Week 1 2 & 3

Define Information Systems is a set of components which:

• Collect – retrieve data (input)
• Store – create order in data.
• Process – execute preprogrammed functions.
• Distribute (output) – create informative views for the user.

What do you mean by information technology? How is this different from IS?
Information technology consists of
• Hardware – physical equipment and devices connected together operating with
the user.
• Software – instructions used for working with data.
• information systems incorporate the technology, people and processes involved
with the information.
• information technology is the design and implementation of data within the
information system.

Is ICT socio technical? Explain.

• Social (Organizational) View –how/why businesses use ICT e.g business process
control of complex activities
• Technical (Functional) View – how/what work gets done e.g replacing human
work

Differentiate between data and information.

• Data is sequence of values
• Information is meaningful data
What is a primary Key? Field in table used for key fields

What is a foreign key? Primary key used in second table as way to search fields to
identify records from original table.
Week 1 2 & 3

What are the different levels of management? How are the decisions made at
each level? Identify the right type of IS for different levels of management?

Types of Systems
• Decision Support System – (unstructured decisions) used by strategic management
to ensure decisions regarding current competitiveness and the future direction
of the company. e.g R&D planning.

• Tactical MIS – (semi structured decisions) used by mid-level management to

control operations and solve problems that occurs in the operations of the
company. e.g project scheduling.

• Transaction Processing System – (structured decisions) used in day-to-day

operational management for recording and reporting to keep track of what work
is completed. e.g production.
List any three disadvantages of using traditional tables.

 Data redundancy –duplicate data in multiple files and tables

 Data inconsistency – Same attribute but different values.
 Poor security
 Lack of flexibility
Week 1 2 & 3

Explain the ICT working model with an example.

 The ICT work model
Input ProcessingOutput

Example – Evolving Human work model is similar to the ICT work model i.e.
Employees do what machines ask them to do

1. Collect information on what work needs to be done.

2. Perform the work activities
3. Submit work and Report completion

Give any three advantages and disadvantages of using ICT

advantages disadvantages
Recording – retrieving of data with no mistakes Non-Verbal communication
Processing – changing the data to new states Affective and emotional states
Ordering – replicating stores so copy cost nothing Highly complex ideas
Presenting – outputting results Hunches and Intuition

What are the components of an ER diagram?

• Rectangle represents an Entity
• Parallelogram represents actions-link
• Ovals represents an Attribute
• Line – shows a relationship between components

List the building blocks of relational DBMS.

 Entity – object describes the world
 Attributes – characteristic of an object
 Relationships – shows how objects are related to each other
 Key(s) – is the property of the object that enable unique identification of members
in the Entity’s group

What are the two main advantages of using a DMBS?

Controls redundancy – data is recorded only once
unlinks programs and data – can access the program but cannot control data
Eliminates inconsistency – everyone uses the same data
Enables organization to manage data sharing and data security
Week 1 2 & 3

Give the hierarchy of computer DATA

The hierarchy of computer DATA they are arranged from top to bottom or the opposite

1. Knowledge
2. Information – meaningful data
3. Data – sequence of values
4. Database – Combination of files
5. File – combination of records
6. Record – combination of fields
7. Field – combination of bytes (category)
8. Byte – combination of 8 bits
9. Bit – Either 0 or 1

Describe at least 5 attributes for the entity “class” and identify the primary
key

Class = course number - course timing - course day - course teacher - course
subject – major – pre requisites

Give an example for relational database Oracle DB/Microsoft sql

Give an example for non-relational database. Oracle NoSQL/ amazon simple db

Give an example of a transaction in the Sales department.

Customer inquire -> order processing -> record of transaction

Differentiate tacit and explicit knowledge

Tacit Knowledge – hidden within individuals (know-why)
Explicit Knowledge - everyone can understand easily

Define incremental and disruptive technologies.

Incremental technology – improving of an existing technology e.g. wire telephones to

mobile telephones.
Disruptive technology – new way of doing things e.g. telephone => smartphone,
Week 1 2 & 3

Describe the knowledge management value chain.

Knowledge Management (KM) – organized efforts that focuses on controlling the flow
and use of knowledge in the business organization.
• Acquisition – gaining new knowledge
• Storage – organizing information in a specific order
• Dissemination – replicating with minimal loss
• Application –use to gain value

Artificial Intelligence is working towards developing instructions to improve ICT’s

ability to work with ‘human’ topics.

