PART A QUESTION 1 Reference: Answer: Chapter 3 Benefits to organisations (Turban et al.

, 2008) E Expands a companys marketplace to national and international markets. With minimum capital outlay, a company can easily and uickly locate more customers, the best suppliers, and the most suitable business partners nationally and !orld!ide. E Enables companies not only to "ind ne! customers, but also to interact more closely !ith them and to recei#e (%&') and increases loyalty. customer uick and accurate "eedback. This promotes better customer relationship mana$ement

E Enables companies to procure material and ser#ices "rom other countries, rapidly and at less cost.

processin$, distributin$, storin$ and retrie#in$ di$itisable products and ser#ices (e.$., music, so"t!are). E (llo!s lo!er in#entories by "acilitatin$ )pull*+type supply chain mana$ement. This allo!s product customisation and reduces in#entory costs. E ,o!ers telecommunication costs because the -nternet is much cheaper than #alue+added net!orks (.(/s). E 0elps some small businesses compete a$ainst lar$e companies. E Enables a #ery specialised niche market (e.$., cattoys.com). Benefits to c sto!ers "T r#an et a$%& '(()* E 1re uently pro#ides less expensi#e products and ser#ices by allo!in$ consumers to conduct uick online searches and comparisons. This also "acilitates competition amon$ #endors, !hich results in substantial discounts "or customers. E 2i#es consumers more choices in selectin$ products and #endors. E Enables customers to shop or make other transactions 23 hours a day, "rom almost any location. E %onsumers can retrie#e rele#ant and detailed in"ormation in seconds, rather than in days or !eeks. E Enables consumers to $et customised products, "rom personal computers to cars, at competiti#e prices. E (llo!s uick deli#ery o" products and ser#ices (in some cases) especially !ith di$itised products. E 'akes it possible "or people to !ork and study at home. E 'akes possible electronic auctions that bene"it buyers and sellers. E (llo!s consumers to interact !ith other consumers in electronic communities and exchan$e ideas as !ell as compare experiences. "iii* Benefits to societ+ "T r#an et a$%& '(()* E Enables more indi#iduals to !ork at home, and to do less tra#elin$ "or shoppin$, resultin$ in less tra""ic on the roads, and lo!er air pollution. E (llo!s some merchandise to be sold at lo!er prices, bene"itin$ less

a""luent people. E Enables people in de#elopin$ countries and rural areas to en4oy products and ser#ices !hich other!ise are not a#ailable to them. This includes opportunities to learn pro"essions and earn colle$e de$rees, or to recei#e better medical care. E 1acilitates deli#ery o" public ser#ices, such as $o#ernment entitlements, reducin$ the cost o" distribution and chance o" "raud, and increasin$ the uality o" social ser#ices, police !ork, health care, and education.

,Tota$: '( !ar-s$ QUESTION ' Reference: Answer: The uality o" data is extremely important since uality Chapter 1& Section 1%1%3& pg .

determines the use"ulness o" data as !ell as the decision based on the The "ollo!in$ uality (6lsen, 2005)7

uality o" the

data (%reese and .eytsel, 2005).

are considered ma4or attributes o" $ood data

8 &ele#ance. 9ata must be rele#ant to the purpose "or !hich they are to be used. The conse uences o" irrele#ant data are that reports produced !ill "ail to keep to their intended purpose and contain con"usin$ in"ormation !hich only ser#es to !aste the time o" mana$ers readin$ them. 8 (ccuracy. 6b#iously, data should be accurate other!ise serious and dama$in$ conse uences !ill occur !ith the use o" incorrect in"ormation.

8 %ompleteness. 9ata must be complete "or the purpose "or !hich they are to be used. :hould the data be lackin$ in some important detail, in"ormation produced may similarly re"lect incompleteness that may subse uently

result in bad decision+ makin$. 8 Timeliness. -n"ormation produced "rom data that are a#ailable at the ri$ht time !ill si$ni"icantly impact the outcome o" a business decision. (ccessibility. The importance o" data accessibility cannot be o#eremphasised. 9ata must be accessible to authorised users !ho !ill need them to produce purpose"ul in"ormation.

,Tota$: '( !ar-s$

PART B

QUESTION 1A Reference: Answer: :upply chain mana$ement (:%') is a cross "unctional inter+ enterprise system and -T is used to help support and mana$e links bet!een some o" a companys key business processes and those o" its suppliers, customers , and business partners (6;rien < 'arakas, 200=). Chapter /& Section /%'%1& pg 130

,Tota$: 1 !ar-s$

QUESTION 1B

Reference: Answer:

Chapter /& Section /%'%1& pg 130 %reate an e""icient mana$ement o" end+to+end processes that start !ith a desi$n o" the product or ser#ice and end !hen it is sold, consumed, or used by the end+customer %reate "ast, and lo! cost net!ork o" business relationships, or supply chain, to $et a companys product "rom concept to market. -t allo!s a company to impro#e its competiti#e positionin$ by achie#in$ lo!er costs and acceleratin$ the time+to+market o" ne! products throu$h e""ecti#e mana$ement o" supply chain.

