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IS01Introduction to Information Technology

Assignment No.I

Assignment Code: 2011IS01B1 Last Date of Submission: 30th Sept 2011

Maximum Marks:100

Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

Section-A

Ques.1 What is the difference between system software and application software? List varioustypes of system software and application software. Explain each of them withexample.

Ques.2 What is Client/Server computing? Explain the various types. Also give the various

advantages of the Client/Server architecture for network processingQues.3 Define:

a). Microprocessorb). Memory Capacityc). Moores Lawd). DVD, RAID

Ques.4 How might a company use a multimedia DBMS for competitive advantage ? Are youaware of any such company.

Section-B

Case Study

Human Resources Management on the Web

Human resource departments are using the Web for self-service HR applications such as checking

benefits, updating employee information, posting job requisitions, training, and salary reviews. For

decades, HR managers have been inundated with employee queries on how to participate in the

companys stock purchase program or how to change their home addresses in the corporate database.

Employees often viewed the HR department as a bottleneck in resolving salary and hiring issues or

completing benefits transactions.

Today, Intranets are letting employees handle those processes themselves. In some cases, company

Intranets are linked with third-party insurance carriers and other service providers to cut out the HR

middleman. In the past, companies have hired one HR staff person for every 100 employees, but Web

technology reduces this ratio to one HR staff person to every 150 employees.

Many companies are also looking to the Web to seed and harvest data from thousands of job boards

and recruiting services. For example, Intel gets 10 to 15 percent of its new hires over the Web. The

Web has decreased hiring costs by 60 percent and the time it takes to fill open positions by 30 to 40

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percent. Specialized job boards and resume-posting services, as well as the more obvious job sites

such as Monster.com and Hotjobs.com, are giving companies more sources for finding people.

Today, the most aggressive HR departments are working with IT to develop links between their back-

end systems, such as payroll and employee information databases, and the corporate Intranet. These

links let employees interface directly with HR applications and make changes or inquiries without

involving HR staff members. Further, many HR organizations are using the Web to link their back-end

systems with the systems of their insurance, payroll, and retirement service providers.

With the completion of the interfaces, some HR departments are adding collaborative capabilities that

automate workflows, such as the approval of job requisitions or expense reports. As a result, HR staff

members do not have to route forms around the company, and each process occurs much more swiftly.

Case Questions:

1. What are some applications for other functional areas?

2. What are the implications of Intranet applications for HR personnel? Could this cause a

problem?

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IS01Introduction to Information Technology

Assignment No.II

Assignment Code: 2011IS01B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th Nov 2011

Maximum Marks:100

Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

Section-A

Ques.1 a). What are the benefits of IS planning ? Explain steps involved in IS planning.

b). What is system Analysis ? Briefly describe the steps involved in systemdevelopment life cycle.

Ques.2 Describe four quality of life impacts of computers & information systems.Ques.3 a).What is artificial intelligence ? How it is of interest to business organizations ?

b).What is an expert system ? Describe its components & important characteristicsand critically evaluate its evolution over the last 5 decades.

Ques.4 a).What is a decision support system (DSS) ? How does it differ from MIS.b) .Differentiate between executive information systems & group decision supportsystems . Give out relevant examples.

Section-B

Case Study

Orbis Changes a Linear Physical Supply Chain to an Electronic Hub

Orbis:

Orbis Corp. is a small Australian company that provides Internet and EC services. One of its services is

called ProductBank (productbank.com.au). This Service revolutionized the flow of information and

products in the B2B advertising field. In order to understand how the service works, lets look at how a

retail catalog or brochure is put together. A catalog shows pictures of many products. These pictures

are obtained from manufacturers such as Sony or Nokia. The traditional process is linear, as shown in

the figure above.

The traditional process works like this: When retailers need a photo of a product they contact themanufacturers, who send the photos via a courier to an ad agency. The ad agency decides, in

cooperation with the retailer, which photos to use and how to present them. The ad agency then rushes

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Retailer Supplier

(Sony)Courier Ad

Agency

ScanningHouse

Digital

Image Catalog

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the photos to be scanned and converted into digital images, which are transferred to the printer. The

cycle time for each photo is 4 to 6 weeks, and to total transaction cost of preparing one picture for the

catalog is about $150 AU.

ProductBank simplifies this lengthy process. It has centralized the entire process by changing the linear

flow of products and information to a digitized hub as shown in the figure below:

With the new system, manufacturers send digitized photos to Orbis, and Orbis enters and organizes the

photos in a database. When retailers need pictures, they can view online the images in the database

and decide which they want to include in their catalog. The retailers communicate electronically with

their ad agency about what images they want to include in their catalogs. The ad agency makes

suggestions and works on the design of the catalog. Once the design is complete, the catalog can be

downloaded by the printer. The transaction cost per picture (usually paid by the manufacturer) is 30 to

40 percent lower, and the cycle time is 50 to 70 percent shorter than in the traditional catalog productionmethod.

Case Questions:

1. Identify the benefits to the supply chain participants.

2. Where does the cost reduction come from?

3. Where does the cycle time reduction come from?

4. Explain the benefits of electronic collaboration between the retailers and the ad agency.

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Product-

bank.com

Hum

Retailer 1

Retailer 2

Other

Sony

Nokia

Other

Other

Printer

Ad Agency 1 Ad Agency 2