increased Convenience: Business online allows sellers to more conveniently sell goods to consumers. Sellers can display goods on the internet with all relevant information about the goods making it more convenient that selling through a shop. This has also lead to a more convenient way of purchasing goods for the consumer as they can access a larger range of goods all in the one location.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Week 3 questions - Chapter 2
1.
TPS is short for Transaction Processing Systems and is the simple business system that carries out the operational level (analysts) in an organization. A TPS will usually provide the base for other information systems within the organisation. Business activities such as sales, receipts, cash deposits, payroll, credit decisions and flow of materials will be carried out by a TPS system. A TPS is specified to a single functional area of business, and are transaction oriented. TPS's manage these business activities, and are usually very important to the operation of a business. The biggest advantage of a TPS is that it replaces repetitive tasks, cutting down the number of required workers, time management and therefore costs.
DDS is short for Decision Support Systems and is a computer based information system. A DDS's main function is support the business and assist management in decision making. A DDS does this displaying current and accurate data on many facets of the business. DSS’s aid management, operations, and planning levels of an organisation. DSS will usually be one of the three models: Sensitivity Analysis, What-if analysis, and Goal-Seeking analysis (these will be discussed in the following question).
2
Sensitivity Analysis: this model will study the impact the change in one or more parts of the model will have on other parts of the model. This is done through changing the value of one variable repeatedly and then observing the resulting changes in the other variables in the model.
What if analysis: This model will check the impact a change in an assumption will have on the proposed solution. Users will repeat the analysis till the effects of various situations are understood. This can be performed across multiple work sheets.
Goal-seeking analysis: This model will let the user know the necessary inputs needed to achieve a given goal. This is achieved by setting target value (the desired goal) for a variable and then is repeatedly changes until desired goal is achieved.
3.
A business process refer to the manner that a business is organised, coordinated and focused to produce a valuable product or service. Viewed as standardized set of activities that carry out a certain task. The main goal of the business process is to convert inputs to outputs within an organisation. A business success is highly reflective of their business process, without a good business process a business can not be successful and this is why they are so important to a business.
4.
Business process improvement as stated in the above question is a vital part of any successful business, without improvements a business will fail to stay competitive in the current market. A organisation must understand and measure the current process and ensure they are always making improvements on towards it.
Reengineering: When the current process that is in place is outdated or fails to work anymore, the organisation redesigns the process to make it more effective for the business. The below figure a basic re-engineering model.
BPM is short for Business process management. What BPM does is integrates all business's processes in the organisation to make them more efficient. It can be used to create a system which combines all of the business processes or identify a singular problem. BPM's must accurately aid the business as it can change systems which were previously successful and lead larger business problems. There is strong link between accurate implementation of BPM and a successful business. Below is an example of how BPM can help businesses become more effective.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Week 2 Questions
Q1
Information Technologies role in business is to provide support to other areas of the business. It is a relatively new form of support however has lead to great increases in productivity and lower costs in businesses. In modern times the most important aspect of IT is its ability to process data quickly and across various global markets.
There are two ways to measure the success of IT. These are efficiency IT metric and effective IT metric. Efficiency IT metric measures the IT systems performance based on throughput, speed, response time and availability. Effective IT metric measures the how much of an impact IT is having on business processes and activities, measures that the IT system is achieving the goals set out.
Q2
The 5 forces in Porter's Five Forces Model are: Buyer power, Supplier power, Threat of substitute products or services, Threat of new entrants and Rivalry among existing competitors. Each factor determines how attractive a certain type of industry is.
Buyer power represents the power that buyers have in the industry, higher buyer power will lead to a less attractive industry. Supplier power represents the power suppliers have in the buying process, higher supplier power is more attractive. Threat of substitute products or services represents the threat posed by products or services that can be used a direct alternative to the product or service provided in an industry, increased substitute products or services in an industry will make it less attractive.Threat of new entrants represents the threat of possible new competitors coming into the industry, if there is a higher chance of new competitors the industry is less attractive. Rivalry among existing competitors represents the competitiveness between the existing competitors, the other 4 factors listed above will determine the rivalry among existing competitors.
Q3
To achieve value creation there must be a result of effective business processes and efficient value chains. Business process is the standardised set of activities that are used to achieve a specific task. Value chain views organisations as a series of processes and the value each process adds to a service or product. The link between these two is that the more effective and efficient a business process is the more value each process will add onto a product therefore increasing its value chain.
Q4
When a product is entering a market it will most probably follow one of Porter's three generic strategies, which are as follows.
1. Broad Cost Leadership: is where a new entrant uses the price of their service or product as the main way entry into the market, typically setting their product or service price lower than the existing competitors to try and 'steal' customers away from existing competitors.
2. Broad Differentiation: is where a new entrant will try use the fact their product is different in a positive way and a way that will enhance the consumers consumption compared to existing competitors.
3. Focused Strategy: Where a new entrant will have a clear and defined strategy that they believe will allow their product to enter a new market, even though it is not different nor costs less than the existing competitors. Generally associated with high demand goods.
Information Technologies role in business is to provide support to other areas of the business. It is a relatively new form of support however has lead to great increases in productivity and lower costs in businesses. In modern times the most important aspect of IT is its ability to process data quickly and across various global markets.
There are two ways to measure the success of IT. These are efficiency IT metric and effective IT metric. Efficiency IT metric measures the IT systems performance based on throughput, speed, response time and availability. Effective IT metric measures the how much of an impact IT is having on business processes and activities, measures that the IT system is achieving the goals set out.
Q2
The 5 forces in Porter's Five Forces Model are: Buyer power, Supplier power, Threat of substitute products or services, Threat of new entrants and Rivalry among existing competitors. Each factor determines how attractive a certain type of industry is.
Buyer power represents the power that buyers have in the industry, higher buyer power will lead to a less attractive industry. Supplier power represents the power suppliers have in the buying process, higher supplier power is more attractive. Threat of substitute products or services represents the threat posed by products or services that can be used a direct alternative to the product or service provided in an industry, increased substitute products or services in an industry will make it less attractive.Threat of new entrants represents the threat of possible new competitors coming into the industry, if there is a higher chance of new competitors the industry is less attractive. Rivalry among existing competitors represents the competitiveness between the existing competitors, the other 4 factors listed above will determine the rivalry among existing competitors.
Q3
To achieve value creation there must be a result of effective business processes and efficient value chains. Business process is the standardised set of activities that are used to achieve a specific task. Value chain views organisations as a series of processes and the value each process adds to a service or product. The link between these two is that the more effective and efficient a business process is the more value each process will add onto a product therefore increasing its value chain.
Q4
When a product is entering a market it will most probably follow one of Porter's three generic strategies, which are as follows.
1. Broad Cost Leadership: is where a new entrant uses the price of their service or product as the main way entry into the market, typically setting their product or service price lower than the existing competitors to try and 'steal' customers away from existing competitors.
2. Broad Differentiation: is where a new entrant will try use the fact their product is different in a positive way and a way that will enhance the consumers consumption compared to existing competitors.
3. Focused Strategy: Where a new entrant will have a clear and defined strategy that they believe will allow their product to enter a new market, even though it is not different nor costs less than the existing competitors. Generally associated with high demand goods.
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