ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY
CMIS 341
Managing Information Technology in the E-Business Enterprise I
Sample Examination
Instructions to the Student:
1.
This is a closed-book examination, which is to be written without books, tapes, or notes, and
supervised by a person authorized by Athabasca University.
2.
You will be allowed three (3) hours to complete the examination.
3.
This examination is made up of three components: 1) a booklet of multiple choice questions; 2) a
booklet of problems with a Final Grade Report on the front; and 3) an ESII© Answer Sheet.
Please make sure you have all three components.
4.
There are 60 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each. All multiple-choice questions
should be answered on the ESII© Answer Sheet provided. Use an HB pencil or other darkleaded pencil for marking the sheet. Be sure to write your name on the answer sheet. If you
decide to change your answer, be sure to erase your first answer completely.
5.
The problem booklet contains six short answer questions. Answer ANY FOUR. Each short
answer question is worth 10 marks for a total of 40 marks. The examination total is 100 marks.
6.
You must achieve an examination mark of at least 50% and a course composite grade of at least
50% to obtain credit for this course.
7.
On completion of the examination, return the entire examination to your supervisor. Failure to do
so will be deemed academic misconduct and dealt with accordingly.
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SECTION I: Multiple-choice
(60 marks)
Read each question carefully and decide which of the choices best answers the question. Locate the
question number on the ESII® Answer Sheet and fill in the circle that corresponds to your choice.
If you wish to change an answer, be sure to erase your first mark completely.
1.
An information system can be defined as
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.
In any organization, end users rely on many types of information systems like
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.
consists of interrelated components
accepts inputs and produces outputs in an organized process
basic components consist of input, processing, and output
does not depend on programs and procedures to accomplish a set of specific functions
Your textbook outlines five competitive forces that shape the structure of competition in its
industry. Which one of the following is not one of the five basic competitive forces discussed in
your textbook?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5.
simple manual (paper-and-pencil) information systems.
formal (written procedures) and informal (word-of-mouth) systems.
computer-based information systems.
all of the above
Which one of the following would not be considered a characteristic of an information system?
A.
B.
C.
D.
4.
an organized combination of people, hardware, software, communications networks, and
database resources.
a system that collects, transforms, and disseminates information in an organization.
a composition of hardware, software, networks, and data resources.
All of the above would apply to the definition of an information system.
bargaining power of suppliers
threat of new entrants
threat of substitutes
barriers to entry
Your textbook outlines five basic competitive strategies that it can use to counter the threats of
competitive forces that shape the structure of competition in its industry. Becoming a low-cost
producer of products and services in an industry is an example of a(n)
A.
B.
C.
D.
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cost leadership strategy.
differentiation strategy.
innovation strategy.
growth strategy.
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6.
Which one of the following is not one of the basic competitive strategies?
A.
B.
C.
D.
7.
If a company uses the Internet to enable its members at different organizations and people at
different locations to work together as a virtual team, they would be using the Internet to support
A.
B.
C.
D.
8.
enterprise communications and collaboration.
human resource management.
electronic commerce.
strategic business alliances.
Information systems in the real world typically are integrated combinations of two or more
functional information systems, commonly referred to as
A.
B.
C.
D.
11.
enterprise communications and collaboration.
human resource management.
electronic commerce.
strategic business alliances.
If a company uses the Internet to form virtual companies with their business customers, suppliers,
consultants, subcontractors, and even competitors, they would be using the Internet to support
A.
B.
C.
D.
10.
enterprise communications and collaboration.
human resource management.
electronic commerce.
strategic business alliances.
If a company uses the Internet for the marketing, buying, selling, and support of products and
services over networks, they would be using the Internet to support
A.
B.
C.
D.
9.
cost leadership
innovation
product differentiation
strategic dominance
management information systems.
cross-functional information systems.
enterprise information systems.
operational planning systems.
Your text outlines how companies have moved away from legacy mainframe systems to
integrated cross-functional enterprise applications. One of the enterprise applications referred to
is SCM. SCM is an acronym for
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Supply Chain Management.
