MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 10) IMPROVE DECISION MAKING AND MANAGING KNOWLEDGE

Case Study (Chapter 10)

11)    What systems are described here? What valuable information do they provide?

Robust computerized system and Information system are described in the article.  Both systems have replication between the servers at headquarters and the client’s branches. From the interaction between both parties, the data is aggregated to create the most update database version. The most recent version of the client list, truck’s availability, and new shipping contracts will be shared during the transmission message. Thus, this allows the customer to deal with any branches at any time. Furthermore, the recipient branch will create a receipt entry on the system upon arrival of the truck and then a Short Messaging Service communication (SMS)  is create and sent to the customer, who will then go to the destination branch to receive the car.

22)    What value did the IT/IS investment added to Albassami?

IT/IS investment help Albassami when they are conducting all the business processes. The shipping information system will transmit the information from all the branches to the HQ and then the information will be shared and sent back to all branches. This process allow the management team extracted the knowledge from the central database and enabled them to make sound investment and operational decisions and therefore help the business maintain its success and leadership in the Kingdom.

33)    How did implementing the Shipping Information System address the business needs and information requirements of Albassami?

Shipping Information System which includes information about the output of the vehicle’s  tracking information that allowed a better audit on all drivers’ behavior.  Moreover, the system also enables standard reports to be provided to top management and head sectors about all the productivity branches, more accuracy to identify the need for different regions and thus proper budget allocation. On the other hand, linking the data of vehicle maintenance centers with the transportation services helps to enhance company performance and achieve better customer service. Lastly, the Shipping Information System used at Albassami also maintains all the sender information such as the sent car, the truck number, the sender and receiving branches, and it also send an SMS to the client acknowledging the arrival of the car. In a short word, Shipping Information System is essence to all the company no matter what kind of business, the cooperation and interaction between employees is needed whenever conduct this system.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 3) ACHIEVING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH INFORMATION SYSTEM

1    1.)During the economic downturn beginning in 2008 profits plunged. The traditional competitors exists and cause many coffee drinkers went in search of cheaper alternatives form MC Donald’s and Dunkin Donuts for their coffee fixes.

The use of information system achieves a low cost leadership, there are low operational costs and therefore a company can afford to charger lower prices. (Starbucks engaged in the mobile digital platform when realizing over a third if their customers were smart phone owners. The Starbucks App allows regular customers to prepay or top up their card and use this at every branch to pay for their drinks) by scanning barcode displayed on their phone. ( The apps allow customers in a hurry to pay quickly), showing the use of management information systems at a retail level of the supply chain making the customer experience more efficient  and of a better quality. Stream lining business processes meant a shorter customer wait due to the time making the drink being reduced, which essentially meant each barista could make more drinks by the hour, therefore increasing revenue. Starbucks also used product differentiation information system to alter their exists menu. For example, they have enabled new product for customers convenience and offered price reduced specials, to be able to charge lower prices Starbucks had made alternation in their supply chains. The third competitive force being to focus on the market niche meant Starbucks had to attempt on narrowing the target market better than their competitors. An information system assists the strategy as it can produce data to analyse future

Sales and management technique using the fact that the mobile digital platform meant many consumers use smart phones.

2.Starbucks business strategy was to continue serving high end speciality coffee and improve the customer service so that consumers did not feel like they were visiting a local fast food chain. Additionally, to also improve technology assisted the business strategy due to addition of the mobile digital platform and the Starbucks Digital Network giving customers the benefit of free Wi-Fi access and Starbucks App to access on their smart phone.

3.Without the use of technology within the innovation of Starbucks, the company would have been unable to launch the Starbucks digital network, and the use of paying via the Starbucks apps on smart phone. To add, the newer install technique helped, the baristas to make drinks faster, improving customer service and speed of service, and allowing the company to generate a higher level of revenue.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 12) ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN INFORMATION SYSTEM

Chapter 12: Ethical and Social Issues in Information System

Question 1:    

Why do cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, and BlackBerry) want to track where their go?

Cell phone manufacturers want to track where their go becausethey collect this data for advertising and marketing purposes. Mobile technologies based on the smartphone make it possible to locate people throughout the day, to report thereabouts is information to corporate data base, retain and analyze the information. After analyze the information, they sell the information to advertisers and others. A number of firms have adopted business models based on the ability of smartphone to report on your whereabouts, whether or not you choose to do so. Besides, law enforcement agencies certainly have an interest in knowing the whereabouts of criminals and suspects, and of course divorce lawyers often want to document where a spouse might be locate over long period of time. Location data gathered from cell phones has extraordinary commercial value because advertising companies can send you advertisements, coupons, and flash bargains, based on where you are located. The market for location-based services in 2011 is expected to be $2.9 billion, and will rise to $8.3 billion in 2014 according to Gartner. This is why cell phone manufacturers want to track where their go.

