INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR MANAGERS

ORGANISATIONS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

QUES 1: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY INFORMATION SYSTEM? HOW IT IS

IMPORTANT IN ORGANISATION?

An information system (IS) is a formal, socio-technical, organizational system designed to

collect, process, store, and distribute information. In a socio-technical perspective, information
systems are composed by four components: task, people, structure (or roles), and
technology. Information systems can be defined as an integration of components for collection,
storage and processing of data of which the data is used to provide information, contribute to
knowledge as well as digital products.
A computer information system is a system composed of people and computers that processes or
interprets information. The term is also sometimes used to simply refer to a computer
system with software installed.
Information Systems is an academic study of systems with a specific reference to information
and the complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to
collect, filter, process, create and also distribute data. An emphasis is placed on an information
system having a definitive boundary, users, processors, storage, inputs, outputs and the
aforementioned communication networks.
In many organizations, the department or unit responsible for information systems and data
processing is known as "Information Services.
Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and decision-making.
An information system is the information and communication technology (ICT) that an
organization uses, and also the way in which people interact with this technology in support of
business processes.[15]
Some authors make a clear distinction between information systems, computer systems,
and business processes. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not
purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end-use of information technology.
Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to
control the performance of business processes.
Alter argues for advantages of viewing an information system as a special type of work system.
A work system is a system in which humans or machines perform processes and activities using
resources to produce specific products or services for customers. An information system is a
work system whose activities are devoted to capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving,
manipulating and displaying information
As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems
on the other. An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent
and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a
semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.
Information systems are the primary focus of study for organizational informatics.

Information technology departments in larger organizations tend to strongly influence the

development, use, and application of information technology in the business. A series of
methodologies and processes can be used to develop and use an information system. Many
developers use a systems engineering approach such as the system development life
cycle (SDLC), to systematically develop an information system in stages. The stages of the
system development lifecycle are planning, system analysis, and requirements, system design,
development, integration and testing, implementation and operations, and maintenance. Recent
research aims at enabling[28] and measuring[29] the ongoing, collective development of such
systems within an organization by the entirety of human actors themselves. An information
system can be developed in house (within the organization) or outsourced. This can be
accomplished by outsourcing certain components or the entire system.[30] A specific case is the
geographical distribution of the development team (off shoring, global information system).
A computer-based information system,  is a technologically implemented medium for:

 recording, storing, and disseminating linguistic expressions,

 as well as for drawing conclusions from such expressions.
Geographic information systems, land information systems, and disaster information systems are
examples of emerging information systems, but they can be broadly considered as spatial
information systems. System development is done in stages which include:

 Problem recognition and specification

 Information gathering
 Requirements specification for the new system
 System design
 System construction
 System implementation
 Review and maintenance
QUES 2: HOW TO MANAGE THE INTERNER ERA IN THE ORGANISATION?

The basic form of organization of companies in the new economy is organizational structure
characterized by horizontal organization, a high degree of decentralization, democratic style of
decision making, high level of flexibility and adaptability to constant market changes. Given that
customers are drivers of today’s economy, it is logical to focus on organizational efforts in order
to meet their needs. Therefore, the hierarchical organization can be completely inverted and thus
create an inverse hierarchical pyramid in which all employees are directly connected with
customers and able to quickly respond to market needs. Such a change requires substantial
reengineering of business and new internal and external “communication range”, based on
intensive use of information-communication, and Internet technologies. Decisions are made on
the spot, and each job requires an appropriate level of autonomy, independence and
entrepreneurial thinking. Managers lose their exclusive right to control the outcome of the trust
in colleagues and encourage entrepreneurial initiatives at all levels of an organization. These
organizations are characterized by a very high level of adaptability, willingness to change, a wide
range of communication and orientation of inductive logic, innovation, education and continuous
learning. Management in these circumstances, the New economy, based on Internet technology,
should meet multiple criteria and cover all areas of organizational activity: planning, organizing,
managing, communicating, controlling, motivating, effective action, creating a pleasant and
stimulating environment, innovation, recognition of talent, management human resources etc.

The business activity in terms of the New economy is causing many changes in many areas of
organizational performance. Through the intensive use of publicly accessible computer networks
companies accelerate business processes, globalize operations, effectively communicate with the
general public and change their behaviour in relation to the unpredictable environment and
society as a whole. There are three main factors affecting the changes in organizational
behaviour:

 intensive use of information and communications, and Internet technologies in business,

 the general process of globalization, dynamism and uncertainty, and

 substantial changes that take place within the global companies.

Decision-making and conduct of business become especially important when the managerial
functions of the business environment are dynamic, unpredictable and uncertain. What
knowledge and skills should managers possess to effectively run the business in the new
economy? The intensive development of the Internet as a modern business infrastructure has led
to substantial changes in business strategy, development and innovation of business models, and
new forms of organization of business; however, relatively little attention has been devoted to
developing new models of management and development of management models that are
matched by global conditions, networked business environment and the New economy. While
some managerial functions in the conditions of New economy change, rare studies show that, in
addition to their classical functions, managers in the New economy (“e-CEO”, “e-Manager”)
need to develop new or improved competence in these key areas:

 Faster decision making,

 Readiness for cooperation and partnership,

 Creating a successful management team,

 Excellent knowledge of Internet technology and its strategic business applications,

 Excellent knowledge of electronic business,

 Identifying information needs of the business model,

 Managing information and knowledge as a key resource of business,

 Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit,

 Communication skills,

 Orientation to the end user (customer) and their needs,

 Visionary view of the future,

 Creating a pleasant working environment, motivating and inspiration of associates,

 Human resource management, and attracting, motivating and finding talented co-workers,

 "Soft" elements of the organizational, management teams,

 Encouraging innovation and creativity in business,

 Setting an example to encourage employees to adapt to the new mode.

QUES 3: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MAANGERS IN
ORGANISATION?

Managers who oversee teams commonly face several challenges related to productivity and
communication. Knowing how to recognize these challenges and address them helps increase a
manager's confidence and ability to lead a team. In this article, we discuss the most common challenges
of managing employees and ways to overcome these challenges.

Management challenges

Here are some of the most common challenges managers face and how to overcome them:

1. Decreased performance levels

2. Being understaffed
3. Lack of communication
4. Poor teamwork
5. Pressure to perform
6. Absence of structure
7. Time management
8. Inadequate support
9. Skepticism
10. Difficult employees
11. Transition from coworker to manager
12. Weak workplace culture

1. Decreased performance levels

Employees may experience periods of time where they are not as productive as usual. A decrease
in productivity can sometimes affect other team members and overall goals, making it important
to help employees feel motivated.

Managers who consistently review processes and procedures within the company can increase
efficiency. Perform a workflow analysis to review your current systems and restructure weak
areas. Another way to address this challenge is by asking questions and offering solutions to their
problems. One-on-one meetings provide a great opportunity for managers to reestablish work
hours and expectations regarding work productivity.

2. Being understaffed

Managers must recognize when it's time to hire another team member to help fulfill
responsibilities within their department. Because the hiring process is time-consuming, it's
helpful to get assistance from other managers and human resources professionals when pursuing
a new candidate.
If needed, ask for help when creating a job description, interviewing applicants and selecting the
right person for the desired role. Consider having applicants complete a sample work test to help
you determine the best fit for your team.

3. Lack of communication

Another challenge managers face when overseeing teams is ensuring effective communication.
Because every team member has a different personality, there is a chance for miscommunication
from time to time.

Increase the frequency of communication to ensure employees know exactly what you expect of
them and when you need them to complete it. Redefine standards that reinforce your team's goals
and purposes. Consider implementing a messaging platform for the workplace that allows
everyone to communicate quickly. Let them know if you prefer one form of contact over
another.

4. Poor teamwork

Sometimes, employees may lose focus on collaboration when they spend a lot of time
completing individual tasks. To re-establish teamwork, managers should revisit the purpose of a
project. Managers who take the time to acknowledge their team's efforts and clarify the purpose
of their work commonly see increased levels of motivation.

Consider dividing your team members into partners so they have a chance to work with someone
for a specific project. Team-building exercises are another great way to help everyone learn how
to work better together. Base the content of your exercises around the challenges your team
faces. For example, if they need to get to know each other better, focus on relationship building.

5. Pressure to perform

Some managers, especially new managers, to feel like they are under pressure to achieve
greatness from the very start of their role. If you frequently feel stressed about your leadership
position, take time to revisit the reasons why you were hired for the job. Recognize that leaders
learn from experience and mistakes. While planning helps, you will likely face unexpected
situations. The way that you choose to resolve conflicts and react to challenges reflects your
ability to lead.

6. Absence of structure

A common challenge that managers face in the workplace is the absence of structure, especially
when overseeing a new team. Depending on the work environment, some teams may need to be
supervised more closely than others in order to maintain productivity levels.

Take time to develop an organizational structure that helps employees know what you expect of
them. In addition, show your team respect to encourage loyalty.
7. Time management

Because managers are responsible for overseeing the members of their team and communicating
with other department heads, they typically struggle with balancing their own tasks. One way to
prioritize your own work responsibilities is by scheduling time throughout the day to do specific
work. Let your team know the times you'll be available to them and the times you plan to focus
on your work. Regularly update your calendar, and share it with team members so they know
when they can reach you.

8. Inadequate support

Managers sometimes need approval from the executive team of a company or the business owner
before moving ahead with a project. When the decision-making process takes longer than
expected, it may slow down their team's progress overall. The most important thing to do in this
situation is to be honest with your team members. Let them know that you are waiting for
information from the executive team, and if possible, allow them to work on other projects. Try
to arrange for a one-on-one with the decision-maker to expedite progress.

9. Skepticism

Teams often question the transparency of management when they feel distanced from their
supervisors, especially if certain employees feel like they are doing more work than others.
When people feel they are not part of the plan, their level of trust becomes compromised. Clear
communication and honest interactions help resolve skepticism in most instances because it
builds trust between an employee and manager. When you delegate tasks, explain why you
assigned it and how it contributes to the overall goal.

10. Difficult employees

Sometimes, managers oversee employees who cause tension in the workplace. Knowing how to
properly address any issues before they become major problems is one common challenge
managers face. To address specific concerns, request feedback from your team members to learn
about any issues they may have with completing work or communicating with team members.

Implement any feasible suggestions to show you're listening to your team. Take time to listen to
their concerns and find out what you can about the situation. If you're unsure of what to do next,
consider enlisting the support of an HR professional in your company. Their training supports
conflict resolution and other aspects of employee relations.

11. Transition from coworker to manager

People who get promoted at work often find themselves managing old coworkers. This situation
may feel awkward at first, but with time and the right leadership, it may become less of an issue.
Ensure team members that you're there to support their efforts and ensure they have everything
they need to accomplish their goals. It may help to have a meeting shortly after the transition
where you address the change in roles and allow your team members to ask any questions.
12. Weak workplace culture

When teams feel like they're not connected with the rest of the workplace, they could experience
a decrease in motivation. Teams that feel they are part of a larger group, experience more
confidence and trust. One way to promote a strong work culture is by planning lunch outings and
rewarding employees who exceed expectations.

1. Information systems support an organization's business operations, managerial decision

making and strategic competitive advantage. Such system is called
A. Business process reengineering
B. Globalization
C. Roles of information systems
D. Competitive advantage

2. The document listing all procedure and regulations that generally govern an organization is the
A. Administrative policy manual
B. Personal policy book
C. Procedures log
D. Organization manual

3.Management information systems (MIS)

A. create and share documents that support day-today office activities
B. Process business transactions (e.g., time cards, payments, orders, etc.)
C. capture and reproduce the knowledge of an expert problem solver
D. use the transaction data to produce information needed by managers to run the business
4. The term used to describe those people whose jobs involve sponsoring and funding the project
to develop, operate, and maintain the information system is
A. Information worker
B. Internal system user
C. Systems owner
D. External system user
5. Which one of the following is not a business driver for an information system?
A. Business process redesign
B. Knowledge asset management
C. Proliferation of networks and the Internet
D. Security and privacy

6. A task of developing a technical blueprint and specifications for a solution that fulfills the
business requirements is undertaken in the following phase of the system development process
A. System initiation
B. System implementation
C. System analysis
D. System design

7. Which of the following is not a technology driver for an information system?

A. Enterprise applications
B. Object technologies
C. Knowledge asset management
D. Collaborative technologies

8. An information system that supports the planning and assessment needs of executive
management is
A. DSS
B. TPS
C. ERP
D. MIS
E. none of the above

9. Decision makers who are concerned with tactical (short-term) operational problems and
decision making are
A. Middle managers
B. Executive managers
C. Supervisors
D. Mobile managers

10. The application of information to scan an organisation’s environment is:

A. External communication.
B. Information overload.
C. Sensing.
D. Internal communication.
E. None of the above
11. The most important attribute of information quality that a manager requires is:
1. Relevance.
2. Media.
3. Presentation.
4. Timeliness.

12. To improve the performance of a business process, which of the following is most
relevant?
A. Input.
B. Processing. .
C. Control and feedback
D. Output.
13. Monitoring the legal constraints which a company operates under requires review of:
A. a company’s customers.
B. a company’s outputs.
C. a company’s macro-environment.
D. a company’s micro-environment.
14. The majority of publically available Internet information sources are:
1. created in XML.
2. structured information.
3. normal information.
4. unstructured information.

15.Contemporary Information Systems are interfacing with customers and suppliers using :
a. BPR
b. CRM
c. SCM
B. Both B and C
16. Processed data is called
A. Field
B. Information
C. Record
D. File
17 ______ is the most basic element of data
A. Character
B. Field
C. Record
D. Database
18. Information systems are composed of basic components.
A. 4
B. 3
C. 2
D. many

19. The—-can help you choose a product.

A. office automation system
B. management information system
C. transaction processing system
D. decision support system
20.Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) software is an example of an information systems
application
in which of the following areas?
A. Office automation systems.
B. Operations management.
C. Marketing
D. Human resource management.

CONCEPT OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

QUES 1: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MANGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM?

EXPLAIN ITS TYPE. HOW MIS IS EFFECTIVELY USED IN ORGANISATION?

In business, management information systems (or information management systems) are tools
used to support processes, operations, intelligence, and IT. MIS tools move data and manage
information. They are the core of the information management discipline and are often
considered the first systems of the information age.

MIS produce data-driven reports that help businesses make the right decisions at the right time.
While MIS overlaps with other business disciplines, there are some differences:

 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): This discipline ensures that all departmental
systems are integrated. MIS uses those connected systems to access data to create
reports. 
  IT Management: This department oversees the installation and maintenance of hardware
and software that are parts of the MIS. The distinction between the two has always been
fuzzy.
 E-commerce: E-commerce activity provides data that the MIS uses. In turn, the MIS
reports based on this data affect e-commerce processes. 

Management information system is a broad term that incorporates many specialized systems.
The major types of systems include the following:

 Executive Information System (EIS): Senior management use an EIS to make decisions

that affect the entire organization. Executives need high-level data with the ability to drill
down as necessary. 
 Marketing Information System (MkIS): Marketing teams use MkIS to report on the
effectiveness of past and current campaigns and use the lessons learned to plan future
campaigns.
 Business Intelligence System (BIS): Operations use a BIS to make business decisions
based on the collection, integration, and analysis of the collected data and information.
This system is similar to EIS, but both lower level managers and executives use it. 
 Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): A CRM system stores key
information about customers, including previous sales, contact information, and sales
opportunities. Marketing, customer service, sales, and business development teams often
use CRM.
 Sales Force Automation System (SFA): A specialized component of a CRM system that
automates many tasks that a sales team performs. It can include contact management,
lead tracking and generation, and order management.
 Transaction Processing System (TPS): An MIS that completes a sale and manages related
details. On a basic level, a TPS could be a point of sale (POS) system, or a system that
allows a traveller to search for a hotel and include room options, such as price range, the
type and number of beds, or a swimming pool, and then select and book it. Employees
can use the data created to report on usage trends and track sales over time.
 Knowledge Management System (KMS): Customer service can use a KM system to
answer questions and troubleshoot problems. 
 Financial Accounting System (FAS): This MIS is specific to departments dealing with
finances and accounting, such as accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR).
 Human Resource Management System (HRMS): This system tracks employee
performance records and payroll data.
  Supply Chain Management System (SCM): Manufacturing companies use SCM to track
the flow of resources, materials, and services from purchase until final products are
shipped.  

Types of MIS Reports

At their core, management information systems exist to store data and create reports that
business pros can use to analyze and make decisions. There are three basic kinds of reports: 

 Scheduled: Created on a regular basis, these reports use rules the requestor has provided
to pull and organize the data. Scheduled reports allow businesses to analyze data over
time (e.g. an airline can see the percentage of lost luggage by month), location (e.g. a
retail chain can compare sales figures from different stores), or other parameters.
 Ad-hoc: These are one-off reports that a user creates to answer a question. If the reports
are useful, you can turn ad-hoc reports into scheduled reports. 
 Real-time: This type of MIS report allows someone to monitor changes as they occur. For
example, a call center manager may see an unexpected spike in call volume, and find a
way to increase productivity or send some of the calls elsewhere.

Beyond the need to stay competitive, there are some key advantages of effective use of
management information systems:

 Management can get an overview of their entire operation.

 Managers have the ability to get feedback about their performance.
 Organizations can maximize benefits from their investments by seeing what is working
and what isn’t.
 Managers can compare results to planned performance by identifying strengths and
weakness in both the plan and the performance.
 Companies can drive workflow improvements that result in better alignment of business
processes to customer needs.
 Many business decisions are moved out of upper management to levels of the
organization that is closer to where the knowledge and experience lie.
QUES 2: WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY? MENTION ITS DIFFERENT
TYPES.

Information technology (IT) is an integral part of every single business plan. Information
technology plays a vital role in every business type including small, medium and large
(multinational).
Information technology is used in companies to implement communication. Network (intranet
and internet) and email play a key role in the organisational communication internally as well as
externally. Today, organisational communication has been developed via chats and Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VOIP) and telephones (Curry, 2008). Inventory management systems will
allow organisations to track stocks and activate an order of extra stock when the numbers drop
below a pre-defined quantity. Companies connect the inventory management system to their
Point-of-Sale (POS) systems to gain maximum efficiency.

The POS system ensures that every time a product is sold, the inventory is updated and
information is shared among other divisions. Data is the critical element in businesses today, and
the security and effective management of data can be considered key drivers of organisations.
This has been simplified by information technology through databases, document digital versions
and storage devices. These options have enabled businesses to ensure security, no unnecessary
data duplication, data consistency, data backups and easy replication.
Storage data is simply an advantage if the data can be used efficiently. Advanced businesses use
data in their strategic planning procedure in addition to the strategic implementation of the
strategy. Management Information Systems (MIS) allow businesses to sort and plan sales data,
costs, and efficiency levels. Management can find everyday sales levels, allowing them to
directly respond to below-than-projected numbers by increasing worker efficiency or dropping
the cost of a product. Businesses use information technology to develop effective methods in
customer relationship management. Instead of depending on communication in a traditional
perspective, companies usually host CRM systems that connect the business systems to
customers in a faster and more secure manner.

Basically, any organization need to numbers of information systems supports to support it. in
short, this technology refers to information and the complementary networks of hardware and
software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create and also distribute
data.

1- Operations support system transaction Processing System are operational-level systems,

which provide the key data required to support the management of operations. This data is
usually obtained through the automated or semi-automated tracking of low-level activities and
basic transactions.

The purpose of the operation support system is to facilitate the business transaction, control
production, support internal as well as external communication and update organization central
database. The operation support system is further divided into a transaction-processing system,
processing control system and enterprise collaboration system.

2- Management Information System (MIS) this type of Information Technology is a

management-level system that is used by middle managers to help ensure the smooth running of
the organization in the short to medium term. The highly structured information provided by
these systems allows managers to evaluate an organization’s performance by comparing current
with previous outputs.

