Information Systems Short Answer Questions

Chap 5)

1) The four major network applications:

• Discovery: Involves browsing and information retrieval and provides the ability to view information in databases.

• Communication: Via e-mail, call centers, chat rooms…

• Collaboration: two or more entities (individuals, groups or companies)

• Web Services:

2) Various technologies, applications, and web sites that fall under Web 2.0

• XML

• Ajax: Web development technique that allows portions of web pages to reload with fresh data instead of requiring the entire page to reload.

• Tagging: Describes piece of information. Users typically choose tags that are meaningful to them.

• Blogs: Personal website, open to public, site creator expressing feelings and/or opinions.

• Wikis: Anyone can post material and make changes to other material.

• RSS: Allows anyone to publish his blog or any other content, to anyone who has an interest in subscribing.

• Podcasting: Digital audio file that is distributed over the web using RSS for play.

3) Differentiate between e-learning and distance learning

• E – learning, refers to learning supported by the web. It can take place inside classrooms.
• Also in virtual classrooms, in which all course work is done online.

• Distance learning refers to any learning situation in which teachers and students do not meet face to face.

4) Advantages and Dis-advantages of telecommuting for both employers and employees.

• Benefits telecommuting for employees include less stress, improved family life and employment opportunities for housebound people.
• Can also provide the organization-increased productivity.

• Disadvantage for employees are increased feelings for isolation, possible loss of fringe benefits lower pay.

• For Employers, are difficulties in supervising work, potential data security problems, training costs.

Chap 8)

1. Describe transaction processing systems

• TPSs monitor
• Store
• Collect
• Process data generates from all business transactions

1. Functional area information systems and the support they provide for each.

• Production/operations management
• Marketing
• Accounting/finance
• Human resources management

• FAIS designed to support lower and mid-level managers

• FAIS generate reports (routine, adhoc and exception)

1. Describe enterprise resource planning systems

• ERP integrate the planning, management and use of all of the organizations resources.
• Objective of ERP is to tightly integrate the FA of the organization.
• Enables information to flow seamlessly across various FA’s.  
• ERP includes a set of independent software modules, linked to a common database.

Chap 9)

1. Define customer relationship management and discuss the objectives of CRM

• customer-focused and customer-driven organizational strategy
• Market to each customer individually;
• Treat different customers differently;
• Satisfy customers by assessing their requirements for products and services, and then by providing high-quality, responsive services;
• Build long-term, sustainable customer relationships that create value for the company and the customer;
• Help companies acquire new customers, retain existing profitable customers, and grow relationships with existing customers

1. Describe operational CRM and its major components.

• part of an overall CRM effort in an organization that supports the front-office business processes that directly interact with customers; i.e., sales, marketing, and service.

• The two major components of operational CRM are customer-facing applications and customer-touching applications.

1. Describe analytical CRM.

• analyze customer behavior and perceptions in order to provide actionable business intelligence.
• Important technologies in analytical CRM systems include

data warehouses, data mining, and decision support.

1. Discuss on-demand CRM, mobile CRM, and open-source CRM.

• On-demand CRM is a CRM system that is hosted by an external vendor in the vendor’s data center.

-  Mobile CRM is an interactive CRM system where communications related to

sales, marketing, and customer service activities are conducted through a mobile medium for the purpose of building and maintaining customer relationships between an organization and its customers.