Deck 12: Planning Information Systems Resources

Question 1

Which of the following is not a guideline for successful IS planning?

A) The strategic IS plan should be developed independent of business managers.
B) The strategic IS plan should be aligned with business goals.
C) IS plans should reflect realistic expectations.
D) The information resources planning effort should be viewed as an iterative effort.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is not a typical approach for formulating a strategic IS plan?

A) value chain analysis
B) SWOT analysis
C) setting forth project budgets and schedules
D) translating the organization's vision into a set of major initiatives that describes how to accomplish the organization's vision of its future

Answer 2

C

Question 3

All of the following are primary value chain activities except:

A) inbound logistics.
B) human resource management.
C) operations.
D) service.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which statement is true?

A) An information vision is the same as an IT architecture.
B) Operational IS plans precede strategic IS planning.
C) A Critical Success Factor (CSF) technique is a tool to support strategic IS planning.
D) none of the above

Question 5

In the value chain of Porter and Millar,which of the following are support activities?

A) inbound logistics
B) information technology
C) human resources
D) both B and C

Question 6

Which of the following is a goal of a portfolio approach to managing IS projects?

A) implement only low risk IS systems
B) implement only IS systems that can offer a high business return
C) balance the risks and returns of IS projects
D) avoid implementing any high risk IS systems

Question 7

Which stage of IT architecture maturity seeks to both achieve the flexibility needed by local business units and to retain enterprise-wide standards,such as with ERP systems,for a multinational firm?

A) Application Silos
B) Standardized Technology
C) Rationalized Data and Process
D) Modularity

Question 8

The strategic IS planning process consists of all of the following steps except:

A) setting objective or goals.
B) conducting internal and external analyses.
C) defining the IS mission statement.
D) establishing strategic initiatives.

Question 9

According to the textbook,which of the following is not a potential benefit of information resources planning?

A) provides a context for IS resource decisions
B) aligns IS and business goals
C) balances tradeoffs between standardization and agility goals
D) makes products/services more desirable than those of current competitors

Question 10

Which stage of IT architecture maturity is characterized by individual applications designed for separate business units without enterprise standards?

A) Application Silos
B) Standardized Technology
C) Rationalized Data and Process
D) Modularity

Question 11

While conducting internal and external analyses,a firm may develop a series of four statements that together make up a SWOT analysis.SWOT stands for:

A) strategies, weaknesses, objectives, and targets.
B) systems, weaknesses, opportunities, and targets.
C) strengths, weaknesses, objectives, and threats.
D) strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Question 12

Recommended tools for identifying IS strategic initiatives do NOT include:

A) bottom-up analysis.
B) critical success factors analysis.
C) value chain analysis.
D) analysis of competitive forces.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a part of the initial IS assessment?

A) compare current actual performance against previous goals
B) envision an ideal or intended state at some point in the future
C) collect IT operational data
D) benchmark performance against competing organizations

Question 14

Operational IS plans include plans for projects,such as:

A) expected benefits.
B) due dates.
C) priorities.
D) all of the above

Question 15

The ________ contains a set of longer-term objectives (often three to five years)that represent measurable movement toward the information vision and IT architecture and a set of associated major initiatives that must be undertaken to achieve these objectives.

A) business strategic plan
B) operational IS plan
C) strategic IS plan
D) information resource assessment

Question 16

A(n)________ is a written expression of the desired future about how information will be used and managed in the organization.

A) information resource assessment
B) information vision
C) IT architecture
D) strategic IS plan

Question 17

An IS operational plan is usually created for what time period?

A) monthly
B) for a 6-month or less time period
C) for a 1- to 2-year time period
D) for a 3- to 5-year time period

Question 18

In a value chain analysis,which is not a method of establishing a competitive advantage in an industry?

A) make products/services more desirable by offering unique features
B) establish stronger links with suppliers to obtain lower-cost, higher-quality materials
C) replicate other successful companies' IT architectures
D) inhibit the entry of competitors by raising the stakes for competing in the market

Question 19

According to the process described in the textbook,which of the following steps in the information resources planning process would come first?

A) vision for the business
B) IT architecture
C) strategic IS plan
D) assessment of current information resources

Question 20

Which is a source for measuring current IS performance?

A) annual performance data based on established metrics
B) comparing annual objectives with actual performance metrics
C) matching the IS mission statement with its achievements
D) all of the above

Question 21

The strategic IS plan contains a set of short-term objectives that represent measureable movement toward the intended performance metrics.

Question 22

The information technology architecture depicts how the technological and human assets of the IS organization should be organized to support the organization's operating model and its information vision.

Question 23

A critical success factor (CSF)approach is a well-known method for identifying strategic IT opportunities by eliciting input from key managers about information needs and processes most important to the success of a business function or to the entire organization.