Supply Cash Management.
Supply Customer Management.
Supply Commerce Management.
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12.
General ledger, accounts receivable, and inventory control are examples of systems in
A.
B.
C.
D.
13.
Your textbook defines enterprise resource planning (ERP) as
A.
B.
C.
D.
14.
B.
C.
D.
substantial cost savings because applications using the Internet are typically less
expensive to develop, operate, and maintain than traditional systems
ease of development and maintenance for corporate intranet applications than traditional
mainframe or client/server systems
support via the Internet and the Web for interactive marketing and customer service and
other electronic commerce applications
all of the above
An intranet is
A.
B.
C.
D.
16.
a cross-functional enterprise system that serves as a framework to integrate and automate
business functions within the manufacturing, logistics, distribution, accounting, finance,
and human resources functions of a business.
a cross-functional enterprise system that integrates and automates customer serving
processes in sales, marketing, and product services that interact with a company's
customers.
a cross-functional enterprise system that integrates a variety of enterprise application
clusters by letting them exchange data according to the rules derived form the business
process models developed by users.
None of the above defines enterprise resource planning.
Internet-using companies list which of the following as the top business value derived from
business applications on the Internet and Internet-based technologies?
A.
15.
accounting.
finance .
marketing.
personnel.
an Internet-like network within an organization with web browser software that provides
easy access to internal websites established by business units, teams, and individuals, and
other network resources and applications.
a rapidly growing network of thousands of business, educational, and research networks
connecting millions of computers and their users in over 100 countries.
a network that links selected resources of a company with its customers, suppliers, and
other business partners, using the Internet or private networks.
all of the above
Which one of the following would not be considered an advantage of an intranet?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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difficulty of publishing and accessing multimedia business information
ease of publishing and accessing multimedia business information
attractiveness of publishing and accessing multimedia business information
lower cost of publishing and accessing multimedia business information
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17.
Your textbook outlines five basic competitive strategies that it can use to counter the threats of
competitive forces that shape the structure of competition in its industry. The development of new
products and services that are fundamentally different from the way business has been conducted
in an industry is
A.
B.
C.
D.
18.
Your textbook outlines five basic competitive strategies that it can use to counter the threats of
competitive forces that shape the structure of competition in its industry. Expanding a company's
product offering into global markets is an example of a(n)
A.
B.
C.
D.
19.
alliance strategy.
differentiation strategy.
innovation strategy.
growth strategy.
According to your textbook, electronic commerce systems rely on the resources of
A.
B.
C.
D.
21.
cost leadership strategy.
differentiation strategy.
alliance strategy.
growth strategy.
Your textbook outlines five basic competitive strategies that it can use to counter the threats of
competitive forces that shape the structure of competition in its industry. Establishing new
business linkages and alliances with customers, suppliers, and competitors is an example of a(n)
A.
B.
C.
D.
20.
cost leadership.
innovation.
product differentiation.
strategic dominance.
the internet.
intranets.
extranets.
all of the above
Which of the following is an example of a prime business value of the Internet as it relates to
customer service?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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keep customers loyal
anticipate customers’ future needs and provide quality service
respond to customer concerns and improve customer service
all of the above
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22.
Your textbook outlines three basic categories of electronic commerce applications: business-toconsumer, business-to-business, and consumer-to-consumer. In C2C applications
A.
B.
C.
D.
23.
Your textbook outlines nine key components of an E-commerce process architecture that are the
foundation of the E-commerce initiatives of many companies today. One of these components is
access control and security which deals with
A.
B.
C.
D.
24.
gathering data on customers and their website behavior and choices, and building
electronic profiles of their characteristics and preferences.
establishing mutual trust and secure access between the parties in an E-commerce
transaction by authenticating users, authorizing access, and enforcing security features.
developing efficient and effective search processes to provide a top E-commerce website
capability that helps customers find the specific product or service they want to evaluate
or buy.
establishing catalog management software to help E-commerce companies develop,
generate, deliver, update, and archive text data, and multimedia information at Ecommerce websites.
