Shared Flashcard Set

Details

MIS Test 2
MIS
47
Business
Undergraduate 2
11/04/2012

Additional Business Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term

Explain what collaboration is

Definition

·      Collaboration occurs when two or more people work together to achieve a common goal, result, or work product. When effective, the group work is greater than individual. Communication and coordination are necessary.

Term

What is the difference/relationship between collaboration and cooperation?

Definition

·      Cooperation is people working with each other. Collaboration is people working together for a common objective. Must have cooperation in order to successfully have collaboration

Term

What are the characteristics that make for an effective team, according to Hackman?

Definition

·      The team accomplishes its goals and objectives in a way that satisfies the team’s sponsors and clients

·      Over time, the team increases in capability. Working together becomes easier and more effective.

·      Team members learn and feel fulfilled as a result of working on the team.

Term

Explain the three factors that drive collaboration.

 

Definition

·      Communication

 

o   The communication skills and abilities of group members. The ability to give critical feedback can only improve the product.

 

·      Content Management

 

o   If multiple users have inputs in the production and editing of a product, these must be controlled effectively.

 

o   Information systems play a key role in controlling the access of team members. Ex: admin or read-only

 

·      Workflow Control

 

o   Workflow is a process or procedure by which content is edited, created, used, and disposed.

 

o   The workflow specifies particular ordering of tasks and processing for handling rejected changes as well as dealing with exceptions.

 

Term

What are the (essential) key skills for collaborators?

 

Definition

·      Enthusiastic

 

·      Curious and open-minded

 

·      Says what they think, even if it’s unpopular

 

Term

Distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous communication

 

Definition

·      Synchronous communication occurs when all team members meet at the same time, such as face-to-face meetings or conference calls

 

·      Asynchronous communication occurs when team members do not meet at the same time.

 

Term

What common tools are used for (a) synchronous communication?

 

Definition

·      Shared calendars, invitation and attendance, office applications such as word and PowerPoint, conference calls, webinars, multiparty text chat, Microsoft SharePoint, videoconferencing.

 

 

 

Term

Describe the difference between version management systems and version control.

 

Definition

·      Version management systems track changes to documents ad provide features and functions to accommodate concurrent work. Version management does not provide version control.

 

·      Version control systems limit the actions that can be taken by any particular user, and they give control over changes to documents to particular users.

 

 

 

Term

Ad hoc group-

 

 

Definition
Term
Synchronous communications
Definition
occurs when all team members meet at the same time such as with face to face meetings or conference calls
Term
Asynchronous communications
Definition

·      occurs when team members don’t meet at the same time. Employees who work different shifts at the same location

 

Term
Version management system
Definition
improve the tracking of shared content and potentially eliminate problems caused by concurrent document access
Term
Version control
Definition

·      limits the actions that can be taken by any particular user and they do not give control over the changes to the documents to particular users.

 

Term

·      Understand empathetic versus egocentric thinking and how it impacts communication

 

Definition

o   Egocentric thinking centers on the self; someone who engages in egocentric thinking considers their view as the “real view” or “what really is”

 

o   In contrast, those who engage in empathetic thinking consider their view as one possible interpretation of the situation and actively work to learn what other people are thinking

 

o   Egocentric thinking only causes arguments and hassle for everyone involved but empathetic thinking allows you to put yourself in someone else’s point of view and see where they’re coming from, empathetic thinking is the way to go always

 

Term
List and understand the characteristics of good information
Definition

o   Characteristics

 

§  Accurate

 

·      Which is information based on correct and complete data and it has been processed correctly

 

·      Most crucial piece without complete correct data the others do not matter

 

§  Timely

 

·      Information that is produced in time for its intended use

 

§  Relevant

 

·      Is information that directly pertains to both the context and to the subject it references

 

§  Just barley sufficient

 

·      Information that is sufficient for the purpose for which it is generated

 

§  Worth its cost

 

·      For information to be worth its cost an appropriate relationship must exists between the cost of the information and its value

 

Term

·      What is the impact, issues with regard to ensuring good information is brought into a system

 

Definition

o   Good information must be brought to a system in order to receive accurate, precise data.

