JuIy 2011

Master of Computer AppIication (MCA) - Semester 4

MC0076 - Management Information Systems- 4 Credits
(Book ID: B0901)
Ass|gnment Set 2 (60 Marks)


Q.1 Explain with relevant examples the concept of business process. Also mention their
elements.
usIness process
For InItIatIng busIness reengIneerIng, one Is requIred to make some very basIc and fund a mental
changes In one's conventIonal thInkIng. The busIness Is reengIneered through process re
engIneerIng and the busIness has a number of processes whIch together produce the busIness
results. You concentrate on the 'process' and not on the task when It comes to re engIneerIng.
The busIness process Is defIned as 'a set of actIvItIes performed across the organIsatIon creatIng
an output of value to the customer'. Every process has a customer who may be Internal or
external to the organIsatIon. The scope of the process runs across the departments and functIons
and ends up In substantIal value addItIon whIch can be measured agaInst the value expectatIon of
a customer.
For example, the order processIng scope In the tradItIonal sense Is wIthIn the marketIng
department. 8ut when It comes to reengIneerIng, the scope expands to manufacturIng, storIng,
delIverIng and recoverIng the money. LIkewIse, the scope of the bIll payment Is not lImIted to the
accounts and fInance departments but It covers orderIng the vendors, receIpt and acceptance or
goods and payIng the bIll amount.
n a classIcal organIsatIonal setup, the dIfferent processes are handled In parts wIthIn the four
walls of the department and the functIons are lImIted to the responsIbIlIty assIgned to them.
When the bIll payment process Is to be reengIneered, It wIll be reengIneered rIght from the
purchase orderIng to cheque payment to the vendor. The reason for coverIng the purchase
orderIng as a part of the bIll payment process, Is that the purchase order InformatIon decIdes the
number of aspects of bIll payment.
The basIc element of the processes Is motIvatIon to perform certaIn actIvItIes. n the process
executIon, the data Is gathered, processed and stored. The data Is used In the process to generate
the InformatIon whIch would be checked, valIdated and used for decIsIon makIng. The decIsIon Is
then communIcated. The process Is executed through the basIc steps such as receIvIng the Input,
measurIng the Input, analysIng the document, performIng, processIng, recordIng, accessIng data,
producIng the results and communIcatIng them.
8asIc elements of busIness process are:
|otIvatIon to perform
0ata gatherIng, processIng and storIng
nformatIon processIng
CheckIng, valIdatIng and control
0ecIsIon makIng
CommunIcatIon
All these relate to human InItIatIve.
A busIness process In any area of the busIness organIsatIon performs through basIc steps, such as,
receIve Input, measure, analyze, document, perform, process, record / store, access, produce
and communIcate. These steps are performed a number of tImes across the executIon process.
When the process Is performed, It consumes resources and tIme. The reengIneerIng approach
attempts to elImInate or shorten the steps so that resource consumptIon Is reduced and tIme of
process executIon Is shortened. t elImInates redundancy by elImInatIng the steps, whIch do not
contrIbute, to the value customer Is lookIng for.
A busIness process defIned for reengIneerIng has a clear cut 'start and end', resultIng Into a
busIness result. n organIsatIon, there are long processes and short processes. There are crItIcal
processes and not so crItIcal processes. The crItIcal busIness processes are those, whIch contrIbute
to the value sIgnIfIcantly. WhIle the noncrItIcal processes do not contrIbute much to the value,
the customer Is lookIng for.
For example, the process of receIvIng a vIsItor In the organIsatIon could be consIdered as non
crItIcal. 8ut the process of new product development from the concept to the prototype Is crItIcal
as It Is expected to contrIbute hIgh value to the customer. f the external customer focus Is taken
as a crIterIon for process selectIon, then all the processes whIch generate and add value to the
customer are called the value stream processes. The value stream processes are crItIcal and
become the ImmedIate candIdates for reengIneerIng. The other processes In the organIsatIon
contrIbute to the overheads of performIng the busIness functIon. For example, the processes
InvolvIng attendance, leave, payment of wages, securIty, travellIng and accountIng are not value
stream processes as the resources employed In them do not create a value or Improve a value to
the customer. Such processes are a second prIorIty as far as reengIneerIng Is concerned. Every
process Is made of a serIes of actIvItIes. n each actIvIty some 'work' Is done whIch produces some
result for processIng Into the next actIvIty. f the work done under any actIvIty Is analyzed, It wIll
be seen that the people are movIng papers and products to achIeve some result. n the process
they collect the InformatIon for decIsIon makIng and then carry out a physIcal actIvIty of pushIng
the product or the output usIng the paper for record, document and communIcatIon.

