Chapter 8

1.What is a Transactional Processing and the role of TP systems. State the key objective of TP/TPSs.

Transaction processing systems monitor, collect, store and process data generated from all business transactions. The role of a TP system is conduct the efficient operations of the day to day business i.e. sales, receipts, cash deposits, payroll, credit decisions and flow of materials. Some key objectives of a TP/TPSs system:

• Process large volume of data – eg. sales
• Data sources are mostly internal, and the output is intended mainly for internal audiences (eg. managers)
• TPS operate regularly (on demand, daily, weekly, etc.
• They require large storage (database) capacity
• They require high processing speed due to the high volumes
• Input and output data are known and well‐understood (highly structured)
• They involve a high level of detail, but low computation complexity
• They require a high level of accuracy, data integrity, and security
• They require high processing reliability; organizations cannot function for long without TPS’s –> hence the need for backups, UPS
• They support inquiry processing – queries/reports

Image below shows key functions:

2. What is a functional area information system? List its major characteristics.

Functional area information Systems are designed to support a functional area by increasing its internal effectiveness and efficiency in the following areas:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Marketing
• Operations (POM)
• Human Resources Management

Key characteristics is to provide information to lower/middle mangers in the functional areas.

Image below shows functional area information systems supporting functional areas:

3. How does an FAIS support management by exception? How does it support on-demand reports?

FAIS support managers to the extent to only functional areas of the business .FAIS provide management both lower and middle information for the day to day running of operations. These systems are used for effective mangement and effeicient operaions. Functional area information systems can aid management by the development of a wide variety of reports for use by managers. These include:

• Routine reports related to hourly/daily events
• Ad hoc (on demand) reports
• Drill‐down reports – more detailed
• Key‐indicator reports – performance of critical activities
• Comparative reports – different sales teams
• Exception reports – used to identify exceptions to requirements, eg. poor sales performance

4. Define ERP and describe functionalities.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a system that collectively brings all data and processes of an organisation system together. Simply it allows for a single database for operation for a number of functions of an orgnisation e.g. maufacturing, supply chain and customer relationship mangment (CRM). The central objective of the system is to collobrate the functional raes of the orgnasiation and enable effecinet information across all fucntional areas.

5. List some drawbacks of ERP software.

ERP has many benefits of an orgnaistaion though the major precieved darwback for a firm is the relative expense. The cost to introduce teh software is very expesnive for a firm and is a major reason for not implementing the system. A firm may want to analysis cost v benefits of the introduction of the system and see if it is viable asset to have.

6. Define a supply chain and supply chain management (SCM).

Supply chain is a network of organizations and facilities that transforms raw materials into products delivered to customers. It allows for the efficent flow of materials, money and information through the organisation e.g. from production to customer.

Image below show's this:

7. List the major components of supply chains.

The three major component of supply chain are upstream, internal and downstream.

Upstream - involves sourcing or procurement from external suppliers occurs.

Internal - is packaging, assembly or manufacturing takes place.

Downstream -invovles the distribution, freqently by external distributors.

8. What is the bullwhip effect?

The bullwhip effect is a natural dynamic that occurs because of the multistage nature of the supply chain. It is not related to erratic consumer demand. Simiply it is erradict shifts in the supply and demand curve.

9. Define EDI and list its major benefits and limitations

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is a communication standard that enables business partners to exchange routine documents, such as purchase orders electronically. This process allows for small packets of data to be sent from one organsiation to another in a more efficent and effective manner. This process also has increased the process known as dissemenatation - the removal of wholesalers and retailers from the supply chain.

Major benefits incluude:

• Minimize data entry errors
• Length of messages are shorter
• Messages are secured
• Reduces cycle time
• Increases productivity
• Enhances customer service
• Minimizes paper usage and storage

Major limitations include:

• Significant initial investment to implement
• Ongoing operating costs are high due to the use of expensive, private VANs (??)
• Traditional EDI system is inflexible
• Long startup period
• Multiple EDI standards exist

Image below shows a customer to entity relationship of an EDI:

Chapter 4

1. What are some of the difficulties in managing data?

Managing data has a small number of constraints that make the process difficult. The problems associated with data management:

• Amount of data increases exponentially.
• Data comes from many sources - either internal or external
• Data security, quality and integrity are critical areas for any business

2. What are the various sources for data?

Data is a collection of facts made up of text, numbers and dates. Data has an important and critical role in the business to allow for effective communication channels and for the collaboration of information. Data can come from a variety of sources that being primary – observations, tests and recorded results. It also can come from secondary – reports, articles and newspapers. Data can be processed and transmitted via channels that allow for the distribution of information that allows us the end user to convert into knowledge to apply in a variety of different business scenarios.