 

o   Bad information results in inaccurate and possible harmful data for a company

 

Term

·      What is your role with regard to business processes

 

Definition

o   Problem perspective- view potiental problems and fix them if necessary

 

Term
List the key components of a business process
Definition

o   Activities

 

§  Are collections of related tasks that receive inputs and process those inputs to produce outputs

 

§  Activities can be manual  (people following procedures), automated (hardware directed by software) or a combination of both

 

o   Decision

 

§  A question that can be answered yes or no

 

§  Decisions provide branching points within the flow of a business process

 

o   Roles

 

§  Are sets of procedures

 

o   Resources

 

§  Are people, facilities or computer programs that are assigned to roles

 

§  One way to improve the business process is to add resources to roles

 

o   Repository

 

§  A collection of business records

 

§  A repository can be a cardboard box, a notebook, a list, an excel spreadsheet a database or even a collection of databases

 

§  Repositories hold the collective memory of an organization

 

o   Data flow

 

§  It’s the movement of a data item from one activity to another activity or to a repository

 

Term

·      Define a business process

 

Definition

o   Is a network of activities, roles, resources, repositories and data flows that interact to accomplish a business function

 

o   You can model any organization as a complex maze of interacting business processes

 

Term
Overlay components of a business process with the five components of an information system
Definition

o   Information systems support business processes by implementing activities, by serving as data repositories and by controlling the flow of data

 

·      [image]

 

Term

·      What are examples of companies that follow the four organizational strategies? What are the four organization strategies based on Porter's competitive forces?

 

Definition

o   Porter identified four competitive strategies:

 

§  1.Broad cost leadership across industry (most efficient)

 

§  2.Narrow cost leadership focused on particular industry segment (most efficient)

 

§  3.Broad differentiation across industry (most effective)

 

§  4.Narrow differentiation focused on particular industry segment (most effective)

 

·      Goals, objectives, culture, and activities must be consistent with strategy

 

·      Car rental industry

 

o   An organization can be the cost leader and provide products at the lowest price

 

o   Or it can focus on adding value to its products to differentiate them those of the competition

 

o   The organization can employ the cost of differentiation strategy across an industry or it can focus its strategy on a particular industry segment

 

o   Consider the car rental industry for example

 

§  According to the first column a car rental company can strive to provide the lowest-cost car rentals to a “focused” industry segment – say US business domestic travelers

 

§  As shown in the second column a car rental company can seek to differentiate its products from the competition

 

·      It can do so in various ways such as

 

o   Providing a wide range of high quality cars

 

o   By providing the best reservation system

 

o   Having the cleanest cars etc

 

§  The company can strive to provide product differentiation across the industry or within particular segments of the industry such as US Business domestic travelers

 

Term

·      Understand how an organization determines it's goals

 

Definition

o   Organizations examine the structure of their industry and from that develop a competitive strategy that strategy determines value chains which in turn determine business processes

 

o   The nature of business processes determines the requirements and functions of information systems

 

o   According to porter, to be effective the organizations goals, objectives, culture and activities must be consistent with organizational strategy

 

§  In other words, all information systems in the organization must facilitate the organizations competitive strategy

 

Term

·      Apply Porters value chain to IT and process management.

 

Definition

o   Porter’s value chain is the inputs in IT and the result which is monitored in project management. The chain shows the necessary inputs, some of which are processed in an information system, to produce a product or services. Theses services are monitored through project management.

 

Term

List the components of a Data flow diagram.

 

Definition

1. Source

 

2. Process

 

3. Sink

 

Term
*Data Flow Diagram (DBD):
Definition

The movement of a data item from one activity to another or to a

 

repository.

