ADL – 11

ASSIGNMENT – C

Q1) what is the purpose of organizations?

Ans. The mission or purpose identifies the basic function or task of an enterprise or agency or of any
part of it. Every kind of organized operation has, or at least should have if it to be meaningful purposes
or missions. Generally the purpose statement of an organization is a statement that tells in nutshell
about the reason of the existence of the organization. For example a purpose of manufacturing firm
could be to produce surplus with a minimum costs, or a purpose for a service firm could be to deliver
the quality service on time, every time thus leaving every customer in a satisfied mode.

Organization is the process of identifying and grouping work to be performed, defining and delegating
responsibilities and authority and establishing relationship to the purpose of enabling people to work
most efficiently together in accomplishing objectives. Following are the main purposes of
organization:

• To increase production of goods/services in a most cost effective way.

• Welfare of employees, their cooperation and their motivation.
• To operate as a social group, keeping in view the welfare of society.

Q2). How is the purpose of any organization achieved?

Ans. Organization achieves their purpose by a mixture of many techniques. The main component that
helps in achieving the purpose of any organization is management. Management is a combination of
five functions namely Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Leading and Controlling. To achieve the
purpose, first the organization needs to do proper planning. In this phase objectives of the organization
are identified. Objectives are the end results that any organization would like to achieve, various
policies, procedures etc are framed that will tell the people of organization how to achieve the purpose.
Then next phase is organizing. In this phase all the tasks are identified, all the resources are identified,
and then the tasks are grouped and allocated to the resources. Staffing is another important area that
means keeping filled all the positions in the organization. Effective leadership is needed in order to
carry out all the tasks and at last effective control mechanism is required that will ensure that the tasks
being done in an organization will achieve the purpose of the organization.

In achieving the purpose of the organization managers needs to take very important decisions. For this
to happen there are various information systems that needs to be in place. These information systems
like Management Information System; Decision Support System helps managers to take decisions in
order to finally achieve the purpose of the organization.

Q3). How are goods and services are produced?

Ans Goods would be defined as anything that anyone wants or needs. Services would be the
performance of any duties or work for another; helpful or professional activity. The distribution of
goods and services is referred to as marketing. The marketing of goods and services can add almost as
much to the cost as the actual manufacturing of the goods. Marketing a product refers to the
advertising, and other efforts to promote a products sale.
There are many different kinds of goods. Consumer goods are those such as food and clothing that
satisfy human wants or needs. Producer goods are those such as raw materials and tools, used to make
consumer goods. Capital goods are such machinery, used in the production of commodities or producer
goods.
There are untold numbers of services. A short list would include educational, health, communication,
transportation, and social services.

Following are the important and sufficient for production of goods and services:

• Labor
• Capital
• Land
• Entrepreneur

The production of goods requires the availability of raw materials, resources (Man, Machine, Money,
Time), technology, processes, procedures, plans, targets, effective management and management
information system. Goods are produced with the help of raw materials. People or the employees of the
company are involved in the production; these people need time and money to produce the goods.
These people need to follow the standard sets of procedures and policies to produce the goods.
Management is involved in all the steps of production. This involves planning, design, development
and implementation. Following are the steps of production of goods:

1). Requirements – Firstly the requirements are defined. This includes the quantity, quality, and time
limits of the desired goods. Any processes or the guidelines are laid down if required.

2). Design – The design of the development of the product is finalized and document. A design is the
architectural lay out of the product. It specifies the technology, methodology and the development
strategy that will be used to develop the product.

3). Production – This is the action production of the good.

4). Control – This is the stage where the top management reviews the product; they give their
feedback, If required changes are made to the product.

5). Implementation – Finally the product is ready for the marketing.

Q4). Identify and List any three responsibilities of production manager?

Ans Following are the responsibilities of Production Manager.

• Responsible for the realization of every aspect of the production and the link to all areas of the
production to ensure the physical preparation of the production is on time and on budget. This
includes production of surplus with minimum cost.
• Ensure the quality of the manufactured product according to the standard quality procedures.
• Responsible for hygiene and safety of the work force. This includes effective management
(leadership, motivation, communication etc) that helps in maintaining low attrition rate.

