MAN1600 Information Systems for Business

Assignment Tasks

Note: Acronyms used in this document – Internet   and (Chapter Extension)

Task 1

Readings: Text Book (Experiencing MIS), Chapter 2 pp 27 onwards, CE 2 & CE 3)

Q1

b) What are the advantages of using Google Docs in Google Drive instead of e-mail and MS Word to collaborate on an assignment?

c) Do you think a large organization would use something like Google Docs as their official collaboration tool? Why or why not?

Q2. a) The Woolworths store in Joondalup needs to decide when (and how much) new stocks of Nestle Kit Kat share packets to order when its current stocks reach a re-order point.

i) Is this decision operational, managerial or strategic? Why?

ii) What type of information system (automated or augmentation or both) can be used in making the decision? Provide an example of an application (or software) that can be used for such a decision (using information from the Internet or elsewhere, state the name of the application, the vendor and provide the URL or the citation/reference):

e.g. {Note: this is an example of an answer only, it is NOT a correct answer} – For this strategic decision, an augmentation IS could/should be used as the decision making process is structured because…………. An example of an application that can be used is the Finance Planning module of Oracle Financial Services software (http://www.oracle.com/us/industries/financial- services/index.html)

b) Woolworths needs to decide whether to introduce a Woolworths Select brand of pure coconut water.

i) Is this decision operational, managerial or strategic? Why?

ii) What type of information system (automated or augmentation or both) can be used in making the decision? Provide an example of an application (or software) that can be used for such a decision (using information from the Internet or elsewhere, state the name of the application, the vendor and provide the URL or the citation/reference).

(I would not expect the answer {excluding references and the question and screen prints} to be more than one and a half A4 pages long using 1.15 spacing and size 11 font).

Task 2

Readings: Text Book (Experiencing MIS), Chapter 3

Q1 visit the Officeworks web pages at:

(http://www.officeworks.com.au/) and (https://suppliers.officeworks.com.au/)

I suggest you move around the sites and read not just the home page to help you in your answer – also consider what you know about Officeworks from your own experiences and what you hear/have heard/seen/read about it.

Question: How does (or can) Officeworks use information systems in its competitive strategy in the five value chain activities described in question 3 during the lecture (i.e. Inbound logistics, Operations, Outbound logistics, Service and support, Sales and marketing)

(I would not expect the answer to Q1 {excluding references if any and the question} to be more than one and a half A4 pages long using 1.15 spacing and size 11 font)

Q2. Edith Cowan University (ECU) operates in the tertiary education market in Western Australia. Does ECU have a competitive advantage? Why or why not?

In what way do you think ECU can use Information Systems (IS) do to gain a competitive advantage?

(I would not expect the answer to Q 2 {excluding references if any and the question} to be more than one A4 page long using 1.15 spacing and size 11 font)

Task 4

Readings: Text Book (Experiencing MIS), Chapter 8; Selected academic journal article (the article should be not be less than 4 pages),

For this task, you are to choose one example of WEB 2.0 technology (e.g. any one of the following: Software as a Service [SaaS], Google Adwords, Google Adsense, Social Networking, User Generated Content (UGC), Crowd sourcing). Using the academic journal article (see above for minimum page length of journal article), write an essay (minimum 1.5 pages, maximum 2 pages) about the article using the following as a guide

Introduction –What is Web 2.0 and also give the various Web 2.0 technologies mentioned in the above paragraph and say in your own words what they mean e.g. Software as a Service (where companies…..), UGC (this is where….) etc. Why you have selected that particular technology to research (e.g. related to the major you intend to do, it interests you, you use it, etc.

The body of the essay will be a summary of the article in your own words (2 – 6 paragraphs). This would include things like:

• the purpose of the article (or the research),

• how the data was gathered,

• what the authors found.

The conclusion of the essay will be your views on the article (do you agree with the authors – why or why not; do you think it is a good article)

Note: Proper referencing is required.

(The answer {excluding references and the question} should be minimum 1.5 pages and maximum two pages (A4 size) using 1.15 spacing and size 11 font)

Task 5

Q1

Select any one of the following (it may be a good idea to select one from an area which you are interested in or are choosing to major) to research a relevant software package (an application):

• A Sales and Marketing Application

• An Operations Application (this could be in retail, hospitality & tourism, education, etc.)

• A Manufacturing Application

• A Human Resources Application

• An Accounting Application

• A Customer Relationship Management Application

Using the Internet and/or other sources (you MUST provide referencing i.e. cite URL [i.e. web address] and/or other details of the publications you use) find a vendor (seller) of the application you have chosen and do the following:

• State the name of the vendor and the name of the software/application

• Describe the features of the application (you must compare it to what the text says should be the features/functions of these types of applications)

• State the cost if any

• State the advantages and disadvantages of the application or problems/issues associated with it (use the text book to help you, if necessary. In this exercise the 3 marks for discretionary component will be awarded if you can find a journal article to support the advantages/disadvantages or problems/issues of such an application or package {not necessarily the specific package but the generic one for that type of application})

For this task, I would expect no more than 2 pages (A4, 1.15 line spacing, 11 font size).

 

Q2 In The New Health Clinic the current daily process for getting patients through for out-patient treatment is as follows:

The patient arrives and presents the appointment card to the receptionist, who will check it against the register and record a tick next to the patient’s name to show that the patient has turned up for the appointment. The patient is asked to take a seat at the reception area and the receptionist advises the check-in clerk by phone that the patient has arrived. The check-in clerk will then come into the reception area and call the patient into the check-in area. The patient is then asked to sign a treatment consent form and his/her vital signs are taken. If the patient is a new patient, he/she is asked to sign a New Patient form. If the patient is not a new patient, his/her record is retrieved from the filing cabinet. The check-in clerk then prepares a treatment from in which the patient’s details and information about vital signs are noted. The patient’s record (or the completed ‘New Patient’ form if the patient is new) and the treatment form are then sent to the treatment nurse who will check all documentation, sign off on the treatment form and send everything to the treatment room for the patient to be called for treatment.

a) Model the business process above using BPMN notations and swim lanes. Show activities, data and decision gateways and process flows.

b) Explain briefly how an information system can be used to improve the process.