Following image shows a variety of sources of data

3. What is a primary key and a secondary key?

Primary keys are a unique identifier e.g. a student number. This allows for each record to have its own unique table - this will become the primary key field. A Primary Key Field is a field that will contain no duplicates and no blank values. This differs from a Secondary key where other fields that have some identifying information but typically do not have complete accuracy with the file.

4. What is an entity and a relationship?

In relation to data an entity is any person, place, thing or event. A record is a good description of an entity. A relationship relates to the connection or association of any records that allow for a specific connection between areas. Entity-Relationship Model show’s this process of attributes and entities connection.

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of relational databases?

The Advantages to using a relational database system:

The use of tables to create the relationship. The use of the tables are primary and alternative keys. The primary keys create the relation between the tables with the alternative keys. The use of unique records to show specific aspects.

The Disadvantages:

Information i.e. keys overlap in the requests made by the creator. Often hard and difficult to process. Users may find the use of primary keys difficult to understand.

Image below shows a common database

6. What is knowledge management?

Knowledge management is the processes/technologies involved in creating, desginging, disseminate and utilising data for knwoldege. This process allows for the successful use of data for orgnaisations. Common examples include world’s best practices such as benchmarking, Just in Time etc.

7. What is the difference between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge?

Both tacit & explicit knowledge fall under the knowledge management area. Tacit knowledge simply states that education or training is learned through experience, common areas would be insights, expertise and trade secrets. While explicit is the opposite this relates to training or knowledge that is deemed learned technical/rational documented data. Common examples would include procedural guides, reports, manuals, goals etc.

Following video show's different types of knowledge in regards to databases http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nik3pyJwaYI

Chapter 7

1. Identify common wireless devices and their application to business

The most common and efficient devices that are found in every day are applications such as laptops, mobile devices, hand hold game soles and PDF's. These system use an integrated efficient system that enables the use of wireless internet and applications. The use of these systems has become more notice form the introduction of the iPhone. The iPhone is a wireless device that uses the Mac system and operates within the 3G network. This wireless device has s fast, reliable and secure system that provides relative long lasting battery life. The use of such devices aids business in communication within the organisation. Management can run daily plans, schedule's and internet within the workplace to access important information regarding to business activities. More and more the power of wireless devices is being used in today's business world.

2. Describe the various types and general characteristics of wireless transmission media/technologies - microwave, satellite, infrared and radio waves.

Microwave are used to transmit large amounts of data between long distances, key element is towers that send the signals must be in a straight alignment. It is relative cheap though environmental conditions and factors can have an influence in their quality.

Satellite uses satellites that surround the earth to transmit data between long distances and at different locations. There are three common satellites used LEO (low earth orbit), MEO (medium earth orbit) and GEO (geostationary). Geostationary has the largest area that covers distance between points. Advantages include commonly are the high amount of area and speed that data can travel through. Disadvantage includes the expense of the satellites being placed in space and quality with high amounts of cloud coverage.

Infrared Technologies are used for very short range connections, common uses are for PlayStation consoles, TV etc. The system has advantages of low cost and very ease of use and disadvantages include must have straight line of connection to work.

Radio Technology uses wave frequencies to transmit data between two or more devices. The technology usually encompasses a transmitter and receiver which allows for a high bandwidth and a very low cost to use. This technology is very strong as the signal can past through physical objects such as walls. Main areas of concern is the security inefficiencies that the system faces which is why it it critical for security measures such as encrypting and data blocking to be in placed.

Diagram of satellites structure

3. What is bluetooth/how is it used?

Is the design to use short radio communication to allow transmission of data between two devices, usually between a distance of 10 - 30 metres. It is primarily used for low power consumption an enables devices such as laptops, phones and game controllers to connect using a connection point. The system is relative secure and is best used via a network password for best results. The capabilities of the technology allow for data and vocal information to be sent over the network. This technology is common to most phones and laptop devices and reaches speeds of 2.1 Mbps.