Which one of the following statements would most accurately describe the level of tactical
management?
A.
B.
C.
D.
25.
businesses must develop attractive electronic marketplaces to entice and sell products and
services to consumers.
involves both electronic business marketplaces and direct market links between
businesses.
involves online auctions, where consumers and businesses can buy and sell with each
other in an auction process at an auction website.
none of the above
typically composed of a board of directors and an executive committee of the CEO and
top executives who develop overall organizational goals, strategies, policies, and
objectives as part of a strategic planning process
typically composed of self-directed teams as well as middle managers that develops
short- and medium-range plans, schedules, and budgets and specifies the policies,
procedures, and business objectives for their subunits of the organization
typically composed of self-directed teams or supervisory managers that develop shortrange plans such as weekly production schedules and direct the use of resources and the
performance of tasks according to procedures and within budgets and schedules they
establish for the teams and other workgroups of the organization
none of the above
Decisions made at the operational management level tend to be more
A.
B.
C.
D.
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structured.
semistructured.
unstructured.
self-structured.
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26.
Decisions made at the strategic management level tend to be more
A.
B.
C.
D.
27.
Structured decisions involve situations where
A.
B.
C.
D.
28.
D.
D.
the procedures to follow can be specified in advance.
the procedures cannot be specified in advance.
some decision procedures can be prespecified, but not enough to lead to a definite
recommended decision.
none of the above
An inventory reorder decision would be considered an example of a(n)
A.
B.
C.
D.
31.
the procedures to follow can be specified in advance.
the procedures cannot be specified in advance.
some decision procedures can be prespecified, but not enough to lead to a definite
recommended decision.
none of the above
Semistructured decisions involve situations where
A.
B.
C.
30.
the procedures to follow can be specified in advance.
the procedures cannot be specified in advance.
some decision procedures can be prespecified, but not enough to lead to a definite
recommended decision.
none of the above
Unstructured decisions involve situations where
A.
B.
C.
29.
structured.
semistructured.
unstructured.
self-structured.
unstructured decision.
semistructured decision.
programmable decision.
nonprogrammable decision.
A decision that involves starting a new line of products or making major changes to employee
benefits would be considered an example of a(n)
A.
B.
C.
D.
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unstructured decision.
semistructured decision.
programmable decision.
decision ranging from unstructured to semistructured.
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32.
Unstructured or nonprogrammable decisions
A.
B.
C.
D.
33.
Your textbook outlines the components of an organizational planning process. ______________
planning deals with the development of an organization's mission, goals, strategies, and policies.
A.
B.
C.
D.
34.
competitors, customers, suppliers, new entrants, and substitutes.
cost, leadership, differentiation, growth, innovation, and alliances.
basic primary and secondary business activities of the value chain.
strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Your textbook states that planning for competitive advantage is important in today's competitive
E-business arena and complex information technology environment. Several models are used to
evaluate the potential benefits and risks a company faces. One of the models discussed in your
textbook is the competitive strategies model. This model deals with
A.
B.
C.
D.
36.
Operational
Strategic
Tactical
Implementation
Your textbook states that planning for competitive advantage is important in today's competitive
E-business arena and complex information technology environment. Several models are used to
evaluate the potential benefits and risks a company faces. One of the models discussed in your
text book is the competitive forces model. This model deals with
A.
B.
C.
D.
35.
require that managers be given the ability to make ad-hoc inquiries of information from
company databases.
involve managers using DSS in an interactive process to reach a decision.
may involve a probabilistic decision.
involve situations where it is not possible to specify in advance most of the decision
procedures to follow.
competitors, customers, suppliers, new entrants, and substitutes.
cost, leadership, differentiation, growth, innovation, and alliances.
basic primary and secondary business activities of the value chain.
strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Your textbook states that planning for competitive advantage is important in today's competitive
E-business arena and complex information technology environment. Several models are used to
evaluate the potential benefits and risks a company faces. One of the models discussed in your
text is the strategic opportunities matrix - commonly referred to as SWOT. SWOT is an acronym
for
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Strengths, Willingness, Opportunities, and Threats.
