Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

Work Integrated Learning Programmes Division

First Semester 2024-2025

Mid-Semester Test

(EC-2 Regular)

Course No. : BA ZC471

Course Title : MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Nature of Exam : Close Book

Weightage : 30%
No. of Pages = 2
Duration : 2 Hours

Date of Exam : 22/09/2024 (FN)

Note to Students:

1. Please follow all the Instructions to Candidates given on the cover page of the answer book.
2. All parts of a question should be answered consecutively. Each answer should start from a fresh page.
3. Assumptions made if any, should be stated clearly at the beginning of your answer.
4. Figures to the right indicate full marks

Q.1. Cross-functional systems need to be integrated to realize a unified Enterprise-wide

Information System. Explain various approaches to achieve this.
[2 Marks]

To achieve integration of cross-functional systems in an enterprise-wide information system,

various approaches can be considered:

1. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: ERP systems integrate core business
functions (such as finance, HR, supply chain, and manufacturing) into a single unified
platform, ensuring consistent and synchronized data flow across departments.
2. Middleware: Middleware acts as a bridge that connects different systems and
facilitates data exchange between them. It can handle message routing, data
transformation, and communication between disparate systems.
3. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): SOA enables the creation of reusable
services that can interact with various business applications. It allows cross-functional
systems to communicate efficiently by exposing business logic and data through web
services.
4. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): APIs allow different software
applications to communicate with each other. Through APIs, cross-functional systems
can exchange data and functionality, ensuring integration.
Q.2. A mid-size pharmaceutical manufacturing company plans to procure software for
the desktop systems to be installed at their dealer’s premises. The dealer would need the
software to carry out various tasks like internet access, corporate correspondence,
communication & collaboration, apart from daily record keeping and billing-related
activities. Apart from the preinstalled Operating System that is supplied with the basic
desktop hardware, identify other application software and system software that the
company should procure for the dealer’s PC.
[4 Marks]

For the dealer’s PC, the following software should be procured:

1. Application Software:
o Web Browser: For internet access (e.g., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox).
o Email Client: For corporate correspondence (e.g., Microsoft Outlook,
Thunderbird).
o Office Suite: For communication, collaboration, and record-keeping (e.g.,
Microsoft Office, Google Workspace).
o Accounting Software: For billing and daily record-keeping (e.g., Tally,
QuickBooks).
o Inventory Management Software: For tracking stock levels and inventory
management.
o Collaboration Tools: For team communication (e.g., Microsoft Teams,
Slack).
2. System Software:
o Antivirus Software: For system protection (e.g., Norton, McAfee).
o Backup Software: For data backup and recovery (e.g., Acronis).
o Firewall: For network security.

Q.3. A RDBMS Software allows storing and accessing data in multiple tables. In the
context of typical e-commerce application interactions, a customer creates a shopping
cart that holds multiple items which the customer plans to purchase. Explain this
database schema with relations between specific tables in database.
[6 Marks]

In an e-commerce application, the database schema for a shopping cart system typically
involves the following tables:

1. Customers Table:
o Stores customer information (CustomerID, Name, Email, Address, etc.).
2. Products Table:
o Stores product details (ProductID, ProductName, Description, Price, etc.).
3. ShoppingCart Table:
o Stores the items added by the customer to the cart (CartID, CustomerID,
ProductID, Quantity, DateAdded).
4. Orders Table:
 Stores order details (OrderID, CustomerID, TotalAmount, OrderDate,
o
ShippingAddress, etc.).
5. OrderItems Table:
o Stores each product in an order (OrderItemID, OrderID, ProductID, Quantity,
Price).

Relations:

 Customers → ShoppingCart: One-to-many relationship, as a customer can have

multiple shopping carts.
 ShoppingCart → Products: Many-to-many relationship, as a cart can contain
multiple products, and a product can appear in many carts.
 Customers → Orders: One-to-many relationship, as a customer can place multiple
orders.
 Orders → OrderItems: One-to-many relationship, as an order can contain multiple
items.
 OrderItems → Products: Many-to-one relationship, as each order item corresponds
to a product.