Question 2:

Do you think cell phone customers should be able to turn tracking off? Should customers be informed when they are being tracked? Why or why not?

Yes, I think that there should be a feature to turn such system off. This system should make it more flexible to its consumers. In this modernized society, most people especially teenagers would like to have their own privacy and would like to find some space to express their emotions. If such tracking system could not be turned off, how are they going to have their own privacy? In fact, most of the VVIP personnel would not like to be tracked as well. Their daily routine would not like to be exposed to anyone including the cell phone manufacturers as most of these people will have their own private invitation or private ceremony to attend. It will be unsafe if their whereabouts are being tracked by someone.

The user should be notified when they are being tracked as well. If the system could not be turned off and it will not notified the user, it will be dangerous and may lead to serious crime. For instance, if a user is being tracked by someone, he or she will be in danger if he or she is being tracked by a robber or in a worst case scenario, a kidnapper. This will actually ease these people to commit crime.

Question 3:

Do you think cell phone tracking is a violation of a person’s privacy?

Cell phone tracking is indeed an invasion of privacy. It is an undeniable fact that no one would like to be tracked by someone else, regardless who they are. People tend to seek a private space for themselves whenever they are having their personal problems that do not want to share with others. If such system is installed into a cell phone, the user might feel unsafe and uncomfortable when using it. It is like he or she is being followed by others all the time even when he or she is going to a washroom. Furthermore, it will violate one’s privacy if his or her whereabouts are being exposed or being known by someone else. Those VVIP personnel would like to keep their whereabouts as secret because they would not like to be followed by others as their whereabouts may be brought into media. This will actually harass and disturb their daily life. This case will become worst if it leads to crime. In a nutshell, privacy should be the major concern to the implementation of this system, same thing should go to personal safety.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 11) BUILDING INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND MANAGING PROJECT

Case study

Chapter 11: DST Systems Scores with Scrum and Application Lifecycle Management

1.      What were some of the problems with DST Systems’ old software development environment?

I think they were some many software problems, such as the managers were unable to easily determine how the resources were being allocated, which also the employees were working on certain projects and status of specific assets. The group development had used a mixture of tools processes and source code control systems without any unified repository for code or a standardized developer tool set. Besides,  I think DST must use new method and better than the old traditional.

2.      How did Scrum development help solve some of those problems?

Scrum relies on self-organizing, cross-functional teams supported by a ScrumMaster and a product owner. The Scrum is exists software development tools and experienced strong results. Scrum development helped solve some of these problems by accelerating its software development cycle from 24 months to 6 months and developer productivity increased 20%. What the scrum development pretty much acted like was the coach for the team. This is how the Scrum development helped solve some of these problems.

3.      What other adjustments did DST make to be able to use Scrum more effectively in its software projects? What management, organization and technology issues had to be addressed?

The other adjustments DST was able to make to use Scrum more effectively in its software projects were by setting up a project evaluation team to identify the right development environment. DST wanted the ability to use the new software without significant training and software they could quickly adopt without jeopardizing AWD’s development cycle. After considering, DST settled on CollabNet’s offerings. CollabNet specializes in software designed to work well with agile software development methods such as Scrum. Its core product is Team Forge, it used to centralize management of users, projects, processes and assets. DST adopted Collabnet's subversion product to help with the management control of changes to project documents, programs, and other information stored as computer files. DST’s adoption of CollabNet’s products was fast, just requiring 10 weeks. Besides, the adjustment allowed DST to complete all of their work within the ALM platform.

For the part of management, organization and technology issues had to be addressed, Jerry Tubbs, the systems development manager at DST systems, says DST was successful in attempts to revamp the software group because some factors.

1.  Looked for simplicity rather than complicated

2.  Much cheaper than some of the alternatives

3. Involved developers in the decision making process to ensure that change to be greeted enthusiastically

4. Allow for the developers to adopt ALM software on their own.

The company was successful because they selected the right development framework as well as the right software to make that change a reality and skillfully managed the change process.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 8) ACHIEVING OPERATION EXCELLENCE AND CUSTOMER INTIMACY : ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONS

Chapter 8 :Achieving Operation Excellence and Customer Intimacy: Enterprise Applications

1)      What types of companies are most likely to adopt cloud-based CRM software services? Why? What companies might not be well-suited for this type of software?

Types of companies that may want to adopt cloud may be any company wanting to consolidate multiple services or applications into one, mainly to reduce electricity, personal or operating costs. Companies that need a Service level agreement or sense of data security would not want to invest into a cloud system. Companies who struggling with a lot of data to be store also prefer to use this. Cutting cost companies are also recommended to use this system.

Cloud-based CRM would help these companies to achieve operational excellent and customer intimacy and released from fixed and operational cost. Not only that, it also allow them to subscribe and cancel without losing large up-front software license and hardware investment.

