MIS Test 1 Study Guide MIS is about Planning Developing Managing and Using IT Tools and Services My 3 Key Resources of MIS Unusual Taco Salads Phone Died Making Information 1 2 People 3 Technology Information the tip for this one was easy TIP The 3 key resources are T I P Technology Info and People Information is data with meaning in context Data is plural Datum is the singular form of Data Business intelligence In information both the quality and the context matter o Collective information about customers competitors environment etc o This crosses functional boundaries within the organization Knowledge related to business intelligence o Provides the context for the business intelligence aka explains why o This guides decision making by combining individual knowledge with business intelligence o The Quality still matters The technology needs literate knowledgable workers The information has to be communicated between and amoungst literate knowledgable workers One must be aware of their ethical responsibilities with technology and information People Technology Hardware the physical devices Software the set of instructions that the hardware executes there is more information to come on this later in the guide The Transformation Age How have computing power and technology changed over time o Computing power is much faster and more efficient o The technology has become smaller compact and cheaper How has technology transformed the office o It has allowed companies to work in areas where they do not have an office o It has reduced the amount of manpower that the office needs Ex record keeper telephone operator security guards o Meetings can be held virtually instead of face to face How has technology made us more mobile o We can talk send messages reply to emails etc from anywhere car bathroom etc o Information can be shared much quicker via technology rather than by hand mail What is the Halo room and who developed it o It is a virtual conference room set up to allow attendants to feel as if they are sitting in the same room as other attendants o HP developed the Halo Room What is Google trying to achieve with Google Apps o They are trying to make it where users can access programs such as Word Excel Powerpoint all online without having to install the program onto their computer o All of the documents made on the programs would be saved in the cloud online and could be accessed anytime from an internet connection How is technology transforming the marketplace o It is allowing major improvements in inventory management employ management and customer relationship management o It is moving the market place from having to be a physical location to optional virtual What problems did IT solve in the convenience store industry How does IT level the playing field locations in this industry o Convenience stores often times did not know what inventory they had Many items would stay in the store for years They had no idea what items were moving quickly and which items sat on the shelf for a while Many times they would be over stocked on some items but run out of others Items would sometimes perish before they could move them o IT allowed for an inventory management system to be developed specifically for convenience stores that allows them to function in the same manner as the big box retailers Wal Mart Target etc What are RFID s How are they being used o Radio Frequency IDentification o They are small tracking devices that allow the user to be able to know either 1 when an item passes a sensor perhaps when the item enters or leaves the store 2 where the item is exactly basically GPS technology in the merchandise How is virtual shopping different from shopping on the Web o Virtual shopping allows you walk into the store and try items on with you avatar to see if they will look good on you How did Kodak miss a significant transformation in their industry What was this transformation o The transformation was from the film era to the digital era of photography o They sat and waited not expecting their competition to run away with this new concept They now focus a lot on the printers for the digital pictures rather than the products that take the pictures REMEMBER Business strategy drives technology decisions NOT the other way around But you ask how does strategy drive technology Alright my man Porter will lay it down for you Porter s 5 Forces o Bargaining Power of Buyers This rises when buyers have many choices This goes down when buyers have few choices A competitive advantage is created to get buyers to stay with you Ex Netflix movie queue Frequent flyer programs Shopping loyalty programs Apples iTunes o Bargaining Power of Suppliers This rises when buyers have few choices This goes down when buyers have many choices right o Threat of Substitute Products or Services This rises when buyers have many choices This goes down when buyers have few choices NOTE This is opposite of the Bargaining power of buyers makes sense NOTE This is the SAME as the bargaining power of buyers BECAUSE substitution is a bargaining tool for the buyer Companies institute switching costs in order to reduce the threat Ex cell phone contracts personalized shopping ratings reviews This rises when it is easy for competitors to enter the market This goes down when the entry barriers are significant hard to enter market o Threat of New Entrants Entry barrier offer o some product or service that customers expect a company to Ex Banks ATMs Cellphone companys customer service etc o Rivalry among existing competitors The other 4 forces directly influence this factor As the 2 threats and 2 powers fluctuate so does the rivalry amoungst existing competitors Porter s 3 Generic Strategies Differentiation Strategy o Is directed to a broad market scope with a unique competency in mind Basically offering a unique product or service to a broad market Overall Cost Leadership Ex Hummer iPhone ect o Is also directed to a broad market scope but with a low cost competency in mind Basically offering the same or better quality products at a lower cost Ex Walmart Sam s Club Target etc Focus Strategy competency in mind o Is directed to a narrow market scope with unique competency and or a low cost Basically offering products or services to a particular market segment geographic area etc Ex Firefly cellphones for kids Value chain Analysis Value chain Business process A systematic approach to assessing and improving the value of business proceses