AACS3763 Managing Information Systems

Tutorial 1

Tutorial 1
1) What is an information system? In your answer be sure to give what components make up the system, and give at least TWO (2) examples of information systems used in business.

2) Sally recently opened her very own fabric shop. After observing customer response for the first few weeks in her new business, Sally knows that most of her customers arrive early morning (before 9:00 am) or late afternoon (between 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm). Based on this information, she decided to close her fabric shop at 6.00 pm. a) Is Sally making her decision under conditions of certainty, uncertainty or risk? b) Is her information most likely based on information or experience? 3) People is one of the key elements of information systems in system development within an organization. Determine and describe TWO (2) of the responsibilities for any TWO (2) of the roles.

4) Briefly explain why organizations collect data on daily events that occur throughout their operations.

5) Sandy works as a staff for Wow-Wow Dog Food Company. Since there are several different suppliers of ingredients and their prices fluctuate, she has come up with several different formulations for the same dog food product, depending on the availability of different ingredients from different suppliers. She then orders ingredients accordingly based on the price quotation from suppliers. Even though she cannot predict the availability of a particular ingredient, her ordering of supplies can be considered routine. In which level of organisational management is Sandy working? Justify your answer.

6) Western Chemical Corporation uses computer based information system to capture data and share information about sales orders and purchases. Sales and orders data are required to process immediately, and inventory and other databases are updated. Managers and business professionals are required to access reports on a periodic, exception, and demand basis, and use computers to interactively assess the possible results of alternative solutions. Finally, top management can access text summaries and graphics displays that identify key elements of organisation performance and compare them to industry and competitor performance. There are many different types of information systems can be used in Western Chemical. Identify and describe THREE (3) suitable types of information systems that can be used to support business operation, business decision making and strategic advantage as stated in the above scenario.