W249/111

DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

KEVIN STREET, DUBLIN 8.
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BSc. (Honours) Degree in

Information Systems /
Information Technology

Year 1
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WINTER EXAMINATIONS 2014/2015

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INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANISATIONS

SOLUTIONS WITH MARKING SCHEME

Question 1

a) Briefly define Information Systems (IS).

Solution:
An Information System (IS) is a set of interrelated components working together to collect,
process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, co-ordination, control and
analysis in an organisation.
(2 marks)
An information system is a grouping of people, objects and processes that provides information
about an organisation and its environment that is useful to its members and clients.
For this context, an Information System provides whatever information is needed to carry out the
activities of an organisation.
(3 marks)
(5 marks)

b) List five aspects of information for strategic management that an organisations

management might consider.

Solution:
Strategic information:

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Any 5 of:
Answers questions like What markets should we be in? or Where do we locate
the new factory?
Is highly selective and summarised and usually in graphical form
Likely to originate outside the organisation
Has value for a longer period
Requires high degree of experience and judgement in its application
Decisions based on this information tend to be unstructured.
Example - patterns of expenditure from market surveys or trade publications, market availability
and penetration figures.
(5 x 1 mark)
(5 marks)

c) Define Management Information Systems (MIS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS)
as an information system for management.

Solution:
Management Information System (MIS) - computer system that provides management information.
A user will normally have to access one or more databases to get the information required.
Management
In the context of understanding Management Information Systems, we have elected to
focus on Organisations (to contextualise the understanding of the Management part).
(2 marks)
Information
To further understand Management Information Systems we must examine what is meant
by Information when placed in an organisation.
(2 marks)
Systems
To round up this understanding of Management Information Systems we must be clear on
what a system is and how it fits into an organisation then going to lower levels, how it fits
these levels and how or whether it interacts with the higher levels.
(2 marks)
Decision Support System (DSS) supports decision making i.e. provides information on demand (ad
hoc) and as simply as possible.
Simple DSS systems provide information for manager to make decision - Sophisticated systems
analyse data according to algorithms and produce recommendations.
It is necessary for DSS to have access to a wide range of software and large corporate databases
so that facilities needed to make decision can be accessible.
(4 marks)
(10 marks)

d) List four features of the process of information system strategy.

Solution:

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 1. Initiation
The initial phase of strategic planning in which the organisation examines itself and its
environment.
2. Formulation
The development of strategies to exploit opportunities and manage threats in the business
environment - in light of corporate strengths and weaknesses.
3. Implementation
The development of detailed, short-term plans for carrying out the projects or actions agreed upon
in strategy formulation.
4. Assessment
The continuous evaluation of progress toward the organisations strategic goals, resulting in
corrective action and, if necessary, strategy reformulation.

The benefit that an organisation such as a business - products or services provide to customers;
the consumer need that is being filled.
(5 x 1 mark)
(5 marks)

Question 2

(a) List any five design concepts that might be related to Information Systems and
Information Technology.

Solution:
Any 5 of:
Data
Information
Knowledge
Information Systems
Information Technology
Stakeholders (People)
Informatics
Analysis
Design
(5 x 1 mark)
(5 marks)

(b) Define the term informatics and how it applied to information systems.

Solution:
Informatics is the field that considers the nature of information (in its various forms including data
and articulated knowledge).
(2 marks)

3
Informatics examines the use of information by humans to achieve various ends; the technologies
of its management:
how it is created, stored, processed, communicated and mobilised,
the issues it raises: validity, privacy, security and protocol, and the repercussions of
information for people, organisations and society.
(3 marks)
(5 marks)

(c) List five functions associated with a traditional Information Systems Department and
five new, consultative functions associated with the same type of department.
Solution:
Traditional Major IS Functions
Managing systems development and systems project management.
Managing computer operations, including the computer centre (the IS or IT Department).
Staffing, training and developing IS skills.
Provide technical services.
Infrastructure planning, development and control.
(5 marks)
New (Consultative) IS Functions
Supporting end user computing.
Partnering with the organisations executives.
Managing outsourcing (where it is used).
Proactively using business and technical knowledge to propose innovative ideas about IT.
Creating business alliances with vendors and IS departments in other organisations.
(5 marks)
(10 marks)

d) Define Business Process Reengineering (BPR) in relation to organisational structure.