Perspectives/Approaches in Managing IS

1. Technical Approach – elements (from Computer Science/Math)

• infrastructure e.g. www, WAN, LAN, cloud,
• Logical structures (CODE)

2. Behavioral Approach Human actions – your interaction with ICT for

communicating learning and working.

3. Socio-Technical Approach – putting together society and ICT

4. Technical View – how and what work gets done i.e. replacing human work

5. Social View – how and why businesses use ICT e.g Business Process like the
control of complex activities

Database – helps applications by centralizing data and controlling useless data.

Example human resources database is a place where you store all the information
Difference between relational and Non-relational databases
Relational Database – presents data in linked tables (ERD) ex Oracle DB, Microsoft
SQL
Non-relational Databases – use flexible data models (relationships) ex Amazon Simple
DB, Oracle NoSQL

Advantages of non-relational database

• Ability to work bigger datasets, across multiple computers
• Allows easy scaling, resource allocation based on demands
Week 1 2 & 3

Database Management Systems (DBMS) – tools which allow organizing, managing

and accessing the databases example Microsoft access, oracle.
Data definition – tools for building new tables and relationship structure
Data dictionary – a file which lists the definitions of data elements and characteristics
in the database

Relational Database Tables

Table – grid of columns and rows
Rows – Records for different entities/cases
Fields – Represents attribute for entity
Key field – Field used to uniquely identify each record
Primary key – Field in table used for key fields
Foreign key – Primary key used in second table as way to search fields to identify
records from original table.

Three basic operations used to develop useful sets of data

• Select – Creates subset of data of all records that meets stated criteria
• join – Combines relational tables to provide user with more information
• project – Creates subset of columns in table creating tables with only the
information specified
Big Data – combinations of text, pictures, sound, video, links and connections jumbled
together ex facebook page

Hadoop – is a software to manage and analyze big data.

Advantages of Hadoop
 Allows distributed and parallel processing (across many computers)
 Takes complex problems and breaks them down into smaller sub problems

On-Line Analytical Platforms (OLAP) is used for analyzing data online

• used by companies to go into their records of transactions and analyze the data.
• Looks at past performance in order to control what happens in future
• Allows managers to find patterns and trends
• Allows identification of relationships between entities
• Allows assessment of successful or unsuccessful developments
Week 1 2 & 3

Data and Text mining

Data mining – is a quantitative process that analyzes numerical data to find
relationships and patterns ex emirates airlines
Text mining – is a qualitative process that analyzes text data to find relationships and
patterns ex Microsoft SharePoint

Idea of Transaction
Traditional View Any event where one individual would engage with another type of
interaction, e.g. Conversation.
Technological View Any exchange of information carried out using technology can be
considered a transaction. E.g. online transaction

Transaction Processing System (TPS) A System specialized to record all business

activities process and transactions.
Business Process is the sequence of activities which are carried out by all
organizations in order to deliver their product and services recorded as transactions.

Transaction Processing Information

Accurate – transaction records exactly what happens.
Complete – when recording transaction information must be complete
Consistent – Data is consistent overtime remains same regardless of time
Timely – whenever a transaction occurs system must immediately record it.
Unique – each transaction entered should be unique
Types of TPS activities/processing

Batch processing – analysis of multiple transactions usually for reporting to higher

management
Online processing – using TPS within an online interaction setting (e.g. Snapchat -
posting to Social network or website, writing a message)
Realtime processing – immediate processing of data to track current business state
i.e. ensure best information for decision-making

TPS Advantages TPS Disadvantages

Enables control of work activity Requires work restructure and staff training
Predictability of work staff now also have to do reporting work
Week 1 2 & 3

Tracking and reporting of quality lower staff satisfaction due to repetitiveness

online trading and e-commerce Increased control and lowers staff flexibility

Knowledge Fundamentals

Basics
• Intangible in nature- yet social e.g. culture, norms, ethics, laws
• Specific to individuals/employees (unlike information)
• Requires knowing how, skill, craft, education (mental growth) to use

Managing Database Resources (MCQs)

• Information Policy – rules for disseminating and sharing information

• Data administration – (tactical/daily) group/function which deals with the
creation and daily use of data resources in the organization
• Data governance – (strategic) policies processes that deal with availability,
integrity, usability and security of an organization’s data
• Data quality audit – assessment of completeness and accuracy of data
resources