week 5 Chapter 3 (Data and Knowledge management)

 3.1

High quality data within an organisation is Timely, Accurate, Reliable, Complete, Concise, Accessible and Useful. Achieving high quality data is difficult because the amount of data increases rapidly, while being spread all through the organization and coming from multiple different sources. The data also becomes outdated, and become corrupted/destroyed. Government regulations also create pressure in data storage and management. 

Data governance is the approach used to manage the huge amounts of information throughout the organization. Master data management involves a strategy to govern data which spans across all of an organisations processes and activities. 

 

3.2

This allows a business to have only one version of all the information spanning across the whole organisation. A good database ensures data redundancy does not occur, meaning data is only stored in one place. Secondly proper data isolation can occur meaning data is only accessible by those who need access. Lastly it also means all data is up to date and does not conflict. It also allows data to be kept securely, meet integrity laws and also be independent of other applications.

Database management systems (DBMS) is a software that creates, stores and organizes data by accessing data from a database.

3.3

Relational databases are a commonly used databases that allows for data to be easily compared through rows or columns. It is also simple to retrieve things by locating the intersection of a specific row and column. However, these huge databases may consist of several connected tables, creating a complicated system and causing poor search and access speeds.

Normalization is refining a database through streamlining the processes of storage and complex groupings of data. as well as minimizing data redundancies and maximizing data integrity. 

 

3.4

Data warehouses and data marts are the storage of historical data to aid decision making through easy access to the information. 

For a data warehouse and marts to be implemented and maintained properly, an organisation must:

·        establish a connection between source systems and the warehouse.

·        utilise data integration procedures and technologies to get the required information.

·        choose a suitable design for data storage in the data mart or data warehouse.

·        choose the programmes and instruments for the range of users within the company.

·        Verify that governance, metadata, and data quality procedures are in place to guarantee that the data warehouse or mart fulfils its intended functions.

 

3.5 

Knowledge management systems allow organisations to reap a number of benefits, including better customer service, more efficient product development, increased employee morale and retention, and easy access to best the practices for a diverse spectrum of staff members.

The following requirements must be met to put KMSs into practice: the knowledge base must be updated and maintained on a regular basis; organisations must foster a culture of knowledge management that rewards staff members who contribute their expertise to it; employees must be willing to share their own tacit knowledge; and businesses must be prepared to invest the funds necessary to carry out these tasks.

Knowledge management may help organisations establish best practices, identify the most practical and efficient methods of operation, and make these methods easily accessible to a variety of staff members. Enhanced customer service, more effective product creation, and higher employee morale and retention are other advantages of knowledge management.

Gray, H., Issa, T., Pye, G., Troshani, I., Rainer, K. (2014). Management Information Systems, 1st Australian Edition. John Wiley & Sons Australia.

week 4 Chapter 2 (Organizational strategy)

2.1 Business pressures, organisational responses and IT support

There are three types of business pressures, the first is Market pressures. This is the pressure caused by globalizations resulting in fierce competition between all Businesses with competing products and services. The second pressure is due to technology, which have forced huge amounts of change to the market and resulted in Businesses having to quickly adapt to ongoing changes. Societal, political, and legal pressures is the third Business pressure, this involves the increased spending needed for matters involving ethics and decision making on new and complex issues such as gender/pronoun system changes.

 

Organisational responses involve strategic systems which help Businesses to be most profitable. A costumer focus ensures that their products and services are sold by keeping their customers happy with the organizations purchasing experience. Customizations is an organisational response to attract more customers. Through utilizing E-commerce, organizations access customers all around the world through technology, primarily the internet.

 

2.2 Competitive advantage and strategic information systems

Strategizing for competitive advantage allows Organizations to be more profitable by increasing performance by reaching goals and implementing change. This can be achieved through recognizing Porter’s five competitive forces. These are the risk of new competitors entering the market, the threat of replacement goods or services by competitors, the negotiating power of suppliers, the bargaining power of consumers, and the competition amongst currently operating businesses in the sector.

To counter Porter's five competitive forces and gain a competitive edge, organisations employ one or more of the following five strategies:

1. Cost leadership strategy: Create goods and/or services for the lowest possible price relative to the market.
2. Differentiation strategy: Provide unique goods, services, or attributes to your products.
3. Innovation strategy: Launch new goods and services, give already-existing goods and services additional features, or devise new and inventive methods of manufacturing them.
4. Operational effectiveness strategy: Streamline internal business procedures to enable the outperforming of its competitors in similar business.
5.  Customer-orientation strategy: Putting customers as the primary focus.

 

2.3 Business-IT alignment

Utilizing IT through its comprehensive integration into the mission, goals and strategy of the organisation. Effective utilization consists of six elements:

1. Businesses make sure IT staff members are aware of the company's financial gains and losses.
2. Businesses provide its workers expansive, well-defined objectives.
3. Business and IT specialists are rotated around departments and job roles inside organisations.
4. Businesses cultivate a welcoming and dynamic workplace culture.
5. Businesses see IT as a source of innovation that constantly changes the way they do business.
6. Businesses consider their clients and customer service to be the primary concern.

 

 

Gray, H., Issa, T., Pye, G., Troshani, I., Rainer, K. (2014). Management Information Systems, 1st Australian Edition. John Wiley & Sons Australia.

week 3 Chapter 1 (Introduction to information systems)

 

1.1              Why should I study information systems.

Primarily to ensure you can effectively utilize all of your organization’s Information systems. You will stand out as an employee that can navigate complex systems effectively, as well as help co-workers in understanding the systems. You will also be able to share your knowledge with the organizations management in order to aid in good decisions for what systems to use in the future. Because of these things you will also be significantly more likely to be considered for employment at any organisations with online informational systems (almost all of them).

Secondly, this knowledge would mean starting your own business will be significantly easier as you already understand a fundamental area of setup and function of the business.

 

1.2              Overview of computer-based systems.

There are many crucial computer-based systems that allow an organization’s smooth operation, the most important ones are as follows. TPS which capture and store all of the business transactions that occur. FAISs which support specific functions within the organization and IOSs which facilitate interorganizational operations, like for example supply chain management. ERP systems integrate FAISs to improve communication via a shared database. E-commerce systems facilitate transactions between organizations (B2B) and other organisations, as well as consumers (B2C). OASs aid clerical, managerial, and knowledge workers in tasks like document creation, scheduling, and communication. BI systems assist in complex decision-making, primarily for middle managers and knowledge workers and ESs which are designed to mimic human expertise within specific domains.

 

1.3              How does IT impact organisations?

IT can replace the labour of some middle managers meaning reduces jobs. IT can also effectively supply information in real-time to managers to make quick and informed decisions. IT also allows for remote work to be much more straight forward and accessible, meaning managers may have much less face to face supervision.

 

1.4              Why are information systems important to society?

It allows individuals with disabilities access to employment opportunities and similarly allows flexibility in work hours and more work from home. Furthermore, the role of running basic calculations or moving files and other mundane tasks are no longer needed, freeing resources for better uses. However less human decisions through information provided by systems can result in more misinformation.

Gray, H., Issa, T., Pye, G., Troshani, I., Rainer, K. (2014). Management Information Systems, 1st Australian Edition. John Wiley & Sons Australia.

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Information Technology Systems in Business