Ig. 8.1: Work modeI
Igure 8.1 shows thIs work modeI comprIsIng sIx eIements.
The people who manage the busIness are engaged In the serIes of such work modules dIstrIbuted
across the organIsatIon. When such work modules are vIewed together as a sIngle entIty, It Is a
busIness process. n such process, partIcIpatIng people are consIdered as a team workIng wIth the
sole objectIve of achIevIng the customer expectatIon on value. n reengIneerIng exercIse all the
sIx entItIes, vIz., people, paper, actIvIty, InformatIon, decIsIon and product stand to scrutIny
through a fundamental rethInkIng for radIcal redesIgn to produce dramatIc results.
8.2.3 Process modeI of the DrganIsatIon
The reengIneerIng InItIatIve begIns wIth vIewIng the organIsatIon through the processes and not
by the tasks or functIons. As dIscussed earlIer, process runs across the department of the functIons
where the department or the functIon heads hold same or sImIlar posItIons at par In the
organIsatIon structure. A process may begIn In one department and run across other departments
producIng a busIness result of some value. The process Is handled by a number of people havIng
dIfferent status In the organIsatIon. They are backed by authorIty, rules, and powers wIthIn the
scope of functIon of the department they are handlIng.
The classIcal organIsatIon model Is recast on the basIs of processes IgnorIng the people hIerarchy.
The stImulus to actIvate the process could be external or Internal and It flows across the
departments where the data Is gathered, analyzed, processed, the decIsIons are taken and the
IntermedIate results are passed on to the next stage for further processIng.
The process model of the organIsatIon consIders only those processes where the' end' of each
process produces a result whereby the customer concern, Interest, expectatIon and perceptIon
are affected. t consIders only those processes whIch produce value for the customer. For
constructIng the process model, the processes whIch are essentIal for the smooth workIng of the
busIness such as the employee related processes, audIt, budgetIng and accountIng, securIty,
canteen, general admInIstratIon, etc., are not consIdered. Such processes contrIbute to
substantIal overheads and could be consIdered for cost control leadIng to the prIce reductIon
under the reengIneerIng methodology.
The need for constructIng a process model of the organIsatIon Is to force some fundamental
thInkIng, and redesIgnIng that wIll brIng a dramatIc change In the workIng and the end result of
the organIsatIon. t wIll not permIt thInkIng on the task basIs wIthIn the confInes of the functIon or
department. Every actIvIty In the process wIll be evaluated from the stand poInt of an ultImate
result. t wIll help to redesIgn the process In terms of Input, process and effectIveness and
productIvIty. The process vIew of the organIsatIon wIll prevent functIonal and local
suboptImIsatIon, and promote process optImIzatIon, where the resources are used IntellIgently
and the productIvIty Is the hIghest.
Dnce the process vIew of the organIsatIon Is taken, the old conventIons and practIces of busIness
processIng undergo a radIcal change. The change breaks the hIerarchy, and removes the barrIers
on the access and use of InformatIon. t devIates from the command control system to a system of
work group called as team. The team members are at par and perform as equals. As a team
member theIr role Is self contaIned and complete In every respect. They are empowered fully to
perform at the stage where they are mobIlIzed and do not have to seek approval or sanctIon
elsewhere. They lose theIr functIon or departmental IdentIty as a team member. The managerIal
or supervIsory role Is abandoned and replaced by a role of facIlItator.
The team Is not a commIttee where the subject Is dIscussed, analyzed and the decIsIon
alternatIves recommended for approval and sanctIon. The work group culture Is a radIcal cultural
change In the workIng of the organIsatIon where the InformatIon technology plays a sIgnIfIcant
role.
8.2.4 VaIue stream modeI of organIsatIon
The organIsatIon Is establIshed to fulfIll customer needs, havIng assocIated customer values. The
value Is a measure, an IntangIble measure, whIch Is dIffIcult to count In clear terms or
specIfIcatIons as dIfferent customers have dIfferent value prIorItIes, value mIx and buyIng decIsIon
crIterIa. However, If the value expectatIons are fulfIlled, the customer satIsfactIon Is automatIc.
The customer Is satIsfIed when he belIeves that the prIce paId by hIm fulfIls the value
expectatIons. The value Is an IntangIble concept and the customer has hIs own perceptIons on the
value. The customer puts value based on whIch he evaluates the product or the servIce on about
twentyone parameters. He may consIder all the parameters or only a few of them for hIs buyIng
decIsIon. The busIness organIsatIon, however, has to decIde whIch customer segment It wIll lIke to
serve and then evolve varIous busIness strategIes. The organIsatIon Is requIred to desIgn such
processes, whIch wIll fulfIll the basIc needs of the customer by producIng a product, whIch wIll
satIsfy the value perceptIons of the customer. 0ependIng upon the value choIce of the customer,
the processes of the organIsatIon become crItIcal and relevant. Dnly these crItIcal processes really
matter for busIness success In terms of survIval, growth, leadershIp and competItIve advantage.
The process model, therefore, can be seen as a value stream model, relevant to the organIsatIon.
For example, an organIsatIon In food busIness wIll consIder those processes crItIcal and relevant
whIch produce food products fulfIllIng basIc needs of appetIte and taste and meets the value
expectatIons on avaIlabIlIty, perceIved belIef, packagIng, prIce, and ease of access. Every
organIsatIon, therefore, must IdentIfy value streams In the process model consIstent wIth the
busIness, the goods manufactured and the nature of busIness and Its objectIves.