Strengths, Willingness, Options, and Threats.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Options, and Threats.
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37.
Your textbook states that the E-business planning process ahs three major components - strategy
development, resource management, and technology architecture. Strategy development involves
A.
B.
C.
D.
38.
Your textbook outlines three major components involved in an E-business/It strategic planning
process. Which one of the following is not one of these components?
A.
B.
C.
D.
39.
D.
proper end user education and training.
improved communications with IS professionals.
end user involvement in the development and implementation of new systems.
all of the above
Management involvement in information systems can take the form of
A.
B.
C.
D.
42.
provide a comprehensive suite of services that the customer's employees can use directly.
define a new market by identifying a unique customer need.
directly access customers, makes sales, and fulfill order by using the Internet as a new
channel.
process purchases.
End user resistance can be minimized through
A.
B.
C.
D.
41.
strategy development
resource management
portfolio management
technology architecture
Your textbook outlines a number of different E-business strategies that have been created and
implemented by a variety of companies. The market creator uses the Internet to
A.
B.
C.
40.
developing E-business and E-commerce strategies that support a company's E-business
vision that focuses on customer and business value.
developing strategic plans for managing or outsourcing a company's IT resources.
developing strategic IT choices that reflect information technology architecture designed
to support a company's E-business and E-commerce initiatives.
None of the above applies to defining strategy development.
top management participation in an executive information technology committee.
management participation in steering committees for systems development projects.
end user management participation in the systems development process and the
management of information systems.
all of the above
Systems integrators or facilities management companies are
A.
B.
C.
D)
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independent subsidiaries of an organization that offers information-processing services to
external organizations as well as their parent company.
companies that use information resource management techniques to manage the
development of their information systems.
outside contractors that take over part or all of the information services operations for an
organization.
companies using a hybrid of centralized and decentralized information systems.
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43.
The steps in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) are
A.
B.
C.
D.
44.
Prototyping involves
A.
B.
C.
D.
45.
B.
C.
D.
investigation, analysis, testing, design, and maintenance.
analysis, testing, investigation, implementation, and maintenance.
analysis, testing, design, implementation, and maintenance.
investigation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance.
Prototyping involves
A.
B.
C.
D.
48.
It rapidly produces an "actual working model" of the information system needed by the
user.
It is most practical for large-scale projects.
It emphasizes getting the design right the first time.
It reduces the need for user involvement in systems development.
The steps in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) are
A.
B.
C.
D.
47.
the execution of the standard systems development cycle using CASE tools.
a rapid generation of systems by information systems professionals without the need for
end user input.
the use of a fail-safe development process designed to ensure that an information system
meets all user requirements without revision.
an iterative and interactive development process with extensive end user involvement.
Which one of the following statements would most accurately apply to the concept of
prototyping?
A.
46.
investigation, analysis, testing, design, and maintenance.
analysis, testing, investigation, implementation, and maintenance.
analysis, testing, design, implementation, and maintenance.
investigation, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance.
the execution of the standard systems development cycle using CASE tools.
a rapid generation of systems by information systems professionals without the need for
end user input.
the use of a fail-safe development process designed to ensure that an information system
meets all user requirements without revision.
an iterative and interactive development process with extensive end user involvement.
Which one of the following statements is true?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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The value chain concept views a firm as a series of basic activities that add value to its
products or services.
The value chain model identifies a set of primary activities and a set of secondary
activities.
Managers should develop strategic information systems for those activities that are the
weakest links in the firm's value chain.
The secondary activities include inbound logistics, operations, and outbound logistics.
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49.
Which statement best describes the ethical philosophy of respect for persons?
A.
B.
C.
D.
50.
The decentralization of information services within an organization is currently being supported
by the development of
A.
B.
C.
D.
51.
B.
C.