Picture of a Bluetooth

4. What are WLAN's, Wi-Fi, WWAN's, 3G?

WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is a network that exists in a small geographic location which uses the ability of wireless technology to connect. WLAN are similar to LAN's with the ability over to connect wireless via the network.

WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) has similar properties to Ethernet though differs as it is a wireless protocol. WIFI has a high frequency network and transmits data relative fast. Simply it is access to Internet using the WIFI protocol.

WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network) is a network that exists in a number of geographic areas that uses the ability of wireless technology. It is similar to the concept of WLAN.

3G offers high speed and data Internet connections through mobile technology which allow for large amounts of media though video, photos, voice to travel. This service is been used in the iPhone.

The following is a link to a WLAN introduction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4K8XXJriU

5. What are the drivers of mobile computing and mobile commerce

The drivers of mobile commerce and computing is to the extent of the relative expense and openly availability to consumers of the products. The cause of this has been reflected through the increase of technology/development of the open production of large scale mobile devices e.g. iPhone, Blueberry etc. This has caused a technology constant cycle where as the increase of technology leads to cheaper and more ready available devices. This has been evident as more and more people are consider to have a norm in owing a mobile phone. The Internet and other technological forces have facilitated this push as the demand of phones becomes higher with the relative more push pf newer and more sound innovations.

6. Explain the nature of RFID

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) refers to the ability of a device to tack and progress an Incorporated product via radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. RFID contain a battery and can transmit signals autonomously, passive RFID tags, which have no battery and require an external source to provoke signal transmission and battery assisted passive (BAP) which require an external source to wake up but have significant higher forward link.

These services are being used more in society and are commonly found in the courier service. Customers can make purchases and check and validate where and how far the product is in relation to them. Companies such as TNT offer this service to customers and is a prime example of a wireless device used in the real world. Customers can also do this via customer to customer transactions though privacy laws and moral laws are inflicted.

A recent and Australian use is the use of E-tags which have become a norm in many people's lives. The E-tag uses the same technology as a RFID and encompasses a small battery that uses ti provide a signal once travelled though appropriate reader and identification areas (toll-points). E-tag use this system draw their balance as how often the customer drives though usage points. This system is a modern example and one that is used by many Australians.

Picture of an e-tag

Chapter 5

Q1. Describe the underlying technologies, applications and types of Web sites that comprise Web 2.0.



Web 2.0 allows users to build and express their own internet content. There are new features compared to web 1.0. Key features include;

• Tag- Uses can make reference to data about data. Tags are used to describe a piece of web related content.

• Wiki- Blogs/ discussion forums to facilitate employee and customer discussions.

• Ajax- Technique that allows areas of a webpage to quickly reload new data.

• RSS- A technology that allows content to be created once and then republished on other websites (i.e. News links).

• Podcasts- Used by radio media to reach larger audience, which is for free.

Web 2.0 is becoming increasing important and popular as the demand for technology increases. Large social networking sites are a common example of web 2.0 interfaces used in the larger community.

The Diagram below shows the functions of both Web 1.o & Web 2.0

2. Describe the function of Web services.

Web services are a technology that enables us to do specific functions on the internet. Some of the protocols include;

• Extensible Markup Language (XML) - Once put in this format, can be read on any system.

• Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) - Both of these protocols allow data movement between applications. SOAP allows communication through firewalls.

• WebServices Description Language- Formats XML

• Universal Description, Discovery and Integration- Finds web services.

Increasing web services will increase internet connectivity and the amount of programs online to users.

3. Describe how you see Social Networking being used in Business.



Social networking has become an increasing web service used more and more in today's society. Internet websites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter have revolutionized the social networking scene and have altered the way companies can now conduct business. Businesses can use social networking as an extended tool to their system of developing and spreading the product or service they produce. The important element of using this software is the key factor that it is for free. The use of this service will allow business to openly allow companies to announce product launches and provide customers (potential) to first see their products online. This will also give a great edge as now customers have another form of marketing that allows the name and reputation of the company to be seen across the world 24/7. Social networking is already been used today as a key resource and can only see the technology furthered in current corporations business plan.