Q.4. It is common to implement web-based enterprise applications as multi-tier systems.

Customers use e-commerce web applications (like amazon.com) to place their order for
selected goods. Indicate the sequence of interactions across a 3-tier client-server web
application model for such an interaction by the customer.
[6 Marks]

In a 3-tier client-server web application model, the sequence of interactions for placing an
order can be described as follows:

1. Client Tier (User Interface):

o The customer interacts with the web application (e.g., Amazon) using a web
browser.
o The customer browses products, adds items to the shopping cart, and proceeds
to checkout.
2. Application Tier (Business Logic):
o The client request (e.g., "Add to Cart") is sent to the application server.
o The application server processes the request, applies business logic (e.g.,
inventory check, price calculation), and updates the cart.
o If the customer proceeds with the order, the application tier processes the
order details and initiates further actions like payment processing.
3. Data Tier (Database Server):
o The application server communicates with the database server to retrieve
product details, update inventory, and store order information.
o The database server stores the data and sends relevant information (e.g., order
confirmation, inventory update) back to the application tier.
4. Client Tier (User Interface):
o The response is sent back to the user's web browser, confirming the order and
showing details like the order number, total cost, and estimated delivery date.
Q.5. The sales department of Airyfans Pvt Ltd, a fan manufacturing company, procures
an order from IR Coachworks for the supply of 7000 DC fans. These fans would be used
in the new railway carriages being built by IR Coachworks. Explain clearly how this
order would be serviced by Airyfans’s ERP system.
[6 Marks]

Airyfans’ ERP system would handle the order process as follows:

1. Order Creation:
o The sales department inputs the order details into the ERP system, such as the
order quantity (7000 DC fans), customer details (IR Coachworks), and
delivery requirements.
2. Inventory Management:
o The ERP system checks the availability of the required 7000 DC fans in the
inventory. If sufficient stock is available, the order is processed. If not, a
production request is generated.
3. Production Planning:
o The system checks the production schedule and allocates resources (e.g., raw
materials, labor) for manufacturing the fans if necessary.
4. Procurement:
o If materials are needed for production, the ERP system automatically triggers
purchase orders to suppliers to procure the required raw materials.
5. Manufacturing:
o The system schedules and tracks the production of the fans, ensuring that the
order is manufactured on time.
6. Quality Control & Shipping:
o Once the fans are manufactured, they undergo quality control. Upon approval,
the ERP system generates shipping documents and schedules delivery.
7. Invoice Generation & Payment:
o After shipment, the ERP system generates an invoice for IR Coachworks,
which includes the quantity, price, and payment terms.

Q.6. Breads & Buns is a relatively new 3-year-old company from Pune that sells a
variety of breads, buns, and other bakery products through their distribution network
of stockists and retail shops. The stock is replenished on a daily basis early in the
morning based on the orders placed at the retail shop. The management, encouraged by
the very good response to their products, plans to launch them in Mumbai. For this
purpose, the management wishes to analyze the current status of the business from
various dimensions. As a MIS consultant, explain 3 KPIs each at the operational,
tactical, and strategic level that can be used by the management to support the decision
to launch their products in Mumbai.
[6 Marks]

Operational KPIs (focused on daily operations):

 1. Stock Turnover Rate: Measures how quickly inventory is sold and replenished,
indicating the effectiveness of stock management.
2. Order Fulfillment Accuracy: Tracks the percentage of orders that are correctly
processed and delivered on time to retail shops.
3. Production Efficiency: Measures the quantity of bakery products produced per unit
of labor or time, indicating production efficiency.

Tactical KPIs (focused on medium-term goals):

1. Sales Growth: Monitors the increase in sales over time, helping to assess whether
demand is rising and if expansion into Mumbai is viable.
2. Customer Satisfaction: Measures customer feedback, complaints, and satisfaction
scores to assess the quality of products and services.
3. Supply Chain Efficiency: Tracks the time taken to replenish stock and ensure timely
delivery, ensuring smooth supply chain operations.

Strategic KPIs (focused on long-term goals):