Question 1

The purpose of control is to identify deviations from goals as soon as possible in order to take corrective action. Tracking sales, inventory levels, orders, and customer support are examples of control activities. What type of company data is most important at this level?

Accepted Answer

Internal data, such as sales, inventory levels, orders, and customer support, is most important for control activities as it provides insights into the company's own performance and allows for effective corrective action. External data, vendor data, and administrative data may be important for other purposes but are not as crucial for control activities.

Question 2

In 2012, there was a noticeable increase in the use of Transportation Management Systems TMS). One of the factors contributing to the growth of TMS is:___________________

Accepted Answer

The growth of intermodal transport, which involves the use of multiple modes of transportation (such as truck, rail, and ship) for a single shipment, has contributed to the increased use of Transportation Management Systems (TMS) in recent years. TMS can help optimize and coordinate the movement of goods across different modes of transport, making intermodal shipping more efficient and cost-effective.

Question 3

What does SWOT analysis represent?

Accepted Answer

SWOT analysis represents Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Therefore, the best choice is B. A is incorrect because it provides inaccurate words for each letter. C is incorrect because it includes words that are not related to SWOT analysis. D is incorrect because it includes words that are not related to SWOT analysis.

Question 4

At what level do senior or-top level management plan and make decisions that set or impact the long-term direction of the entire organization.

Accepted Answer

Senior or top level management plan and make decisions that set or impact the long-term direction of the entire organization at the strategic level. The operational level deals with day-to-day activities, managerial or administrative level deals with coordinating and overseeing a specific area, and executive level refers to top-level management.

Question 5

Data requirements of the operational level units are extensive and relatively routine, rarely changing because they depend on fixed sources of input and __________, which is a set of written instructions that document a routine or repetitive activity that is followed by an organization.

Accepted Answer

Operational level units rely on standardized procedures to carry out their routine tasks, and these procedures are documented in Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs). The data requirements of these units are based on these SOPs and other fixed sources of input, making them extensive but relatively routine. Compliance systems, strategic marketing plans, and quality control may also be important for operational units, but they are not as directly related to the fixed and routine nature of the data requirements at this level.

Question 6

When work flows and data flows between departments do not work well or coordination is difficult, they cause delays, errors, and poor customer service. This is why ___________ the functional departments via information systems that enable communication, coordination, and control is essential.

Accepted Answer

Integrating the functional departments via information systems that enable communication, coordination, and control is essential for improving work and data flows between departments.

Question 7

Increasing the number and frequency of high-quality ___________ increases the chance of being top-of-mind with customers when they are deciding on entertainment. Knowing what customers want can be a powerful competitive edge.

Accepted Answer

Touchpoints refer to any interaction between a customer and a brand, such as social media, email marketing, in-person experiences, and more. By increasing the number and frequency of these high-quality touchpoints, a brand can strengthen its relationship with customers and increase the likelihood of being top-of-mind when they are making purchasing decisions. This can also help a brand better understand what its customers want and tailor its offerings accordingly, providing a competitive edge.

Question 8

In terms of manufacturing, the business function that is responsible for transforming inputs into useful outputs, is: ________________

Accepted Answer

Production and operations management (POM) is the business function responsible for transforming inputs into useful outputs through the manufacturing process. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool, online transaction processing (OLTP) is a type of data processing, and standard operation procedures (SOP) are predetermined and documented step-by-step instructions for performing routine tasks.

Question 9

The success of International Speedway Corporation ISC) mission depends largely on its ability to fill seats at events and minimize _______ in marketing campaigns.

Accepted Answer

Minimizing waste in marketing campaigns is crucial in order to maximize the effectiveness of the campaigns and avoid unnecessary expenses. Time, effort, and value are also important factors, but minimizing waste is the most relevant to filling seats at events.

Question 10

Ideally, operational ISs also called functional area ISs) provide ____________, knowing what's happening in any department or function at any time.

Accepted Answer

Operational ISs aim to provide transparency in the organization, which means ensuring that all departments and functions are aware of what's happening at any given time. This is crucial for effective decision-making and coordination between different parts of the organization. Quick response and operational performance are important outcomes of operational ISs, but transparency is the primary objective. Integration may also be a goal of operational ISs but is not directly related to providing transparency.

Question 11

Your textbook described how First Choice Ski, a UK based tour operator improved sales by using real-time reporting. First Choice Ski uses a Search Phrases Report to leverage factors driving visitors to the website, while the Internal Campaign Report helps them monitor and manage their many travel promotions providing them with the ability to make _____________________based on quantifiable, actionable, data-driven information.