The MIS system analyzes the input with routine algorithms i.e. aggregate, compare and
summarizes the results to produced reports that tactical managers use to monitor, control and
predict future performance.

Examples of management information systems include:

 Sales management systems: they get input from the point of sale system
 Budgeting systems: they give an overview of how much money is spent within the
organization for the short and long terms.
 Human resource management system: overall welfare of the employees, staff turnover,
etc.

3- Process Control System In this type of system, critical information is fed to the system on a
real-time basis thereby enabling process control. 

4- Decision Support System (DSS) Decision support systems is a one of Information

Technology that are used by senior management to make non-routine decisions. Decision
support systems use input from internal systems (transaction processing systems and
management information systems) and external systems.

A Decision Support System can be seen as a knowledge-based system, which facilitates the
creation of knowledge and allows its integration into the organization. These systems are often
used to analyze existing structured information and allow managers to project the potential
effects of their decisions into the future. Such systems are usually interactive and are used to
solve ill-structured problems. They offer access to databases, analytical tools, allow “what if”
simulations, and may support the exchange of information within the organization.

5- Executive Information Systems are strategic-level information Technology systems that help

executives and senior managers analyze the environment in which the organization operates, to
identify long-term trends, and to plan appropriate courses of action. 

The information in such systems is often weakly structured and comes from both internal and
external sources. Executive Information System is designed to be operated directly by executives
without the need for intermediaries and easily tailored to the preferences of the individual using
them.

QUES 3: HOW MIS IS HELPFUL IN MAKING DECISOIN IN ORGANISATION?

Management Information System (MIS) is an organized, automated, and diverse information

system that gathers, stores, processes, and distributes data associated with different departments
of the organization. This data is processed in various forms, such as graphs, diagrams, charts, and
reports to generate accurate, relevant and valuable information for the management. This
information is further communicated to the various departments to be used for decision-making
and business management. MIS system provides central storage of all the business information.
There are various types of MIS systems which are used to gain better understanding of the
market and enterprise. MIS is used across all levels in an organization. For example, MIS
provides vital information at senior levels to help make strategic decisions. At other levels, MIS
observes an organization's activities and distributes information to everyone in the organization
and customers. MIS is very important for every organization because it not only collects and
manages information, but also represents it in various formats useful for the management to
make important organizational decisions.

MIS is a system providing management with accurate and timely information. Such information
is necessary to facilitate the decision-making process and enable the organizations planning,
control, and operational functions to be carried out effectively. MISs increase competitiveness of
the firm by reducing cost and improving processing speed. The power of technology has
transformed the role of information in a business firm. Now information has become recognized
as the lifeblood of an organization and without information, the modern company is dead. MIS
and its organizational subsystems contribute to the decision making process in many ways.
Power has stated that making decisions is an important part of working in the business
environment. Companies often make decisions regarding operational improvements or selecting
new business opportunities for maximizing the company's profit. Companies develop a decision-
making process based on individuals responsible for making decisions and the scope of the
company's business operations. A useful tool for making business decisions is a management
information system. Historically, MIS was a manual process used to gather information and
funnel it to individuals responsible for making decisions.

MIS is an organization – wide effort to provide decision making process information. The
system is a formal commitment by executive to make the computer available to all managers.
MIS sets the stage for accomplishments in the other area, which is DSS, the virtual office and
knowledge based systems. The main idea behind MIS is to keep a continuous supply of
information flowing to the management. Afterwards, by data and information gathered from
MIS, decisions are made. MIS may be viewed as a mean for transformation of data, which are
used as information in decision-making processes. Figure 1 shows this understanding about
information as data processed for a definite purpose.

MIS differs from regular information systems. The primary objectives of these systems are to
analyze other systems dealing with the operational activities in the organization. MIS is a subset
of the overall planning and control activities covering the application of humans, technologies,
and procedures of the organization. Within the field of scientific management, MIS is most of
tailored to the automation or support of human decision making.

MIS MODEL

The database contains the data provided by accounting information system. In addition, both data
and information are entered from the environment. The data based content is used by software
that produces periodic and special report, as well as mathematical model that simulate various
aspects of the firm operations. The software output is used by people who are responsible for
solving the firm’s problems. Note that some of the decision makers might exist in the firm’s
environment. The environment will involve once the firm bonds together with other
organizations such as suppliers to form an Inter Organizational Information System (IOS). In
such case, MIS supplies information to the other member of the IOS.

1. A Decision Support System (DSS) is an application for information systems

which helps in ...

A. Decision making
B. Making system
C. System implementation
D. System flow

2. DSS is widely used in the ...

A. System implementation
B. System flow
C. Planning
D. Making system

3. An Executive Information System (EIS) is a kind of ... used in organizations to

help executives in decision making.

A. Decision process system

B. Decision support system
C. Transaction processing system
D. Expert system

4. Expert systems are designed to solve

A. Simple problems
B. Complex problems
C. Transaction processing system
D. Decision support system

5. Which of the following is / are Components of an Expert System?

 A. User Interface
B. Interference Engine
C. Knowledge Base & Data Acquisition Subsystem
D. All of the above mentioned

6. Expert System (ES) retains significant levels of the knowledge base,

A. True
B. False

7. Expert System requires more technical aspects due to its complexity in use,

A. True
B. False

8. An office automation system is a method that is used for ... and makes it
possible to process the data using a computer system.

A. Business activities
B. Data flow diagram
C. Office activities
D. All of these

9. The most commonly used application areas of office automation are as follows -

A. Exchange of information.
B. Management of administrative records & handling of results.
C. Meeting arrangements, preparation, and control of job schedules.
D. All of the above mentioned

10. Which one of the following is a key feature of Office automation system?

A. It eliminates the manual effort and do data organization, storage and its
management
B. Provides key insights into the process efficiency metrics
C. Controlling the company by making sound decisions based on results
D. All of the above mentioned
11. A TPS is commonly known as,

A. Trained Processing System

B. Transaction Processing System
C. Trainee presentable System
D. None of the above

12. A DSS stands for,

A. Decision Support System

B. Decisive Support System
C. Developed Support System
D. None of the above

13. A GDSS stands for,

A. Group Discussion Support System

B. Group Decision Service System
C. Group Decision Support System
D. None of the above

14. An MIS information comes from the,

A. Internal source
B. External source
C. Both internal and external source
D. None of the above

15. A back-bone of any organization is its,

A. Information system
B. Sources system
C. Management system
D. None of these

16. Which Information system monitors the transactions of the organizations

are ...,

A. Strategic level system

B. Operational level system
C. Both A and B
 D. None of these

17. Which is a characteristic as queries are Information?

A. Transaction Processing System (TPS)

B. Management Information System (MIS)
C. Decision Support System (DSS)
D. Executive Support System (ESS)

18. The information flow in MIS should as per the,

A. Need of an organization
B. Management dependent
C. Information dependent
D. None of the above

19. A basic component of DSS is,

A. Database
B. An application software for DSS
C. Model
D. All of these

20. An important characteristic of effective and useful information is/are –

A. Accuracy
B. Timeliness
C. Completeness
D. All of the above

21. MIS that is usually found in a manufacturing would not be suitable in the ...,

A. Financial sector
B. Service sector
C. Both of the above
D. None of the above
ELECTRONIC COMMERECE, ELECTRONIC
BUSINESS, ELECTRONIC GOVERNANCE

QUES 1: WHAT IS MEANT BY E-COMMERCE AND E-BUSINESS? HOW IT IS

DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?

Electronic commerce, commonly known as E-commerce or e-commerce, is trading in products

or services conducted via computer networks such as the Internet. Electronic commerce draws on
technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management,
Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory
management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce
typically uses the World Wide Web at least at one point in the transaction's life-cycle, although it
may encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail, mobile devices, social media, and
telephones as well.

Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists
of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of business transactions.
This is an effective and efficient way of communicating within an organization and one of the
most effective and useful ways of conducting business. It is a Market entry strategy where the
company may or may not have a physical presence.

E-Business
E-Business is the term used to describe the information systems and applications that support and
drive business processes, most often using web technologies.

E-Business allows companies to link their internal and external processes more efficiently and
effectively, and work more closely with suppliers and partners to better satisfy the needs and
expectations of their customers, leading to improvements in overall business performance.

While a website is one of the most common implementations, E-Business is much more than just
a web presence. There are a vast array of internet technologies all designed to help businesses
work smarter not harder. Think about collaboration tools, mobile and wireless technology,
Customer Relationship Management and social media to name a few.
E-Commerce and E-Business
The terms ‘e-commerce’ and ‘e-business’ are often used interchangeably but what do these
words really mean?

E-commerce refers to online transactions - buying and selling of goods and/or services over the
Internet.

E-business covers online transactions, but also extends to all Internet based interactions with
business partners, suppliers and customers such as: selling direct to consumers, manufacturers
and suppliers; monitoring and exchanging information; auctioning surplus inventory; and
collaborative product design. These online interactions are aimed at improving or transforming
business processes and efficiency.

E-Commerce under different perspective

There are several ways of looking at e-commerce which is given below:

Communication: It is the ability to deliver products, services, information, or payments via

networks like the internet.

Interface: E-commerce means information and transaction exchange: (Business to business,

Business to consumer, Consumer to consumer, and business to government.)

Business process: E-Commerce means activities that support commerce electronically by

networked connections. For Example business processes like manufacturing and inventory etc.

Online: E commerce is an electronic environment that allows sellers to buy and sell products,
services, and information on the internet. The Products may be physical like Cars, Computers,
Books or services like news or consulting.

Structure: Ecommerce deals with various media: data, text, video, web pages, and internet
telephony.

Market: E-commerce is a worldwide network. A local store can open a web storefront and find
the world at doorstep- customers, suppliers, competitors, and payments services, Of course, an
advertising presence is essential.
QUES 2: DISCUSS THE ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK OF E-Commerce

Architectural Framework of E-Commerce

Architectural framework of e-commerce means the synthesizing of various existing resources

like DBMS, data repository, computer languages, software agent-based transactions, monitors or
communication protocols to facilitate the integration of data and software for better applications.

The architectural framework for e-commerce consists of six layers of functionality or services as
follows:

1. Application services.
2. Brokerage services, data or transaction management.
3. Interface and support layers.
4. Secure messaging, security and electronic document interchange.
5. Middleware and structured document interchange, and
6. Network infrastructure and the basic communication services.

5.1 Application services

In the application layer services of e-commerce, it is decided that what type of e- commerce
application is going to be implemented. There are three types of distinguished e-commerce
applications i.e., consumer to business application, businessto-business application and intra-
organizational application.

5.2 Information Brokerage and Management Layer

This layer is rapidly becoming necessary in dealing with the voluminous amounts of information
on the networks. This layer works as an intermediary who provides service integration between
customers and information providers, given some constraint such as low price, fast services or
profit maximization for a client. For example, a person wants to go to USA from Bangladesh.
The person checks the sites of various airlines for the low-price ticket with the best available
service. For this he must know the URLs of all the sites. Secondly, to search the services and the
best prices, he also has to feed the details of the journey again and again on different sites. If
there is a site that can work as information broker and can arrange the ticket as per the need of
the person, it will save the lot of time and efforts of the person. This is just one example of how
information brokerages can add value.

Another aspect of the brokerage function is the support for data management and traditional
transaction services. Brokerages may provide tools to accomplish more sophisticated, time-
delayed updates or future-compensating transactions.

5.3 Interface and Support Services

The third layer of the architectural framework is interface layer. This layer provides interface for
e-commerce applications. Interactive catalogs and directory support services are the examples of
this layer.

Interactive catalogs are the customized interface to customer applications such as home
shopping. Interactive catalogs are very similar to the paper-based catalog. The only difference
between the interactive catalog and paper-based catalog is that the first one has the additional
features such as use of graphics and video to make the advertising more attractive.

Directory services have the functions necessary for information search and access. The
directories attempt to organize the enormous amount of information and transactions generated
to facilitate e-commerce.

The main difference between the interactive catalogs and directory services is that the interactive
catalogs deal with people while directory support services interact directly with software
applications.

5.4 Secure Messaging Layer

In any business, electronic messaging is an important issue. The commonly used messaging
systems like phone, fax and courier services have certain problems like in the case of phone if
the phone line is dead or somehow the number is wrong, you are not able to deliver the urgent
messages. In the case of courier service, if you want to deliver the messages instantly, it is not
possible as it will take some time depending on the distance between the source and destination
places. The solution for such type of problems is electronic messaging services like e-mail,
enhanced fax and EDI.

The electronic messaging has changed the way the business operates. The major advantage of the
electronic messaging is the ability to access the right information at the right time across diverse
work groups.

The main constraints of the electronic messaging are security, privacy, and confidentiality
through data encryption and authentication techniques.

5.5 Middleware services

The enormous growth of networks, client server technology and all other forms of
communicating between/among unlike platforms is the reason for the invention of middleware
services. The middleware services are used to integrate the diversified software programs and
make them talk to one another.

5.6 Network Infrastructure

We know that the effective and efficient linkage between the customer and the supplier is a
precondition for e-commerce. For this a network infrastructure is required. The early models for
networked computers were the local and long distance telephone companies. The telephone
company lines were used for the connection among the computers. As soon as the computer
connection was established, the data traveled along that single path. Telephone company
switching equipment (both mechanical and computerized) selected specific telephone lines, or
circuits, that were connected to create the single path between the caller and the receiver. This
centrally-controlled, single-connection model is known as circuit switching.

QUES 3: DISCUSS THE TYPES OF E-COMMERCE AND ITS APPLICATIONS.

Classification of E-Commerce Applications

The classification of e-commerce applications is given below:

Electronic Market

Electronic Market: is a place where online shoppers and buyers meet. E-market handles business
transaction including bank-to-bank money transfer also. In e-market, the business center is not a
physical building. But it is a network-based location where business activities occur. In e-market,
the participants like buyers, sellers and transaction handler are not only one different locations
but even they do not know each other.

Inter Organizational Information System (IOS)

An IOS is a unified system with several business partners. A typical IOS will include a company
and its supplier and customers. Through IOS buyers and sellers arrange routine business
transactions. Information is exchanged over communication network using specific formats. So,
there is no need for telephone calls, papers, documents or correspondence.

Types of IOS is given below:

- EDI (Electronic Data Interchange): It provide secure B2B connection over value added
network(Van’s)
- Extranet: which provide secure B2B connection over internet.
- EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer): Electronic Fund Transfer from one account to another.
- Electronic Forms: Online (web-pages) forms on internet.
- Shared Data Base: information stored in repositories (collection of data) shared by trading
partners
- Supply Chain Management: Co-operation between company and its suppliers and customers
regarding demand forecasting, inventory management and order fulfillment.
E-commerce conducted between businesses differs from that carried out between a business and
its consumers. There are five generally accepted types of e-commerce:

- Business to Business (B2B)

- Business to Consumer (B2C)
- Consumer to Business (C2B)
- Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
- Business to Government (B2G)

1 Business to Business (B2B)

Business to Business or B2B refers to e-commerce activities between businesses. An e-

commerce company can be dealing with suppliers or distributors or agents. These transactions
are usually carried out through Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. In general, B2Bs require
higher security needs than B2Cs. For example, manufacturers and wholesalers are B2B
companies.

With the help of B2B e-commerce, companies are able to improve the efficiency of several
common business functions, including supplier management, inventory management and
payment management.

Using e-commerce enabled business applications, companies are able to better control their
supplier costs by reducing PO (purchase order) processing costs and cycle times. This has the
added benefit of being able to process more POs at a lesser cost in the same amount of time. E-
commerce technology can also serve to shorten the order-ship- bill cycle of inventory
management by linking business partners together with the company to provide faster data
access. Businesses can improve their inventory auditing capabilities by tracking order shipments
electronically, which results in reduced inventory levels and improves upon the ability of the
company to provide “just-in- time” service.

This e-commerce technology is also being used to improve the efficiency of managing payments
between a business and its partners and distributors. By processing payments electronically,
companies are able to lower the number of clerical errors and increase the speed of processing
invoices, which results in lowered transaction fees.

2 Business to Customer (B2C)

Business to Customer or B2C refers to e-commerce activities that are focused on consumers
rather than on businesses. For instance, a book retailer would be a B2C company such as
Amazon.com and other companies that follow a merchant model or brokerage business models.
Other examples could also be purchasing services from an insurance company, conducting
online banking and employing travel services.

3 Customer to Business (C2B)

Customer to Business or C2B refers to e-commerce activities, which use reverse pricing models
where the customer determines the prices of the product or services. In this case, the focus shifts
from selling to buying. There is an increased emphasis on customer empowerment.

In this type of e-commerce, consumers get a choice of a wide variety of commodities and
services, along with the opportunity to specify the range of prices they can afford or are willing
to pay for a particular item, service or commodity. As a result, it reduces the bargaining time,
increases the flexibility and creates ease at the point of sale for both the merchant and the
consumer.

4 Customer to Customer (C2C)

Customer to Customer or C2C refers to e-commerce activities, which use an auction style model.
This model consists of a person-to-person transaction that completely excludes businesses from
the equation. Customers are also a part of the business and C2C enables customers to directly
deal with each other. An example of this is peer auction giant, Ebay.

5 Business to Government (B2G)

It is a new trend in e-commerce. This type of e-commerce is used by the government

departments to directly reach to the citizens by setting-up the websites. These websites have
government policies, rules and regulations related to the respective departments. Any citizen may
interact with these websites to know the various details. This helps the people to know the facts
without going to the respective departments. This also saves time of the employees as well as the
citizens. The concept of Smart City has been evolved from B2G e-commerce.

1. Which of the following describes e‐commerce?

a. Doing business electronically
b. Doing business
c. Sale of goods
d. All of the above
Answer: A
2. Which of the following is part of the four main types for e‐commerce?
a. B2B
b. B2C
c. C2B
d. All of the above

3.Which segment do eBay, Amazon.com belong?

a. B2Bs
b. B2Cs
c. C2Bs
d. C2Cs
4.Which type of e‐commerce focuses on consumers dealing with each other?
a. B2B
b. B2C
c. C2B
d. C2C
5.Which segment is eBay an example?
a. B2B
b. C2B
c. C2C
d. None of the above

6.Which type deals with auction?

a. B2B
b. B2C
c. C2B
d. C2C

7.In which website Global Easy Buy is facilitated?

a. Ebay.com
b. Amazon.com
c. Yepme.com
d. None of these
8. Which  is  a function of E‐commerce
a. marketing
b. advertising
c. warehousing
d. all of the above
9. Which  is not  a function of E‐commerce
a. marketing
b. advertising
c. warehousing
d. none of the above
10. Which term represents a count of the number of people who visit one site, click on an ad, and
are taken to the site of the advertiser?
a. Affiliate programs
b. Click‐through
c. Spam
d. All of the above
11. What is the percentage of customers who visit a Web site and actually buy something called?
a. Affiliate programs
b. Click‐through
c. Spam
d. Conversion rate
12. What are materials used in production in a manufacturing company or are placed on the shelf
for sale in a retail environment?
a. Direct materials
b. Indirect materials
c. EDI
d. None of the above

13. Which  is  a function of E‐commerce

a. marketing
b. advertising
c. warehousing
d. all of the above

14.What is the process in which a buyer posts its interest in buying a certain quantity of items,
and sellers compete for the business by submitting successively lower bids until there is only one
seller left? a. B2B marketplace
b. Intranet
c. Reverse auction
d. Internet

15. What are plastic cards the size of a credit card that contains an embedded chip on which
digital information can be stored?
a. Customer relationship management systems cards
b. E‐government identity cards
c. FEDI cards
d. Smart cards

16. Most individuals are familiar with which form of e‐commerce?

a. B2B
b. B2C
c. C2B
d. C2C

17. Which form of e‐commerce currently accounts for about 97% of all e‐commerce revenues?
a. B2B
b. B2C
c. C2B
d. C2C

18 Which of the following are advantages normally associated with B2B e‐commerce?
A. Shorter cycle times
b. Reduction in costs
c. Reaches wider audiences
d. all of the above

19. Which of the following is not related to security mechanism

a. encryption
b. decryption
c. e‐cash
d. all the above

20. A product or service that customers have come to expect from an industry, which must be
offered by new entrants if they wish to compete and survive, is known as a(n)?
a. Switching costs
b. Loyalty programs
c. Entry barriers
d. Affiliate programs

MANAGING GREEN IT AND SMART CITIES

QUES 1. WHAT IS GREEN IT? WHAT INITIATIVES CAN BE ADOPTED TO

PROMOTE GREEN IT?