All organIzatIons have some processes that are crItIcal from value vIewpoInt. For example, order
processIng, procurement processIng, manufacturIng, delIvery, customer relatIons and product
development and desIgn are value streams In any process model. Processes lIke InvoIcIng,
recovery, bIll payment, supplIer relatIons; communIcatIon processes etc. are the secondary
processes that support value delIvery to the customer. All these processes deal wIth some aspect
of busIness, whIch affect the cost, the qualIty, the servIce and the speed. Further, these
processes create a competItIve and strategIc envIronment and clear customer focus. These
processes, If redesIgned properly, gIve sustaInable busIness advantage to the organIsatIon. They
gIve clear guIdelInes where the organIsatIon should Invest for hIgh returns In busIness through re
engIneerIng.
Dnce the process model and the value stream model Is buIlt, the process organIsatIon can be
Implemented. n the process executIon, people come together to form a work group. The work
group, as a team, executes a complete process cycle. To Improve the performance of the team a
number of measures are used. Dn the technology front, the team uses InformatIon technology
extensIvely. t facIlItates freeIng data from ownershIp. t Is put Into database, whIch Is desIgned,
Independent of Its applIcatIon or use. The access Is free to all concerned but at the same tIme It Is
secured properly to prevent unauthorIzed access to the InformatIon.
n the InformatIon technology applIcatIon, the team members stay where they are but work or.
the InformatIon database to achIeve the desIred result. 0ue to InformatIon technology usage, the
data search Is faster, the analysIs quIcker, the decIsIon makIng IntellIgent and purposeful and
InformatIon update Instantaneous. The whole process Is faster makIng human resource more
effIcIent and productIve.
WhIle buIldIng the process organIsatIon, the people In the team are empowered to make decIsIon
through educatIon, traInIng and support. They are supported by a knowledge database and
decIsIon support systems. The extensIve use of Expert and A systems Is made to Improve the
decIsIon makIng process and the decIsIon qualIty. When the InformatIon technology Is embedded
Into the process, the organIsatIon becomes seamless wIth free InformatIon flow. All value streams
are lInked through the InformatIon paths Installed on Local Area Networks and the WIde Area
Networks.
For the effectIve process organIsatIon buIld, It Is necessary to normalIze the processes by
segregatIng them based on Internal and external customers. The processes should then be
scrutInIzed by questIonIng the PhIlosophy, PolIcy, PrIde, Procedure, and PractIces 1440/by
management over a perIod. The exIstIng processes shall be redesIgned If they suffer from
defectIve phIlosophy, polIcy and rules. The use of InformatIon technology, keepIng the exIstIng
processes as It Is, would make them faster no doubt but they would contInue to be IneffIcIent.
Some processes should be consIdered for subcontractIng or outsourcIng If they fall In the area
outsIde core competency. The processes In whIch the staff Is best In all respects should be
retaIned In the organIsatIon, rest all should be commIssIoned outsIde. n other words, supplIers
and customers should be made busIness partners so that they work for achIevIng common busIness
goals.
The relatIonshIp between the supplIers and customers should be such that they cooperate and
partIcIpate In the processes as equal partners and team members. All these arrangements and
changes should be tested based on value Improvement. The changes In process desIgn must cut
down the cost, Improve the qualIty, and make the delIvery faster and response to the changIng
needs of the customer quIcker. The broad steps of buIldIng the process organIsatIon are as
follows:
|otIvatIon to perform
Free 0ata/nformatIon from ownershIp
8uIld seamless InformatIon flow
ProvIde access unlImIted
Empower person(s) through support
Fecast busIness operatIons Into process (ClIent and Server)
0esIgnate process managers
Segregate processes where customer Is Internal, from external
Take the process beyond the organIsatIon
ThInk In terms of busIness partners / assocIates and not as buyers and sellers
FetaIn only those processes whIch contrIbute to the value to the customer and subcontract
others
SInce the people In the process are empowered themselves, the organIsatIon wIll have less or no
bureaucracy and hIerarchy. Hence, delayerIng wIll make the organIsatIon slIm. and effIcIent. The
reengIneered process organIsatIon wIll have process managers, knowledgeable workers usIng
smarter machInes, smarter products and an IntellIgent software.
8uIldIng process organIsatIon Is a complex job of ImplementIng a change, whIch requIres careful
handlIng of a number of Issues sImultaneously. The Issues are related to the choIce of technology,
human resource management and defInIng the busIness and Its scope for the organIzatIon. The
change wIll affect the work culture and management phIlosophy. The knowledge wIll become
Impersonal and avaIlable to all. The power structure would break the spIrIt of authorIty and the
domInance wIll be replaced by cooperatIon and a partIcIpatIve affInIty. All wIll have a common
goal of realIzIng customer satIsfactIon.
The reengIneered process organIsatIon wIll have less people usIng very lIttle space. The process
wIll be transparent and results wIll be vIsIble. The organIsatIon wIll be flexIble and responsIve to
the customer needs. t wIll be managed by people of vIsIon capable of producIng InnovatIve Ideas
and possessIng a hIgh tendency to change. The exercIse of the process organIsatIon buIldIng begIns
from the top management group whose InItIatIve and commItment to reengIneerIng matters and
Is InevItable. The wIllIngness to do some fundamental thInkIng and redesIgnIng radIcally Is a key to
success. Table 8.2 shows the approach to select reengIneerIng opportunItIes.


