What is information technology, and why is it important to a business?

IT refers to the components used to manage, communicate, and share

information.
This directly relates to businesses:
-because of the digital economy present
-connectivity is more important than ever
-this sector is incredibly important to business growth
Define business profiles, processes, and modeling.
These describe information that a system must provide. This is a graphical
representation of these concepts.

"A business model, or requirements model, describes the information that a system
must
provide.
A data model describes data structures and design.
An object model describes
objects, which combine data and processes. A network model describes the design
and pro-
tocols of telecommunications links. A process model describes the logic that
programmers
use to write code modules. Although the models might appear to overlap, they
actually
work together to describe the same environment from different points of view."

Identify the main components of an information system, and describe the

system's stakeholders.
An information system has five key components:
hardware,
software,
data,
processes,
and people.
Stakeholders include the management group responsible for the system,
the users inside and outside the company,
and IT staff members.
Explain the difference between vertical and horizontal systems packages.
A horizontal system:
-can be adapted for use in many different types of companies.
A vertical system
-is designed to meet the unique requirements of a specific business or industry.
How do companies use EDI? What are some advantages of using XML?
EDI(electronic data interchange)
-enabled computer-to-computer data
transfer using data from another company's information system using
telecommunication lines.

XML(extensible markup language)

-enabled company-to-company traffic to migrate to the Internet, which offered
standard protocols, universal availability, and low communication costs. XML is a
flexible data description language that allows Web-based communication.
Describe five types of information systems, and give an example of each
1.Enterprise computing:
-refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data
management requirements.
Ex. Wal-Mart's inventory control system

2.Transaction processing (TP) systems:

-process data generated by day-to-day business operations.
Ex. customer order processing, accounts receivable, and warranty claim
processing.

3.Business support systems:

-provide job-related information support to users at all levels of a company.
Ex. product inventory system
4.Knowledge management systems:
-are called expert systems because they simulate human reasoning by combining a
knowledge base and inference rules that determine how the knowledge is applied.
Ex. a large database that allows users to find information by entering keywords or
questions in normal English phrases.

5.User Productivity:
Examples of user productivity systems include e-mail, voice mail, fax, video and
Web conferencing, word processing, etc.
Describe four organizational levels of a typical business and their
information requirements.
TOP MANAGERS:
develop long-range plans that define overall mission/goal of the company.
They need information from outside the company, such as economic forecasts,
technology trends, competitive threats, and governmental issues.

MIDDLE MANAGERS + KNOWLEDGE WORKERS:

-Middle managers provide direction, necessary resources, and
performance feedback to Supervisors and Team Leaders.
Middle Managers need more detailed information than top managers. Ex. A
weekly sales summary for a large area.
-Knowledge Workers provide support for the organization's basic functions. They
are programmers, accountants, researchers, trainers, etc.

SUPERVISORS + TEAM LEADERS:

oversee operational employees and carry out day-to-day functions. supervisors and
team leaders need decision support information, knowledge management systems,
and user productivity systems to carry out their responsibilities.

OPERATIONAL EMPLOYEES:
Operational employees include users who rely on transaction processing systems to
enter and receive data they need to perform their jobs.
Describe the phases of the systems development life cycle, and compare
the SDLC waterfall model with the spiral model.
Phase 1: SYSTEMS PLANNING
-The purpose of this phase is to perform a preliminary investigation to evaluate an
IT-related business opportunity or problem.

Phase 2: SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

-The purpose of the systems analysis phase is to build a logical model of the new
system.

Phase 3: SYSTEMS DESIGN

-The purpose of the systems design phase is to create a physical model that will
satisfy all documented requirements for the system.

Phase 4: SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION

-the new system is constructed. programs are written, tested, and documented, and
the system is installed.

Phase 5: SYSTEMS SUPPORT AND SECURITY

-During the systems support and security phase, the IT staff maintains, enhances,
and protects the system.

OBJECT ORIENTED -> WATERFALL model

AGILE/ADAPTIVE -> SPIRAL model

Explain the use of models, prototypes, and CASE tools in the systems
development
process. Also explain the pros and cons of agile development methods.
Modeling:
-produces a graphical representation. examples,
Business model
Requirements model
Data model
Object model
Network model
Process model

A prototype is an early working version of an information system.

Computer-Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) Tools:
-Can generate program code, which speeds the implementation process

AGILE DEV. METHODS:

PROS:
-good with change
-stress teamwork
-Iterative development
CONS:
-Team members need high level of skill
- lack of structure/documentation
What is object-oriented analysis, and how does it differ from structured
analysis?
O-O Analysis:
-views the system in terms of objects that interact with each other.

compared to structure analysis, O-O tends to be more interactive.