Green IT (green information technology) is the practice of environmentally sustainable

computing.  Green IT aims to minimize the negative impact of IT operations on the environment
by designing, manufacturing, operating and disposing of computers and computer-related
products in an environmentally-friendly manner. The motives behind green IT practices include
reducing the use of hazardous materials, maximizing energy efficiency during the product's
lifetime and promoting the biodegradability of unused and outdated products. The concept of
green IT emerged in 1992 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched Energy
Star, a voluntary labeling program that helps organizations save money and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by identifying products that offer superior energy efficiency. Other components of
green IT include the redesign of data centers and the growing popularity of virtualization, green
networking and cloud computing.

Most companies have given little thought to how to scale back their environmental impact.
According to Stanford, the energy that powers individual workstations can be reduced anywhere
from 17-74 percent. Even when we turn off and unplug our computers and devices, technology is
involved in huge output.

Here are ways that companies and departments can make an impact towards sustainable IT:

 Relocate (and collocate) servers. Maximize your data center space as much as possible to
minimize your cooling and energy costs. If realistic, relocate your servers to colder
climates for 8% reduction in GHG emissions.
 Follow data center best practices, such as:
 Harness outside air cooling.
  Automate controls for lights, security, and outdoor cooling.
 Do not over-cool; cool to the minimum necessary.
 Separate aisles based on hot and cold temperatures.
 Aim for a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.2 or lower.
 Unplug and remove zombie servers, the ultimate consumers: servers which are plugged in
and using energy but aren’t doing any computing.
 Migrate to the cloud. Cloud energy tends to be more efficient because of economic of
scale. (Although some research does challenge this.)
 Use state-of-the-art IT. Legacy systems can require more power and their large sizes often
mean outsized heat output—requiring additional cooling. Tools like BMC Discovery can
help you manage your assets, including releasing those that are no longer useful.
 Promote and purchase computers that are rated for energy efficiency. Groups like TCO
Certified and Energy Star audit and certify factories and devices for their efficiencies and
sustainable practices.
 Offer rebates or increased budgets to teams who promote sustainability. Some teams and
departments at your company may be able to virtualize or work from home.
 Let individual teams determine the most applicable solutions for their needs. The Stanford
research indicates that when teams can choose their options—instead of being mandated—
they will see higher energy savings.

Ways individuals promote green IT?

Of course, sustainable practices aren’t left entirely to companies. Individuals can reduce energy
spent on their devices with these best practices:

 Set computers to sleep. Sleep is the lowest use of energy (besides powering down and
unplugging). So, set monitors to turn off after 15 inactive minutes and hard disks even
sooner: 5 minutes of inactivity. Your computer shouldn’t be awake after more than 30
minutes of activity.
 Upgrade to smart power strips. These smart strips cut down on vampire energy that
computers, TVs, and peripheral devices all consume.
 Share printers. Whether at home or the office, consider how often printers are necessary.
Who can you share with?
 Work remotely. Unless your daily commute is by foot (walking or biking), try working
from home to reduce GHG emissions associated with commuting—with approval from
your boss, of course.

Is green growth possible?

A popular belief is that economic growth and sustainability are compatible—an idea known as
green growth. Many climate activists disagree, and research is starting to show that in order for
us to protect our environment, one of three sustainability pillars, we may have to “liberate
ourselves” from economic development. This doesn’t mean stopping economic activity, but it
should mean that we reevaluate certain industries and our own companies and practices to ensure
that we don’t produce or consume more than we are right now. Indeed, a closed-loop supply
chain may be the best way forward.

QUES 2: WHAT IS GREEN COMPUTING? HOW TO DEVELOP GREEN PRACTICES

IN HARDWARE AND SOFTWRAE MANUFACTURING?

Green computing is the term referring to efficient use of resources in computing and IT/IS
infrastructure. Efficiency of green computing emphases on mineralizing hazardous
environmental impact in conjunction with achieving economic viability and improved system
performance. The field of “green technology” covers a board spectrum of subjects – from
alternative energy-generation and electricity consumption techniques and use of eco-friendly,
recyclable materials to implementing sustainable digital services.

Technical issues of green technology includes: green infrastructure (energy-efficient buildings,

intelligent cooling systems, renewable power sources), green hardware (multicourse computing
systems, energy efficient server design and solid-state storage and green software and
applications - parallelizing computational science algorithms to run on modern energy- efficient
multi-core clusters, intelligent load distribution and CPU switch-off .

Nowadays in order to achieve social awareness and promotion of green technology solutions,
main four complementary approaches are employed:

• Green Use: Reducing the power consumption of computers, information systems and their
peripheral subsystems in environmentally friendly manner.

• Green Disposal: Refurbishing and reusing existing old computers and other electronic
associated devices. Recycling unwanted used computers and other electronic-waste by IT
vendors using their “take back” policy in order to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of
products they produce.

• Green Design: In broader aspect connecting companies, government agencies and

environmental organizations in order to develop inventive management, business and regulatory
processes that can improve environmental quality while enhancing economic development ==. In
narrow and practical aspect designing power efficient and eco-friendly computers and its
subsystems like servers and cooling equipment.

• Green Manufacturing: Process of production of computers and associated devices include

methods of manufacturing and biodegradable components for minimal or no impact on
environment. This approach allows to provide economic benefits like long-term cost savings, and
business process efficiency improvements.
In order to achieve goals set by the idea of ICT sustainability whole process of creating ICT
infrastructure should be taken into account. Minimal impact on the environment should be one of
the key assumptions for IT manufacturers during the process of design and production of all ICT
components. Major IT companies are already applying green standards to their own operations in
order to: gain new revenue opportunities and promote social and environmental responsibility
influencing customers and market competition. Main areas in green manufacturing of computers
are:
• Eco-friendly design: the design of computing resources that meet the stringent restriction of
e.g. Energy Star enabling further utilization with determined power supply and power
management requirements (including special modes and allowances). “The Energy Star devices
can be programmed to power-down to a low electric state when they are not in use, helping to
save energy and run cooler which helps them last even longer”.
• Use of bio-products: A biodegradable and renewable material often requires less energy to
produce in comparison to traditional toxic materials. Manufacturers use many different types of
plastic in computers, which makes is very changeling do recycle.

What is more computers contain hazardous contaminants for environment like: cadmium, lead,
mercury or chromium. Use of harmful power-demanding materials can be replaced by efficient
and recyclable elements e.g. displays made of OLED’s (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) - in
manufacturing mercury is not used, making them more environmentally friendly.

Green cloud architecture is one of the latest developments of green computing idea. The aim of
this unified solution is to deliver both users and providers, high-level architecture for supporting
energy- efficient service allocation which is based on cloud technology. Cloud providers, being
profit oriented are looking for solutions which can lower their electricity bills without losing
their market share. The goal of satisfying the demand for high-level computing services on the
users side and saving energy on the providers side, can now be achieved by implementing the
green cloud infrastructure. Figure 1 shows the architecture for supporting energy-efficient
service allocation in green cloud computing infrastructure. The cloud services (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS)
are registered in the form of public offering in Green Offer Directory.
The Green Broker has the full access to all services which are available and registered in public
directory. Green Offer directory is incentive for the providers who, list their services with
discounted prices and green hours. A typical cloud broker lease cloud services and schedule
applications Green broker’s responsibility is to select these offerings in terms of requirements of
end user. Each request is analysed according to the price, time and service that offer the highest
quality and least CO2 emission. Green broker uses the up to date information about cloud
services and current status of energy efficiency parameters using Carbon Emission Directory
(CED) which is very important component of the architecture. CED may include some the
crucial green metrics power measurement like: Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) – which is the
fraction of total energy consumed by the service of a data centre to the total energy consumed by
IT equipment, some cooling efficiency indicators like Water Usage Effectiveness (CUE) – which
is the calculation of greenhouse gasses (CO2, CH4) release on atmosphere by the data centre and
carbon footprint.

Using IT for Environmental Sustainability

Besides IT itself being green, it can support, assist, and leverage other environ- mental initiatives
by offering innovative modeling, simulation, and decision support tools, such as

 Software tools for analyzing, modeling, and simulating environmental impact, and
environmental risk management;

 Platforms for eco-management, emission trading, or ethical investing; tools for auditing
and reporting energy consumption and savings and for monitoring greenhouse gas
emissions;
  Environmental knowledge management systems, including geographic information
systems and environmental metadata standards; urban environment planning tools and
systems;

 Technologies and standards for interoperable environmental monitoring networks and

smart in situ sensors networks; and

 Integrating and optimizing existing environ- mental monitoring networks and new easy
plug-in sensors.

QUES 3. DISCUSS THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES FACED BY MANAGERS IN

IMPLEMENTING GREEN PRACTICES.

The concept of green environment started during the 20th century because of consumers concern
about environmental issues and scarcity which is aroused due to high utilization of natural
resources where these resources may become scarce or depleted. Already it took long 20 years
for the company to adopt this practice of green business. In a developing economy doing a green
business is no longer considered as a cost issue since it is now considered as a primary issue for
modification and exploring of new markets and also profit maximization. In a green business
environment, the company may re-design the product attributes since the usage of the harmful
chemical may be prevented and scarce resources may not be exploited which thereby reduces the
production and inventory cost. The company should adopt strategies and creative solutions to
face the environmental challenges through mutual support from the policies of the companies
and also by the provision of incentives by the government. The green behaviour is not only the
sole concern of the consumers but also it is also the social responsibility of the producers to
maintain their own green environment. One of the cleaning industries is striving hard to maintain
progress in their job by developing efficiency towards energy usage.

Environmental Challenges:
In a liberalised and globalized economy, managers face the following environmental
challenges:
1. Economic environment:
In the market economy of today, consumers are free to buy what they want and producers are
free to produce what they want. Keeping in view the economic system of a country, demands and
preferences of consumers and system of ownership (private or public), managers decide whether
or not they should carry business operations in the host country.

Natural resources (oil, iron, coal, natural gas, uranium etc.) of a country also attract foreign
enterprises to manufacture goods for domestic and international markets. Infrastructural facilities
like roads, schools, hospitals, transport, communication system etc. affect economic
development of a country. An economically developed country attracts and supports foreign
enterprises.

2. Political/Legal environment:
Political environment of a country also offers challenges to international managers. A politically
stable economy where rules and regulations affecting the business operations do not change
frequently; where incentives (reduced interest rates on loans, tax subsidies, market protection
etc.) attract foreign business; where international economic communities agree to reduce trade
barriers on international trade (in the form of tariffs, quotas, export restraint agreements and “buy
national” laws) to protect domestic business (more the trade barriers, less the international
business), offer great advantage to foreign enterprises.

3. Cultural environment:
International business is also affected by cultural environment of a country. The value systems,
social and ethical beliefs, understanding and interpretation of symbols and language of different
cultures have direct impact on business practices. The international manager must, therefore, get
accustomed to cultural environment of the economy to establish his business there.

Functional Challenges:
The following challenges are faced by managers in carrying out these functions:
1. Planning:
Planning becomes complex in the changing business environment. At the domestic level, local
market conditions, technological factors, growth of products and markets, strengths and
weaknesses of domestic and foreign competitors and a host of other factors become challenging
to effectively plan the business operations.

At the international level, economic, political and legal stability of economy, availability of
technology and finance, ease of formation or strategic alliances, understanding of the
environmental circumstances and many other issues affect planning. Managers who are able and
competent to forecast environmental opportunities will be successful in making optimum plans.

2. Organising:
Managers have to reorient their organising abilities to face the competitive challenges in
domestic and international markets. Line organisations cannot be suitable forms of organisations
and managers have to adopt project, matrix or network organisation structures.
They should be competent to manage organisation structures and designs, manage people and
change, both at the national and international levels. Firms operating at the international level
should give authority to managers in each country to manage their businesses rather than
exercising authority from the head office.

3. Staffing:
With increase in knowledge and competence of workers, managers have to be skilled in making
appointments so that right persons are selected for the right jobs and expenditure on training and
development is worthwhile.

4. Directing:
As management is moving towards excellence and managers deal with people from different
social and cultural backgrounds, they must understand how cultural factors affect individuals,
how motivational forces and communication vary across cultures and, thus, interact with work
groups of different cultures.

Even while interacting with people of the same culture, managers adopt democratic styles of
leadership, non-financial motivators and two-way communication to get better responses from
the employees.

5. Controlling:
The basic issues with respect to control are operations management, productivity, quality,
technology and information systems. Managers have to take care of distance, time zones and
cultural differences (in international management) while controlling the business operations.
Control through computers and management information systems is replacing direct controls
through close contacts and supervision.

1. Which operating system is the most green?

A. Windows Vista
B. Windows XP
C. Linux
D. Apple's OS X

2.  A typical computer monitor may contain more than 6 percent ___________ by weight.

A)PCBs 

B)Cadmium 
C)Mercury 

D)lead 

3.  One’s impact on the planet—there’s no standard definition is___________.

A) carbon footprint 

B)Heat 

C) Measuring 

D)Power

4. Optimizing the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment by improving

supply chains is a prime objective of _________.

A)NGO's

B)StEP

C)CRT

D)USA

5. “_____________” is a tool for reducing storage and bandwidth consumed from disk-based
backup.

A) data de-duplicationB) Virtualization C)Storage  D)Management

6. ___________ is a major component of your power consumption and, by extension, your IT

budget. 

A)LED 

B)monitor 

C)pooling  

D)Cooling
7. Use of ______________ to block the open air above your racks that have been configured into
a hot-aisle/cool-aisle layout.

A)Rigid enclosures

B)flexible strip curtains

C)Hot-aisle

D)cool aisle

8. When creating requests for proposals, make sure to include a green component as well as clear
metrics for their measurement as part of ___________.

A)Analyze global issues  B)Communicate Suppliers 

C)supplier performance management  D)supplier management

9. _________ Used in small amounts in bulbs to backlight flat-panel computer monitors and
notebook displays.

A)PVC

B)Cadmium

C)Mercury

D)Lead

10. _______ recommends selecting recyclers who maximize reuse, refurbishment, and recycling
over disposal and incineration.

A)RIOS  B)IAER  C)EDI D)EPA 

11. ___________ the components can be recycled into everything from automobile parts to
office equipment.

A)CDs  B)DVDs  C)CDs & DVDs  D)None of these

12.  If you buy thin clients, _____________ can be used to connect your thin clients to the
server.

A) Desktop Server

B) Remote Desktop

C)  Desktop Client

D)None of these

13. ___________= Total facility power/IT equipment power

A) PUE

B)PDU

C) DCE

D) KVM

14. Which set of standards addresses environmental management systems?

a) ISO 9000

b) ISO 14000

c) ISO 26000

d) ISO 31000

15. Lead-acid batteries are most commonly a component of which piece of IT equipment?

a) PC motherboards

b) LCD monitors

c) Notebook computers
 d) Uninterruptible power supplies

16. The sale of electronics containing which material is NOT prohibited by the RoHS directive?

a) Tungsten

b) Lead

c) Mercury

d) Hexavalent chromium

17. Power Usage Effectiveness is calculated by:

a) Dividing energy used for the IT department by energy used for the entire organization

b) Dividing energy used to maintain IT facilities by energy needed to power IT equipment

c) Dividing energy needed to power IT equipment by total number of servers

d) Multiplying energy used per hour by number of operating hours per year for the IT
department

18. Approximately what percentage of all toxic material found in landfills originates from
electronic equipment?

a) 10%

b) 30%

c) 50%

d) 70%

19. Which power state is also known as hibernate mode?

a) S1

b) S2

c) S3

d) S4
To properly control screen brightness levels, IT administrators should:

a) Change settings using the monitor's control buttons

b) Change settings using the Windows control panel

c) Change settings within the BIOS

d) Change settings using keyboard controls

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE

AND CHOICES
QUES 1. WHAT IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE? DISCUSS
IT INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS AND MANAGEMENT.

Information technology (IT) infrastructure are the components required to operate

and manage enterprise IT environments. IT infrastructure can be deployed within a cloud
computing system, or within an organization's own facilities.

These components include hardware, software, networking components, an operating system

(OS), and data storage, all of which are used to deliver IT services and solutions. IT
infrastructure products are available as downloadable software applications that run on top of
existing IT resources—like software-defined storage—or as online solutions offered by service
providers—like Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).

COMPONENTS OF IT INFRASTRUCTURE

Hardware
Hardware includes servers, datacenters, personal computers, routers, switches, and other
equipment.

The facilities that house, cool, and power a datacenter could also be included as part of the
infrastructure.

Software
Software refers to the applications used by the business, such as web servers, content
management systems, and the OS—like Linux®. The OS is responsible for managing system
resources and hardware, and makes the connections between all of your software and the
physical resources that do the work.
Networking

Interconnected network components enable network operations, management, and

communication between internal and external systems. The network consists of internet
connectivity, network enablement, firewalls and security, as well as hardware like routers,
switches, and cables.

Switching

A network switch is the device that provides connectivity between network devices on a Local
Area Network (LAN). A switch contains several ports that physically connect to other network
devices, including:

 Other switches
 Routers
 Servers

Early networks used bridges, in which each device “saw” the traffic of all other devices on the
network. Switches allow two devices on the network to talk to each other without having to
forward that traffic to all devices on the network.

Routers

Routers move packets between networks. Routing allows devices separated on different LANs to
talk to each other by determining the next “hop” that will allow the network packet to eventually
get to its destination.

If you have ever manually configured your IP address on a workstation, the default gateway
value that you keyed in was the IP address of your router.

Firewalls

Firewalls are security devices at the edge of the network. The firewall can be thought of as the
guardian or gatekeeper.
A set of rules defines what types of network traffic will be allowed through the firewall and what
will be blocked.

In the simplest version of a firewall, rules can be created which allow a specific port and/or
protocol for traffic from one device (or a group of devices) to a device or group of devices. 

Servers

A network server is simply another computer, but usually larger in terms of resources than what
most people think of. A server allows multiple users to access and share its resources. There are
several types of servers, with the following being among the most common:

 A file server provides end users with a centralized location to store files. When configured
correctly, file servers can allow or prevent specific users to access files.
 A directory server provides a central database of user accounts that can be used by several
computers. This allows centralized management of user accounts which are used to access
server resources.
 Web servers use HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) to provide files to users through a
web browser.
 There are also application servers, database servers, print servers, etc.

Physical plant

The physical plant is all of the network cabling in your office buildings and server room/data
center. This all too often neglected part of your infrastructure usually is the weakest link and is
the cause of most system outages when not managed properly. There are two main types of
cabling in the infrastructure:

 CAT 5/6/7
 Fiber optic

Server rooms/data center

The server room, or data center in large organizations, can be thought of as the central core of
your network. It is the location in which you place all of your servers, and it usually acts as the
center of most networks.
Infrastructure software

Infrastructure software is perhaps the most “gray” of all infrastructure components. However, I
consider server operating systems and directory services (like MS Active Directory) to be part of
the infrastructure. Without multi-user operating systems, the hardware can’t perform its
infrastructure functions.