Q.2 Explain the control issues in management information systems
Ans: Control procedures must be set up to ensure that inIormation is correct and relevant an institution's
MIS should be designed to achieve the Iollowing goals:
Enhance communication among employees.
Deliver complex material throughout the institution.
Provide an objective system Ior recording and aggregating inIormation.
Management InIormation Systems 2 Comptroller's Handbook
Reduce expenses related to labor-intensive manual activities.
Support the organization's strategic goals and direction.
MIS is a critical component oI the institution's overall risk management strategy. MIS supports
management's ability to perIorm such reviews. MIS should be used to recognize, monitor, measure, limit,
and manage risks. Risk management involves Iour main elements:
Policies or practices.
Operational processes.
StaII and management.
Feedback devices.
Frequently, operational processes and Ieedback devices are intertwined and cannot easily be viewed
separately. The most eIIicient and useable MIS should be both operational and inIormational. As such,
management can use MIS to measure perIormance, manage resources, and help an institution comply
with regulatory requirements. One example oI this would be the managing and reporting oI loans to
insiders. MIS can also be used by
management to provide Ieedback on the eIIectiveness oI risk controls. Controls are developed to support
the proper management oI risk through the institution's policies or practices, operational processes, and
the assignment oI duties and responsibilities to staII and managers. Comptroller's Handbook 3
Management InIormation Systems Technology advances have increased both the availability and volume
oI inIormation management and the directors have available Ior both planning and decision making.
Correspondingly, technology also increases the potential Ior inaccurate reporting and Ilawed decision
making. Because data can be extracted Irom many Iinancial and transaction systems, appropriate control
procedures must be set up to ensure that inIormation is correct and
relevant. In addition, since MIS oIten originates Irom multiple equipment platIorms including
mainIrames, minicomputers, and microcomputers, controls must ensure that systems on smaller
computers have processing controls that are as well deIined and as eIIective as those commonly Iound on
the traditionally larger mainIrame systems. All institutions must set up a Iramework oI sound Iundamental
principles that identiIy risk, establish controls, and provide Ior eIIective MIS review and monitoring
systems throughout the organization. Commonly, an organization may choose to establish and express
these sound principles in writing. The OCC Iully endorses and supports placing these principles in writing
to enhance eIIective communications throughout the institution. II however,
management Iollows sound Iundamental principles and governs the risk in the MIS Review area, a written
policy is not required by the OCC. II sound principles are not eIIectively practiced, the OCC may require
management to establish written MIS policies to Iormally communicate risk parameters and controls in
this area.
Sound Iundamental principles Ior MIS review include proper internal controls,
operating procedures and saIeguards, and audit coverage.