 

Term

Understand the different levels of a DFD

 

Definition

1.0 Subprocess

 

DATASTORE

 

2.0 Subprocess

 

SOURCE SINK


* Source sink always to from process. Data store always to from process.

 

 

Term

Explain the common problems of a DFD

 

Definition

-Miracles and Blackholes

 

-Miracles have results but no Input. Blackhole have no Outputs.

 

Term

What are the three levels of Organizational Decisions?

 

Definition

-Operation: concern day-to-day activities

 

-Managerial: concern the allocation and utilization of resources

 

-Strategic: concern broader-scope, organizational issues

 

Term
Describe and understand the pyramid paradox
Definition

Correct

 

Right Now Low Cost

 

-Can’t be all because of the allocation of resources, which means you must make a decision based

 

on the situation

 

Term

What is a problem?

 

Definition

-A problem is in the perception of the individual or company.

 

Term

Explain what Work-breakdown structure is and its role within project management.

 

Definition

-Breaks project up into manageable pieces/levels hierarchy of tasks required to complete a

 

project, each task ends with deliverables, identifies task dependencies, estimate task

 

duration, cost and labor needed, may be created with project management software

 

Term

Understand what Critical Path Analysis is and how to determine the critical path.

 

Definition

-Determines the earliest date a project can be completed; to tell critical components, and

 

where you have slack.

 

Term

Know the purpose of a Gantt chart.

 

Definition
-To lay out a time frame.
Term

Distinguish between the logical design and physical design of a system.

 

Understand the process of (re)designing a system.

 

Definition

-Structured Decision: one for which there is an understood and accepted method for making

 

decisions. Supported by automated systems

 

-Unstructured Decision Process: one for which there is no agreed-on decision-making

 

method. Supported by augmentation info systems

 

Term

 

Understand TPS, MIS, and EIS with regard to decision-making.

 

 

Definition

In organizations, decisions occur at three levels: operational, managerial and strategic.

 

1. Operational decisions concern day to day activities. Typical operational decisions

 

are: How many widgets should we order from vendor A? Should we extend credit to

 

vendor B? In this case TPS (transaction processing systems) come into place.

 

2. Managerial decisions concern the allocation and utilization of resources. Typical

 

managerial decisions are: How much should we budget for computer hardware and

 

programs for department a next year? In this case MIS (managerial information

 

systems) would come into use.

 

3. Strategic decisions concern broader-scope, organizational issues. Typical decisions at

 

this level are: Should we start a new product line? This is where EIS executive

 

information systems become useful.

 

Term

What is the distinction between automation and augmentation with regard to MIS?

 

Definition

-Automated Information Systems are those in which the hardware and software components

 

do most of the work. In the Augmentation Information Systems are those in which humans

 

do the bulk of the work.

 

Term
Linkages
Definition

interactions across value activities; Porter’s model of business includes linkages.

 

Term
Support Activities
Definition

are business functions that assist and facilitate the primary activities.

 

Term
Competitive Strategy
Definition

is a way that an organization responds to the structure of its industry.

 

It can be four strategies: 1- Lowest cost across the industry; 2 – Lowest cost within an

 

industry segment; 3 – Better product/service across the industry; 4 – Better product/service

within an industry segment

Term
Primary Activities
Definition

are business functions that relate directly to the production of the

organization’s products or services

Term
Data Warehouse
Definition

has the purpose to extract a and clean data from operational systems and

 

other sources and to sort and catalog that data for processing by Business Intelligence tools.

 

Term
Data Mart
Definition

- is a data collection that is created to address the needs of a particular business

 

function, problem, or opportunity.

 

Term
Business Intelligence
Definition
information containing patterns, relationships, and trends.
Term
Expert Sysytem
Definition

encapsulate the knowledge of human experts in the form of If/Then rules.

 

Term
EIS
Definition
Are information systems that support strategic decision making.
Term
TPS
Definition

Are information systems that support operational decision making.

 

Knowledge Checks

 

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