IT infrastructure management
IT infrastructure management is the coordination of IT resources, systems, platforms, people,
and environments. Here are some of the most common technology infrastructure management
types:

 OS management: Oversees environments running the same OS by providing content,

patch, provisioning, and subscription management.
 Cloud management: Gives cloud admins control over everything running in a cloud—
end users, data, applications, and services—by managing resource deployments, use,
integration, and disaster recovery.
 Virtualization management: Interfaces with virtual environments and the underlying
physical hardware to simplify resource administration, enhance data analyses, and
streamline operations.
 IT operations management: Also known as business process management, this is the
practice of modeling, analyzing, and optimizing business processes that are often
repeated, ongoing, or predictable.
 IT automation: Creates repeatable instructions and processes to replace or reduce human
interaction with IT systems. Also known as infrastructure automation.
 Container orchestration: Automates the deployment, management, scaling, and
networking of containers.
 Configuration management: Maintains computer systems, servers, and software in a
desired, consistent state.
 API management: Distributes, controls, and analyzes the application programming
interfaces (APIs) that connect apps and data across enterprises and clouds.
 Risk management: Identifies and assesses risks and creates plans to minimize or control
those risks and their potential impacts.
QUES 2: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY IT INFRASTRUCTURE DECISION?

A company’s operations infrastructure is composed of its policies and systems governing a

number of activities, from capital budgeting and equipment selection to organizational structure. 
Each of these systems often has repercussions and implications for other infrastructural and
structural elements. Capital budgeting and performance measurement systems in particular seem
to affect everything else. In addition, human resources policies interact with location and process
choices, and sourcing policies, interact with facility decisions. Organizational design also is
highly dependent on vertical integration decisions, as well as on decisions regarding how various
facilities are located, specialized and interconnected. Therefore many managers, like most
economists tend to focus their primary attention on the more quantifiable issues. Along with
structural decisions a company’s infrastructure is at least as critical to its success.

The impact of such infrastructural choices is often underestimated. One study of the operating
performances of twelve manufacturing plants belonging to three different companies found that
less than half the performance variation across plants that belonged to the same company and
which used similar equipment and served the same customers could be explained by such
traditional structural variables as plant size and age, capital to labour ratios, and union power.
The majority of the performance differences could be attributed to differences in policies,
procedures and systems. Other studies have found similar results in contexts, outside of
manufacturing. For example, in the case of pharmaceuticals process development projects, the
underlying development processes and problem solving strategies appeared to account for the
bulk of performance differences.

The choices  made for each of these different types of decisions  have varying effects on a
company’s operating costs, quality, dependability flexibility, speed / responsiveness and new 
product capabilities. For example most companies that continually adjust their production rates
so as to chase demand tend to have higher production costs and less consistent quality than those
that try to maintain a level rate of production and absorb demand fluctuations through
inventories. If it wants to be able to respond quickly to small orders for customized products and
rapid changes in customers requirement it probably,  should configure itself so that it has excess
capacity, its facilities are tightly coordinated (or individual facilities are focused on supplying the
needs of specific customers),  its processing equipment and people are organized more like those
of a job shop than a continuous flow line, and it has cultivated suppliers who are able to react
quickly to changing requirements.

If on the other hand, it wants to be able to offer low cost and the latest technology it probably
should concentrate the production of those items that require large amounts of capital investment
and technological expertise into a small number of facilities, possibly located near engineering
universities or other technical centres and seek out suppliers who are able to match its needs.
Some researchers have found evidence that the structural and infrastructural decisions made by
many companies tend to exhibit consistent patterns that allow them to be placed into one of just a
few categories, which can be characterized by such competitive strategies as caretakers versus
innovators.
Just as the trade-offs made by the designers of an engineered product must be consistent with its
intended use, so must these structural and infrastructural decisions mesh together to create a
desired set of specific capabilities.  Operations has to be able to do things that are considered 
critical  to the company’s success without wasting resources on lower priority pursuits ;
otherwise some of the things that are really important will not get done.  Achieving this kind of
consistency or fit between strategy, structure and infrastructure in an organization, however, is
much more difficult  and complex than when designing a product. Whereas the decisions and
trade-offs involved in product design are usually made within a relatively short period of time by
a group who work closely together and are often located near one another, structural and
infrastructural decisions are usually made at different points in time by different groups of people
who often are physically separated and may seldom interact in the normal course of business.

Only infrequently will a company make a basic change in any one of these categories (this being
almost the definition of a structural decision) but in any year it probably will make at least   one
major decision that falls into one of them. Hence, the company’s competitive priorities and
operations strategy need to be clearly communicated to all these groups, and their structural and
infrastructural decisions monitored for consistency. Otherwise, unintended drifting may occur.

QUES 3: WHAT IS IT INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK?

In this digital age, an organization’s agility and productivity depend on more than just
hardworking employees and excellent equipment. Running a smooth operation also requires a
robust, clean and secure network infrastructure. Without the right network infrastructure in place,
you may suffer from poor user experience and security issues that can impact employee
productivity, cost you money and damage your brand.

As such, it’s critical for business executives to understand the importance of network
infrastructure and be aware of the challenges and opportunities it presents. With this knowledge
and the right tools in place, you are taking the first steps to ensuring optimum productivity and
helping your organization maintain peak levels of performance.

Network infrastructure refers to all of the resources of a network that make network or internet
connectivity, management, business operations and communication possible. Network
infrastructure comprises hardware and software, systems and devices, and it enables computing
and communication between users, services, applications and processes. Anything involved in
the network, from servers to wireless routers, comes together to make up a system’s network
infrastructure. Network infrastructure allows for effective communication and service between
users, applications, services, devices and so forth.

What Is the Difference Between Network Infrastructure and IT Infrastructure?

Network infrastructure and IT infrastructure are similar. However, while they may at times refer
to the same thing, there can also be subtle differences between the two. Often, IT infrastructure is
seen as the larger, more encompassing term. IT infrastructure (or information technology
infrastructure) defines a collection of information technology elements foundational to an IT
service. Often, information technology infrastructure refers to physical components like
hardware, but it can also encompass some network or software components.

Network infrastructure may be seen as a smaller category within the larger IT infrastructure
definition. A sound network infrastructure supports the success of the broad IT infrastructure. A
company needs both a solid IT infrastructure and network infrastructure to have cohesive
solutions and sustained success.

Why Network Infrastructure Is the Most Important Component of IT Infrastructure

It’s important to have a reliable IT infrastructure and also qualified people, but neither of those
are sufficient without a well-built network infrastructure. A network infrastructure enables
connection and communication, each of which are critical to the success of a business. Simply
put, without a sound network infrastructure, IT components including hardware and software
aren’t much use. Making sure your network infrastructure is robust, secure and clean is critical to
organizational excellence.
What Are the Main Challenges Surrounding Network Infrastructure?

There are a number of challenges in regards to running a network infrastructure model. Some of
the top three network infrastructure challenges are:

1. Centralizing traffic
2. Dealing with duplicate data
3. Sending the right data to the right tool

1. Centralizing Traffic

Within an organization, there are often multiple different subnets and locations or sites. Without
a centralized hub, network visibility, monitoring and management can become near impossible.
Many companies use network infrastructure solutions to centralize traffic to better understand
and monitor the data traversing their networks. This enhances their security posture and helps
network operations teams address performance issues.

2. Dealing with Duplicate Data

In some cases, duplicate data can comprise 50 – 66 percent of network traffic. Removing
duplicate data is critical, particularly when it comes to the effectiveness of network security
solutions. If the security solutions get too much duplicate data, they may be slowed down and
less effective in detecting threats.

3. Sending the Right Data to the Right Tool

Many organizations use a number of different cyber security tools and providers. Many security
providers often charge based on how much data they need to process. As such, sending the right
type of data to the right tool is a critical aspect of infrastructure networking. Sending data from
many different sources all to the same tool might be ineffective and costly, particularly if one
tool is best suited to one type of data and another tool to another type.
1. Information Technology –

A. Describes any equipment concerned with the capture, storage, transmission or

presentation of information.
B. Is referred to as ICT (Information Communications Technology), emphasizing the
importance of communications.
C. Both A&B
D. None
2. Information systems (ISs) –

A. Are the systems responsible for the provision of information for management.
B. They incorporate IT, people, business processes and procedures used to manage
the capture and communication of information.
C. They involve complex and dynamic interaction between people, technology and
process to ensure the delivery of appropriate and timely information to
management.
D. All of the above

3. An effective IS (Information system) should have various logs that individuals

examine regularly and take appropriate action on when necessary. Examples of logs
include:

A. Data entry staff should keep full details of each batch of work, with duration and
errors.
B. Backups, storage of data off-site should be logged
C. Software application systems may generate their own logs of errors
D. All of the above

4. A security sub-system could maintain detailed logs of who did what and when and
also if there were any attempted security violations.

A. True
B. False
5. Quality management is the means by which IS (Information system) department-
based processes are controlled, measured and improved. Areas of control for quality
management include:

A. Software development, maintenance and implementation

B. Acquisition of hardware and software
C. Security and Human resource management
D. All of the above

6. Which of the following is correct?

 A. The development and maintenance of comprehensive procedures by the IS
department is evidence of effective governance of IT resources.
B. Insistence on observance of processes and procedures is key to the effectiveness
and efficiency of the IS organization.
C. Both A&B
D. None

7. Various standards have emerged to assist IS (Information system) organizations in

achieving an operational environment that is predictable, measurable and
repeatable. Prominent examples of such include:

A. The ISO 9000 series that govern software development processes.

B. The ISO 9126 standard that focuses on the end result of good software processes
C. The capability maturity model developed by the software engineering Institute
D. All of the above
8. ISO 9000 is a series of international standards for quality management systems.
There are different sets of standards that companies can be registered to, including:

A. ISO 9001
B. ISO 9002
C. ISO 9003
D. All of the above

9. IT service Management (ITSM) –

A. Is the process of aligning enterprise IT services with business and a primary focus
on the delivery of the best services to end user.
B. IT service management deals with how IT resources and business practices in
together, are delivered in such a way that the end-user experience the most desired
result from the accessed IT resource, application, business process or an entire
solution stack.
C. Is built around processes and practices that gauges the end-to-end delivery of IT
solutions rather than their development.
D. All of the above

10. Service level agreement (SLA) – is a written contract between a provider of a service
and the consumer of the service. The purpose of SLA is to establish measurable
targets of performance with the objective of achieving a common understanding of
the nature of and levels of service required.

A. The above is correct

B. The above is incorrect

11. IT management should have formal SLAs (Service level agreements) with all of
their IT customers because these contracts provide:
1.
 A. Defined levels of service
B. Accountability for the service
C. Evaluation criteria and a basis for improvement
D. Performance criteria
E. All of the above
F.
12. Upon completing the system design and program development, the software should
be tested in various stages including:

A. Program testing to check the logic of individual programs

B. System testing to ensure program and file consistency as they are linked together
and that they meet system requirements.
C. Parallel testing of the new software simultaneously with the existing software.
D. All of the above

13. Procedures to prevent software license violations include:

1.
A. Centralizing control and automated distribution and the installation of software
B. Requiring that all PCs be diskless workstations and have the workstations access-
applications from a secured LAN
C. Installing metering software on the LAN and require all PCs to access
applications through the metered software
D. All of the above

14. Operating Systems (OS) – An operating system is a collection of programs that

manage computer resources, provides a user interface, and runs applications.
Classes of operating systems include:
A. Single user, Multi user, Single tasking
B. Multi-tasking single user, Multi-tasking multi-user
C. Both A&B
D. None
15. Which of these items is a major component of today's IT infrastructure?

A. Data Management Technology

B. Networking
C. Technology Services
D. All of the above

16. Information systems that monitor the elementary activities and transactions of the
organizations are ________ .
A. Management level system
B. Operational level system
C. Knowledge level system
D. Strategic level system

17. Which of the following best means Combination of Internal & External Sourcing?
A. Internal Sourcing
B. External Sourcing
C. Co-Sourcing
D. Managed Services

18. Of which ITIL process are Reliability, Serviceability and Maintainability components?
A. IT Service Continuity Management
B. Service Level Management
C. Problem Management
D. Availability Management

19. Availability Management is responsible for availability of?

A. Services and Resources
B. Services and Business Processes
C. Resources and Business Processes
D. Services, Resources and Business Processes  

20. Business process reengineering is also known as

A. Business process change management.
B. Business redevelopment
C. Business design
D. Business improvement
 CLOUD COMPUTING AND INTERNET OF
INTERNET
QUES 1:

Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through the Internet. These resources
include tools and applications like data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software.

Rather than keeping files on a proprietary hard drive or local storage device, cloud-based
storage makes it possible to save them to a remote database. As long as an electronic device has
access to the web, it has access to the data and the software programs to run it.

Cloud computing is a popular option for people and businesses for a number of reasons including
cost savings, increased productivity, speed and efficiency, performance, and security.

Understanding Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is named as such because the information being accessed is found remotely in
the cloud or a virtual space. Companies that provide cloud services enable users to store files and
applications on remote servers and then access all the data via the Internet. This means the user is
not required to be in a specific place to gain access to it, allowing the user to work remotely.

Cloud computing takes all the heavy lifting involved in crunching and processing data away
from the device you carry around or sit and work at. It also moves all of that work to huge
computer clusters far away in cyberspace. The Internet becomes the cloud, and voilà—your data,
work, and applications are available from any device with which you can connect to the Internet,
anywhere in the world.

Cloud computing can be both public and private. Public cloud services provide their services
over the Internet for a fee. Private cloud services, on the other hand, only provide services to a
certain number of people. These services are a system of networks that supply hosted services.
There is also a hybrid option, which combines elements of both the public and private services.

 Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through the Internet, including data
storage, servers, databases, networking, and software.
 Cloud-based storage makes it possible to save files to a remote database and retrieve
them on demand.
 Services can be both public and private—public services are provided online for a fee
while private services are hosted on a network to specific clients.
Types of Cloud Services
Regardless of the kind of service, cloud computing services provide users with a series of
functions including:

 Email
 Storage, backup, and data retrieval
  Creating and testing apps
 Analyzing data
 Audio and video streaming
 Delivering software on demand

Cloud computing is still a fairly new service but is being used by a number of different
organizations from big corporations to small businesses, nonprofits to government agencies, and
even individual consumers.

Types of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is not a single piece of technology like a microchip or a cellphone. Rather, it's
a system primarily comprised of three services: software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-
service (IaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS).

1. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) involves the licensure of a software application to

customers. Licenses are typically provided through a pay-as-you-go model or on-demand.
This type of system can be found in Microsoft Office's 365.

2. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) involves a method for delivering everything from

operating systems to servers and storage through IP-based connectivity as part of an on-
demand service. Clients can avoid the need to purchase software or servers, and instead
procure these resources in an outsourced, on-demand service. Popular examples of the
IaaS system include IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure.

3. Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) is considered the most complex of the three layers of

cloud-based computing. PaaS shares some similarities with SaaS, the primary difference
being that instead of delivering software online, it is actually a platform for creating
software that is delivered via the Internet. This model includes platforms like
Salesforce.com and Heroku.

Advantages of Cloud Computing 

Cloud-based software offers companies from all sectors a number of benefits, including the
ability to use software from any device either via a native app or a browser. As a result, users can
carry their files and settings over to other devices in a completely seamless manner.

Cloud computing is far more than just accessing files on multiple devices. Thanks to cloud
computing services, users can check their email on any computer and even store files using
services such as Dropbox and Google Drive.Cloud computing services also make it possible for
users to back up their music, files, and photos, ensuring those files are immediately available in
the event of a hard drive crash.
It also offers big businesses huge cost-saving potential. Before the cloud became a viable
alternative, companies were required to purchase, construct, and maintain costly information
management technologyand infrastructure. Companies can swap costly server centers and IT
departments for fast Internet connections, where employees interact with the cloud online to
complete their tasks.

The cloud structure allows individuals to save storage space on their desktops or laptops. It also
lets users upgrade software more quickly because software companies can offer their products
via the web rather than through more traditional, tangible methods involving discs or flash
drives. For example, Adobe customers can access applications in its Creative Cloud through an
Internet-based subscription.8 This allows users to download new versions and fixes to their
programs easily.

Disadvantages of the Cloud

With all of the speed, efficiencies, and innovations that come with cloud computing, there are,
naturally, risks.

Security has always been a big concern with the cloud especially when it comes to sensitive
medical records and financial information. While regulations force cloud computing services to
shore up their security and compliance measures, it remains an ongoing issue. Encryption
protects vital information, but if that encryption key is lost, the data disappears.

Servers maintained by cloud computing companies may fall victim to natural disasters, internal
bugs, and power outages, too. The geographical reach of cloud computing cuts both ways: A
blackout in California could paralyze users in New York, and a firm in Texas could lose its data
if something causes its Maine-based provider to crash.

As with any technology, there is a learning curve for both employees and managers. But with
many individuals accessing and manipulating information through single portal, inadvertent
mistakes can transfer across an entire system.

QUES 2: WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY INTERNET OF THINGS? GIVE DETAIL

EXPLANATION.

Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st
century. Now that we can connect everyday objects—kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby
monitors—to the internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between
people, processes, and things.
 By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies,
physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this
hyperconnected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between
connected things. The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.

What Technologies Have Made IoT Possible?

While the idea of IoT has been in existence for a long time, a collection of recent advances in a
number of different technologies has made it practical.

 Access to low-cost, low-power sensor technology. Affordable and reliable sensors are

making IoT technology possible for more manufacturers.
 Connectivity. A host of network protocols for the internet has made it easy to connect sensors
to the cloud and to other “things” for efficient data transfer.
 Cloud computing platforms. The increase in the availability of cloud platforms enables both
businesses and consumers to access the infrastructure they need to scale up without actually
having to manage it all.
 Machine learning and analytics. With advances in machine learning and analytics, along
with access to varied and vast amounts of data stored in the cloud, businesses can gather
insights faster and more easily. The emergence of these allied technologies continues to push
the boundaries of IoT and the data produced by IoT also feeds these technologies.
 Conversational artificial intelligence (AI). Advances in neural networks have brought
natural-language processing (NLP) to IoT devices (such as digital personal assistants Alexa,
Cortana, and Siri) and made them appealing, affordable, and viable for home use.
What Is Industrial IoT?
Industrial IoT (IIoT) refers to the application of IoT technology in industrial settings, especially
with respect to instrumentation and control of sensors and devices that engage cloud
technologies. Refer to thisTitan use case PDF for a good example of IIoT. Recently, industries
have used machine-to-machine communication (M2M) to achieve wireless automation and
control. But with the emergence of cloud and allied technologies (such as analytics and machine
learning), industries can achieve a new automation layer and with it create new revenue and
business models. IIoT is sometimes called the fourth wave of the industrial revolution, or
Industry 4.0. The following are some common uses for IIoT:
 Smart manufacturing (visit Oracle Cloud Manufacturing)
 Connected assets and preventive and predictive maintenance
 Smart power grids
 Smart cities
 Connected logistics (visit Oracle Cloud Logistics)
 Smart digital supply chains

In a nutshell, the Internet of Things is the concept of connecting any device (so long as it has an
on/off switch) to the Internet and to other connected devices. The IoT is a giant network of
 connected things and people – all of which collect and share data about the way they are used
and about the environment around them.
That includes an extraordinary number of objects of all shapes and sizes – from smart
microwaves, which automatically cook your food for the right length of time, to self-driving
cars, whose complex sensors detect objects in their path, to wearable fitness devices that measure
your heart rate and the number of steps you’ve taken that day, then use that information to
suggest exercise plans tailored to you. There are even connected footballs that can track how far
and fast they are thrown and record those statistics via an app for future training purposes.
How does it work?
Devices and objects with built in sensors are connected to an Internet of Things platform, which
integrates data from the different devices and applies analytics to share the most valuable
information with applications built to address specific needs.
These powerful IoT platforms can pinpoint exactly what information is useful and what can
safely be ignored. This information can be used to detect patterns, make recommendations, and
detect possible problems before they occur.
For example, if I own a car manufacturing business, I might want to know which optional
components (leather seats or alloy wheels, for example) are the most popular. Using Internet of
Things technology, I can:
 Use sensors to detect which areas in a showroom are the most popular, and where customers
linger longest;
 Drill down into the available sales data to identify which components are selling fastest;
 Automatically align sales data with supply, so that popular items don’t go out of stock.
The information picked up by connected devices enables me to make smart decisions about
which components to stock up on, based on real-time information, which helps me save time and
money.
With the insight provided by advanced analytics comes the power to make processes more
efficient. Smart objects and systems mean you can automate certain tasks, particularly when
these are repetitive, mundane, time-consuming or even dangerous. 

