Systems of Org

Outsourcing

100

Explain the advantages of management in outsourcing information systems.

1. Saves costs, gain expertise (coding), free management time (could be used for other projects)
2. risk reduction

200

List and explain the risks of outsourcing information systems.

1. Other organization has access and control over your data. Risk of leak.
2. Loss of control, benefits outweighed by long-term costs, no easy exit

300

How does outsourcing IS services reduce cost?

based on economies of scale, if 25 firms have to change their system, then all 25 need to do so. If all 25 firms outsource to one IS service, then it only needs to be changed once for all 25. Cheaper for outsourcing company to charge b/c easier business for both sides.

400

How does outsourcing IS services reduce risk?

1. (Financial) Fixed prices for services or pay when done
2. Reduce risk of low quality IS (food caterer can bring food better than home cook)
3. Reduce implementation risk (right vendor to implement software & hardware

500

Why the outsourcing relationship between IBM and Queensland's health department did not go
well? Explain.

Queensland awarded contract to IBM to develop IS for QL health department. IBM kept raising cost of the project after unforeseen technical challenges. Project dragged on much longer and the payment platform never functioned properly. Ended up costing $1.2 billion instead of $6 million.

Modeling

100

Define and explain critical path with an example.

1. Critical path is the longest path in the network diagram or the shortest duration in which the project can be completed. Activities on the critical path have no stack or float time and they cannot be delayed. For example, I cannot dry the dishes until I have washed them first. Both activities are on the critical path.

200

How would you read the following ER diagram? Provide the complete reading of the diagram.

Each employee is a part of at least 1 and at most 1 department. Each department has at least 1 employee and at most many employees.

300

How is the scope of a project defined?

Project scope is the part of project planning that involves determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines.

400

How is slack/float time estimated in the CPM method and what does the slack time mean?

Stack/Float time is the waiting period between activities that can be done simultaneously before the next activity or end of the project. For example, if it takes 31 months to make building 1 and 13 months to make building 2, then we can wait 18 months to start building 2 after building 1 has started so they would be finished at the same time.

500

Two tables are in a one-to-many relationship. How can they be related in relational databases?
Explain how FK is decided between the two tables.

In this example, the primary key field in the Customers table, Customer ID, is designed to contain unique values. The foreign key field in the Orders table, Customer ID, is designed to allow multiple instances of the same value.

Databases

100

List four accelerating trends that are changing how projects are managed.

1. Corporate globalization
2. Massive mergers & reorganizations
3. primacy of interpersonal skills
4. multinational projects
5. importance of cultural differences
6. dependence of technology

200

Explain structured and unstructured data types with examples.

• can break down into parts & hierarchies
• can be put into smaller units to show relationships
• straightforward relationships (linear)

Ex: credit card company

• no structure or order
• parts can't be easily linked

Ex: social media data

Ex: app reviews

300

What are the advantages of relational databases? Explain with examples.

• Data Accuracy. ...
• Easy Access to Data. ...
• Data Integrity. ...
• Flexibility. ...
• Normalization. ...
• High Security. ...
• Feasible for Future Modifications.

400

What are the issues with the many to many relationships and how can they be fixed? Explain
with an example.

A many-to-many relationship occurs when multiple records in a table are associated with multiple records in another table. For example, a many-to-many relationship exists between customers and products: customers can purchase various products, and products can be purchased by many customers.

To avoid this problem, you can break the many-to-many relationship into two one-to-many relationships by using a third table, called a join table. Each record in a join table includes a match field that contains the value of the primary keys of the two tables it joins. (In the join table, these match fields are foreign keys.) These foreign key fields are populated with data as records in the join table are created from either table it joins.

500

Which SQL query should we use to retrieve the employee's first and last names from the following table?

select table.emp_fname, table.emp_lname from table order by table.employee_id

MISC

100

What are the major functions of an information systems (IS) department?

1. plan the use of information systems to accomplish organizational goals and strategy
2. manage outsourcing relationships
3. protect information (database) assets
4. develop, operate, maintain computing infrastructure & applications

200

What is the typical structure of an organization's information systems (IS) department?

1. CEO/COO at the top → legal & HR → CIO
2. CTO evaluates new ideas, tech, capabilities & head of tech group
   1. How can IS help our org?
3. Operations manages computer infrastructure
4. Development manages process of creating new IS & maintaining existing IS
5. Outsourcing Relations negotiates outsourcing w/ other companies
6. Data administration establish data standards & data management practices & policies

300

Explain international outsourcing with examples.

Microsoft outsources customer support to India where there is plenty of labor for less than half of the cost in the US. Well educated and English speaking workers. Could be operational 24/7.

400

I cant find the question 

You just get the points 

500

The IS department is concerned about data theft by employees. But employees are concerned
about the IS department using monitoring software to violate their privacy. Which do you think
would cause more harm to the organization? Why?

1. The IS department is more likely to cause harm to the organization with the monitoring software. The dedicated and talented employees will see this as an invasion of privacy and be less motivated to work hard. Others may even leave the company, thus it would be more harmful in the long run.

Project Organization

100

What are the risks of project management? Explain. 

• Cost risk. ...
• Operational risk. ...
• Skills resource risk. ...
• Performance risk. ...
• Market risk.

200

What are the purposes of project time management?

1. Illustrates the independence of project activities
2. Monitors and controls timing of project work
3. Guides allocation of resources
4. Drives personal availability issues & activities
5. Timely completion of the project

300

What are the differences between projects and operations?

1. Operations are ongoing execution of activities while a project is a temporary endeavor taken to create a unique product or service.

400

Discuss the importance of the CISO role in an organization with examples.

1. The Chief Information Security Officer is responsible with managing the security of the organizations IS and information. CISO reports directly to the CIO.

500

Compare the role of a chief information officer (CIO) and the role of a chief technology officer
(CTO).

The CIO typically aims to improves the processes within the company while the CTO look to use technology to improve or innovate products that serve the customers.