Q3 Discuss the function for manager.
Ans :A manager's most basic responsibility is to Iocus people toward perIormance oI work activities to
achieve desired outcomes

All managers at all levels oI every organization perIorm these Iunctions, but the amount oI time a
manager spends on each one depends on both the level oI management and the speciIic organization.
Some oI these Iunctions include:
Planning: This step involves mapping out exactly how to achieve a particular goal. Say, Ior example,
that the organization's goal is to improve company sales. The manager Iirst needs to decide which steps
are necessary to accomplish that goal. These steps may include increasing advertising, inventory, and
sales staII. These necessary steps are developed into a plan. When the plan is in place, the manager can
Iollow it to accomplish the goal oI improving company sales.
Organizing: AIter a plan is in place, a manager needs to organize her team and materials according to
her plan. Assigning work and granting authority are two important elements oI organizing.
StaIIing: AIter a manager discerns his area's needs, he may decide to beeI up his staIIing by recruiting,
selecting, training, and developing employees. A manager in a large organization oIten works with the
company's human resources department to accomplish this goal.
Leading: A manager needs to do more than just plan, organize, and staII her team to achieve a goal. She
must also lead. Leading involves motivating, communicating, guiding, and encouraging. It requires the
manager to coach, assist, and problem solve with employees.
Controlling: AIter the other elements are in place, a manager's job is not Iinished. He needs to
continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make sure that his
area's plans remain on track.
Q 4 a. describe business plan Vs MIS plan
Ans:
Many corporations that installed the most advanced computer technology have Iound that the new
capabilities have also Iorced them to make Iurther changes--at a pace Iaster than desired. A Iast,
sophisticated tool can let people recognize, understand and Iix problems, but it can also create other
problems. Corporations, some observers say, must implement an enterprise model capable oI managing
change and Iorecasting the impact oI anticipated problems on a business.
MIS goals and objectives: It is necessary to develop the goals and objectives Ior the MIS which will
support the business goals. The MIS goals and objectives will consider management philosophy, policy
constraints, business risks, internal and external environment oI the organization and the business.
The goals and the objectives oI the MIS would be so stated that they can be measured.
The typical statements oI the goals are as under:
Provide on-line inIormation on the stocks, markets and the accounts balances.
The query processing should not exceed more than three seconds.
The Iocus oI the system will be on the end user computing and access Iacilities.
InIormation support will be the Iirst in the strategic areas oI management.
Table diIIerentiating between Business Plan versus MIS Plan as below:
usiness Plan MIS Plan
Business goals and objectives. Management inIormation system, objectives, consistent to the
business goals and objectives.
Business plan and strategy InIormation strategy Ior the business plan implementation
playing a supportive role.
Strategy planning and decisions. Architecture oI the Management InIormation system to
support decisions.
Management Plan Ior execution and control. System development schedule, matching the plan execution
Operation plan Ior the execution. Hardware and soItware plan Ior the procurement and the
implementation.
Such statements oI the goals and objectives enable the designer to set the direction and design
implementation strategies Ior the MIS.

