Module 1

Module 1: IT in the Organization (100 Points) Muhammad Naeem Sarwar Aspen ni!ersit" 0#$0%$&01#

Module 1 Module 1 'eli!era(les Assignments: )ssa" *uestions Essay Question 1 Explain in scholarly detail the major IT characteristics of the Digital Economy. IT is the +ore o, digital e+onom"- it doesn.t pla" a role (ut it dri!es the whole e+onom" with ,a+ilitation on multiple ,ronts/ IT allows routine tas0s to (e automated- there(" in+reasing e+onomi+ output/ IT is (eing used in all se+tors to automate wor0- in+luding wor0 that is di,,i+ult- monotonous- or hazardous/ IT ena(les organizations to dramati+all" impro!e the e,,i+ien+" o, internal operations/ Organizations are using IT to shi,t their internal transa+tions- su+h as tra!el reim(ursements-

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+hanges o, address- pension ,und modi,i+ations and an arra" o, other ,un+tions- to more e,,i+ient Intranet s"stems/ 1or e2ample- Pan 3ul, 4olding +ompan" (www/pgh+o/+om) has implemented a s"stem to pro+ess emplo"ee e2pense reports online- to !iew their pa" +he+0s and re5uest tas0s ,or 46 related matter- li0e 7or0 Permit renewal- )2it$6e8entr" re5uests- +utting the +ost and organizing the 46 department/ Pan 3ul, 1oods- the 1ood suppl" +ompan"- has gi!en its dri!ers handhelds to download in,ormation a(out +ustomers- dail" route and produ+ts on hand in the !an/ Sales went up more than &0 per+ent during a 9 month pilot program/ Pan 3ul, 1oods- Steel and 7elding are a(le to o,,er !ast range o, produ+ts at one pla+e- most o, the time without ha!ing them in their warehouse/ :6M appli+ation help the us to ta0e (etter de+isions on in!entor" pur+hasing (" +olle+ting and retrie!ing in,ormation a(out mar0et trends+ustomer +hoi+es (ased on geographi+al- age- gender and interests/ Promotions and dis+ounts are announ+ed dire+tl" to +ustomer !ia )mail mar0eting s"stems/

Module 1 IT has helps us at P34 to restru+ture our suppl" +hains/ It used to (e that onl" well sto+0ed in!entories +ould assure that produ+tion would not (e held up (" la+0 o, inputs- (ut this is a +ostl" ,orm o, insuran+e/ Toda" IT ena(les ;ust8in8time (<IT) produ+tion in whi+h P34 gather (etter in,ormation ,rom suppliers in order to tra+0 moment8("8moment +hanges in the suppl" +hain/ The a(ilit" to tra+0 shipments online allows ,irms to time produ+tion and anti+ipates (ottlene+0s in supplies- while up8to8the8minute in,ormation a(out in!entories tells suppliers when ,resh deli!eries are needed/ IT helps the organizations to run at their ,ull +apa+it" while monitoring the operational and ,inan+ial a+ti!ities$transa+tion !ia integrated )6P.s/ =usiness intelligen+e suits are a great help to the e2e+uti!es and de+ision ma0ers ,or e2panding and IT ena(led +ustomers to a++ess produ+ts with +ommer+ial- te+hni+al$,un+tional and a!aila(ilit" statisti+s- on their mo(ile phones- lap tops and personal +omputers- !ia internet (777)/ Additionall"- IT is helping 3o!ernments- Militar"- 4ospitals- Medi+ine- AirlineS+hools$+olleges$uni!ersities and all other industries (" automating the operations- ,inan+ials (" using )6P- :6M- and s"stems o!er intranet$internet- =usiness intelligen+e s"stems to ma0e strategi+ de+ision- o,,er (etter ser!i+es and good pro,ita(ilit"/

Essay Question 2 Explain in scholarly detail the basic infrastructure for digital organizations and electronic commerce (EC). IT in,rastru+ture pla"s +riti+al role in toda">s digital organizations and e8+ommer+e (=&=- =&:) the networ0 in,rastru+ture has (e+ome a +ru+ial means ,or enhan+ing user produ+ti!it" and in+reasing an organization>s a(ilit" to grow and remain +ompetiti!e/

Module 1 The ,ollowing are the parts o, (asi+ IT in,rastru+ture Design In,rastru+ture model that meets +urrent and ,uture needs? :ommuni+ations: Anal"ze te+hnologies and sele+t appropriate solutions? Sele+t !endors and pro;e+t manage the implementation pro;e+ts? Manage data +enter operations? and Manage- monitor- and impro!e +ommuni+ations and ser!i+es/ Brief description of IT infrastructure in ideal digital organization. ITI@ in implemented to manage and go!ern the IT in,rastru+tureWired Network: Three8la"er networ0: :ore- 'istri(ution- and A++ess la"ers/ The networ0 is (ased on a ro(ust and highl" redundant design to assure a high le!el o, networ0ing a!aila(ilit" and a(ilit" to a++ommodate ,uture needs/ Wireless Network: The entire organization is +o!ered (" wireless networ0 a++ess (ased on I))) A0&/11($g te+hnolog"Network management: Ad!an+ed networ0 management solution that allows networ0 administrators to +entrall" +on,igure- update- monitor- and trou(leshoot wired and wireless networ0 de!i+es/

