Chapter 5: Discussion Question

1)      How should business store access and distribute data and information about their internal operations and external environment?

Organizations today are being much concerned and aware about benefits of proper storage access and distribution of their data and information management regarding their external and internal environment. They know that if they could not manage information resources properly there is no place for them in this competitive business environment. Small business organizations can use Microsoft Access and manage their database management system whereas big organizations require sophisticated management tools and techniques as per the need and size of the organization.

For the internal operations, Organizations can use Subject Area Database, Transaction Database and Production Database and store detailed data needed to support the entire business process and operations of an organization. These can be distributed on WWW, on corporate intranets or extranets or any other company’s networks.

For external environment Organizations can use operational database which can be made available through company’s extranet or any another company network. It could be hyperlinked pages of multimedia of a hypermedia database.

Data warehouse can be used as a central source of information which can be used by business professionals for data mining, where data are analyzed to reveal hidden patterns and trends in historical business activity online analytical processing and other forms of business analysis, market research and decision support.

2)      What role does database management play in managing data as a business resource?

Information’s are the most valuable tools for the every aspect of organizations in order to operate smoothly and effectively. Database management manages all the organizational data into a very systematic and processed pattern so that when needed each and every information can be easily accessed and used. Database management system makes it easy to find and used safely stored data so that whole the operation becomes fast and smooth. Database management plays a role of interpreter and medium where data are safely stored and can.........click below to read all.

be retrieved as per the need of organization. It helps in applying information system technologies like database management, data warehousing and other data management tools to the task of managing an Organization’s data resources to meet the information needs of their business stakeholders.

3)      What are the advantages of database management approach to the file processing approach? Give examples to illustrate your answer.

File processing system is a traditional approach which is not so scientific and is not safe as well. It takes too much of office space and does not have the benefit of easy accessibility. Files are kept manually and it’s likely to have many errors. There are many advantages of database management approach to the file processing system. Some of them are explained below:

·         DBMS consolidates data records and objects into databases that can be accessed by many different application programs.

·         It serves as a software interface between users and database to help user easily access the data stored in database management system.

·         A Database management approach attempts to solve the problems of inherent in file processing approach such as data redundancy, lack of data integration, data dependence and data integrity.

·         It is much safer and systematic approach then files processing approach.

4)      Refer to the Real world case on cogent communications, Intel, and Others about IT related issues in M&A situations. Although keeping extra infrastructure and network capacity allows for an easier transition, it is also costly to do so. How can companies balance these two sides of the issue? To what extent can organizations plan their M&A activity in order to justify keeping this extra capacity?

Mergers are costly in terms of both decisions making and formulating the decision to merge. Mergers are often the most risky task that organization undergoes because it consist of adopting something very new into our own business functioning. As mentioned in the case there needs lots of homework and exercise before deciding weather to merge or not, one of the most important things that make merger and acquisition less riskier and easy is proper knowledge and study of the information management system adopted by the organization.

Reducing the Payback periods as well reduces the risk of merger and acquisition. Organization needs to get prepared in advance by building additional flexible capacity in order to adopt and manage the change. An organization also could reduce the transition time and minimize disruptions to their business in order to realize cost saving benefits. There should be balance between advanced expenditures and reducing risk.

In addition to building a surplus capacity of an organization before the merger of an organization, Information Technology leadership should be assessed as a potential targeted data, Processes, Personnel management information and Proper documentation. This information allows IT personnel to develop more realistic merger time and cost estimate.

5)      What is the role of database management system in a business information system?

Database management approach is basically to assemble several separate files into one specific data file. It involves management of the storage and processing of data in order to provide convenience for end user. It helps in maintaining and updating common database to keep data more extensively .A database Management system is a set of computer programs that controls the creation , maintenance and use of the database of an organization. Major uses of this approach in a business information system are:

·         Database development, facilitating the easy storage and retrieval of data’s and information’s in the system.

·         Database interrogation, In order to make changes and correction as per the need of the transaction.

·         Development of application programs, in order to make it compatible to every computer system.

·         Saving time of an organization and facilitating the decision making process because of quick location of data’s and information’s.

