Chapter Sixteen
Understanding
Information
and e-Business
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Learning Objectives
1. Examine how information can reduce risk when making
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
a decision
Discuss management’s information requirements.
Outline the five functions of an information system
Describe how computers and technology help improve
productivity in decision making, communications, sales,
and recruiting and training
Analyze how computers and technology change the
way information is acquired, organized, and used
Explain the meaning of e-business
Describe the fundamental models of
e-business
Explore the factors that will affect the future of ebusiness
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Information and Risk

Be prepared to discuss the relationship
between the availability and quality of
Information and Risk
• Can having the right information reduce the
riskiness of business decisions?

What are information rules?
• What is the role of information rules in business?
• Are information rules static or dynamic?
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Can Information Reduce Risk When Making a
Decision?

Define
• Data
• Information
• Database
• Knowledge management (KM)
• Management Information System (MIS)
- What is the purpose of MIS?
- MIS interacts with which functional areas of
a business?
• Information Technology Officer
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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What is a Management Information System?

What are a Firm’s Information Requirements?

How does the Size and Complexity of the
System vary between different firms?

What are the Five Management Information
System Functions?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Collects data
Stores data
Updates data
Processes data into information
Presents information to users
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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How Do Employees Use Management
Information Systems?

Know the different sources for Collecting Data
• Internal Sources
• External Sources

Know the different cautions about data collection
outlined in the textbook

Know how employees use a MIS
•
•
•
•
•
Storing Data
Updating Data
Processing Data
Presenting Information
Verbal Information
- Visual Displays
- Tabular Displays
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Improving Productivity with the Help of
Computers and Technology

Be prepared to discuss areas where computers and
technology are able to improve productivity

List and explain the importance of the three applications
that can help to improve and speed the decision-making
process in an organization
• Decision Support System (DSS)
• Executive Information System (EIS)
• Expert System

How can technology help
• Improve organizational communication
• Assist the sales force
• Train employees
• Recruit employees
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Computers, Technology and New Ways of
Working

Be familiar with the terms
• Telecommuting
• Virtual Offices
• Technology

What are the benefits and challenges of these new
ways of working?
 What is Business Applications Software?
• What functions does it feature?
• How can it help businesses improve productivity?
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Improving Productivity with the Help of
Computers and Technology (cont’d)

What is the importance of conducting Computer
Backups and preparing for Disaster Recovery?

Be familiar with the steps required for proper
computer backups
•
•
•
•
•
Schedule data and information backups
Backup the computer system needed to access data
Keep backups offsite
Test backup systems
May be performed by employees or outside vendors
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Using Computers and the Internet
to Obtain Information

Define
• Information Society
• Internet
• World Wide Web (the Web)
• Broadband Technology
• Network
• Wide-Area Network (WAN)
• Local-Area Network (LAN)
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Using Computers and the Internet
to Obtain Information (cont’d)

Know why it is important that computers and
software be standardized

Accessing the Internet
• What do URL and HTTP stand for?
• What are important considerations and tips when
creating a website for a firm?
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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E-Business

Define E-Business

Be prepared to discuss how to organize ebusiness resources
• What role does Outsourcing play?
• How should a firm combine e-business resources in
order to best utilize them?

Be prepared to discuss what customer needs
have been created by the Internet
• How can e-business satisfy customer needs, both
new and old?

How do firms make e-business profitable?
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Fundamental Models of e-Business

Define and explain
• Business Model
• Business-to-Business (B2B) Model
• Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Model

Discuss how a firm plans for a new Internet
business or builds an online presence for an
existing business

Be able to list business models that perform
specialized e-business activities
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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The Future of Computer Technology,
the Internet, and e-Business

Be prepared to discuss the following topics
 Internet Growth Potential
• Opportunity
• Social networking sites

Ethical and Legal Concerns
• Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Internet Crime

Future Challenges for Computer Technology
and E-Business
• Green IT
• Internal Factors
• External Factors
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Future Challenges for Computer Technology
and E-Business

Define Green IT

What are the Internal and External Forces that can
affect an E-Business?
Internal
External
Planning
Globalization
Green IT
Demographic Factors
Organizational Structure
Society
Human Resources
The Economy
Management Decisions
Competition
Information Database
Technology
Available Financing
Political Forces
Legal Issues
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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