Some companies are not suit with this software services. Those companies made large investment on solutions that already work, concern about security issues and control of their data are the examples not encourage to use such software. Companies which might independent on their provider also not prefer to do so.  

2)      What are the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud-based enterprise applications?

There are some advantages of using cloud-based enterprise applications. First is automates customer service. This system including order confirmations, follow-up customer satisfaction surveys, and shipping notifications. Customer satisfaction and productivity have sored. Not only that, the system now tracks field activities for more than 10000 accounts, with automated reports and dash boards monitoring key performance indicators, sales calls, and sales volume. Besides, this system able to combine multiple services into one single service such as e-mail, customer records and contact management.

Unfortunately, there are also some disadvantages in this system. Low data security is one of the bugs. Lack of service level agreements and guarantees also considered as the disadvantages of this system.

3)      What people, organization, technology issues should be addressed in deciding whether to use a conventional CRM system versus a cloud-based version?

Difficult to understand for ill-trained users, attempting to contain a large and complex group of data.  Poor usability and low usage rates lead many companies to indicate that it was difficult to justify investment in the software without the potential for more tangible gains. Large investment to build and maintain a customer database which requires computer hardware, database software, analytical programme, communication links and skill personnel. There was a risk assessment to the users because the using of this cloud-based software server is not the owner of infrastructure privacy. Dependability should be consider during the decision due to the issues of storing data, difficult to export data, and dependent of provider.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 7) SECURING INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Chapter 7 Securing Information Systems

11)      What is a botnet?

A botnet is a network of autonomous malicious software agents that are under the control of a bost commander. The network is created by installing malware that exploits the vulnerabilities of the web servers, operating systems, or applications to take control of the infected computers.

22)      Describe some of the main points of the Digital Agenda for Europe?

Digital Agenda Europe used to define the key role that information and communication technologies will play in 2020. It is to open the digital market in European. Hence, broadband speeds of 30Mbps will be available to all European citizens by 2020, and implementation of measures to protect privacy and the establishment of a well-functioning network of CERT to prevent cybercrime and respond effectively to cyber attacks.

33)      Explain how the cyber attack can be carried out.

The cyber attack was performed using a variety of technique ranging from simple individual ping commands and message flooding to more sophisticated distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Hackers coordinated the attack by using a large number of compromised servers organized in the botnet distributed around the world. Botnet is created by installing malware that exploits the vulnerabilities of the software and systems of computer and take control of it. Once it infected, it becomes part of a network of thousands of ‘zombies’, machines that are commanded to carry out the attack.

44)      Describe some of the weakness exploited by malware.

There are some weakness exploited by malware, one of it is the security defects in software. Malware exploits defects in the sign of the operating system, in applications or in browser pluggin such as Java and Adobe Flash Player. Most systems contain bugs, or loopholes which may exploited by malware.

Not only that, insecure design or user error also one of the weakness exploited by malware. Originally, PC had to be booted from floopy disks. Until recently, it was common for a computer to boot from an external boot device by default. This meant that computer would, by default, boot from a floopy disk, USB flash drive, or CD and malicious boot code could be used to install malware or boot into a modified operating system. Autorun or autoplay features may allow code to be automatically executed from external disk drive without permissions.

Besides, over-privilleged users and over-privilleged code cause malware allowed to modify internal structures of the system and subvert the system.

MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 6) TELECOMMUNICATIONS, THE INTERNET, AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

Case study

Chapter 6: Telecommunications, the Internet, and Wireless Technology

1.      Compare the business models and areas of strength of Apple, Google and Microsoft.

The three Internet titans (Google, Microsoft and Apple) are in an epic struggle to dominate your Internet experience, and caught in the crossfire are search, music, book, videos, and other media.The business models of the three firms are very different.

Apple is the leader in the mobile software application. The most popularity of the App store is IPhone. Apple has gone into the stance that applications, one of the major earners for tablet and phone manufacturers, should be device restricted; for example, one application should be unique to the brand of the device and should be allowed to function in another device from another separate brand. They even stopped Google in its plans to allow Google applications to work on Apple products. Thus by doing this Apple is trying to capitalize on their loyal customer base and create an Apple weds Apple scenario.

Google has a huge edge in advertising, thanks to its dominance in Internet search. Microsoft’s offering, Bing, has grown to about 15 percent of the search market, and the rest essentially belongs to Google. It has a completely opposite stance to what Apple states. Google is the believer in the concept that in the future the devices used to run the applications and other internet options should be a fraction of what they are being charged now and instead the revenues generated should be from the in-app advertisements. Google offer Android for free to manufacturers of handset that run the operating system. Via Android, Google hopes to control its own destiny in an increasing mobile world.