·         To control the system as per the information generated from properly managed database management system.

6)      Database of information about a firm’s internal operations were formerly the only database that were considered to be important to a business. What other kinds of databases are important for a business today?

With the development of information technology and business ideas and patterns use of database management as well has been extensive and wide. Database allows the storage and structuring of a multitude of information that is useful to business. Due to the functionality of a database, companies are able to adapt them to store and make a query of almost any type of data. Internal operational database are important but along with that database management of every other external factors as well is equally important in order to have a better controlled business environment. It is very important to have a link for an organization to its supplier’s database, Research and development database on the internet along with demographic data in areas that the company operates in.

Suppliers database have become an important functional addition to many companies daily work. By having access to such databases companies are able to view inventory levels, shipping information, what other product options are available in the market through the supplier etc. This connection allows for an ease of daily business because it helps in the increment of functionality of an organization.

Commercial database provides external information to business such as current economic statistics, or abstracts of professional periodicals. Without those external database services, it would have took enormous effort and very long time to obtain the same type of information, by having employees collect relevant data from multiple sources and process those data’s into information’s.

7)      Refer to the Real World Case on Applebee’s, Travelocity, and Others in the chapter. What would be the appropriate set of skills that a user of these technologies would possess, as opposed to those that operate on the IT side of the issue? How should these technologies be designed so that users can focus on getting answers to their pressing questions?

The skills that a user of these technologies would possess as opposed to those who operate in IT side are mentioned below:

·         Management of the available resources and options in a very particular and systematic way.

·         Analysis of the scenario and study of the real phenomena’s which are creating the turbulence and solution as per that.

·         Well taken and studied statistics of what has been happening may help to solve the problem that could happen.

·         Application of what is provided in the related area by making proper adjustments as per the need of the scenario.

·         They should also be sound regarding system query language so that better understanding and smooth functioning can be made possible through it.

These tools should be designed by making proper consideration regarding users with significant input facility from users, regarding the interface of the system, functionality and flexibility terms of the system. It should include features such as search, Queries, Analytics, Report design and export capabilities in order to support inter operability of the application, so that user can save time and increase efficiency as well as effectiveness of the functioning.

8)      What are the benefits and limitations of the relational database model for business applications today?

Benefits of relational database model are listed below:

·         This is the most popular and widely used of all three database model.

·         It is used mostly by microcomputers database management system packages as well as mini computers and mainframe computers also use this model.

·         As in this model, Data elements are stored in the form of simple tables. And these tables are related with each other if they contain common fields making a user easier to access.

·         DBMS packages related to this relational model can link data elements from various tables to provide information’s to users in considerably less time and high speed.

One of the very few limitations of the relational database model is that here this structure cannot process large amounts of business transactions as quickly and efficiently as the hierarchical and network models. Sometimes it becomes so sophisticated and error in one table may lead to the error in whole system.

9)      Why is the object oriented database model gaining acceptance for developing applications for developing applications and managing the hypermedia databases at business websites?

Multimedia web based applications for the internet and corporate intranets and extranets have become a major application area for object oriented database model. Object oriented database model are able to handle complex types of data in forms of graphics, picture, voice and text in a better way than other database models. They are relatively easy to use, easy to understand and they are the key technology being used in multimedia based applications for the internet and corporate intranets and extranets. Along with that they also support inheritance; i.e.  new objects can be automatically created by replacing some or all of the characteristics of one or more parent objects.

10)  How have the internet, intranets and extranets as well as World Wide Web affected the types and uses of data resources available to business end users?

Using of this information medias through information technologies which can be reached everywhere at any time in a tremendous speed has changed the importance of data resources from important to very important to its end users. It’s been the habit to take correspondence from data resources when they are available so easily. Internet and other networks within and outside the boundary of organization have made the business process much easier and transparent.

The internet and the World Wide Web have greatly affected the types and uses of data resources available to business end users since they have benefited a lot from this open system of data management. Users are now able to access massive amounts of data from these resources, which have enabled them to analyze greater amounts of information in order to make more effective and efficient decisions regarding the organization.

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