D.
independent subsidiaries of an organization that offer information-processing services to
external organizations as well as their parent company.
companies that use information resource management techniques to manage the
development of their information systems.
outside contractors that take over part or all of the information services operations for an
organization.
companies using a hybrid of centralized and decentralized information systems.
Which one of the following statements would best apply to a microcomputer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
54.
Purchasing an existing software package.
Purchasing an existing software package and requesting modifications.
Outsourcing the development of a system for which no software package exists.
All of the above apply to the concept of outsourcing.
Systems integrators or facilities management companies are
A.
53.
supercomputers.
microcomputers and distributed processing networks of computers at the corporate,
department and workgroup level.
large mainframe computers and centralized computer centers.
telecommunications.
Which one of the following would not be considered as a form that outsourcing can take on?
A.
B.
C.
D.
52.
What is best for a given individual is right.
Humans should promote their own health and life, propagate, pursue knowledge of the
world and God, pursue close relationships with other people, and submit to legitimate
authority.
Those actions are right that produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
People should be treated as an end and not as a means to an end.
They are exclusively single user systems.
They must be portable.
They are not used as professional workstations.
They can include a size classification called "laptop."
Which one of the following statements would best describe a workstation computer?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Support applications with heavy mathematical computing and graphics display demands
such as computer-aided design (CAD).
Used to coordinate telecommunications and resource sharing in small local area networks
(LANs) and Internet and intranet web sites.
Designed for convenient mobile communications and computing using touch screens.
All of the above apply.
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55.
Which one of the following statements would not be considered a characteristic of software
suites?
A.
B.
C.
D.
56.
When you bring together logically associated files, you create a
A.
B.
C.
D.
57.
C.
D.
is organized and accessed according to the logical structure of the information in it.
is a collection of information.
supports OLTP.
all of the above
Which of the following statements most accurately describes recent trends in
telecommunications?
A.
B.
C.
D.
60.
is an integrated collection of logically related records or files.
consolidates records previously stored in separate files into a common pool of data
records.
includes stored data that is independent of the application programs using it.
all of the above
A database
A.
B.
C.
D.
59.
character.
field.
record.
database.
A database
A.
B.
58.
They are the least-used productivity packages in most business environments.
They contain software tools that can help increase productivity, collaborate with
colleagues, and access intranets, extranets, and the Internet.
They integrate software packages for web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets,
presentation graphics, database management, and personal information management.
They cost less than the total cost of buying their individual packages separately.
a smaller number of vendors providing telecommunications service
development of more parallel independent networks for a given aspect of
communications such as data or video
the pervasive use of telecommunications networks to support business operations,
management, and strategic advantage
toward more government-regulated monopolies and away from deregulated markets
The electronic movement of information from one location to another is referred to as
A.
B.
C.
D.
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computer networking.
networking.
telecommuting.
telecommunications.
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SECTION II: Short Answer
(40 marks)
Please answer four (4) of the following six (6) questions for a total of 40 marks. Note that some of
the questions contain multiple parts. If more than four questions are answered, then only the first
four answers will be graded. Write your answers in the space provided.
1.
2.
a.
Define business process re-engineering.
b.
Describe how business process re-engineering differs from business process
improvement.
(5 marks)
(5 marks)
List at least 4 examples of information technologies that support reengineering the sales and
order management processes of a business.
(10 marks)
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3.
List and describe at least 3 (three) types of E-Business applications that pertain to (or can be used
in) the following areas:
(10 marks)
Telecommunications Networks:



Electronic Commerce:



Internal Business Systems:



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4.
5.
a.
What is Customer Relationship Management and how does CRM use information
technology to enable its processes?
(3 marks)
b.
What are the 5 (five) major application clusters in customer relationship management?
(7 marks)
List and describe the key factors for success in E-Commerce.
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(10 marks)
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6.
a.
b.
What is OLAP?
Describe OLAP and the various basic analytical operations it supports.
(3 marks)
(7 marks)
© Athabasca University
***END OF EXAMINATION***
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