,Tota$: 11 !ar-s$

QUESTION 'A Reference: Answer: Enterprise many &esource >lannin$ backbone (E&>) that ser#es as and a cross+ "unctional enterprise inte$rates automates Chapter/& Section /%'%3& pg 1//

internal business processes and in"ormation systems !ithin

the manu"acturin$, "inancial, human resources, corporate ser#ices, customer?product, and supply chain.

This so"t!are inte$rates the plannin$, mana$ement, and use o" all resources in the entire enterprise.

,Tota$:1 !ar-s$ QUESTION 'B Reference: Answer: 6ne o" the primary stren$ths o" the E&> systems is that they !ere desi$ned to handle data "or lar$e companies operatin$ in an international en#ironment (>ost < (nderson, 200=). E&> systems are E&> later it inte$rates all in use in thousands o" lar$e transactions !ithin a and medium companies !orld!ide (Turban et al., 2008). routine company, includin$ internal suppliers and customers and !as expanded to incorporate external suppliers and customers. The inte$rated modules can $i#e a company a real+time cross+ "unctional #ie! o" its core processes, such as production, order processin$, and sales, and its resources, such as cash, ra! materials, production capacity, and people. Chapter/& Section /%'%3& pg 1//

,Tota$: 11 !ar-s$

QUESTION 3A Reference: Chapter 1& Section 1%1%1& pg 1.0& 12(

Answer: (a)Tacit @no!led$e Tacit kno!led$e is usually in the domain o"

sub4ecti#e, co$niti#e, and experiential learnin$A it is hi$hly personal and di""icult to "ormalise. -t is also re"erred to as embedded kno!led$e since it is usually either localised !ithin the brain o" an indi#idual or embedded in the $roup interactions !ithin a department or business unit. (Turban et al., 2008). Tacit kno!led$e is $enerally slo! and costly to trans"er and can be pla$ued by ambi$uity. Tacit kno!led$e is the cumulati#e store and some o" the examples are corporate experiences, mental maps, insi$hts, acumen, expertise, kno!+ho!, trade secrets, skill sets, learnin$ o" an or$anisational, and or$anisational culture. (b) Explicit @no!led$e Explicit kno!led$e has been codi"ied (documented) in a "orm that can be distributed to others or trans"ormed into a process or strate$y !ithout re uirin$ interpersonal interaction (Turban et al., 2008). 3ar-s a$$ocation: Explicit kno!led$e (or leaky kno!led$e) deals

!ith ob4ecti#e, rational, and technical kno!led$e. :ome o" the explicit kno!led$e examples are data, policies, procedures, so"t!are, documents, mission, and core

products, 2m strate$ies, 2m "or tacit kno!led$e, "or example $oals, 2m "or tacit kno!led$e, 2m "or example Total B 3m C 3m B8m

,Tota$: ) !ar-s$

QUESTION 3B Reference: Answer: ( "unctionin$ kno!led$e mana$ement system "ollo!s six steps in a cycle, dynamically re"inin$ in"ormation o#er time (re"er to 1i$ure D0.2). The cycle is (Turban et al., 2008, 2upta, 2000)7 (i) %reate kno!led$e. @no!led$e is created as people determine ne! !ays o" doin$ thin$s or de#elop expertise. 6r$anisationals must create a learnin$ en#ironment that encoura$es risk takin$ and accepts the chance o" "ailure. -n such an en#ironment, employees "eel com"ortable to $enerate and explore ne! ideas and con"ront ne! situations. (ii) %apture kno!led$e. /e! kno!led$e must be identi"ied as #aluable and be presented in a reasonable !ay. (n or$anisational must identi"y in"ormation that is crucial to its lon$+term success. ;ecause some in"ormation that a business $enerates is not rele#ant "or "uture decisions, distillin$ si$ni"icant in"ormation impro#es employeesE ability to sol#e problems. (iii) &e"ine kno!led$e. /e! kno!led$e must be placed in context so that it is actionable. (n or$anisational should create a team o" cross+ "unctional experts !ho ha#e the ability to look at core in"ormation and translate it into $uidin$ operational, tactical, and strate$ic principles "or all employees. (i#) :tore kno!led$e. @no!led$e must be stored in a certain "ormat in a kno!led$e repository so that others in the or$anisational can access it. (n or$anisational should de#elop !ays "or all employees to access kno!led$e and then communicate ho! and !here employees can do so. (#) Chapter 1& Section 1%1%1& pg 1.0& 12(