Network Security: Networ0 se+urit" is in pla+e/ 6o(ust- s+ala(le- and multitier se+urit" solution that primaril" addresses: +ore +onne+ti!it"- Internet +onne+ti!it"- networ0 admission +ontrol- and intrusion and malware prote+tion/ Storage Networking: All data(ase and mail ser!ers are +onne+ted to a +entral storage/ The storage is +entrall" managed and (a+0ed up (" a Tape li(rar"/

Module 1 Essay Question 3 Explain in scholarly detail ho ethical issues create pressures or constraints on organizational operations and the use of IT. The te+hnolog" is de!eloping at un(elie!a(le speed- ,rom telegraph"- telephone- radio o, 1Cth +entur"- %3 mo(iles- high end +omputing- www/ in &1st +entur"- whi+h is the Age with rapid de!eloping and growing o, 0nowledge and in,ormation/ 1or e2ample- Internet has (een used widel" e!er"where in the world/ 7e +all it Dglo(al- 7e(8(ased plat,orm- this plat,orm ena(les people to +onne+t- +ompute- +ommuni+ate- +ompete- and +olla(orate an"where- an"time to

a++ess limitless amounts o, in,ormation- ser!i+es and entertainmentE(6ainer F :egiels0i-&011)/ It is so o(!ious In,ormation te+hnologies (ene,it us a lot? in the meantime- IT also +an raise new ethi+al pro(lems/ DThe ma;or ethi+al issues related to IT are pri!a+"- a++ura+"- propert"- and a++essi(ilit" to in,ormationE (6ainer F :egiels0i- &011)/ These ethi+al issues +an (e happened (e+ause o, user.s mis(eha!ior or else their misunderstanding/ 4owe!er- the ,inal result ma" (e harm,ul to the (usiness organization/ )le+troni+ mail (e8mail) is the most +ommon +ommuni+ation method e!er"where/ 4owe!ersometimes pri!a+" might (e a 5uestiona(le ,a+tor- (e+ause almost all o, the organizations +losel" monitor their o,,i+e email a++ounts/ There are two wa"s that +ompan" +an monitor these emailssu+h as at the time o, emplo"ee indu+tion? emplo"er +an edu+ate their new hired emplo"ee (" signing IT poli+"/ In +ontrast emplo"er +an monitor the email s"stem without an" prior noti,i+ation to the emplo"ee/ Thus- on these two methods-

Module 1 7e ha!e +lear su(;e+t that whi+h pro+ess is ethi+al and whi+h one is unethi+al/ O(!iousl"- i, emplo"er or the organization +an edu+ate or in,orm their wor0ers that the" are monitoring emplo"ee.s emails then that pro+ess is ethi+al/ Another good e2ample is most o, the +ompanies ha!e their Item- +ustomer and supplier master a!aila(le in )6P s"stems- )thi+all" emplo"ees must not share this in,ormation with +ompetitors or un rele!ant people- (ut there are +ases when su+h data is (eing stoles ,rom one +ompan" and sold to the ri!als/ Su+h issues +an onl" (e +ontrolled (" poli+" and good go!ernan+e/

Essay Question 4 Explain in scholarly detail major managerial acti!ities that are supported or enabled by IT. In,ormation Te+hnolog" pla"s supporting role ,or managers to planning- implementingorganizing- and +ontrolling a+ti!ities/ Managers use IT to de!elop Management In,ormation S"stem to streamline all their pro+esses/ These s"stems help them a lot ,orm initial stage o, planning to ,inal stage o, +ontrolling and de+ision ma0ing o, all pro+esses/ Managerial positions that manage wor0ers- deal with in,ormation te+hnolog"- or ma0e (usiness or te+hni+al de+isions in+lude: Ad!ertising- Mar0eting- Promotions- Pu(li+ 6elations- and Sales Managers +oordinate and maintain their +ompanies. mar0et resear+h s"stems- mar0eting strateg" s"stems- sales monitoring s"stems- ad!ertising- promotion- pri+ing- produ+t de!elopment- and pu(li+ relations a+ti!ities with the help o, IT/ ngineering and Natural Sciences Managers plan- +oordinate- and dire+t resear+h- design- and produ+tion a+ti!ities/ To per,orm e,,e+ti!el"- these managers use IT ,or administrati!e pro+edures- su+h as (udgeting- hiring- and super!ision/