Solution:
Business Process Reengineering (known to many as BPR) is about:
changing the organisation radically
Reducing the cycle time (CT) for production, customer service, etcetera.
Taking a customer-focused approach
The empowering of employees (giving them more autonomy)
Restructuring the organisation or departments with, for example, a team-based
structure
(5 marks)
(5 marks)

Question 3

a) Briefly describe the principles of selection and acquisition that are associated with
information systems procurement.

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Solution:
Selection and acquisition
Selection of Information Systems is a managerial task when (or where) the hardware and
software of a new Information System need to be decided upon. The task of acquisition
follows these decisions it can be seen as the buying in of hardware and software to
match the choices made.
(2 marks)
Often taking the order of:
Software selection
Hardware selection
Hardware acquisition
Software acquisition
(3 marks)
(5 marks)

b) Describe what happens when considering software selection alternatives to include

selection criteria and critical success factors.

Solution:
When choosing software for applications:
Select the criteria for making the choice,
Associate weights with each criteria,
Score acquisition alternatives in terms of how they satisfy the criteria,
Calculate the potential choices rating by multiplying each score by the weight and
then sum the total,
Select the one with the highest score.
(5 marks)
Criteria for selection of systems or software:
List its must-do features,
should-do features
nice-to-do features
(3 marks)
Critical success factors for acquisition:
Deciding who will manage the purchase,
Knowing what to do,
Knowing how to do it,
Having time to do it.
(2 marks)
(10 marks)

c) Give an account, in your own words, of the systems building phases of testing and
installation.
Solution:
After design come programming and testing.

5
Integration is needed and may be required at module, application, system, intra and inter-system
levels via middleware and calls to programs/modules.
Testing checks whether the system of programs/modules produces the desired results under
known conditions.
Is a serious part of the development of a system and good test cases are required.
Testing includes unit testing (testing individual modules), system testing (testing all
programs together), acceptance testing (demonstrating all programs for client agreement).
There is often a document showing a test plan.
System Conversion:
The process of changing from the old system to the new system.
(6 marks)
Four possible installation choices:
1. Firm-wide rollout versus single location installation rollout (Example; all Currys
stores Vs. one Currys at a time)
2. Entire application installation versus phased installation (Ex; all software loaded
Vs. one application at a time)
3. Direct installation vs. parallel installation (Running without old system Vs. using
new and old together until the new is trusted)
4. Insource versus Outsource (Internal IT expertise Vs. hired in IT expertise)
(4 marks)
(10 marks)

Question 4

(a) List five data types that might be collected to inform an information systems project.

Solution:
Collecting data
It is necessary to define precisely what pieces of information should be gathered and when.
A large proportion of all data collected take one of the following forms:
Frequency counts
Raw numbers
Subjective numeric ratings
Indicators
Verbal measures
(5 marks)
(5 marks)

(b) Briefly describe the features of the reporting process of project management.

Solution:
Project management reporting process:
The monitoring system ought to be constructed so that it addresses every level of
management
Reports do not need to be of the same depth or at the same frequency for each level

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The relationship of project reports to the project action plan or WBS is the key to the determination
of both report content and frequency
Reports must contain data relevant to the control of specific tasks that are being carried
out according to a specific schedule
The frequency of reporting should be great enough to allow control to be exerted during or
before the period in which the task is scheduled for completion
The timing of reports should generally correspond to the timing of project milestones
(5 marks)
(5 marks)

(c) Describe the main aspects of computerised project management information systems
(PMISs).