'ana$e kno!led$e. @no!led$e must be kept current. -t must be re#ie!ed to #eri"y that it is rele#ant and accurate. (n or$anisational should de#elop kno!led$e mana$ement systems that can adapt to chan$es. 6r$anisational must ha#e processes in place to modi"y, correct, update, and add to existin$ kno!led$e on an on$oin$ basis. (#i) 9isseminate kno!led$e. @no!led$e must be made a#ailable in use"ul "ormat to anyone in the or$anisational !ho needs it, any!here and any time. 3ar-s a$$ocation: An+ . steps Each step4 '! Tota$ 4 . steps points 5 '! 41'! ,Tota$:1' !ar-s$

QUESTION /A Reference: Answer: The $oal o" -: strate$ic ali$nment is to ensure that -: priorities, decisions, and pro4ects are consistent !ith the needs o" the entire business 3ar-s a$$ocation: 1! ,Tota$: 1 !ar-s$ Chapter .& Section .%1%1& pg '1(

QUESTION /B Reference: Chapter .& Section .%1& pg '(0& '1(

Answer:

-n"ormation technolo$y (-T) can contribute to an or$anisations strate$ic ob4ecti#es and competiti#e ad#anta$e in the "ollo!in$ manner (Turban et al., 2008)7

Inno6ati6e app$ications. -T can create inno#ati#e applications that pro#ide direct strate$ic ad#anta$e to or$anisations.

Co!petiti6e weapons% -n"ormation systems (-:) themsel#es are reco$nised as a competiti#e !eapons that can be utilised to process in"ormation uickly and e""iciently to an or$anisationEs ad#anta$e.

Changes in processes% -T supports chan$es in business processes that translate to strate$ic ad#anta$e.

7in-s with # siness partners% -T links a company !ith its business partners e""ecti#ely and e""iciently.

. .

Cost re8 ctions. -T enables companies to reduce costs. Re$ationships with s pp$iers an8 c sto!ers% -T can be used to lock in suppliers and customers or to build in s!itchin$ costs.

New pro8 cts% ( "irm can le#era$e its in#estment in -T to create ne! products that are in demand in the marketplace.

3ar-s a$$ocation:

. Co!petiti6e inte$$igence% -T pro#ides competiti#e 3a9i! ! 1 points Tota$ 4 1 points 5 3!4 11!

,Tota$: 11 !ar-s$ QUESTION 1A Reference: Answer: Economic?'arket . The market pressure comes "rom the $lobal economy and stron$ competition, the need "or real time operations, the chan$in$ !ork"orce and po!er"ul customers. . 1or example, you can purchase products not only at a physical shop but also #irtually and hence, as a customer you ha#e more choices and you can compare the products and prices. . There"ore, "or a business to stay ali#e, they ha#e to come up !ith better products, e""icient ser#ices and market their products not only locally but internationally. Chapter 1& Section 1%1%'& pg 3

3ar-s a$$ocation:

' ! e9p$anation ' ! for e9a!p$e Tota$ 4 ' 5 ' 4 /! ,Tota$: / !ar-s$

QUESTION 1B

Reference: Answer:

Chapter 1& Section 1%/& pg '(/ %hallen$es?-ssues "aced are as "ollo!s but not limited to these su$$ested ans!ers7 . Organisationa$ c $t re change. This issue is ho! !e can chan$e or$anisational culture so that people are !illin$ both to contribute kno!led$e to and use kno!led$e "rom a kno!led$e mana$ement system. . :ow to store tacit -now$e8ge% This is extremely di""icult. 'ost kno!led$e mana$ement systems (based on the net!ork stora$e model) store explicit kno!led$e about the tacit kno!led$e that people possess. When the kno!led$eable people lea#e an or$anisational, they take their kno!led$e !ith them. . I!p$e!entation in the face of ; ic-$+ changing techno$og+% This is an important issue to address re$ardin$ the de#elopment o" many -T systems. Technolo$y has to be care"ully examined, and experiments done, to determine !hat makes sense. . <h+ BI pro=ects fai$. 9e#elopin$ an e""ecti#e ;- application can be "airly complex. There"ore, or$anisations must address many critical issues and challen$es be"ore de#elopin$ ;pro4ects.

>ata sec rit+ an8 ethics% %ompany must ensure that the companys competiti#e data and con"idential data sa"e "rom external snoopin$ or sabota$e.

Cost = stification an8 intangi#$e #enefits. While some o"

systems. 3ar-s a$$ocation: /! 5/ points 4 1.! ,Tota$: 1.!ar-s$