Q5). List three decisions, which the production manager has to take as part of this responsibility.
Ans Following are the decisions taken by production managers:

• Production manager can decide about the development methodology. Let’s take there can be
many ways to produce a particular product then managers can select a particular development
methodology.
• Production manager can take decisions regarding the sequence of development, detailed
schedule of development and resources for the development.
• MIS Decision This systems supports the production operation function that includes all of the
activities concerned with the planning and control of the production goods.
Q6. Suggest a suitable name for the Database for any one of the decisions identified as above.

Ans Management Information System (MIS) for production planning and control decision.
Name is MIS-PPCD

Q7) List three elements of the above database.

Ans There elements of MIS

• Manufacturing: It is concerned with production. it is a collaborative process.

• Information: It is a data or information related to manufacturing or production for the user of
production managers.
• System: It is a organized collection of people, machine, and methods required to accomplish a
set of specific function and in this case, it is for production function.
Q8) What is the difference between Data and Information.

Ans The word data is the plural of datum; though data commonly represents both singular and plural
form. Data are raw facts or observations, typically about physical phenomenon or business
transactions. Whereas information is data placed in a meaningful context for an end user. People use
the terms data and information interchangeably. However it is better to view data as raw material
resources that are processed in to finished information and information is a data that have been
converted in to a meaningful and useful context for specific users.

Q9) Why different information is required by three distinct levels of management?

Ans Different levels of management requires different information systems:

Because of their different needs and responsibilities. All three levels have to take different decisions at
their levels for example; strategic management level requires more summarized ad hoc, unscheduled
reports. Forecasts and external intelligence to support their more instructed planning and policy
making responsibilities whereas decision makers at operational management level may require more
specified external reports emphasizing detailed current and historical data. This helps them in day-to-
day operation.

Q10) List two typical characteristics of the information needs at the three levels?

Ans Two characteristics of information needs are as mentioned:

1. Strategic Management is
• Summarized
 • External.

2. Operational Management: Information is:

• Detailed
• Internal

Q11) What is meant by Information –overload?

Ans. Information overload is a situation where the managers receive much more information that they
can possibly absorb even all they spend all their time trying to do and thus they suffer from
information overload. And unless the information overload is reduced; any additional information
made available can’t be used effectively.

Q12) What is System, explain the types of systems by giving examples.

Ans. System

A system is a group of interrelated components working towards the attainment of a common goal by
accepting inputs and producing output in an organized transformation process:

Types of System

• Office Automation System (e.g. Payroll, Invoicing, Billing etc)

• Transaction Processing System (invoicing, order entry, dispatch, delivery, shares etc)
• Decision Support Systems (Just in Time, TQM)
• Executive Support System

Q13) What type of systems are used in the management and why?

Ans. Types of system used in Management

• MIS (Management Information System)

• DSS (Decision Support System)
• Executive Information System
• Expert Systems
• Knowledge Information Systems.
• Transaction process System

Reasons for their use:

• Due to complex managerial decisions

• For various alternatives and possible solutions in the form of information.
• Because they provide flexible and quick information to management
• Provide expert knowledge and consultancy to management, which help manager in decision-
making.

Q14) How is the information needs are identified? Give three methods.
Ans. Intelligent agents use a variety of information analysis tools. These tools not only shift
information from heap of data but also deliver information in meaningful way:

• Data Mining
• Data Mapping
• Data Visualization.

Q15) What is the Visioning Process named after Davenport?

Ans. Vision Process is named because of summit it convened in downtown Davenport in US regarding
long-term vision for the city of Las Vegas. In this process, more than 300 people from on-campus and
the community came. There were 12 vision teams that came up with recommendations for their
respective areas. These were put in to a draft report. Sally Crino led the visioning. The vision 2020
teams were formed. The key to the long-term impact of vision 2020 was to link the recommendations
to the strategic process. The purpose of the committee was to formulate ideas and a vision for the new
master plan from the outset of the process and not at the end. It was also to participate in the
formulation of ideas and vision.

