Question 1

During what stage in the problem-solving process does one identify and define potential problems or opportunities?
A)the design stage
B)the choice stage
C)the intelligence stage
D)the monitoring stage

Accepted Answer

The intelligence stage is the first stage in the problem-solving process where the individual or team identifies and defines potential problems or opportunities. In this stage, they gather information, conduct research, and analyze the situation to better understand the issue at hand. This stage sets the foundation for the rest of the problem-solving process.

Question 2

During what stage of the problem-solving process does one develop alternative solutions to the problem and evaluate their feasibility?
A)the intelligence stage
B)the implementation stage
C)the choice stage
D)the design stage

Accepted Answer

Developing alternative solutions and evaluating their feasibility is part of the design stage of the problem-solving process. This stage involves generating possible solutions and assessing their potential effectiveness before choosing the best option.

Question 3

Russ is the manager of a retail company.He is having problems in managing and controlling the stock level required for items that are selling well as compared to items that are not selling well.What control mechanism could Russ implement to address this problem?
A)economic order quantity
B)reorder point
C)material requirements planning
D)just-in-time inventory

Accepted Answer

Just-in-time inventory helps manage stock levels by ordering goods only as they are needed, reducing excess inventory and focusing on items that sell well.

Question 4

Which of the following department uses MIS subsystems and outputs to monitor and control the flow of materials, products, and services through the organization?
A)financial
B)manufacturing
C)human resource
D)marketing

Accepted Answer

The manufacturing department is responsible for monitoring and controlling the flow of materials, products, and services through the organization, making it the best choice for using MIS subsystems and outputs for this purpose. The financial department is more concerned with financial information and transactions, human resources deal with employee data and management, and marketing focuses on promotion and sales.

Question 5

Which of the following allows manufacturing facilities to rapidly and efficiently change from making one product to making another?
A)a just-in-time approach
B)computer-integrated manufacturing
C)a flexible manufacturing system
D)a streamlined process

Accepted Answer

A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) allows for rapid and efficient changes in production by using computer-controlled machines that can be quickly reprogrammed to produce different parts or products. A just-in-time approach focuses on reducing inventory and only producing what is needed when it is needed. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is a broader concept that refers to the integration of various manufacturing technologies, but may not necessarily result in rapid changeovers. Streamlined processes can improve efficiency but may not necessarily allow for rapid changes in production.

Question 6

The performance of decision support systems is typically a function of two factors.One of the factors is decision quality.What is the other?
A)problem complexity
B)cost
C)hardware
D)software

Accepted Answer

The other factor that affects the performance of decision support systems is the complexity of the problem being addressed. The more complex the problem, the more challenging it is to provide accurate and relevant decision support. Thus, both decision quality and problem complexity are important in determining the effectiveness of decision support systems. The other options, such as cost, hardware, and software, may be important but are not directly related to the performance of decision support systems.

Question 7

Fraud was suspected in the IT department of Company ABC.The CEO called on the VP of Finance to do a complete review of the IT department financial processes.What is the name for this review activity?
A)internal controllership
B)external controllership
C)internal auditing
D)external auditing

Accepted Answer

The review activity described in the scenario is an example of internal auditing, which involves assessing and evaluating a company's financial processes and controls to identify potential fraud or inefficiencies. Internal controllership usually refers to the processes and procedures implemented by a company's management to ensure the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting, while external controllership and external auditing both involve having an independent third party review a company's financial processes and controls, which is not the case in this scenario. Therefore, the best choice is C, internal auditing.

Question 8

A company is preparing for its semi-annual sales and quite a number of items will go on sale.Grace works in the Inventory department and she is monitoring the inventory levels of the targeted sales items.She creates a set of conditions so reports will be produced when the targeted sales items are low in inventory.What is the name given to her report?
A)a scheduled report
B)an on-demand report
C)a key-indicator report
D)an exception report

Accepted Answer

Grace is monitoring inventory levels and creating a set of conditions to produce reports when targeted sales items are low in inventory. This type of report is known as an exception report because it highlights exceptions or deviations from the norm or expected levels.

Question 9

What are the most significant internal data sources for an organization's MIS?
A)its various DSS and GSS systems and users
B)its internal websites
C)its various TPS and ERP systems and related databases
D)its data from customers, suppliers, competitors, and stockholders

Accepted Answer

The most significant internal data sources for an organization's MIS are its internal transaction processing systems (TPS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, along with their related databases. These systems generate and capture data on the organization's day-to-day operations, including sales, inventory, production, and financial transactions. This data is critical for decision-making and strategic planning. While DSS and GSS systems and internal websites may provide valuable information, they are not as significant as the TPS and ERP systems for an organization's MIS. Data from customers, suppliers, competitors, and stockholders are external data sources rather than internal.

Question 10

What two phases of problem solving were added by George Huber to Herbert Simon's original three-stage model of decision making?
A)intelligence and design
B)design and choice
C)choice and implementation
D)implementation and monitoring

Accepted Answer

George Huber expanded Herbert Simon's original model by adding the phases of "implementation" and "monitoring" to the existing stages of intelligence, design, and choice.

Question 11

What organizational unit within an enterprise does NOT directly generate revenue?
A)the cost centre
B)the responsibility centre
C)the nonprofit centre
D)the non-cash centre

Accepted Answer

A cost centre is an organizational unit within an enterprise that incurs costs but does not directly generate revenue. Its primary purpose is to support other units within the enterprise in generating revenue. Examples of cost centres include administrative departments, IT departments, and human resources departments.