Business-Ready, SaaS IoT Applications

IoT Intelligent Applications are prebuilt software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications that can
analyze and present captured IoT sensor data to business users via dashboards. Oracle has a full
set of IoT Intelligent Applications.
IoT applications use machine learning algorithms to analyze massive amounts of connected
sensor data in the cloud. Using real-time IoT dashboards and alerts, you gain visibility into key
performance indicators, statistics for mean time between failures, and other information.
Machine learning–based algorithms can identify equipment anomalies and send alerts to users
and even trigger automated fixes or proactive counter measures.

With cloud-based IoT applications, business users can quickly enhance existing processes for
supply chains, customer service, human resources, and financial services. There’s no need to
recreate entire business processes.
The ability of IoT to provide sensor information as well as enable device-to-device
communication is driving a broad set of applications. The following are some of the most
popular applications and what they do.
 Create new efficiencies in manufacturing through machine monitoring and product-
quality monitoring. Machines can be continuously monitored and analyzed to make sure they
are performing within required tolerances. Products can also be monitored in real time to
identify and address quality defects.
 Improve the tracking and “ring-fencing” of physical assets. Tracking enables businesses to
quickly determine asset location. Ring-fencing allows them to make sure that high-value
assets are protected from theft and removal.
 Use wearables to monitor human health analytics and environmental conditions. IoT
wearables enable people to better understand their own health and allow physicians to
remotely monitor patients. This technology also enables companies to track the health and
safety of their employees, which is especially useful for workers employed in hazardous
conditions.
 Drive efficiencies and new possibilities in existing processes. One example of this is the use
of IoT to increase efficiency and safety in connected logistics for fleet management.
Companies can use IoT fleet monitoring to direct trucks, in real time, to improve efficiency.
 Enable business process changes. An example of this is the use of IoT devices for connected
assets to monitor the health of remote machines and trigger service calls for preventive
maintenance. The ability to remotely monitor machines is also enabling new product-as-a-
service business models, where customers no longer need to buy a product but instead pay for
its usage.

QUES 3: DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE IoT.

Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the hottest technologies in the era of digital
transformation, connecting everything to the Internet. It is the core technology behind smart
homes, self-driving cars, smart utility meters, and smart cities. But there are nine main security
challenges for the future of the internet of things (IoT).
The number of IoT devices is rapidly increasing over the last few years. According to an analyst
firm Gartner, there will be more than 26 billion connected devices around the world by 2020, up
from just 6 billion in 2016.
While IoT devices bring effective communication between devices, automate things, save time
and cost and have numerous benefits, there is one thing still concerning the users—iot security.
There have been specific incidents which have made the IoT devices challenging to trust.
Several smart TVs and cash machines have been hacked, which is negatively impacting the trust
of not only consumers but also enterprises. Having said that, let’s have a deep dive into the most
critical security challenges for the future of the Internet of Things (IoT).
1. Outdated hardware and software.
Since the IoT devices are being used increasingly, the manufacturers of these devices are
focusing on building new ones and not paying enough attention to security.
A majority of these devices don’t get enough updates, whereas some of them never get a single
one. What this means is that these products are secure at the time of purchase but becomes
vulnerable to attacks when the hackers find some bugs or security issues.
When these issues are not fixed by releasing regular updates for hardware and software, the
devices remain vulnerable to attacks. For every little thing connected to the Internet, the regular
updates are a must-have. Not having updates can lead to data breach of not only customers but
also of the companies that manufacture them.
2. Use of weak and default credentials.
Many IoT companies are selling devices and providing consumers default credentials with them
— like an admin username. Hackers need just the username and password to attack the device.
When they know the username, they carry out brute-force attacks to infect the devices.
The Mirai botnet attack is an example that was carried out because the devices were using
default credentials. Consumers should be changing the default credentials as soon as they get the
device, but most of the manufacturers don’t say anything in the instruction guides about making
that change. Not making an update in the instruction guides leaves all of the devices open to
attack.
3. Malware and ransomware.
The rapid rise in the development of IoT products will make cyberattack permutations
unpredictable. Cybercriminals have become advanced today — and they lock out the consumers
from using their own device.
For example, an IoT-enabled camera that captures confidential information from home or the
work office — and the system is hacked. The attackers will encrypt the webcam system and not
allow consumers to access any information. Since the system contains personal data, they can
ask consumers to pay a hefty amount to recover their data. When this occurs, it’s called
ransomware.
4. Predicting and preventing attacks.
Cybercriminals are proactively finding out new techniques for security threats. In such a
scenario, there is a need for not only finding the vulnerabilities and fixing them as they occur but
also learning to predict and prevent new threats.
The challenge of security seems to be a long-term challenge for the security of connected
devices. Modern cloud services make use of threat intelligence for predicting security issues.
Other such techniques include AI-powered monitoring and analytics tools. However, it is
complex to adapt these techniques in IoT because the connected devices need processing of data
instantly.
5. Difficult to find if a device is affected.
Although it is not really possible to guarantee 100% security from security threats and breaches,
the thing with IoT devices is that most of the users don’t get to know if their device is hacked.
When there is a large scale of IoT devices, it becomes difficult to monitor all of them even for
the service providers. It is because an IoT device needs apps, services, and protocols for
communication. Since the number of devices is increasing significantly, the number of things to
be managed is increasing even more.
Hence, many devices keep on operating without the users knowing that they have been hacked.
6. Data protection and security challenges.
In this interconnected world, the protection of data has become really difficult because it gets
transferred between multiple devices within a few seconds. One moment, it is stored in mobile,
the next minute it is on the web, and then the cloud.
All this data is transferred or transmitted over the internet, which can lead to data leak. Not all
the devices through which data is being transmitted or received are secure. Once the data gets
leaked, hackers can sell it to other companies that violate the rights for data privacy and security.
Furthermore, even if the data doesn’t get leaked from the consumer side, the service providers
might not be compliant with regulations and laws. This can also lead to security incidents.
7. Use of autonomous systems for data management.
From data collection and networking point-of-view, the amount of data generated from
connected devices will be too high to handle.
It will undoubtedly need the use of AI tools and automation. IoT admins and network experts
will have to set new rules so that traffic patterns can be detected easily.
However, use of such tools will be a little risky because even a slightest of mistakes while
configuring can cause an outage. This is critical for large enterprises in healthcare, financial
services, power, and transportation industries.
8. Home security.
Today, more and more homes and offices are getting smart with IoT connectivity. The big
builders and developers are powering the apartments and the entire building with IoT devices.
While home automation is a good thing, but not everyone is aware of the best practices that
should be taken care of for IoT security.
Even if the IP addresses get exposed, this can lead to exposure of residential address and other
contact details of the consumer. Attackers or interested parties can use this information for evil
purposes. This leaves smart homes at potential risk.
9. Security of autonomous vehicles.
Just like homes, the self-driving vehicles or the ones that make use of IoT services, are also at
risk. Smart vehicles can be hijacked by skilled hackers from remote locations. Once they get
access, they can control the car, which can be very risky for passengers.

Undoubtedly, IoT is a technology that should be called a boon. But since it connects all the
things to the Internet, the things become vulnerable to some sort of security threats. Big
companies and cybersecurity researchers are giving their best to make things perfect for the
consumers, but there is still a lot to be done.

1) What type of computing technology refers to services and applications that typically run on a
distributed network through virtualized resources?
a. Distributed Computing
b. Cloud Computing
 c. Soft Computing
d. Parallel Computing

2) Which one of the following options can be considered as the Cloud?

a. Hadoop
b. Intranet
c. Web Applications
d. All of the mentioned
3) Cloud computing is a kind of abstraction which is based on the notion of combining physical
resources and represents them as _______resources to users.
a. Real
b. Cloud
c. Virtual
d. none of the mentioned

4) Which of the following has many features of that is now known as cloud computing?
a. Web Service
b. Softwares
c. All of the mentioned
d. Internet

5) Which one of the following cloud concepts is related to sharing and pooling the resources?
a. Polymorphism
b. Virtualization
c. Abstraction
d. None of the mentioned

6) Which one of the following statements is not true?

a. The popularization of the Internet actually enabled most cloud computing systems.
b. Cloud computing makes the long-held dream of utility as a payment possible for you,
with an infinitely scalable, universally available system, pay what you use.
c. Soft computing addresses a real paradigm in the way in which the system is deployed.
d. All of the mentioned

7) Which one of the following can be considered as a utility is a dream that dates from the
beginning of the computing industry itself?
a. Computing
b. Model
c. Software
d. All of the mentioned
Show Answer Workspace

8) Which of the following is an essential concept related to Cloud?

a. Reliability
 b. Abstraction
c. Productivity
d. All of the mentioned
9) Which one of the following is Cloud Platform by Amazon?
a. Azure
b. AWS
c. Cloudera
d. All of the mentioned

10) Which of the following statement is not true?

a. Through cloud computing, one can begin with very small and become big in a rapid
manner.
b. All applications benefit from deployment in the Cloud.
c. Cloud computing is revolutionary, even though the technology it is built on is
evolutionary.
d. None of the mentioned
e.
11) In the Planning Phase, Which of the following is the correct step for performing the analysis?
a. Cloud Computing Value Proposition
b. Cloud Computing Strategy Planning
c. Both A and B
d. Business Architecture Development

12) In which one of the following, a strategy record or Document is created respectively to the
events, conditions a user may face while applying cloud computing mode.
a. Cloud Computing Value Proposition
b. Cloud Computing Strategy Planning
c. Planning Phase
d. Business Architecture Development

13) What is Business Architecture Development?

a. We recognize the risks that might be caused by cloud computing application from a
business perspective.
b. We identify the applications that support the business processes and the technologies
required to support enterprise applications and data systems.
c. We formulate all kinds of plans that are required to transform the current business to
cloud computing modes.
d. None of the above

14) Which one of the following refers to the non-functional requirements like disaster recovery,
security, reliability, etc.
a. Service Development
b. Quality of service
c. Plan Development
d. Technical Service
15) Which one of the following is a phase of the Deployment process?
a. Selecting Cloud Computing Provider
b. IT Architecture Development
c. Business Architecture Development
d. Transformation Plan Development

16) This phase involves selecting a cloud provider based on the Service Level Agreement (SLA),
which defines the level of service the provider receives.
a. Maintenance and Technical Service
b. Selecting Cloud Computing Provider
c. Both A and B
d. None of the above

17) In which one of the following phases, IT Architecture Development came?

a. Strategy Phase
b. Planning Phase
c. Deployment Phase
d. Development Phase

18) Which of the model involves the special types of services that users can access on a Cloud
Computing platform?
a. Service
b. Planning
c. Deployment
d. Application

19) Which one of the following is related to the services provided by Cloud?
a. Sourcing
b. Ownership
c. Reliability
d. PaaS
Show Answer Workspace

20) How many phases are present in Cloud Computing Planning?

a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

21) Cloud computing architecture is a combination of?

a. service-oriented architecture and grid computing
b. Utility computing and event-driven architecture.
c. Service-oriented architecture and event-driven architecture.
d. Virtualization and event-driven architecture.
 INFORMATION SYSTEM SECURITY AND CONTROL

QUES 1: WHAT ARE THE SECURITY CHALLENGES LINKED WITH INFORMATION

SYSYTEM?

Information security management as a field is ever increasing in demand and responsibility

because most organizations spend increasingly larger percentages of their IT budgets in
attempting to manage risk and mitigate intrusions, not to mention the trend in many enterprises
of moving all IT operations to an Internet-connected infrastructure, known as enterprise cloud
computing . For information security managers, it is crucial to maintain a clear perspective of all
the areas of business that require protection. Through collaboration with all business units,
security managers must work security into the processes of all aspects of the organization, from
employee training to research and development. Security is not an IT problem; it is a business
problem.

Risk is, in essence, the likelihood of something going wrong and damaging your organization or
information assets. Due to the ramifications of such risk, an organization should try to reduce the
risk to an acceptable level. This process is known as information risk management. Risk to an
organization and its information assets, similar to threats, comes in many different forms. Some
of the most common risks and/or threats are • Physical damage. Fire, water, vandalism, power
loss, and natural disasters.
• Human interaction. Accidental or intentional action or inaction that can disrupt productivity.

• Equipment malfunctions. Failure of systems and peripheral devices.

• Internal or external attacks. Hacking, cracking, and attacking.

• Misuse of data. Sharing trade secrets; fraud, espionage, and theft.

• Loss of data. Intentional or unintentional loss of information through destructive means.

 • Application error. Computation errors, input errors, and buffer overflows. The idea of risk
management is that threats of any kind must be identified, classified, and evaluated to calculate
their damage potential. This is easier said than done.

Administrative, Technical, and Physical Controls For example, administrative, technical, and
physical controls, are as follows:

• Administrative controls consist of organizational policies and guidelines that help minimize the
exposure of an organization. They provide a framework by which a business can manage and
inform its people how they should conduct themselves while at the workplace and provide clear
steps employees can take when they’re confronted with a potentially risky situation.

Some examples of administrative controls include the corporate security policy, password policy,
hiring policies, and disciplinary policies that form the basis for the selection and implementation
of logical and physical controls. Administrative controls are of paramount importance because
technical and physical controls are manifestations of the administrative control policies that are
in place.

Technical controls use software and hardware resources to control access to information and
computing systems, to help mitigate the potential for errors and blatant security policy violations.
Examples of technical controls include passwords, network- and host-based firewalls, network
intrusion detection systems, and access control lists and data encryption. Associated with
technical controls is the Principle of Least Privilege, which requires that an individual, program,
or system process is not granted any more access privileges than are necessary to perform the
task.

• Physical controls monitor and protect the physical environment of the workplace and
computing facilities. They also monitor and control access to and from such facilities. Separating
the network and workplace into functional areas are also physical controls. An important
physical control is also separation of duties, which ensures that an individual cannot complete a
critical task by herself. Risk Analysis During risk analysis there are several units that can help
measure risk. Before risk can be measured, though, the organization must identify the
vulnerabilities and threats against its mission-critical systems in terms of business continuity.
During risk analysis, an organization tries to evaluate the cost for each security control that helps
mitigate the risk. If the control is cost effective relative to the exposure of the organization, then
the control is put in place.

The measure of risk can be determined as a product of threat, vulnerability, and asset values—in
other words:
Risk ¼ Asset Threat Vulnerability

There are two primary types of risk analysis: quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative risk analysis attempts to assign meaningful numbers to all elements of the risk
analysis process. It is recommended for large, costly projects that require exact calculations. It is
typically performed to examine the viability of a project’s cost or time objectives.
Quantitative risk analysis provides answers to three questions that cannot be addressed with
deterministic risk and project management methodologies such as traditional cost estimating or
project scheduling:

• What is the probability of meeting the project objective, given all known risks?

• How much could the overrun or delay be, and therefore how much contingency is needed for
the organization’s desired level of certainty?

• Where in the project is the most risk, given the model of the project and the totality of all
identified and quantified risks?

Qualitative risk analysis does not assign numerical values but instead opts for general
categorization by severity levels. Where little or no numerical data is available for a risk
assessment, the qualitative approach is the most appropriate. The qualitative approach does not
require heavy mathematics; instead, it thrives more on the people participating and their
backgrounds. Qualitative analysis enables classification of risk that is determined by people’s
wide experience and knowledge captured within the process. Ultimately, it is not an exact
science, so the process will count on expert opinions for its base assumptions. The assessment
process uses a structured and documented approach and agreed likelihood and consequence
evaluation tables. It is also quite common to calculate risk as a single loss expectancy (SLE) or
annual loss expectancy (ALE) by project or business function.

QUES 2: WHAT ARE DATA SECURITY ISSUES?

Data security is at the core of what needs to be protected in terms of information security and
mission-critical systems. Ultimately, it is the data that the organization needs to protect in many
cases, and usually data is exactly what perpetrators are after, whether trade secrets, customer
information, or a database of Social Security numbers—the data is where it’s at!

To be able to properly classify and restrict data, one first needs to understand how data is
accessed. Data is accessed by a subject, whether that is a person, process, or another application,
and what is accessed to retrieve the data is called an object. Think of an object as a cookie jar
with valuable information in it, and only select subjects have the permissions necessary to dip
their hands into the cookie jar and retrieve the data or information that they are looking for.

Data Classification Various data classification models are available for different environments.
Some security models focus on the confidentiality of the data (such as Bell-La Padula) and use
different classifications. For example, the U.S. military uses a model that goes from most
confidential (Top Secret) to least confidential (Unclassified) to classify the data on any given
system. On the other hand, most corporate entities prefer a model whereby they classify data by
business unit (HR, Marketing, R&D, etc.) or use terms such as Company Confidential to define
items that should not be shared with the public. Other security models focus on the integrity of
the data (for example, Bipa); yet others are expressed by mapping security policies to data
classification (for example, Clark-Wilson). In every case there are

WHAT IS ADT And user or creator of the data object is allowed to define who can and who
cannot access the data; this model has become less popular in recent history. Mandatory Access
Control (MAC) is more of a militant style of applying permissions, where permissions are the
same across the board to all members of a certain level or class within the organization.

The following are data security “need-to-knows”:

• Authentication versus authorization. It’s crucial to understand that simply because someone
becomes authenticated does not mean that she is authorized to view certain data. There needs to
be a means by which a person, after gaining access through authentication, is limited in the
actions she is authorized to perform on certain data (such as read-only permissions).

• Protecting data with cryptography is important for the security of both the organization and its
customers. Usually, the most important item that an organization needs to protect, aside from
trade secrets, is its customers’ personal data. If there is a security breach and the data that is
stolen or compromised was previously encrypted, the organization can feel more secure in that
the collateral damage to its reputation and customer base will be minimized.

• Data leakage prevention and content management is an up-and-coming area of data security
that has proven extremely useful in preventing sensitive information from leaving an
organization. With this relatively new technology, a security administrator can define the types
of documents, and further define the content within those documents, that cannot leave the
organization and quarantine them for inspection before they hit the public Internet.

• Securing email systems is one of the most important and overlooked areas of data security.
With access to the mail server, an attacker can snoop through anyone’s email, even the company
CEO’s! Password files, company confidential documents, and contacts for all address books are
only some of the things that a compromised mail server can reveal about an organization, not to
mention root/administrator access to a system in the internal network.

QUES 3: EXPLAIN IN DETAIL: SYSTEMS AND NETWORK SECURITY.

Systems and network security is at the core of information security. Though physical security is
extremely important and a breach could render all your systems and network security safeguards
useless, without hardened systems and networks, anyone from the comfort of her own living
room can take over your network, access your confidential information, and disrupt your
operations at will.
Data classification and security are also quite important, if for nothing else but to be sure that
only those who need to access certain data can and those who do not need access cannot;
however, that usually works well for people who play by the rules. In many cases when an
attacker gains access to a system, the first order of business is escalation of privileges. This
means that the attacker gets in as a regular user and attempts to find ways to gain administrator
or root privileges.