Q16) List four important characteristics of any MIS.

Ans. Four important characteristics of any MIS

• Summary Information
• Operational Control
• Focus on Internal Information
• Structured Decisions

Q17) List four types of Information System.

Ans. Four types of Information Systems:

• Office Automation Systems – These are characterized by repetitive short term output oriented
systems used directly by a large number of end users like clerks, typists and accountants
directly by a large number of end users.
• Transaction Processing Systems – Transaction Processing refers to the traditional commercial
application of computers such as invoicing, billing, order entry, dispatch, stocks accounting and
so on. In all there are single transaction like raising an invoicing, accepting an order, shipping
an item requiring updating of multiple datasets.
• Decision Support Systems – DSS are intended to help individual manager in their decision
making capability, generally involving decisions belonging to the non-programmed category.
• Executing Support System – These systems are meant to be used directly by senior managers
to provide support to non-programmed decisions on the strategic management category. The
information needs will be largely external, unstructured and even uncertain.

Q18) What is EIS? Mention two important characteristics of EIS.

Ans. EIS are management information systems tailored to the strategic information needs of top
management. Sources of EIS are letters, memos, periodicals and reports produced manually as well as
by computer systems. Other sources of EIS are meetings, telephone calls, social activities. The goal of
computer based EIS is to provide top management with immediate and easy access to selective
information about key factors that are critical to accomplish a strategic objective.
Two main characteristics are

• Act as electronic briefing systems

• Offer tremendous flexibility in use.

Q19) What is DSS? Mention three important characteristics of DSS.

Ans. DSS are computer based information systems that provide, interactive information support to the
managers during the decision making process. DSS use:

• Analytical Models
• Specialized Models
• A decision maker’s own insight and judgment
• An interaction of semi-structured and unstructured decisions by individual managers.
• Semi structured decision support.

Q20) Amongst three essential components of a MIS, one is Database, what are the other two?

Ans. Three essential components of MIS are

• Database
• Management
• Systems

Q21) What is a document?

Ans. Document as a medium on which data have been recorded for human use such as a report of
invoice. In word processing a generic term for text material such as letters, reports, memos etc.

Q22) Give three reasons to use computer for MIS.

Ans. Three reasons to use computer for MIS

• It provides a variety of reports and displays to management

• It helps in a day-to-day decision making needs of managers
• It helps in centralizing all the data and makes it easily possible to have it available at different
locations.

Q23) IS MIS s strategic tool or tactical.

Ans. MIS is both a strategic tool as well as tactical tool because it provides information for decision-
making. It provides information to tactical management for allocating resources and monitoring the
performance of their organizational sub-units on one hand and provides information to CEO and top
executes at strategic level for overall development organization and for planning and objectives of
organization on other hand.

Q24) What are the advantages of conceptual Systems over the Real Systems?

Ans. A conceptual system is a design on paper where in all the aspects of the working of the system
can be modified using tools. A real system is a system in action. One needs to be careful while dealing
with a real system, as there can be other systems or parties who are working on it. Conceptual systems
on the other hand are easy to investigate and experiments can be done on them.

Q25) What is Management by expectation?

Ans. Management by Exception

• Specific time for specific demands
• Attend to the situation where the manager’s attention is necessary.
• Exception decided on the impact on situation would make on the performance, process,
standards set in the management control systems.

Q26) How the decision making process can be automated?

Ans. Only programmed and structured decision can be automated. Since in these categories each
decision is an outcome of the values of a number of parameters. The parameters can be observed and
then decision could be taken on a predetermined path. The automation system can be fed with all the
cases and in case something happens where this system is unable to decide then an exception can be
raised. Later when the exception is resolved, then this new case can also be fed in to the automated
system. In this way the decision-making can be automated.

Q27) Is there an optimum time to decide if so how can one know it?