Strategy Ior the plan achievement: The designer has to take a number oI strategic decisions Ior the
achievement oI the MIS goals and objectives. They are:

a. Development strategy: An online, a batch, a real time.

b. System Development Strategy: An approach to the system development Operational versus
Functional; Accounting versus Analysis; Database versus Conventional Approach; Distributed versus
Decentralized processing; one Database versus Multiple database SSAD vs. OOT.

c. Resource Ior System Development: In-house versus external, customized development versus the
use oI packages.


b. What are the different classes of information


In order to obtain useIul inIormation Ior your assignment you need to identiIy what kind oI inIormation
you need. DiIIerent kinds oI inIormation can be Iound in diIIerent types oI resources. The kind oI
inIormation you need will then determine which resource is the most appropriate.







Types oI InIormation
DiIIerent sorts oI questions require diIIerent types oI inIormation to answer. In order to gather evidence to
support an argument, you Iirst need an idea oI what types oI inIormation are suitable. You can gain a
sense oI which types oI inIormation are appropriate Ior your project by answering the questions in this
section.

Contents
What is my assignment and what are my opportunities Ior research?
In order to research eIIectively you need a solid understanding oI what sort oI evidence your assignment
requires and what is available.
Which academic disciplines does my research touch upon?
Research papers are usually written with the goal oI contributing to the dialogue oI a particular discipline.
To do so, a paper must Iollow the standards oI research and evidence Ior that discipline.
Description Ior diIIerent types oI InIormation as Iollows:
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary InIormation: Most inIormation is generally divided into three main
categories: Primary ,Secondary and Tertiary.
Primary InIormation: Original material that has not been interpreted or analysied. Examples: Statistics,
Research articles, Blogs, Websites
Secondary Material: Created Irom primary material, interpretating original material. Examples:
Texbooks, Review articles
Tertiary Material: Acts as a tool in understanding and locating inIormation. Examples: Databases, Subject
Gateways, Dictionaries, Bibliographies

DiIIerent types oI InIormation Systems:
InIormation systems are constantly changing and evolving as technology continues to grow. Very
importantly the inIormation systems described below are not mutually exclusive and some (especially
Expert Systems, Management InIormation Systems and Executive InIormation Systems are can be seen as
a subset oI Decision Support Systems). However these examples are not the only overlaps and the divions
oI these inIormation systems will change over time.
At present there are Iive main types:


Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)
Decision Support Systems (DSS)
Expert InIormation Systems (EIS)
Management InIormation Systems (MIS)
OIIice Automation Systems (OAS)

Q 5 Explain the various cognitive style as identified by 1ames McKinney and Peter Keen.
Ans:
Decision making is a cognitive activity, as are other phenomena such as learning or understanding
language. In general, human cognition is human inIormation processing. People display distinct cognitive
styles in the ways they gather and evaluate inIormation. In their analysis oI how managers` minds work,
1ames McKinney and Peter Keen have classified the information- related modes of thought along
two dimensions: information gathering and information evaluation.

The inIormation-gathering dimension Iocuses on perception, on the way a person organizes the verbal and
visual stimuli he or she encounters. Preceptive indi-viduals bring to bear concepts ("precepts") to Iilter
incoming stimuli; Irom the Iramework oI these concepts, they look Ior speciIic conIormities with or
devia-tions Irom the concepts they have already Iormed. Receptive decision makers Iocus on details
rather than on a pattern and attempt to Iorm a general picture oI the situation Irom these details (a
characteristic oI inductive thinking).

