Businesses Operate and Their Products and Services Essay

Question 1 a) Describe how information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. One of the more popular topics that I have been asked how the information systems have changed the way businesses operate and their products and services. In my point of views I think they have major three ways in which information technology has brought about a huge change in the way in which people conduct business in different parts of the world. One of the most important problem is â€Å"time† So the advantages of using technology is that time constraints are eliminated. Since updated information can be provided to the staff and existing or potential customers at remote locations on a real time basis and more business can be done. Company can save much more money because they don’t have to pay for their staff to travel to meet either customers or other executives. Meetings held through the Internet are as good as the traditional ones. In fact, companies also involve their customers in the meetings so that the products can be designed according to their needs. Since information from all parts of the world can collect and merged with the inventory management system of the company, the process of accepting orders and supplying the materials has become far more perfect. If the time taken between invoicing and shipment can decrease, customers will bind to much more satisfied. As more and more people start using the Internet for business and personal reasons, if companies don’t adapt themselves and use the upcoming technologies, they will bound to fall behind. Today customers expect goods and services to be available 24 hours, seven days a week. E-commerce is a mode of business where the product is sold through the website of the company. This means that people do not have to step out of their homes to make purchases. Last but not the least whether you are a business to business or business to consumer concern, you should make use of information technology to maximize profits. b) Describe the characteristics of a digital firm. A digital firm is a firm which nearly all of the organization’s major business relationships with customer, supplier, and employee are digitally enabled. Axis business processes are accomplished through digital networks spanning the entire organization or linking multiple organizations. Business processes refer to the set of logically related tasks and behaviors that organizations develop over time to produce specific business results and the unique manner in which these activities are organized and coordinated. Digital firms involve both time shifting and space shifting. Time shifting refers to business being conducted continuously, rather than in narrow â€Å"work day† time bands of 9 a.m. To 5 p.m. Space shifting means that work takes place in a global workshop, as well as within national. Questions 2 a) List and describe the organization, management, and technology dimensions of information systems. 1. Organization: The organization dimension of information systems concerns issues like the hierarchy of organization, culture, processes of business, functional specialties and political interest groups. 2. Management: The management dimension of information systems concerns issues like job attitudes, staff training, and management behavior. 3. Technology: The technology dimension composes of computer software, hardware, data management technology and networking technology. b) Distinguish between data and information and between information systems literacy and computer literacy. Data vs. information Data which is a move of raw fact representing events occurring in the organization before the organization have been organized and arranged into a form that people can use and understand. Information which is a data that have been became a form that is meaningful and useful to human being. Information systems literacy vs. computer literacy Information literacy is more care for create information useful to an organization and its staff, on the other hand computer literacy satisfied the simple use of computer. As technology uses spread beyond traditional computer, information literacy enables staff and organization to gain an edge over their competition. Question 3 a) List and describe six reasons why information systems are so important for business today. Six reasons about information systems are so important for business today include: 1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3. Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making 5. Competitive advantage 6. Survival Information systems are the basis of conducting business. In 21st century, in many companies, survival and even existence without extensive use of IT is unimaginable, and IT plays a critical role in rising  productivity. Although information technology has become a daily, when organization have complementary changes in , it can provide the basis for new product, service, and ways of conducting business that provide firms with a strategic advantage. b) Describe the sociotechnical perspective on information systems. Optimal organizational performance achieved by together optimizing both social and technical systems used in production can help them to avoid purely technological approach. So it can produce their product much more better. Question 4 a) Define business process and describe the role they play in organizations. A business process which is a use computer’s logic to substitute staff to handle related set of activities; Business processes are the ways in which organizations coordinate and organize work activities, knowledge to produce their valuable product or service. Business processes have four different areas. 1. For the manufacturing and production area include product assembling, quality checking, and producing bills of materials. 2. For the sales and marketing area. Business processes include identifying customers, making customers aware of the product, and selling the product. 3. For finance and accounting, business processes includes paying creditors, creating financial statements, and managing cash accounts. 4. For human resources, business processes include hiring employees, evaluating job performance of employees, and enrolling employees in benefits plans. b) Describe the relationship between information systems and business processes. Between information systems and business processes, their relationship is they can substitute each other. Whatever in management, finance, sales or marketing etc†¦ Question 5 a) Define collaboration and teamwork and explain why they have become so important in business today. Teamwork can raise productivity. Teamwork requires each team member to work together while allowing their individual interests to become a subordinate concern. As a result, team members focus on the goal at hand and contribute their knowledge, resources and skills to reaching the goal. Collaboration can raise profitability because of collaboration in the supply chain industry. Collaboration is teamwork on a larger area in that companies collaborate and more than one business may participate in the partnership. Organizations and businesses meet larger target when collaboration is considered a priority. Consequently, collaboration has several benefits including shared risk, resources and knowledge. So they have become so important in business today because they can raise productivity and profitability. b) List and describe the business benefits of collaboration. Collaboration is a behavior executed by an organization, company or group of people to arrive a common goal, which occurring on a larger scale than teamwork. Effective collaboration requires communication technology, definition of responsibilities and an encouraging culture. Collaboration is most effective when team members are expressive and open to positive competition. A professional sports team that wins a championship is an example of well-executed teamwork. The benefits of collaboration and teamwork outweigh the productivity of a single individual or company’s effort.