Solution:
Computerised PMIS:
New microcomputer-based project management information systems (PMISs) are considerably
more sophisticated than earlier systems.
PMISs use the microcomputers graphics, colour, and other features more extensively.
Many systems can handle almost any size project, being limited only by the memory available in
the computer.
The PMIS trend of the 1990s has been to integrate the project management software with
spreadsheets, databases, word processors, communication, graphics, and the other capabilities of
Windows-based software packages.
(6 marks)
The current trend is to facilitate the global sharing of project information, including complete status
reporting, through local networks as well as the Internet.
The explosive growth of project management software during the early 1990s saw the creation of
more than 500 packages.
Systems can be easily misused or inappropriately applied - as can any tools. The most common
error is managing the PMIS rather than the project itself.
(4 marks)
(10 marks)

(d) List five problems associated with computerised project management information
systems (PMISs).

Solution:
Problems with computerised PMIS any 5 of:
In addition to managing the PMIS instead of the project, other problems include:
Computer paralysis
PMIS verification
Information overload
Project isolation
Computer dependence
PMIS misdirection
(5 x 1 mark)

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 (5 marks)

Question 5

(a) What is the goal of an information systems security initiative, and who are the
personnel involved?

Solution:
The goal of a security programme is to provide assurance that there exists security to:
Provide for timely and reliable availability of information and systems
Preserve confidentiality of data
Safeguard integrity of data
(2 marks)
Executives authorise plans, ensure security and privacy protections are integrated, and accept
risks to information systems in the organisation.
Managers (information owners) develop requirements, assess information sensitivity and privacy
needs, develop security plans and work with IT and security on monitoring and remedial activities.
(More on remedials later.)
IT staff provide, document and monitor technical security controls and are considered the owners
of the infrastructure of information systems.
(3 marks)
(5 marks)

(b) Give a detailed description of security controls to include outlines of management

controls, operational controls and technical controls.

Solution:
Security Controls
A security control is a specific action or procedure that is provided to protect confidentiality,
integrity and availability of information/systems. Security controls are described in International
Organisation for Standardisation (for Technology).
(2 marks)
Management Controls
Focus on the management of the computer security system and the management of risk
for a system.
The management of the computer security system and management of risk appears as
policy in directives (documented) so are written down somewhere.
(2 marks)
Operational Controls
Focus on mechanisms that primarily are implemented and executed by people (as
opposed to systems).
Mechanisms implemented and executed by people are procedures that may follow from
the Management Control policy documents.
The mechanisms need to be described so are written down somewhere.

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(2 marks)
Technical Controls
Focus on security controls that the computer system executes.
Security controls that the computer system executes might well be documented but, more
importantly, can be coded into software.
Many software programs contain integrity (security) features or are specifically for security
- providing diagnostics or providing solutions to security problems.
Example:
Computer operations controls
These controls apply to the work of the computer department and help to ensure that programmed
procedures are consistently and correctly applied to the storage and retrieval of data. They include,
for example, controls over set-up, operations software, computer operations and backup and
recovery procedures.
(4 marks)
(10 marks)

(c) Give a detailed description of information systems regulation and compliance to

include example aspects of systems that are subject to law.

Solution:
Regulation and compliance
Regulation, in the context of information systems and the law in Ireland come under laws of privacy
and ethical trading with e-commerce established by the European Union.
There are no specific laws governing all information systems in Ireland. Regulations for
technology are often associated with the Data Protection Act and trading acts. You could
say that regulation in information systems comes mainly from individual contracts set up by
organisations.
Where there are regulations either by law or company policy, compliance could be seen as
observance of the official requirements of the regulation(s).
(5 marks)
The act or process of complying with a demand or recommendation that comes from regulation is
usually a task for a member of management.
The laws associated with information technology have many aspects. Commonly discussed legal
issues related to information systems or IT are:
Contracts
Outsourcing
Software licencing
Data protection
Acceptable use
Intellectual property rights
Computer fraud
Taxation
(5 marks)
(10 marks)