The following are brief descriptions of each of the components that make for a complete security
infrastructure for all host systems and network-connected assets. Host-Based Security The host
system is the core place where data sit and are accessed, so it is therefore also the main target of
many intruders. Regardless of the operating system platform that is selected to run certain
applications and databases, the principles of hardening systems are the same and apply to host
systems as well as network devices, as we will see in the upcoming sections. Steps required to
maintain host systems in as secure a state as possible are as follows:

1. OS hardening. Guidelines by which a base operating system goes through a series of checks to
make sure no unnecessary exposures remain open and that security features are enabled where
possible. There is a series of organizations that publish OS hardening guides for various
platforms of operating systems.

2. Removing unnecessary services. In any operating system there are usually services that are
enabled but have no real business need. It is necessary to go through all the services of your main
corporate image, on both the server side and client side, to determine which services are required
and which would create a potential vulnerability if left enabled.

3. Patch management. All vendors release updates for known vulnerabilities on some kind of
schedule. Part of host-based security is making sure that all required vendor patches, at both the
operating system and the application level, are applied as quickly as business operations allow on
some kind of regular schedule. There should also be an emergency patch procedure in case there
is an outbreak and updates need to be pushed out of sequence.

4. Antivirus. Possibly more important than patches are antivirus definitions, specifically on
desktop and mobile systems. Corporate antivirus software should be installed and updated
frequently on all systems in the organization.

5. Intrusion detection systems (IDSs). Although many seem to think IDSs are a network security
function, there are many good host-based IDS applications, both commercial and open source,
that can significantly increase security and act as an early warning system for possibly malicious
traffic and/or files for which the AV does not have a definition.

6. Firewalls. Host-based firewalls are not as popular as they once were because many big
vendors such as Symantec, McAfee, and Checkpoint have moved to a host-based client
application that houses all security functions in one. There is also another trend in the industry to
move toward application-specific host-based firewalls like those specifically designed to run on a
Web or database server, for example.
7. Data encryption software. One item often overlooked is encryption of data while at rest. Many
solutions have recently come onto the market that offer the ability to encrypt sensitive data such
as credit-card and Social Security numbers that sit on your file server or inside the database
server. This is a huge protection in the case of information theft or data leakage.

8. Backup and restore capabilities. Without the ability to back up and restore both servers and
clients in a timely fashion, an issue that could be resolved in short order can quickly turn into a
disaster. Backup procedures should be in place and restored on a regular basis to verify their
integrity.

9. System event logging. Event logs are significant when you’re attempting to investigate
the root cause of an issue or incident. In many cases, logging is not turned on by default
and needs to be enabled after the core installation of the host operating system. The OS
hardening guidelines for your organization should require that logging be enabled.

Network-Based Security The network is the communication highway for everything that happens
between all the host systems. All data at one point or another pass over the wire and are
potentially vulnerable to snooping or spying by the wrong person. The controls implemented on
the network are similar in nature to those that can be applied to host systems; however, network-
based security can be more easily classified into two main categories: detection and prevention.

1. _______ is the practice and precautions taken to protect

valuable information from unauthorised access, recording,
disclosure or destruction.
a) Network Security
b) Database Security
c) Information Security
d) Physical Security

2. From the options below, which of them is not a threat to

information security?
a) Disaster
b) Eavesdropping
c) Information leakage
d) Unchanged default password
3. From the options below, which of them is not a vulnerability
to information security?
a) flood
b) without deleting data, disposal of storage media
c) unchanged default password
d) latest patches and updates not done

4. _____ platforms are used for safety and protection of

information in the cloud.
a) Cloud workload protection platforms
b) Cloud security protocols
c) AWS
d) One Drive

5. Which of the following information security technology is

used for avoiding browser-based hacking?
a) Anti-malware in browsers
b) Remote browser access
c) Adware remover in browsers
d) Incognito mode in a browser

6. 6. The full form of EDR is _______

a) Endpoint Detection and recovery
b) Early detection and response
c) Endpoint Detection and response
d) Endless Detection and Recovery

7. _______ technology is used for analyzing and monitoring

traffic in network and information flow.
 a) Cloud access security brokers (CASBs)
b) Managed detection and response (MDR)
c) Network Security Firewall
d) Network traffic analysis (NTA)

8. Compromising confidential information comes under

_________
a) Bug
b) Threat
c) Vulnerability
d) Attack

9. Lack of access control policy is a _____________

a) Bug
b) Threat
c) Vulnerability
d) Attack

10. Possible threat to any information cannot be

________________
a) reduced
b) transferred
c) protected
d) ignored

12. To retain a competitive advantage and to meet basic business requirements

organizations must:

A. Ensure the integrity of the information stored on their computer systems

B. Preserve the confidentiality pf sensitive data
C. Ensure the continued availability of their information systems
D. Ensure conformity to laws, regulations and standards
E. All of the above

13. The key components of an information systems security policy include:

 A. Management support and commitment
B. Access Authorization
C. Security Awareness
D. All of the above

14. A number of different mechanisms are available for raising security awareness
including:

A. Distribution of a written security policy

B. Training on a regular basis of new employees, users
C. Both A&B
D. None

15. Data classification as a control measure should define:

A. Who has access rights

B. Who is responsible for determining the access rights and access levels
C. What approvals are needed for access
D. Computer crime issues and exposures
E. All of the above

16. Threats to businesses include:

A. Financial loss, Legal repercussions

B. Loss or credibility or competitive edge
C. Disclosure of confidential, sensitive or embarrassing information, Industrial
espionage
D. All of the above

17. Logical access controls are one of the primary safeguards for securing software and
data within an information processing facility.

A. True
B. False

18. Technical exposures are the unauthorized implementation or modification of data

and software at the network, platform, database or application level. They include:

A. Data diddling involves changing data before or as they are entered into the
computer.
B. Trojan horses involve hiding malicious, fraudulent code in an authorized
computer program.
 C. Wire-tapping involves eaves dropping on information being transmitted over
telecommunications lines
D. All of the above

19. To protect an organization’s information resources, access control software has

become even more critical in assuring the confidentially, integrity and availability of
information resources.

A. True
B. False

20. Operating systems access control functions include:

A. Apply user identification and authentication mechanisms

B. Restrict logon IDs to specific terminals/workstations and specific times
C. Both A&B

INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT

MANAGEMENT

QUES 1: DISCUSS ABOUT SYSTEMS-DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE IN DETAIL.

The first development methodology we are going to review is the systems-development life
cycle (SDLC). This methodology was first developed in the 1960s to manage the large software
projects associated with corporate systems running on mainframes. It is a very structured and
risk-averse methodology designed to manage large projects that included multiple programmers
and systems that would have a large impact on the organization.
 S
DLC waterfall

Various definitions of the SDLC methodology exist, but most contain the following phases.

1. Preliminary Analysis. In this phase, a review is done of the request. Is creating a solution
possible? What alternatives exist? What is currently being done about it? Is this project a
good fit for our organization? A key part of this step is a feasibility analysis, which
includes an analysis of the technical feasibility (is it possible to create this?), the
economic feasibility (can we afford to do this?), and the legal feasibility (are we allowed
to do this?). This step is important in determining if the project should even get started.
2. System Analysis. In this phase, one or more system analysts work with different
stakeholder groups to determine the specific requirements for the new system. No
programming is done in this step. Instead, procedures are documented, key players are
interviewed, and data requirements are developed in order to get an overall picture of
exactly what the system is supposed to do. The result of this phase is a system-
requirements document.
3. System Design. In this phase, a designer takes the system-requirements document created
in the previous phase and develops the specific technical details required for the system.
It is in this phase that the business requirements are translated into specific technical
requirements. The design for the user interface, database, data inputs and outputs, and
reporting are developed here. The result of this phase is a system-design document. This
document will have everything a programmer will need to actually create the system.
4. Programming. The code finally gets written in the programming phase. Using the system-
design document as a guide, a programmer (or team of programmers) develop the
 program. The result of this phase is an initial working program that meets the
requirements laid out in the system-analysis phase and the design developed in the
system-design phase.
5. Testing. In the testing phase, the software program developed in the previous phase is put
through a series of structured tests. The first is a unit test, which tests individual parts of
the code for errors or bugs. Next is a system test, where the different components of the
system are tested to ensure that they work together properly. Finally, the user-acceptance
test allows those that will be using the software to test the system to ensure that it meets
their standards. Any bugs, errors, or problems found during testing are addressed and
then tested again.
6. Implementation. Once the new system is developed and tested, it has to be implemented
in the organization. This phase includes training the users, providing documentation, and
conversion from any previous system to the new system. Implementation can take many
forms, depending on the type of system, the number and type of users, and how urgent it
is that the system become operational. These different forms of implementation are
covered later in the chapter.
7. Maintenance. This final phase takes place once the implementation phase is complete. In
this phase, the system has a structured support process in place: reported bugs are fixed
and requests for new features are evaluated and implemented; system updates and
backups are performed on a regular basis.

The SDLC methodology is sometimes referred to as the waterfall methodology to represent how
each step is a separate part of the process; only when one step is completed can another step
begin. After each step, an organization must decide whether to move to the next step or not. This
methodology has been criticized for being quite rigid. For example, changes to the requirements
are not allowed once the process has begun. No software is available until after the programming
phase.

Again, SDLC was developed for large, structured projects. Projects using SDLC can sometimes
take months or years to complete. Because of its inflexibility and the availability of new
programming techniques and tools, many other software-development methodologies have been
developed. Many of these retain some of the underlying concepts of SDLC but are not as rigid.
Rapid Application Development

The RAD methodology (Public Domain)

Rapid application development (RAD) is a software-development (or systems-development)

methodology that focuses on quickly building a working model of the software, getting feedback
from users, and then using that feedback to update the working model. After several iterations of
development, a final version is developed and implemented.

The RAD methodology consists of four phases:

1. Requirements Planning. This phase is similar to the preliminary-analysis, system-

analysis, and design phases of the SDLC. In this phase, the overall requirements for the
system are defined, a team is identified, and feasibility is determined. 
2. User Design. In this phase, representatives of the users work with the system analysts,
designers, and programmers to interactively create the design of the system. One
technique for working with all of these various stakeholders is the so-called JAD session.
JAD is an acronym for joint application development. A JAD session gets all of the
stakeholders together to have a structured discussion about the design of the system.
Application developers also sit in on this meeting and observe, trying to understand the
essence of the requirements.
3. Construction. In the construction phase, the application developers, working with the
users, build the next version of the system.This is an interactive process, and changes can
be made as developers are working on the program. This step is executed in parallel with
the User Design step in an iterative fashion, until an acceptable version of the product is
developed. 
 4. Cutover. In this step, which is similar to the implementation step of the SDLC, the system
goes live. All steps required to move from the previous state to the use of the new system
are completed here.

As you can see, the RAD methodology is much more compressed than SDLC. Many of the
SDLC steps are combined and the focus is on user participation and iteration. This methodology
is much better suited for smaller projects than SDLC and has the added advantage of giving users
the ability to provide feedback throughout the process. SDLC requires more documentation and
attention to detail and is well suited to large, resource-intensive projects. RAD makes more sense
for smaller projects that are less resource-intensive and need to be developed quickly.

Agile Methodologies
Agile methodologies are a group of methodologies that utilize incremental changes with a
focus on quality and attention to detail. Each increment is released in a specified period of
time (called a time box), creating a regular release schedule with very specific objectives.
While considered a separate methodology from RAD, they share some of the same
principles: iterative development, user interaction, ability to change. The agile
methodologies are based on the “Agile Manifesto,” first released in 2001.

The characteristics of agile methods include:

 small cross-functional teams that include development-team members and users; 

 daily status meetings to discuss the current state of the project;

 short time-frame increments (from days to one or two weeks) for each change to be
completed; and
 at the end of each iteration, a working project is completed to demonstrate to the
stakeholders.

The goal of the agile methodologies is to provide the flexibility of an iterative approach while
ensuring a quality product.
Lean Methodology

The lean methodology

One last methodology we will discuss is a relatively new concept taken from the business
bestseller The Lean Startup, by Eric Reis. In this methodology, the focus is on taking an initial
idea and developing a minimum viable product (MVP). The MVP is a working software
application with just enough functionality to demonstrate the idea behind the project. Once the
MVP is developed, it is given to potential users for review. Feedback on the MVP is generated in
two forms: (1) direct observation and discussion with the users, and (2) usage statistics gathered
from the software itself. Using these two forms of feedback, the team determines whether they
should continue in the same direction or rethink the core idea behind the project, change the
functions, and create a new MVP. This change in strategy is called a pivot. Several iterations of
the MVP are developed, with new functions added each time based on the feedback, until a final
product is completed.

The biggest difference between the lean methodology and the other methodologies is that the full
set of requirements for the system are not known when the project is launched. As each iteration
of the project is released, the statistics and feedback gathered are used to determine the
requirements. The lean methodology works best in an entrepreneurial environment where a
company is interested in determining if their idea for a software application is worth developing.

 
Sidebar: The Quality Triangle

The quality triangle

When developing software, or any sort of product or service, there exists a tension between the
developers and the different stakeholder groups, such as management, users, and investors. This
tension relates to how quickly the software can be developed (time), how much money will be
spent (cost), and how well it will be built (quality). The quality triangle is a simple concept. It
states that for any product or service being developed, you can only address two of the
following: time, cost, and quality. 

QUES 2: WHAT IS MEANT BY SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

A project is a group of tasks that need to complete to reach a clear result. A project also
defines as a set of inputs and outputs which are required to achieve a goal. Projects can vary
from simple to difficult and can be operated by one person or a hundred.

Projects usually described and approved by a project manager or team executive. They go
beyond their expectations and objects, and it's up to the team to handle logistics and
complete the project on time. For good project development, some teams split the project
into specific tasks so they can manage responsibility and utilize team strengths.

What is software project management?

Software project management is an art and discipline of planning and supervising software
projects. It is a sub-discipline of software project management in which software projects
planned, implemented, monitored and controlled.

It is a procedure of managing, allocating and timing resources to develop computer software

that fulfills requirements.
In software Project Management, the client and the developers need to know the length,
period and cost of the project.

Prerequisite of software project management?

There are three needs for software project management. These are:

1. Time
2. Cost
3. Quality

It is an essential part of the software organization to deliver a quality product, keeping the
cost within the client?s budget and deliver the project as per schedule. There are various
factors, both external and internal, which may impact this triple factor. Any of three-factor
can severely affect the other two.

Project Manager

A project manager is a character who has the overall responsibility for the planning, design,
execution, monitoring, controlling and closure of a project. A project manager represents an
essential role in the achievement of the projects.

A project manager is a character who is responsible for giving decisions, both large and
small projects. The project manager is used to manage the risk and minimize uncertainty.
Every decision the project manager makes must directly profit their project.

Role of a Project Manager:

1. Leader

A project manager must lead his team and should provide them direction to make them
understand what is expected from all of them.

2. Medium:

The Project manager is a medium between his clients and his team. He must coordinate and
transfer all the appropriate information from the clients to his team and report to the senior
management.

3. Mentor:

He should be there to guide his team at each step and make sure that the team has an
attachment. He provides a recommendation to his team and points them in the right direction.

Responsibilities of a Project Manager:

 1. Managing risks and issues.
2. Create the project team and assigns tasks to several team members.
3. Activity planning and sequencing.
4. Monitoring and reporting progress.
5. Modifies the project plan to deal with the situation.

QUES 3: DISCUSS THE PSOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND

MANAGEMENT IN DETAIL.
Software Management Activities
Software project management comprises of a number of activities, which contains planning of
project, deciding scope of software product, estimation of cost in various terms, scheduling of
tasks and events, and resource management. Project management activities may include:

 Project Planning
 Scope Management
 Project Estimation
Project Planning
Software project planning is task, which is performed before the production of software actually
starts. It is there for the software production but involves no concrete activity that has any
direction connection with software production; rather it is a set of multiple processes, which
facilitates software production. Project planning may include the following:
Scope Management
It defines the scope of project; this includes all the activities, process need to be done in order to
make a deliverable software product. Scope management is essential because it creates
boundaries of the project by clearly defining what would be done in the project and what would
not be done. This makes project to contain limited and quantifiable tasks, which can easily be
documented and in turn avoids cost and time overrun.
During Project Scope management, it is necessary to -

 Define the scope

 Decide its verification and control
 Divide the project into various smaller parts for ease of management.
 Verify the scope
 Control the scope by incorporating changes to the scope
Project Estimation
For an effective management accurate estimation of various measures is a must. With correct
estimation managers can manage and control the project more efficiently and effectively.
Project estimation may involve the following:

 Software size estimation

Software size may be estimated either in terms of KLOC (Kilo Line of Code) or by
calculating number of function points in the software. Lines of code depend upon coding
practices and Function points vary according to the user or software requirement.

 Effort estimation
The managers estimate efforts in terms of personnel requirement and man-hour required
to produce the software. For effort estimation software size should be known. This can
either be derived by managers’ experience, organization’s historical data or software
size can be converted into efforts by using some standard formulae.

 Time estimation
Once size and efforts are estimated, the time required to produce the software can be
estimated. Efforts required is segregated into sub categories as per the requirement
specifications and interdependency of various components of software. Software tasks
are divided into smaller tasks, activities or events by Work Breakthrough Structure
(WBS). The tasks are scheduled on day-to-day basis or in calendar months.
The sum of time required to complete all tasks in hours or days is the total time invested
to complete the project.

 Cost estimation
This might be considered as the most difficult of all because it depends on more
elements than any of the previous ones. For estimating project cost, it is required to
consider -

o Size of software
o Software quality
o Hardware
o Additional software or tools, licenses etc.
o Skilled personnel with task-specific skills
o Travel involved
o Communication
o Training and support

Project Estimation Techniques

We discussed various parameters involving project estimation such as size, effort, time and cost.
Project manager can estimate the listed factors using two broadly recognized techniques –

Decomposition Technique
This technique assumes the software as a product of various compositions.
There are two main models -

 Line of Code Estimation is done on behalf of number of line of codes in the software

product.
 Function Points Estimation is done on behalf of number of function points in the
software product.

Empirical Estimation Technique

This technique uses empirically derived formulae to make estimation.These formulae are based
on LOC or FPs.

 Putnam Model
This model is made by Lawrence H. Putnam, which is based on Norden’s frequency
distribution (Rayleigh curve). Putnam model maps time and efforts required with
software size.