InIormation evaluation relates to the way an individual brings inIormation to bear in the process oI
decision making. A systematic (or analytic) decision maker approaches a problem by structuring it and
applying a well-deIined method ex-pected to lead to a solution. An intuitive individual applies heuristics
(rules oI thumb) and shortcuts and uses trial and error to Iind a solution; these people are more willing to
go with their "gut Ieeling" about the problem. McKinney and Keen stress that all oI these modes oI
thought are appropriate in certain situations, and some combinations oI them are particularly Iit in certain
occu-pations.

While the importance oI individual cognitive style in the design oI MIS has been contested, the Iact that
signiIicant diIIerences exist among individual decision-making processes should inIorm the way systems
are designed. In particular, developers oI inIormation systems tend to be systematic individuals and thus
tend to assume that the users are (or should be) the same. End-user system development and a number oI
available packages have ad-dressed the necds oI intuitive (or heuristic) decision making. These systems
allow the user to play out a variety oI scenarios; the user is able to identiIy and test new alternatives. Such
systems should not impose a preset processing order, but rather allow the user the Ireedom to set this
order as he or she is working. It is desirable that the system allow an easy shiIt back and Iorth between
sum-marized and detailed data (needed by receptive individuals). A variety oI tabular and graphical
output Iormats should also be available. Much oI this wish list is now IulIilled in well-designed DSS and
EIS.


Q 6 ring out the table that indicate the various classes of information

Ans:
There are three types oI inIormation systems projects: manual, manual to automated, and reautomation.
The last, reautomation, has Iour subtypes: system rewrite, system redesign and redevelopment, system
enhancement, and system maintenance. Each oI these involves diIIerent, and yet similar, work. The work
is similar in that the development activities which are involved in each Iollow the same general phases
and approach. They are diIIerent in that the environment that the analyst must examine has substantially
diIIerent characteristics.
This chapter examines each oI the various types oI analysis projects, along with a brieI discussion oI the
Gibson-Nolan electronic data processing (EDP) stages oI growth theory and its impact on the analysis
process. In addition there is a brieI discussion oI the Anthony model oI organizational structure.
A deIinition
Personal Computer (PC) - also known as microcomputers or workstations, by the model name oI the
speciIic vendor (i.e. Apple |1|, Macintosh |2|, or PS/2 |3|) or by the brand name, model and speed oI the
processor (i.e. Pentium, Intel or 486/33 |4|) Any combination oI processor, input device and output
device designed Ior use by a single individual. Personal computers may also be called workstations.
Personal computers may have a character orientation, a graphical orientation, may be connected to other
personal computers, or may operate in a stand alone mode, and may or may not have connectivity to a
mainIrame.
Personal computer soItware is normally characterized by an operating system which provides basic Iile
access, management and display services and well as application scheduling and management.
Reasons For Initiating InIormation Systems Analysis Projects
As part oI a program oI System Modernization.
A change in the basic aspects oI the user's Iunctional role
A change in company strategic objectives
A need Ior increased perIormance, greater or diIIerent Iunctionality, diIIerent operating
characteristics, or increased user Iriendliness Irom the automated systems
A need Ior more direct and immediate access to the Iirm's automated Iiles.
A need to upgrade the system to take advantage oI more current technology.
A need to clean up the system
The Three Types oI InIormation Systems Analysis Projects
The scope and magnitude oI the Iunctional and procedural changes may be Iairly narrow or wide ranging.
In some cases, aside Irom re-coding the system, there may be no changes in Iunctionality at all.
Given the variety oI reasons Ior a project being undertaken, the starting point may also be quite diIIerent
Irom project to project. These starting points reIlect the diIIerences in current user processing
environments and the current level oI user automation. Because oI these diIIerences in current user
processing environments and user automation, inIormation systems projects can be categorized into three
types.
1.Manual
2.Manual to automated
3.Reautomation
4.The last, reautomation, has Iour subtypes.
a) System rewrite
b) System redesign and redevelopment
c) System enhancement
d) System maintenance
From an analysis perspective, each oI these types oI projects involves diIIerent, and yet similar, work.
The work is similar in that the development activity.