Question 12

What set of reports provides particular information upon request?
A)exception reports
B)drill-down reports
C)scheduled reports
D)demand reports

Accepted Answer

Demand reports provide particular information upon request, which means that users can request specific information and the system will generate a report based on the requested criteria. Exception reports highlight unusual or problematic data, drill-down reports provide detailed information on a single data point, and scheduled reports are generated automatically on a regular basis.

Question 13

Which of the following is a target group to receive financial MIS?
A)executives only
B)accountants only
C)executives and a broader set of people
D)accountants and a broader set of people

Accepted Answer

Financial MIS should be provided not only to the executives, but also to a broader set of people in the organization who need it to make informed decisions. This includes department heads, managers, and other decision-makers who require financial information and insights to perform their duties effectively. Providing financial MIS to a broader set of people also promotes communication, collaboration, and transparency across the organization, which enhances overall performance and drives success.

Question 14

Which of the following is a characteristic of an MIS system?
A)It provides reports with variable and mixed formats.
B)It allows users to use standard reports.
C)It uses internal and external data stored in various computer systems.
D)It produces hard-copy and soft-copy reports.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a characteristic...

Question 15

Mohamed prepared a monthly report that provides key information about various aspects of the department.To whom will he be delivering this report?
A)his colleague
B)his manager
C)his director
D)the CEO

Accepted Answer

Mohamed is preparing a monthly report that provides key information about various aspects of the department. This report is likely to be delivered to his manager, as it is the manager's responsibility to oversee the department and make decisions based on the information provided in the report.

Question 16

What report summarizes the previous day's critical activities and is typically available at the start of each workday?
A)the demand report
B)the drill-down report
C)the exception report
D)the key-indicator report

Accepted Answer

The answer of What report summarizes the previous day's critical...

Question 17

What type of MIS supports managerial activities in product development, distribution, pricing, promotions, and sales forecasting?
A)a manufacturing MIS
B)a marketing MIS
C)a financial MIS
D)a human resource MIS

Accepted Answer

A marketing MIS supports managerial activities related to product development, distribution, pricing, promotions, and sales forecasting. It provides tools for collecting and analyzing data on customer behavior, market trends, and competitor activities, which helps managers make informed decisions about marketing strategies and tactics. A manufacturing MIS would primarily support activities related to production planning and control. A financial MIS would provide information on financial performance and projections. A human resource MIS would focus on activities related to workforce planning, recruitment, training, and performance management.

Question 18

Muco works for a retail company and every morning he prepares a report that summarizes how well the company did the previous day in terms of sales by reviewing the inventory.What is the name for this report?
A)a status report
B)a schedule report
C)a key-indicator report
D)an on-demand report

Accepted Answer

A key-indicator report summarizes the performance of a business based on key performance indicators, such as sales or inventory levels, and is often produced on a regular basis, such as daily or weekly. This description matches the report that Muco prepares. A status report typically provides an overview of a project's progress or a team's activities, a schedule report outlines upcoming tasks or events, and an on-demand report is generated only when specifically requested.

Question 19

Alex works for a multinational company with over 100 offices in over 10 countries.He recently prepared a sales forecast report for the upcoming year by country.He aggregated the data and presented a bar chart by country.What would be a typical audience that would use his report for decision making?
A)the senior management group
B)the middle management group
C)frontline managers
D)financial managers

Accepted Answer

The senior management group would typically use such a high-level sales forecast report by country for strategic decision-making and planning.

Question 20

Kate was given a problem to analyze.After few hours of work, she was considering the different courses of action for the problem at hand by evaluating each one.What stage of the problem-solving process was Kate in?
A)intelligence
B)design
C)choice
D)implementation

Accepted Answer

Kate was in the design stage, where she evaluates different courses of action for the problem.

Quiz 10: Information and Decision Support Systems

During what stage in the problem-solving process does one identify and define potential problems or opportunities?

During what stage of the problem-solving process does one develop alternative solutions to the problem and evaluate their feasibility?

Russ is the manager of a retail company.He is having problems in managing and controlling the stock level required for items that are selling well as compared to items that are not selling well.What control mechanism could Russ implement to address this problem?

Which of the following department uses MIS subsystems and outputs to monitor and control the flow of materials, products, and services through the organization?

Which of the following allows manufacturing facilities to rapidly and efficiently change from making one product to making another?

The performance of decision support systems is typically a function of two factors.One of the factors is decision quality.What is the other?

Fraud was suspected in the IT department of Company ABC.The CEO called on the VP of Finance to do a complete review of the IT department financial processes.What is the name for this review activity?

What are the most significant internal data sources for an organization's MIS?

What two phases of problem solving were added by George Huber to Herbert Simon's original three-stage model of decision making?

What organizational unit within an enterprise does NOT directly generate revenue?

What set of reports provides particular information upon request?

Which of the following is a target group to receive financial MIS?

Which of the following is a characteristic of an MIS system?

Mohamed prepared a monthly report that provides key information about various aspects of the department.To whom will he be delivering this report?

What report summarizes the previous day's critical activities and is typically available at the start of each workday?

What type of MIS supports managerial activities in product development, distribution, pricing, promotions, and sales forecasting?

Muco works for a retail company and every morning he prepares a report that summarizes how well the company did the previous day in terms of sales by reviewing the inventory.What is the name for this report?

Alex works for a multinational company with over 100 offices in over 10 countries.He recently prepared a sales forecast report for the upcoming year by country.He aggregated the data and presented a bar chart by country.What would be a typical audience that would use his report for decision making?

Kate was given a problem to analyze.After few hours of work, she was considering the different courses of action for the problem at hand by evaluating each one.What stage of the problem-solving process was Kate in?