 COCOMO
COCOMO stands for COnstructive COst MOdel, developed by Barry W. Boehm. It
divides the software product into three categories of software: organic, semi-detached
and embedded.
Project Scheduling
Project Scheduling in a project refers to roadmap of all activities to be done with specified order
and within time slot allotted to each activity. Project managers tend to define various tasks, and
project milestones and arrange them keeping various factors in mind. They look for tasks lie in
critical path in the schedule, which are necessary to complete in specific manner (because of
task interdependency) and strictly within the time allocated. Arrangement of tasks which lies
out of critical path are less likely to impact over all schedule of the project.
For scheduling a project, it is necessary to -

 Break down the project tasks into smaller, manageable form

 Find out various tasks and correlate them
 Estimate time frame required for each task
 Divide time into work-units
 Assign adequate number of work-units for each task
 Calculate total time required for the project from start to finish
Resource management
All elements used to develop a software product may be assumed as resource for that project.
This may include human resource, productive tools and software libraries.
The resources are available in limited quantity and stay in the organization as a pool of assets.
The shortage of resources hampers the development of project and it can lag behind the
schedule. Allocating extra resources increases development cost in the end. It is therefore
necessary to estimate and allocate adequate resources for the project.
Resource management includes -

 Defining proper organization project by creating a project team and allocating

responsibilities to each team member
 Determining resources required at a particular stage and their availability
 Manage Resources by generating resource request when they are required and de-
allocating them when they are no more needed.
Project Risk Management
Risk management involves all activities pertaining to identification, analyzing and making
provision for predictable and non-predictable risks in the project. Risk may include the
following:

 Experienced staff leaving the project and new staff coming in.
 Change in organizational management.
 Requirement change or misinterpreting requirement.
 Under-estimation of required time and resources.
 Technological changes, environmental changes, business competition.
Risk Management Process
There are following activities involved in risk management process:

 Identification - Make note of all possible risks, which may occur in the project.
 Categorize - Categorize known risks into high, medium and low risk intensity as per
their possible impact on the project.
 Manage - Analyze the probability of occurrence of risks at various phases. Make plan to
avoid or face risks. Attempt to minimize their side-effects.
 Monitor - Closely monitor the potential risks and their early symptoms. Also monitor the
effects of steps taken to mitigate or avoid them.
Project Execution & Monitoring
In this phase, the tasks described in project plans are executed according to their schedules.
Execution needs monitoring in order to check whether everything is going according to the
plan. Monitoring is observing to check the probability of risk and taking measures to address
the risk or report the status of various tasks.
These measures include -
  Activity Monitoring - All activities scheduled within some task can be monitored on
day-to-day basis. When all activities in a task are completed, it is considered as complete.
 Status Reports - The reports contain status of activities and tasks completed within a
given time frame, generally a week. Status can be marked as finished, pending or work-
in-progress etc.
 Milestones Checklist - Every project is divided into multiple phases where major tasks
are performed (milestones) based on the phases of SDLC. This milestone checklist is
prepared once every few weeks and reports the status of milestones.
Project Communication Management
Effective communication plays vital role in the success of a project. It bridges gaps between
client and the organization, among the team members as well as other stake holders in the
project such as hardware suppliers.
Communication can be oral or written. Communication management process may have the
following steps:

 Planning - This step includes the identifications of all the stakeholders in the project and
the mode of communication among them. It also considers if any additional
communication facilities are required.
 Sharing - After determining various aspects of planning, manager focuses on sharing
correct information with the correct person on correct time. This keeps every one
involved the project up to date with project progress and its status.
 Feedback - Project managers use various measures and feedback mechanism and create
status and performance reports. This mechanism ensures that input from various
stakeholders is coming to the project manager as their feedback.
 Closure - At the end of each major event, end of a phase of SDLC or end of the project
itself, administrative closure is formally announced to update every stakeholder by
sending email, by distributing a hardcopy of document or by other mean of effective
communication.

1. What are Requirements refined and analyzed to assess their clarity, completeness,
and_____
A. Consistency
B. Correctness
C. Concurrency
D. None of these

2. A software project that meets all the given objectives is a success of _________.

A. Project fundamental purpose
B. Project quality
C. Project requirement
D. Project management myth
E. None of these

3. ___________ is not an effective software project management focus..

A. people
B. product
C. process
D. popularity

4. What is the abbreviation of PM-CMM…

A. product management capability maturity model
B. process management capability maturity model
C. people management capability maturity model
D. project management capability maturity model

5. _________ is not a project manager’s activity.

A. project design
B. project management
C. project planning
D. project control

6. The __________ is not an approach to software cost estimation?

A. Analytical
B. Critical
C. Empirical
E. Heuristic

7. Which one of the following is not considered as a risk in project management?

A. Staff turnover
B. Testing
C. Product competition
D. Specification delays

8. What is the process each manager follows during the life of a project is known as
A. Project Management
B. Project Management Life Cycle
C. Manager life cycle
D. All of the mentioned
9. Quality planning is the process of developing a quality plan for_________.
A. customers
B. project manager
C. team
D. project

10. Which of the following is the sub-process of process improvement?

A. Process introduction
B. De-processification
C. Process analysis
D. Process distribution

11. Which one the following is an internal software quality from given below?

A. reusability
B. reliability
C. scalability
D. usability

12. What is the symbolic representation of RUP __________________

A. Rational Unified Process
B. Rational Unified Process
C. Rational Unified Program
D. Rational Unified Process

13. Tool used for secure expert judgement

a.Peer Review
b.Delphi Technique
c.Expected value technique
d.Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

14. What should be done by the project manager to ensure that all work in the project is
included?
a.Create a contingency plan
b.Create a risk management plan
c.Create a WBS
d.Create sql queries

15: What should a project manager do or follow to ensure clear boundaries for project
completion?
a.Scope verification
b.Completing a scope statement
c.scope definition
d.Process Management in OS
16. An organization is certified to a stringent environmental standard and uses that as the key
differentiator with its competitors. Alternative method is available but involves lot of risk. What
should the project team do?
a.Drop the alternative approach
b.Work out a mitigation plan
c.Procure an insurance against the risk
d.Plan all precautions to avoid the risk

17. That is the objective of project manager behind the study of the work processes on a project.
a.Quality control
b.Quality planning
c.Checking adherence to processes
d.Quality assurance

18. Which of the following is NOT an input to project plan execution?

1. Work authorization system
2. Project plan
3. Corrective action
4. Preventive action
19 The model serves as the basis for the creation of ______ for the Software.
(a) Design
(b) Maintenance
(c) Testing
(d)   Specifications

20. Before requirements can be analyzed, modeled, or specified they must be gathered through
a/an_______
(a) Elicitation process
(b) Interviewing
(c) Meeting
(d) None of given

21.Technology-related problems include _____

(a) Overestimated savings from reusable components and new tools and methods
(b) Switching tools in mid-way
(c) Integrating different software products in cross-platform implementation
(d)   All of given

MANAGING DATA RESOURCES

QUES 1: HOW TO MANAGE DAT RESOURCES? WHY IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN ORGANISATION?

An effective information system provides users with timely, accurate, and relevant information.
This information is stored in computer files. When the files are properly arranged and
maintained, users can easily access and retrieve the information they need. Well-managed,
carefully arranged files make it easy to obtain data for business decisions, whereas poorly
managed files lead to chaos in information processing, high costs, poor performance, and little, if
any, flexibility. Despite the use of excellent hardware and software, many organizations have
inefficient information systems because of poor file management. In this section we describe the
traditional methods that organizations have used to arrange data in computer files. We also
discuss the problems with these methods.

A computer system organizes data in a hierarchy that starts with bits and bytes and progresses to
fields, records, files, and databases. A bit represents the smallest unit of data a computer can
handle. A group of bits, called a byte, represents a single character, which can be a letter, a
number, or another symbol. A grouping of characters into a word, a group of words, or a
complete number (such as a person's name or age) is called a field. A group of related fields,
such as the student's name, the course taken, the date, and the grade, comprises a record; a group
of records of the same type is called a file. For instance, the student records in Figure could
constitute a course file. A group of related files makes up a database.

A computer system organizes data in a hierarchy that starts with the bit, which represents either a
0 or a 1. Bits can be grouped to form a byte to represent one character, number, or symbol. Bytes
can be grouped to form a field, and related fields can be grouped to form a record. Related
records can be collected to form a file, and related files can be organized into a database.

Database Management Systems A database management system (DBMS) is simply the software
that permits an organization to centralize data, manage them efficiently, and provide access to
the stored data by application programs. The DBMS acts as an interface between application
programs and the physical data files. When the application program calls for a data item such as
gross pay, the DBMS finds this item in the database and presents it to the application program.
Using traditional data files the programmer would have to specify the size and format of each
data element used in the program and then tell the computer where they were located. A DBMS
eliminates most of the data definition statements found in traditional programs. The DBMS
relieves the programmer or end user from the task of understanding where and how the data are
actually stored by separating the logical and physical views of the data. The logical view presents
data as they would be perceived by end users or business specialists, whereas the physical view
shows how data are actually organized and structured on physical storage media. There is only
one physical view of the data, but there can be many different logical views. The database
management software makes the physical database available for different logical views presented
for various application programs.

A database management system has three components: 1 ) A data definition language 2 ) A data
manipulation language 3 ) A data dictionary The data definition language is the formal language
programmers use to specify the content and structure of the database. The data definition
language defines each data element as it appears in the database before that data element is
translated into the forms required by application programs. Most DBMS have a specialized
language called a data manipulation language that is used in conjunction with some conventional
third- or fourth-generation programming languages to manipulate the data in the database. This
language contains commands that permit end users and programming specialists to extract data
from the database to satisfy information requests and develop applications. The most prominent
data manipulation language today is Structured Query Language, or SQL. End users and
information systems specialists can use SQL as an interactive query language to access data from
databases, and SQL commands can be embedded in application programs written in conventional
programming languages. The third element of a DBMS is a data dictionary. This is an automated
or manual file that stores definitions of data elements and data characteristics such as usage,
physical representation, ownership (who in the organization is responsible for maintaining the
data), authorization, and security.

Many data dictionaries can produce lists and reports of data use, groupings, program locations,
and so on. A data element represents a field. By creating an inventory of data contained in the
database, the data dictionary serves as an important data management tool. For instance, business
users could consult the dictionary to find out exactly what pieces of data are maintained for the
sales or marketing function or even to determine all the information maintained by the entire
enterprise. The dictionary could supply business users with the name, format, and specifications
required to access data for reports. Technical staff could use the dictionary to determine what
data elements and files must be changed if a program is changed.

In an ideal database environment, the data in the database are defined only once and used for all
applications whose data reside in the database, thereby eliminating data redundancy and
inconsistency. Application programs, which are written using a combination of the data
manipulation language of the DBMS and a conventional programming language, request data
elements from the database. Data elements called for by the application programs are found and
delivered by the DBMS. The programmer does not have to specify in detail how or where the
data are to be found. A DBMS can reduce program-data dependence along with program
development and maintenance costs. Access and availability of information can be increased
because users and programmers can perform ad hoc queries of data in the database. The DBMS
allows the organization to centrally manage data, their use, and security.

QUES2: EXPLAIN THE DATABSE SYSTEM IN DETAIL.

Database systems require that the organization recognize the strategic role of information and
begin actively to manage and plan for information as a corporate resource. This means that the
organization must develop a data administration function with the power to define information
requirements for the entire company and with direct access to senior management. The chief
information officer (CIO) or vice president of information becomes the primary advocate in the
organization for database systems. Data administration is responsible for the specific policies and
procedures through which data can be managed as an organizational resource. These
responsibilities include developing information policy, planning for data, overseeing logical
database design and data dictionary development, and monitoring how information system
specialists and end-user groups use data.

The fundamental principle of data administration is that all data are the property of the
organization as a whole. Data cannot belong exclusively to any one business area or
organizational unit. All data are to be made available to any group that requires them to fulfill its
mission.

An organization needs to formulate an information policy that specifies its rules for sharing,
disseminating, acquiring, standardizing, classifying, and inventorying information throughout the
organization. Information policy lays out specific procedures and accountabilities, specifying
which organizational units share information, where information can be distributed, and who has
responsibility for updating and maintaining the information. Although data administration is a
very important organizational function, it has proved very challenging to implement.

Data Planning and Modeling Methodology

The organizational interests served by the DBMS are much broader than those in the traditional
file environment; therefore, the organization requires enterprise-wide planning for data.
Enterprise analysis, which addresses the information requirements of the entire organization (as
opposed to the requirements of individual applications), is needed to develop databases. The
purpose of enterprise analysis is to identify the key entities, attributes, and relationships that
constitute the organization's data.

Database Technology, Management, and Users

Databases require new software and a new staff specially trained in DBMS techniques, as well as
new data management structures. Most corporations develop a database design and management
group within the corporate information system division that is responsible for defining and
organizing the structure and content of the database and maintaining the database. In close
cooperation with users, the design group establishes the physical database, the logical relations
among elements, and the access rules and procedures. The functions it performs are called
database administration. A database serves a wider community of users than traditional systems.
Relational systems with fourth-generation query languages permit employees who are not
computer specialists to access large databases. In addition, users include trained computer
specialists. To optimize access for no specialists, resources must be devoted to training end
users.

Database Trends
Organizations are installing powerful data analysis tools and data warehouses to make better use
of the information stored in their databases and are taking advantage of database technology
linked to the World Wide Web. We now explore these developments.

Multidimensional Data Analysis

Sometimes managers need to analyze data in ways that traditional database models cannot
represent. For example, a company selling four different products—nuts, bolts, washers, and
screws—in the East, West, and Central regions, might want to know actual sales by product for
each region and might also want to compare them with projected sales. This analysis requires a
multidimensional view of data. To provide this type of information, organizations can use either
a specialized multidimensional database or a tool that creates multidimensional views of data in
relational databases. Multidimensional analysis enables users to view the same data in different
ways using multiple dimensions. Each aspect of information—product, pricing, cost, region, or
time period— represents a different dimension. So a product manager could use a
multidimensional data analysis tool to learn how many washers were sold in the East in June,
how that compares with the previous month and the previous June, and how it compares with the
sales forecast. Another term for multidimensional data analysis is on-line analytical processing
(OLAP).

QUES 3: DISCUSS ABOUT THE DATA WAREHOUSES AND DATA MINING.

Decision makers need concise, reliable information about current operations, trends, and
changes. What has been immediately available at most firms is current data only (historical data
were available through special IS reports that took a long time to produce). Data often are
fragmented in separate operational systems, such as sales or payroll, so that different managers
make decisions from incomplete knowledge bases. Users and information system specialists may
have to spend inordinate amounts of time locating and gathering data (Watson and Haley, 1998).
Data warehousing addresses this problem by integrating key operational data from around the
company in a form that is consistent, reliable, and easily available for reporting.

Data Warehouse

A data warehouse is a database that stores current and historical data of potential interest to
managers throughout the company. The data originate in many core operational systems and
external sources, including Web site transactions, each with different data models. They may
include legacy systems, relational or object-oriented DBMS applications, and systems based on
HTML or XML documents. The data from these diverse applications are copied into the data
warehouse database as often as needed—hourly, daily, weekly, monthly. The data are
standardized into a common data model and consolidated so that they can be used across the
enterprise for management analysis and decision making. The data are available for anyone to
access as needed but cannot be altered. Companies can build enterprise-wide data warehouses
where a central data warehouse serves the entire organization, or they can create smaller,
decentralized warehouses called data marts. A data mart is a subset of a data warehouse in which
a summarized or highly focused portion of the organization's data is placed in a separate database
for a specific population of users. For example, a company might develop marketing and sales
data marts to deal with customer information.

A data mart typically focuses on a single subject area or line of business, so it usually can be
constructed more rapidly and at lower cost than an enterprise-wide data warehouse. However,
complexity, costs, and management problems will rise if an organization creates too many data
marts.

Data mining

A data warehouse system provides a range of ad hoc and standardized query tools, analytical
tools, and graphical reporting facilities, including tools for OLAP and data mining. Data mining
uses a variety of techniques to find hidden patterns and relationships in large pools of data and
infer rules from them that can be used to predict future behavior and guide decision making.
Data mining helps companies engage in one-to-one marketing where personalized or
individualized messages can be created based on individual preferences Data mining is both a
powerful and profitable tool, but it poses challenges to the protection of individual privacy. Data
mining technology can combine information from many diverse sources to create a detailed "data
image" about each of us—our income, our driving habits, our hobbies, our families, and our
political interests.

Benefits of Data Warehouses

Data warehouses not only offer improved information but they also make it easy for decision
makers to obtain it. They even include the ability to model and remodel the data. It has been
estimated that 70 percent of the world's business information resides on mainframe databases,
many of which are for older legacy systems. Many of these legacy systems are critical
production applications that support the company's core business processes. As long as these
systems can efficiently process the necessary volume of transactions to keep the company
running, firms are reluctant to replace them to avoid disrupting critical business functions and
high system replacement costs. Many of these legacy systems use hierarchical DBMS where
information is difficult for users to access. Data warehouses enable decision makers to access
data as often as they need without affecting the performance of the underlying operational
systems. Many organizations are making access to their data warehouses even easier by using
Web technology.

Databases and the Web

Database technology plays an important role in making organizations' information resources

available on the World Wide Web. We now explore the role of hypermedia databases in the Web
and the growing use of Web sites to access information stored in conventional databases inside
the firm.

The Web and Hypermedia

Databases Web sites store information as interconnected pages containing text, sound, video, and
graphics using a hypermedia database. The hypermedia database approach to information
management stores chunks of information in the form of nodes connected by links the user
specifies . The nodes can contain text, graphics, sound, full-motion video or executable computer
programs. Searching for information does not have to follow a predetermined organization
scheme. Instead, one can branch instantly to related information in any kind of relationship the
author establishes. The relationship between records is less structured than in a traditional
DBMS. The hypermedia database approach enables users to access topics on a Web site in
whatever order they wish. For instance, from the Web page from the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) illustrated on this page, one could branch to other Web
pages by clicking on the topics in the left column. In addition to welcoming visitors to NOAA,
these Web pages provide more information on NURP (National Undersea Research Program),
News from the Deep, Undersea Research Centers, Funding Opportunities, Education, Research
Highlights and Products, Undersea Technologies, and Undersea Web sites. The links from the
on-screen page to the other related Web pages are highlighted in blue.

Linking Internal Databases to the Web

A series of middleware and other software products has been developed to help users gain access
to organizations' legacy data through the Web. For example, a customer with a Web browser
might want to search an on-line retailer's database for pricing information. The user would access
the retailer's Web site over the Internet using Web browser software on his or her client PC. The
user's Web browser software would request data from the organization's database, using HTML
commands to communicate with the Web server. Because many back-end databases cannot
interpret commands written in HTML, the Web server would pass these requests for data to
special software that would translate HTML commands into SQL so that they could be processed
by the DBMS working with the database. In a client/server environment, the DBMS resides on a
special dedicated computer called a database server. The DBMS receives the SQL requests and
provides the required data. The middleware would transfer information from the organization's
internal database back to the Web server for delivery in the form of a Web page to the user.

Multiple Choice Questions.

1. __________ is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, nonvolatile collection of data in
support of management decisions. A. Data Mining.
B. Data Warehousing.
C. Web Mining.
D. Text Mining.

2. The data Warehouse is__________.

A. read only.
B. write only.
C. read write only.
D. none.
3. Expansion for DSS in DW is__________.
A. Decision Support system.
B. Decision Single System.
C. Data Storable System.
D. Data Support System.

4. The important aspect of the data warehouse environment is that data found within the data
warehouse is___________.
A. subject-oriented.
B. time-variant.
C. integrated.
D. All of the above.

5. The time horizon in Data warehouse is usually __________. A. 1-2 years.

B. 3-4years.
C. 5-6 years.
D. 5-10 years.

6. The data is stored, retrieved & updated in ____________.

A. OLAP.
B. OLTP.
C. SMTP.
D. FTP.

7. __________describes the data contained in the data warehouse.

A. Relational data.
B. Operational data.
C. Metadata.
D. Informational data.

8. ____________predicts future trends & behaviors, allowing business managers to make

proactive, knowledge-driven decisions.
A. Data warehouse.
B. Data mining.
C. Datamarts.
D. Metadata.

9. __________ is the heart of the warehouse.

A. Data mining database servers.
B. Data warehouse database servers.
C. Data mart database servers.
D. Relational data base servers.

10. ________________ is the specialized data warehouse database. A. Oracle.

B. DBZ.
C. Informix.
D. Redbrick.

11. ________________defines the structure of the data held in operational databases and used by
operational applications. A. User-level metadata.
B. Data warehouse metadata.
C. Operational metadata.
D. Data mining metadata.

12. ________________ is held in the catalog of the warehouse database system. A. Application
level metadata.
B. Algorithmic level metadata.
C. Departmental level metadata.
D. Core warehouse metadata.

13. _________maps the core warehouse metadata to business concepts, familiar and useful to
end users.
A. Application level metadata.
B. User level metadata.
C. Enduser level metadata.
D. Core level metadata.