Picture below show's the variety of social networks available to use

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Chapter 6

1. Define e-commerce and distinguish it from e-business.



E-commerce describes the buying, selling, transferring or exchanging of products, services and information via computer networks, including the Internet.



E-business is a broader definition of (EC), including buying and selling of goods and services, and also servicing customers, collaborating with partners, conducting e-learning and conducting electronic transactions within an organisation.





2. Distinguish among B2C, B2B, C2C and B2E electronic commerce.



Business to Customer - the transaction of goods and services between business and customers e.g. David Jones sells shirts to customers



Business to Business - the transaction of raw materials/inventory between companies e.g. Wholesaler of Widgets sells to Manufacturer



Customer to Customer - the transactions between customers and customers e.g. E-Bay



Business to Employee - transactions where business allow employees to manage their benefits, take training classes, buy discounted insurance, travel packages and event tickets e.g. Westpac offering shares to employees at discount price.

Diagram show's the process of a C2C transaction

3. List some benefits and limitations of e-commerce.



Business

E-commerce offers many benefits to business regarding to their market share and net profit. Some benefits include the increase of national and local markets become more accessible. With the ability of internet barriers become easier to enter and access to people across the globe. Business also have downsize in relation to their cost of processing, distributing and retrieving the information. Some limitations of e-commerce include technological and non-technological.



Technological:

• Lack of universally accepted payment and security standards

• Insufficient telecommunications bandwidth in some areas

• Not everyone has access/access varies

• Lots of IT solutions – which to choose?

Non-Technological

• Perception that EC is unsecure/not reliable

• Unresolved legal issues, e.g. tax related

• Harder to market to consumers?

Customer

The world wide web is 24/7 and this provides customers access to information and products anytime and anywhere. Customers have the ease of having a variety and many products to choose form, this in turn has increased their bargaining power in regards to price. This in turn has provided the customer to have more power than ever before. Some limitations still surround the security of the internet and the potential of fraud and false transactions. This has cause grey areas in the ability of security issues, laws, privacy.



4. What are spamming, permission marketing and viral marketing?



Spamming is the large random action of information to many individuals without their knowledge or permission.



Permission Marketing is used by business to apply to current customers/clients about future or current products that may occur or in development. It is gaining permission from existing customers to gain market based on their needs. e.g. Nike asking questions on preferred sport etc



Viral Marketing is the most appropriate and desirable outcome for most business and that is basically the spreading of information from customers to potential customers/investors.



5. What are micropayments?



Micropayments are essentially small, substantial payments to the company. These are generally in nature of high frequency and are recorded numerous times a day by many customers in a large context e.g. road tolls using e-tolls. The increase of software and other modern technologies has allowed for a recognition system that records all entries of the customer of their dealings and subsequently provides what is owed in full balance. In addition to these nominal fees small payments for caring technologies are paid e.g. buying the e-tag.


6. What is Multichanneling?



A multichannel is a business that offers customers more than one way to buy something - for example, in both retail stores, Online, Large Department Stores etc. This method considers both the virtual and physical context that enhances the spread of products within the market. This process will more often than not lead to disintermediation, a process where the distributors of a product a sliced out of the cycle and made straight to retail or further more from the corporation that created the product. This process as such has caused concerns as traditional roles of wholesalers (middle man) are taking from the equation.

Diagram show's the process of Multichannel's

7. List some ethical issues in EC.



The most significant and most noticeable ethical issue of e-commerce is the disappearance of the human dealings with unknown individuals and corporations purchasing products and services. This leads to the false representations such as the sale of goods to restricted groups (minors), terrioists and criminals. Issues include:

- Privacy Issues

- Cookies - organisations marketing system to create a profile of customer needs and wants.

- Security of customer’s information - this includes both personal and financial.



The link further's the issues of ethcis in E-commerce:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FYqgkIaQH4



8. List the major legal issues of EC.



The major legal issues that surround e-commerce is what is acceptable in one country may not be in another. This is critical as online buying can be conducted from another person in another country where law's and regulations are significantly different. These include:

• Trade restrictions - countries that have set outlaws of certain products from one country to another.
• Name registarrtoin problems - may not be acceptable in another country - cultural sensitivity
• Most importantly Privacy Laws - Intentional privacy laws surrounding the use and spread of personal data information from one entity to a next may be subject to law restrictions.
• Breach of tax requirements