Ans. The optimum time for any decision differs from decision to decision. The best way to calculate
the time is to first find out, what all actions are dependent on this decision. A decision on one
component of a system can be an input on the other part of the component of the system. In those
cases, the workflow will come to a grinding halt if there is any delay in one part of the system.
Consequently some decision can be hold back as in those cases an early decision might prove harmful.

Q28) What are Data Flow Diagrams?

Ans. It is a graphical diagrammatic representation of the flow of data. It is a too that uses a few sample
symbols to illustrate the flow of data among external entities. Processing activities and data storage
elements. Simple diagram of data flow can be:
INPUT

Predefined Process OUTPUT

Database
Q29) Why a long-term plan is essential for MIS design.

Ans29). Long-term plan is essential for MIS design because in order to have a successful
implementation of any MIS, one has to understand and study various steps:

• Concept of organization need

• Problem Definition
• Detailed Design
• Detailed Outline
• System Integrated
• Operation of MIS

Q30) Mention two important steps in MIS implementation.

Ans. Two important steps in MIS implementation are:

• Prepare Plan
• Train Personnel

Q31) What is a deterministic system?

Ans We normally think that a deterministic system is completely predictable, and this is a
mathematical truth. By definition, a deterministic system is one whose state at one time completely
determines its state for all future times.

Q32) What is a feedback system?

Ans. It is a system with results data and information concerning the components and operations of a
system. It is the use of part of the outputted-in- a system. It gets result after concerning the components
and operations of a system in the form of feedback. After the development of the system, experts or the
senior management gives their views about the system. These views contain possible improvements
needed in the system etc. Based on these views which are called feedback,. The system is modified.
The cycle is repeated till the point we have a stable system.

Q33) Give two examples of transaction processing.

Ans. Batch processing – It is a category of data processing in which data is accumulated in to batches
and processed periodically. This is usually done it OFF peak hours to avoid network hogging.

Real Time Processing – Data Processing in which data is processed immediately rather than
periodically. Also called On Line Processing. This is usually done in railway reservation or other such
system where there is a lot of dependency between different components and data needs to be
processed immediately.

Q34) Distinguish between Conceptual and Real Systems.

Ans. A conceptual system is a design on paper where in all the aspects of the working of the system
can be modified using tools. A real system is a system in action. One needs to be careful while dealing
with a real system, as there can be other systems or parties who are working on it. Conceptual systems
on the other hand are easy to investigate and experiments can be done on them.
Q35) What are the three important components of IT?

Ans. The three major components of IT are:

• Information capturing through latest tools (Computers)
• Information Management (Though different S/W)
• Information Protection and storage.

Q36) IT provides freedom from three constraints, what are these?

Ans. IT provides freedom from three important constraints.

• It makes available data from multiple sources in a easy to understand manner.

• Data can be accessed from multiple places at the same time and at can also be accessed from
remote location
• Communication.

Q37) List the RULES of Managing Information that have changed due to IT.

Ans. Rules of managing information that have changed due to IT. The new roles are:
• Treat data as data and information as information. Since there is so much data around, its
foolish to get hold of all data.
• Centralize your information and make it available across network and at remote locations.
• Use the best of and the latest software and hardware combination to keep ahead of competition.

Q38) What is the capacity, in terms of A4 pages, of a 3.5” diskette?

Ans. It depends on how much compression has done while writing the data and in which format data is
written. Ideally speaking a 3.5’’ diskette has raw capacity of 1.44 MB and you can store hundreds of
A4 docs in one floppy.

Q39) What is Price for a customer and for a manufacturer?

Ans. Price for customers is at which he purchases it:

This is usually the MRP. For manufacturer it is the summation of cost, taxes, transportation and other
things.

Q40) Describe an organization as a system.

Ans. A system is a group of inter-related components working towards the attainment of a common
goal by accepting inputs and producing outputs in an organization transformation process.

In other words a system can also be defined as:

“System is a group of inter-related or interacting elements forming a unified whole. It is an organized

collection of people, machines and methods required to accomplish a set of specified functions.”