Accepted Answer

The Internal Campaign Report provides quantifiable, actionable, data-driven information that allows First Choice Ski to monitor and manage their travel promotions. With this information, they can make performance improvements based on the data. Therefore, the best choice is A) Performance improvements.

Question 12

Data that are lost, destroyed, or compromised have financial implications. As such it is critical that businesses have ________ to ensure that data are secure, accurate, and that integrity is maintained.

Accepted Answer

Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) provide detailed instructions on how to perform specific tasks, ensuring that data are handled securely, accurately, and with integrity.

Question 13

International Speedway used data to personalize e-mails and promotions to specific fans, creating individualized campaigns delivered through consumers' preferred channels) determined by a customer's profile. This is an example of _________________.

Accepted Answer

International Speedway's use of data to personalize e-mails and promotions to specific fans and deliver them through consumers' preferred channels is an example of integrated marketing, as it combines data and marketing tactics to create a cohesive and customized customer experience.

Question 14

A key benefit of ________ is that they minimize variation and promote quality through consistent implementation of a process or procedure within the organization, even if there are temporary or permanent personnel changes.

Accepted Answer

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provide step-by-step instructions for executing a particular task or process in an organization. SOPs help to minimize variation and promote quality by ensuring that all employees follow a consistent methodology for carrying out a process or procedure, regardless of temporary or permanent personnel changes. This consistency helps to reduce errors, improve communication, and enhance productivity. Compliance systems, laws and regulations, and strategic marketing plans may also promote consistency and quality, but SOPs are specifically designed to provide a framework for standardization within an organization.

Question 15

Your textbook describes three levels of management using a pyramid model. Which of the following is not one of the management levels in the model?

Accepted Answer

The three levels of management are operational, managerial or administrative, and strategic. Executive level is not one of the levels mentioned in the model provided by the textbook.

Question 16

Data from functional ISs are used extensively by enterprise applications, including business intelligence BI), e-commerce, customer relationship management CRM), and __________________.

Accepted Answer

Supply chain management (SCM) is a critical enterprise application that relies heavily on data from functional ISs. SCM involves managing the flow of goods and services from suppliers to customers, and relies on accurate and real-time data from various functional areas such as production, inventory, sales, and shipping. Therefore, A is the best choice as it is directly related to the use of data from functional ISs.

Question 17

Only operations that meet data validity standards are allowed. For instance, systems that record checking accounts only allow unique check numbers for each transaction. Any operation that repeated a check number would fail to insure that the data in the database is correct and accurate. Network failures can also cause this type of data problem.

Accepted Answer

The concept of allowing only valid data to be recorded in a database pertains to consistency, which ensures that only transactions that meet certain criteria are executed, preventing invalid or inconsistent data from being stored in the database. This helps maintain the accuracy and integrity of the data. Atomicity refers to the principle that a transaction must either be entirely completed or entirely rolled back if an error occurs. Isolation pertains to the degree to which transactions are separated from one another to prevent interference. Durability refers to the principle that once a transaction has been committed, it will remain so, even in the event of a system failure. While all of these principles are important, only consistency is directly related to the issue described in the prompt.

Question 18

Your textbook described how First Choice Ski, a UK based tour operator improved sales by using real-time reporting. In the highly competitive tour operator industry, profit margins are tight. Being lean and responsive is key to maintaining a profitable business. By using _______________and real-time reporting, First Choice Ski was able to monitor and quickly respond to the behaviors of visitors on its travel web site.

Accepted Answer

The sentence states that First Choice Ski was able to monitor and respond to behaviors of visitors on its travel web site using a tool or platform for analytics and real-time reporting. Among the options, only Yahoo! Web Analytics provides this service. Facebook and Google Search are social media and search engines, respectively, which are not directly related to web site analytics. Surveys, on the other hand, are not real-time and do not provide detailed information about the behavior of visitors on a web site.

Question 19

Each of the following are considered basic functional areas and are generally supported by information systems: manufacturing and production, ________, finance, IT, sales and marketing, and HR

Accepted Answer

The given options are all functional areas that are supported by information systems. However, of the given options, accounting is the most relevant and specific to financial management and decision-making within an organization.

Question 20

Data Integrity: Data integrity with real-time systems involves the ACID test, which is short for _______?

Accepted Answer

The ACID test stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability, which are the key components of data integrity in real-time systems. Option A and C do not accurately represent the ACID test, and D includes some similar concepts but is not a complete representation.

Quiz 9: Functional Area and Compliance Systems