Module 1 !inancial Managers o!ersee the preparation o, ,inan+ial reports- dire+t in!estment a+ti!itiesand implement +ash management strategies/ Managers use spe+ial ,inan+ial so,tware.s to de!elop strategies- to ,ormulate ,ore+asted ,inan+ial statements and to implement the long8term goals o, their organization/ Top "ecuti#es de!ise strategies and ,ormulate poli+ies with the help o, in,ormation s"stems to ensure that the desired goals and o(;e+ti!es are met on the right time/

Essay Question 5 Explain in scholarly detail concepts behind "eb#based systems and information infrastructure including details of the major components of the infrastructure. The +lient$ser!er ar+hite+ture has (een in pla+e sin+e % de+ades pro(a(l" a,ter M6PII- (ut three tiers )6P was +onsidered re!olutionar" ar+hite+ture in 1CC0/ The +lient ser!er ar+hite+ture has its own related pro(lems as spe+i,i+ OS- Memor"- storage and +on,iguration re5uired to run the +lient and sometimes spe+ial +onne+ti!it" is also mandator"/ Sin+e the introdu+tion o, we( &/0new +on+epts and te+hni5ues ,or appli+ation deplo"ment the +lient$ser!er ar+hite+ture is almost o(soleted/ 7e(8(ased s"stem is plat,orm independent and less e2pensi!e- eas" to manage (updates are done on ser!er onl" unli0e the +lient$ser!er where +lient re5uired to (e updated/)/ )!en the e2isting s"stems are also (eing shi,ted to we(8(ased appli+ation/ SAP is pioneer in o,,ering +omplete we( (ased )6P s"stems/ Te+hni+all" spea0ing- this we(8(ased s"stem are the appli+ation residing on ser!er and (eing a++essed using a we( (rowser !ia internet ,rom an"where in the world- amazone/+om- e(a"/+om and sou5/+om are good e2ample/ Hou +an per,orm all re5uired a+tions? data is (eing stored and pro+essed similar to the +lient$ser!er ar+hite+ture/

Module 1

Information infrastructure including details of the major components of the infrastructure

A well8designed in,ormation s"stem rests on a +oherent ,oundation that supports responsi!e +hangeIand- thus- the organization.s agilit"Ias new (usiness or administrati!e initiati!es arises/ Jnown as the in,ormation s"stem in,rastru+ture- the ,oundation +onsists o, +ore tele+ommuni+ations networ0s- data(ases and data warehouses- so,tware- hardware- and pro+edures managed (" !arious spe+ialists/ 7ith (usiness glo(alization- an organization.s in,rastru+ture o,ten +rosses man" national (oundaries/ )sta(lishing and maintaining su+h a +omple2 in,rastru+ture re5uires e2tensi!e planning and +onsistent implementation to handle strategi+ +orporate initiati!es- trans,ormations- mergers- and a+5uisitions/ There are ,i!e ma;or +omponents o, the in,rastru+ture: 1/ 4ardware is a set o, de!i+es su+h as pro+essor- monitor- 0e"(oard- and printer/ 3raphi+al user inter,a+es- whi+h are +alled 3 I- a++ept data and in,ormation that are then pro+essed (" +entral pro+essing units (:P s)- stored in data(ases- and displa"ed on s+reens/ &/ So,tware is a set o, appli+ations (apps) or programs that instru+t the hardware to pro+ess data or other inputs su+h as !oi+e +ommands/ #/ 'ata is an essential part pro+essed (" the s"stem and- i, needed- stored in a data(ase or other storage s"stem/ %/ A networ0 is a tele+ommuni+ation s"stem +onne+ting hardware that is wired- wireless- or a +om(ination/

Module 1 B/ People are those indi!iduals who wor0 with the s"stem- inter,a+e with it- or use its output/ In,rastru+tures in+lude these resour+es as well as their integration- operationdo+umentation- maintenan+e- and management//

Module 1 6e,eren+es Tur(an- )/- F Kolonino- @/ (&010)/ In,ormation Te+hnolog" ,or Management: Impro!ing Per,orman+e in the 'igital )+onom" (Gth ed/)/ <ohn 7ile" F Sons (IS=N: CGA0%G0&AG%A%) Tur(an- )/- F Kolonino- @/ (&011) In,ormation Te+hnolog" ,or Management Impro!ing Strategi+ and Operational Per,orman+e (Ath ed/) <ohn 7ile" F Sons (IS=N:L 1# CGA80%G08C19A08#)

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6/ Jell" 6ainer <r/ :ase" 3/ :egiels0i (&011) Introdu+tion to In,ormation S"stems Supporting and Trans,orming =usiness (%th ed/) <ohn 7ile" F Sons (IS=N CGA81811A809##%8G)