Microsoft is still the leader in PC operating systems and desktop productivity software, but has failed miserably with smartphones hardware and software, mobile computing, cloud-based software apps, and its Internet portal. Even through Microsoft’s Xbox consoles and games are popular, they contribute less than 5 percent of Microsoft’s revenue. By integrating the hardware and software deal Microsoft has actually change the dynamics of the whole market. And this can be problem some for Google and Apple as they shall have to change their own perspective and outlook towards the level of competition that they shall have to face in the coming years in mobile computing.

2.      Why is mobile computing so important to these three firms? Evaluate the mobile platform offerings to each firm.

The importance of mobile computing lies in the very fact that is the future of internet technology. Companies need to excel in it so as to survive and expand in today’s world which is full of competition.Mobile computing becomes so very important for all the three mentioned firms which are Apple , Google and Microsoft as it is the future of the internet technology and for these firms to  flourish and expand they need to be very effective with mobile computing.

The mobile platform that Apple provides with its products is “iOS”. This mobile platform is the closed platform that is it is applicable for apple products and only apple apps could work on this. The latest version which is being offered is the iOS7. It would be upgraded with 200 new features. Some of the remarkable features amongst them are there is an option over which you can reply later on the calls which you can’t take immediately. Next, Integration with the Facebook over which you can share all you iPhone activities.

The mobile platform that Google provides is “Android”. This mobile platform is a universal platform when compared to the mobile platform offered by Apple. This is so because majority of the apps could work on this platform which makes it a platform that is used by many.The latest version provided by the Android software is the version 4.1 “jelly bean” (Android, 2012). Some of the notable features of this version are a simple screen swipe would provide you with search results related to Google. Besides, the voice recognition tool in this version would rub offline.

Microsoft is entering this market recently by launching the tablet named “Surface tablet”. The mobile platform that Microsoft is offering is the Windows Phone 8. This operating system will be compatible with the laptops and the desktops.Some of the unique features of this operating system are Microsoft can support dual core chips. Besides, it also can support multiple screen resolution. Next, it provides advanced map technology.

3.      What is the significance of mobile application, app store, and closed versus open app standards to the success or failure of mobile computing?

The development of applications and software’s to match these expectations is a task that all the companies in the fray to be the leader in the mobile computing market, whether it be Apple, Google, Microsoft or any other new player, shall have to look into great detail and precision.

The importance of mobile applications can be justified on this basis itself that Google has based their future growth prediction on the very same. Right now the scenario for mobile applications is such that they have are being considered as the future bread and butter of mobile IT firms. Mobile applications have such a great scope of growth in the future that they can one day eclipse the sales of the hardware part of mobile computing and form a major market themselves here players like Google and apple shall have tough competition even from small fray players if a common platform for application usage is formed, the very same reason why Apple is resisting Google’s repeated efforts for a common mobile platform.

According to expert mobile applications are even today a big part of the on the go access market. Finish mobile giant Nokia too has a say in the application future as it still has the lion’s share in the applications that are used in its mobile phones, which in spite of the recent drop are a very big number. Also applications and app stores are also being viewed as a source of major entertainment by many users of mobile computing devices, with games like angry birds and temple run taking the market by storm it is very evident that applications and app stores are a thing for the future.

4.      Which company and business model do you think will prevail in this epic struggle? Explain your answer.

   Although the market is still relatively young the first mover advantage is still not with a single competitor. To predict a clear winner in such a scenario is difficult however there are certain qualities in one of the players that can make it a winner in this battle of equals.

   In my opinion, Google is the search engine giant that has a lot of positives going for it rather than the negatives. The clear positives that can become a winner is Google has a well-established name which not a lot of players can boast of but Google is one of them, although Apple and Microsoft have chartered territories of their own but Google can fight them out both as an equal if not better. Besides, the Company has entered into all the three basic markets of mobile computing including hardware, operating system and the application stores. Their hardware is something which a few competitors can best, however the Android operating system has taken the market by storm and the app store which comes with it is a mean bully in itself.

   Although the Google bandwagon is on its way there are certain roadblocks that it can face that can halt its march and some of them are the Google brand is big but it still lacks the appeal of an Apple product and this many say is one of the most major difference between the two. The Android system although perfected to a large extent still has a few errors in the new versions that can hamper the growth of the operating system and this where a competitor like Microsoft can prevail over the Company. Lastly it can be said that Google’s move towards a common mobile application platform can itself backfire and could increase competition from local app players which can affect the overall profitability from this step.

5.      What difference would it makes to a business or to an individual consumer if Apple, Google, or Microsoft dominated the Internet experience? Explain your answer.

   Consumers would be forced to buy only one product and use only one service. They would create a monopoly and the positive would be they would create a standard. This would affect quality; prices would be as high as possible because they would have no competition. No competition means nobody could force a monopolist from the outside to improve products, diversify rang or products and lower price. Right now it is too early to tell who would dominate the internet experience but it is good to have competition than just one market leader.