14. ______consists of formal definitions, such as a COBOL layout or a database schema.

A. Classical metadata.
B. Transformation metadata.
C. Historical metadata.
D. Structural metadata.
ANSWER: A

15. _____________consists of information in the enterprise that is not in classical form.

A. Mushy metadata.
B. Differential metadata.
C. Data warehouse.
D. Data mining.

16. . ______________databases are owned by particular departments or business groups.

A. Informational.
B. Operational.
C. Both informational and operational.
D. Flat.

17. The star schema is composed of __________ fact table.

A. one.
B. two.
C. three.
D. four.
18. The time horizon in operational environment is ___________. A. 30-60 days.
B. 60-90 days.
C. 90-120 days.
D. 120-150 days.

19. The key used in operational environment may not have an element of__________. A. time.
B. cost.
C. frequency.
D. quality.

20. Data can be updated in _____environment. A. data warehouse.

B. data mining.
C. operational.
D. informational.

BUSINESS PROCESS INTEGRATION AND

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS

QUES 1: WHAT IS BUSINESS PROCESS INTEGRATION? WHY DO COMPANIES

WANT TO ADOPT BPI – BUSINESS PROCESS INTEGRATION? HOW TO
IMPLEMENT BPI?

Digital transformation has created many opportunities for companies.

One is to be able to work together with other organizations, through the integration of processes.
Partners, customers, suppliers and even competitors (in purchasing cooperatives, for example)
can work together to achieve better results.
To achieve these goals, there is a methodology called BPI – Business Process Integration. It aims
to promote this integration in a harmonious way and with benefits for all involved, without
forgetting internal business integration.

Companies seek, through BPI, a way not only to integrate applications and systems internally.
The goal is bigger: they want to relate and exchange information externally, with the tools and
data from partners, suppliers and customers.
In the same way that an ERP (Integrated Management System) generates more transparency,
agility and reliability in the management of a company, BPI acts in a similar way between
companies.
Thus, the needs of all are aligned with the objectives of the business, which brings transparency,
agility and flexibility to companies. The result is more efficiency and innovation.
This is because some of the processes dominated by organizations external to your business are
unknown or few are exploited in your organization. And it works the other way around, too.
For example, a company that produces wooden furniture for hotels does not understand anything
about hospitality, much less about forest cultivation and the extraction of timber.
However, if everyone could align their goals, it may be possible to create integrated and
innovative processes, from planting trees to the use of wooden furniture by hotel guests.
With all stakeholders exchanging information, it is possible to create integrated processes that
are much more objective and efficient for the group. Thus, more value is delivered to end
customers using fewer resources.
Imagine that the hotel knows that its customers prefer furniture made with light wood and with
certain colouring and shape. If this information is shared with the logger and the furniture
factory, the whole value chain can prepare for this.
Thus, the integration of processes goes beyond the boundaries of the company and encompasses
each stage of the production process, in different organizations.
“Business Process Integration (BPI) is a crucial technique for supporting interorganizational
business interoperability. BPI enables the automation of business processes and the integration of
systems into several organizations”

The 5 steps for implementing BPI in your company

1- Identification of business processes

The first step in implementing BPI is to identify processes. For this, there is nothing more
appropriate than using business process mapping tools. Good BPM software, in addition to
mapping, also enables process modeling and automation.
In this way, you know in real time the process’s performance and the adjustments you need to
make to promote continuous improvement.
With processes identified, automated and optimized, you need to define a way to share them with
other organizations. Documentation is the next step.
HEFLO is a complete BPM software that does everything from mapping and modeling and
documentation to automation.

2- Process documentation
The traditional way of sharing a process is through documentation.
Typically printed or PDF documents (and even Word) are created specifying all the details of the
process, the person in charge, tasks and decision making.
Some BPM tools, such as HEFLO, do the documentation automatically, based on the process
diagram itself, created in the tool through a drag-and-drop interface.
Of course, this speeds up the consolidation and exchange of information. See in the image below
how people can view, approve, and send suggestions for documented processes.
3 – Collaborative modeling of newly integrated processes
Without the use of collaborative BPM tools, you’ll need to share the documentation, wait for the
analysts at each company to study them, and set up meetings to define what the integrated
processes will look like.
With the use of the collaborative tool, this will be much easier.
Everyone who has access to the process models can make changes and create new process
diagrams from the existing ones without losing the previous ones.
One can even capture one process from one organization (already modeled in the tool) “copy and
paste” into another and integrate it quickly.
In addition, everyone can make comments and suggestions in the processes as others model and
adjust them.

4 – Implementation
As the tool also automates the processes, implementation is very agile and can be accompanied
by all the organizations involved.
A request made by one company can trigger a process in the other that, through the same flow of
tasks, triggers the suppliers in a third company, and so on.

5- Monitoring and continuous improvement

Like there is in a BPM process, the BPI process provides for the creation of KPIs to track
processes.
Thus, together, companies and organizations can assess whether integrations are having the
desired effects and provide the necessary adjustments and improvements to the processes.

QUES 2: WHAT IS THE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING? HOW IT IS

BENEFICIAL FOR THE MANAGEMNT?

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a process used by companies to manage and integrate the
important parts of their businesses. Many ERP software applications are important to companies
because they help them implement resource planning by integrating all of the processes needed
to run their companies with a single system. An ERP software system can also integrate
planning, purchasing inventory, sales, marketing, finance, human resources, and more.

ERP applications also allow the different departments to communicate and share information
more easily with the rest of the company. It collects information about the activity and state of
different divisions, making this information available to other parts, where it can be used
productively.

ERP applications can help a corporation become more self-aware by linking information about
the production, finance, distribution, and human resources together. Because it connects different
technologies used by each part of a business, an ERP application can eliminate costly duplicate
and incompatible technology. The process often integrates accounts payable, stock control
systems, order-monitoring systems, and customer databases into one system.
ERP offerings have evolved over the years from traditional software models that make use of
physical client servers to cloud-based software that offers remote, web-based access.

Benefits of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Businesses employ enterprise resource planning (ERP) for various reasons, such as expanding
business, reducing costs, and improving operations. The benefits sought and realized by one
company may be different from another; however, there are some worth noting.

Integrating and automating business processes eliminates redundancies, improves accuracy, and
improves productivity. Departments with interconnected processes can now synchronize work to
achieve faster and better outcomes.

Some businesses benefit from enhanced reporting of real-time data from a single source system.
Accurate and complete reporting help companies adequately plan, budget, forecast, and
communicate the state of operations to the organization and interested parties, such as
shareholders.

ERPs allow businesses to quickly access needed information for clients, vendors, and business
partners, contributing to improved customer and employee satisfaction, quicker response rates,
and increased accuracy rates. Associated costs often decrease as the company operates more
efficiently.

Departments are better able to collaborate and share knowledge; a newly synergized workforce
can improve productivity and employee satisfaction as employees are better able to see how each
functional group contributes to the mission and vision of the company. Also, menial, manual
tasks are eliminated, allowing employees to allocate their time to more meaningful work.

The components of an ERP system are dependent on the needs of the organization. However,
there are key features that each ERP should include. An ERP system should be automated—to
reduces errors—and flexible, allowing for modifications as the company changes or grows. More
people are mobile; therefore, the ERP platform should allow users to access it from their mobile
devices. Lastly, an ERP system should provide a means for productivity to be analyzed and
measured. Other tools can be integrated within the system to improve a company's capabilities.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) manages and integrates business processes through a single
system. With a better line of sight, companies are better able to plan and allocate resources.
Without ERP, companies tend to operate in a soloed approach, with each department operating
its own disconnected system. ERP systems promote the free flow of communication and sharing
of knowledge across an organization, the integration of systems for improved productivity and
efficiencies, and increased synergies across teams and departments. However, moving to an ERP
system will be counterproductive if the company's culture does not adjust with the change and
the company does not review how the structure of its organization can support it.
QUES 3:WHAT IS AN ERP IMPLEMENTATION? MENTION THE ERP
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES.

An enterprise resources planning (ERP) system can improve business productivity and efficiency
by automating processes and providing a centralized source of data for all teams at your
company. But an ERP implementation can be complex and sometimes challenging, largely
because it affects people and business processes across the entire organization.

An ERP system is a suite of software that supports many business functions, from accounting to
human resources to sales and marketing to engineering. It provides a central database for the
entire organization, connecting multiple groups with a single source of information that everyone
can access. Along with improved productivity and process efficiency, key benefits include real-
time information that allows teams to make better decisions, faster.

An ERP implementation is a multi-phase project that includes redesigning businesses processes

to take advantage of the new system’s capabilities, configuring the software, migrating the
organization’s data and training users. The process typically takes a few months and can take up
to a year at large organizations. It’s usually managed by a project team that includes stakeholders
from all functional groups in the company.

An ERP implementation can be complex since it affects business processes across the entire
organization. And to realize the benefits of the new system, people often have to change the way
they work—often replacing longstanding manual processes with more efficient, automated
processes.

One of the biggest ERP implementation challenges is getting users and functional groups to
change their ways in order to work with the new solution. Driving this change requires strong
project management and backing from senior leadership. To develop the new system, the
organization needs a committed project team that represents all users of the ERP platform. This
ensures the software will support the needs and business processes of all departments across the
company.

7 Key ERP Implementation Challenges

An ERP implementation involves people as well as technology. Accordingly, it may face people-
related challenges, such as resistance to change, as well as technical obstacles. Common ERP
implementation challenges include:

1. Project management. ERP implementations entail multiple phases: discovery and

planning, design, development, data migration, testing, deployment, support and post-
launch updates. Each phase brings critical tasks, and all elements need to stay on track,
which requires meticulous project management. Additionally, successful ERP
implementations require participation from all the groups that will be involved in
developing and using the system. That can be incredibly challenging, because each
department is juggling its ERP project responsibilities with multiple other priorities.

Strong project and people management, which includes setting realistic expectations,
time frames and milestones, along with timely two-way communication, is critical to
success. As with change management, backing from executives and other top leaders is
essential to conquering this challenge, as well.

2. Project planning: Organizations often underestimate the time and budget necessary for a
successful implementation.One of the most common causes of budget overruns is scope
creep—when a business adds capabilities or features to the system that weren’t part of the
original plan—and another is underestimating staffing needs, according to Statista.

Developing a clear and realistic plan from the start can help to avoid those issues. A
realistic project plan that acknowledges possible speed bumps and minor cost overruns
and addresses them in advance will simplify that decision-making process and keep the
project on track.

3. Data integration: One of the key advantages of ERP is that it provides a single, accurate
source of data for the whole organization. A key step in ERP implementation is data
 migration, which typically involves moving data from multiple older systems into the
ERP database. But first, you have to find all of your data. This may be much more
challenging than you expect. The information may be spread far and wide across the
organization, buried in accounting systems, department-specific applications,
spreadsheets and perhaps on paper.

Well-planned data migration can help to keep the entire ERP implementation project on
time and on budget. It’s also an opportunity to winnow out obsolete and redundant data
lurking in the organization’s older systems. In contrast, underprioritizing data migration
can cause issues such as inaccurate or duplicate data and challenges to your go-live date.

4. Data quality: Once the organization has located all data sources, it can start thinking
about migrating it to the ERP system. But that may involve a serious data hygiene
exercise. Because multiple departments interact with the same customers, products and
orders, organizations often have duplicate versions of the same information in their
systems. The information may be stored in different formats; there may be
inconsistencies, like in addresses or name spellings; some information may be inaccurate;
and it may include obsolete information such as customers or suppliers that have since
gone out of business.

Ensuring data quality can become a sizable project on its own, involving validating the
data, cleaning out duplicates and adding missing values before migrating data to the ERP
system. The new data should also be thoroughly tested before going live with the ERP
system. Make sure your team understands the importance of cleaning up data, and assign
clear responsibilities in doing so. For example, the accounting team will handle all
financial data and the customer service group will clean up customer data.

5. Change management. An ERP implementation involves more than just switching to a

new software system. It typically means overhauling business processes to take
advantage of the efficiency and productivity improvements possible with the new
solution. This requires a shift in mindset and a change in everyday work processes for
many employees, which presents typical change management challenges.

Resistance to change can be a formidable roadblock; getting buy-in from leadership and
stakeholders across departments very early in the implementation process is crucial to a
successful implementation. Communicate the features and advantages of the new ERP to
 all stakeholders throughout the implementation process, especially end users on the front
lines. And make sure all users receive comprehensive training and support to help smooth
their paths to adoption of the system.

6. Cost overruns: ERP projects are infamous for sailing past budgets after the
implementation kicks off. Many organizations underestimate the amount of work
required to move to a new business system, and that results in spending more money than
expected.These cost overruns often show up in a few different areas.

When internal resources run low, businesses frequently use a software vendor’s services
team or third-party consultants more than planned. This is especially true if the solution
requires significant customization to meet your company’s needs. Experienced ERP
consultants, whether provided by the vendor or part of a third-party consultancy, usually
run about $150-175 per hour, plus travel expenses. Another budget breaker is data
migration, which can represent as much as 10-15% of the total project cost, according to
ERP Focus. Training costs are one other expense to consider—ERP vendors often offer
free basic training to customers, but you may need to pay for additional training hours or
classes during or after the implementation.

To avoid blowing up the budget, companies should consider these and other overlooked
expenses, and budget more than they think for them. Coming in under budget is always
preferable to the alternative.

7. Continuous improvement: An ERP implementation is not a one-off effort that ends

when the new system goes live. The solution must continue to evolve to support new
business demands and technology. The project team needs to continue to manage the
project after deployment, fixing issues and supporting new requirements as they come up.

Once implemented, business often use ERP systems for more than a decade, so it’s
imperative to perform a periodic review to assess whether the system is still meeting the
organization’s needs. Older on-premises systems can be harder to upgrade than
leading cloud-based systems, which automatically make new features and innovations
available to users. An outdated ERP system can begin to hinder the business, so it’s
 worth periodically assessing whether it’s better to stay with the current system or begin
the extensive project of finding a replacement.

1.  Which of the following describes an ERP system?

A)  ERP systems provide a foundation for collaboration between departments

B)  ERP systems enable people in different business areas to communicate

C)  ERP systems have been widely adopted in large organisations to store critical knowledge
used to make the decisions that drive the organisation's performance

D)  All of the above

2.  What is at the heart of any ERP system?

A)  Information

B)  Employees

C)  Customers

D)  Database

3.  What must a system do to qualify as a true ERP solution?

A)  Be flexible

B)  Be modular and closed

C)  Extend within the company

D)  All of the above

 

4.  Which of the following is a reason for ERPs explosive growth?

A)  ERP is a logical solution to the mess of incompatible applications

B)  ERP addresses the need for global information sharing and reporting

C)  ERP is used to avoid the pain and expense of fixing legacy systems

D)  All of the above

5.  Which of the following occurs when everyone involved in sourcing, producing, and
delivering the company's product works with the same information?

A)  Eliminates redundancies

B)  Cuts down wasted time

C)  Removes misinformation

D)  All of the above

6.  What are several different types of software, which sit in the middle of and provide
connectivity between two or more software applications?

A)  Middleware

B)  Enterprise application integration middleware

C)  Automated business process

D)  e-business infrastructure

7.  What represents a new approach to middleware by packaging together commonly used
functionality, such as providing prebuilt links to popular enterprise applications, which
reduces the time necessary to develop solutions that integrate applications from multiple
vendors?
A)  Middleware

B)  Enterprise application integration middleware

C)  Automated business process

D)  e-business infrastructure

8.  Who are the primary users of SCM systems?

A)  Sales, marketing, customer service

B)  Accounting, finance, logistics, and production

C)  Customers, resellers, partners, suppliers, and distributors

D)  All of the above

9.  What are the primary business benefits of an ERP system?

A)  Sales forecasts, sales strategies, and marketing campaigns

B)  Market demand, resource and capacity constraints, and real-time scheduling

C)  Forecasting, planning, purchasing, material management, warehousing, inventory, and

distribution

D)  All of the above

10.  Who are the primary users of ERP systems?

A)  Sales, marketing, customer service

B)  Accounting, finance, logistics, and production

C)  Customers, resellers, partners, suppliers, and distributors

D)  All of the above

11. In the _________, ERP packages were targeted at the manufacturing industry.
 
a.  1970’s
b.  1990's
c.  1980’s
d.  1960’s

 
12.    The _________ should plan well and execute perfectly the implementation of ERP.

 
a.  Organisation
b.  System developers
c.  Vendors
d.  Top Management

 
13.    Which is one of the most critical steps in the ERP implementation?

 
a.  Creation of Organisational Model
b.  Creation of Integrated Data Model
c.  Creation of Business Model
d.  Creation of Data Model

14.    What is one of the key resources of every organisation, in today’s competitive business
environment?

 
a.  Employee
b.  Information
c.  ERP
d.  Database

 
15.    When a customer needs to check the performance of the company before he
places an order, which department has to be in a position to provide the necessary
information?

 
a.  Production
 b.  Quality
c.  Marketing
d.  Finance

 
16.    In an integrated data model, what gives a snapshot of the organisation at any given
time?

 
a.  ERP
b.  Database
c.  Management
d.  MIS

 
17.    OLAP stands for:
a.  On-Line Analytical Processing
b.  On-Line Account Processing
c.  On-Line Arithmetic Processing
d.  On-Line Application Processing

 
18. Data mining is the process of identifying valid, new, potentially useful, and ultimately
clear ______________ from databases.

 
a.  Decision
b.  Strategies
c.  Information
d.  Account

 
19. EIS stands for:

a.  Executive Interaction System

b.  Executive Interconnecting Systems
c.  Executive Information Systems
d.  Executive Instrumental Systems

 
20. DSS is quite _______________ and is available on request.

 
a.  Structured
b.  Non-structured
 c.  Semi-structured
d.  Unstructured

 
21. ERP system is built on a ____________ utilising a common computing platform
a.    Centralised database
b.    Individual databases
c.   Modular databases
d.    Centralised layout

An effective information system provides users with timely, accurate, and relevant information. This
information is stored in computer files. When the files are properly arranged and maintained, users can
easily access and retrieve the information they need. Well-managed, carefully arranged files make it
easy to obtain data for business decisions, whereas poorly managed files lead to chaos in information
processing, high costs, poor performance, and little, if any, flexibility. Despite the use of excellent
hardware and software, many organizations have inefficient information systems because of poor file
management. In this section we describe the traditional methods that organizations have used to
arrange data in computer files. We also discuss the problems with these methods. An effective
information system provides users with timely, accurate, and relevant information. This information is
stored in computer files. When the files are properly arranged and maintained, users can easily access
and retrieve the information they need. Well-managed, carefully arranged files make it easy to obtain
data for business decisions, whereas poorly managed files lead to chaos in information processing, high
costs, poor performance, and little, if any, flexibility. Despite the use of excellent hardware and
software, many organizations have inefficient information systems because of poor file management. In
this section we describe the traditional methods that organizations have used to arrange data in
computer files. We also discuss the problems with these methods.

_________ is an organized
portfolio of formal systems
for obtaining processing and
delivering information in
support of the business
operations and management
of an
organization.
1. MIS
2. DSS
3. MRS
4. None of the above
_________ is an organized
portfolio of formal systems
for obtaining processing and
delivering information in
support of the business
operations and management
of an
organization.
1. MIS
2. DSS
3. MRS
4. None of the above
_________ is an organized
portfolio of formal systems
for obtaining processing and
delivering information in
support of the business
operations and management
of an
organization.
1. MIS
2. DSS
3. MRS
4. None of the above
_________ is an organized
portfolio of formal systems
for obtaining processing and
delivering information in
support of the business
operations and management
of an
organization.
1. MIS
2. DSS
3. MRS
4. None of the above