Question 2

Identify at least three business processes that New Century

performs, and explain who is responsible for the specific tasks.
A business process is a specific set of transactions, events, and results
that can be described and documented.
Three business processes that New Century performs are:
1. Office Payroll
2. Insurance Reporting
3. Ordering and Organising Office and Clinic Supplies
The following staff is responsible for performing these duties:
1. Fred Brown - Office Payroll
2. Tom Capaletti - Insurance Reporting
3. Carla Hererra - Ordering and Organising Office and Clinic Supplies

Question 3
Explain how New Century might use a transaction processing
system, a business support system, and a user productivity
system. For each type of system, provide a specific example, and
explain how the system would benefit the clinic.
Transaction Processing System
A transaction processing (TP) system processes data generated by day-today business operations. Examples of TP systems include accounts
receivable, and warranty claim processing. TP systems perform a series of
tasks whenever a specific transaction occurs. TP systems involve large
amounts of data and are mission-critical systems because the enterprise
cannot function without them.
TP systems are efficient because they process a set of transactions-related
commands as a group rather than individually. To protect data integrity,
however, TP systems ensure that if any single element of a transaction
fails, the system does not process the rest of the transaction.
Business Support System
Business support systems provide job-related information support to users
at all levels of a company. These systems can analyse transactional data,
generate information needed to manage and control business processes,
and provide information that leads to better decision-making.
A business support system can work hand in hand with a TP system. For
example, when a company sells merchandise to a customer, a TP system
records the sale, updates the customers balance, and makes a deduction
from inventory. A related business support system highlights slow or fast-

moving items, customers with past due balances and inventory levels that
need adjustment.
To compete effectively, firms must collect production, sales, and shipping
data and update the company-wide business support system immediately.
The newest development in data acquisition is called radio frequency
identification [RFID] technology, which uses high-frequency radio waves to
track physical objects. Dramatic growth of RFIDs has been fuelled by
companies like Wal-Mart, which requires it suppliers to add RFID tags to all
items.
An important feature of a business support system is decision support
capability. Decision support helps users make decisions by creating a
computer model and applying a set of variables. For example, a truck
fleet dispatcher might run a series of what-if scenarios to determine the
impact of increased shipments or bad weather. Alternatively, a retailer
might use what-if analysis to determine the price it must charge to
increase profits by a specific amount while volume and costs remain
unchanged.
User Productivity System
Examples of user productivity systems include e-mail, voice mail, fax,
video and Web conferencing, word processing, automated calendars,
database management, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, presentation
graphics, company intranets, and high-speed Internet access. User
productivity systems also include groupware. Groupware programs run on
a company intranet and enable users to share data, collaborate on
projects, and work in teams.

Question 4
During the Systems development process, should New Century
consider any of the following: B2B, vertical and horizontal system
packages, or Internet-based solutions? Explain your answers.