14. Using IT Systems In the Organisation Flashcards
(174 cards)
1
Q
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
What is the main role of IT systems in an organisation’s operations?
A
To support day-to-day tasks of management, employees, and customers, ensuring they are completed effectively and without issues.
2
Q
List three operational goals that IT systems help achieve.
A
Improving efficiency and productivity
Enhancing communication and collaboration
Reducing costs and increasing profits
3
Q
How do IT systems support decision-making?
A
By providing access to accurate and timely information, allowing better analysis and strategic planning.
4
Q
To provide effective operational support, IT systems should be applied to many key areas of a
business or organisation,
Which are
A
Automation
Monitoring and maintenance
Customer service
Data management and analysis
Resource management
5
Q
Automation
What is the benefit of automation in IT systems?
A
Automation frees up employees for more strategic tasks and increases efficiency in repetitive or simple jobs.
6
Q
Give two examples of tasks that can be automated.
A
Data entry
Basic customer service interactions (e.g., processing a refund)
7
Q
Monitoring and maintenance
How do IT systems contribute to system monitoring and maintenance?
A
They monitor performance, detect issues early, and help prevent downtime and data loss.
8
Q
Customer service
What IT tools improve customer service?
A
Online self-service portals, chatbots, and knowledge bases.
9
Q
Data management and analysis
How do IT systems assist with data management and analysis?
A
They collect and analyse data to identify areas for improvement and optimise processes.
10
Q
What outcomes can result from effective data analysis using IT systems?
A
Reduced costs, better services, and improved products.
11
Q
Resource management
How do IT systems support resource management in organisations?
A
By helping manage human resources, finances, and physical assets effectively.
12
Q
What is the purpose of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems?
A
To centralise and integrate areas like finance, HR, and supply chain management into a single computer system.
13
Q
What are some key areas typically managed by ERP systems?
A
Finance, Human Resources (HR), and Supply Chain Management.
14
Q
COLLABORATION
How do IT systems enable collaboration in organisations?
A
By providing tools and resources for communication and teamwork across employees, teams, and departments, including those in different locations.
15
Q
What role does cloud computing play in collaboration?
A
It allows geographically dispersed teams to interact more easily and work flexibly, including working from home.
16
Q
What are the ways that IT systems can support collaboration
A
Communication
Collaboration platforms
Social media and networks
Project management software
17
Q
Communication
What are three communication tools IT systems provide for collaboration?
A
Email, instant messaging, and video conferencing.
18
Q
Collaboration platforms
Name three popular collaboration platforms.
A
Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, and Dropbox.
19
Q
Social media and networks
How do social media and enterprise networks promote collaboration?
A
By enabling informal communication, idea sharing, and community-building across departments and roles.
20
Q
How do collaboration platforms support real-time teamwork?
A
They allow users to store, share, and work simultaneously on documents, ensuring version control and effective teamwork.
21
Q
Give two examples of platforms that include social collaboration tools.
A
Microsoft Teams and Meta (Facebook).
22
Q
Project management software
What does project management software help teams do?
A
Plan, organise, assign responsibilities, track progress, and manage workflows for projects and individuals.
23
Q
How does project management software help projects stay on track?
A
By allowing users to set deadlines, assign tasks, and monitor progress for individuals and teams.
24
Q
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
What is the goal of knowledge management in an organisation?
A
To organise, process, and manipulate information so it can be used effectively.
25
ways that IT systems can be used to facilitate and support knowledge
management.
Document management systems (DMS)
Content management systems (CMS):
Knowledge repositories
26
Document management systems (DMS)
What is a Document Management System (DMS)?
A platform that enables efficient storage, organisation, and retrieval of documents and files.
27
Name four key features of a Document Management System (DMS).
Version control
Document tagging
Full-text search
Access control
28
Content management systems (CMS):
What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
A platform for creating, managing, and publishing digital content like articles, blogs, and multimedia.
29
How do CMS platforms support collaboration?
Through collaborative authoring, content editing, and versioning across teams.
30
Knowledge repositories
What are knowledge repositories used for?
Storing key organisational knowledge such as reports, manuals, and policy documents.
31
Why are knowledge repositories important?
They centralise best practices and standard operating procedures, ensuring staff have access to accurate, up-to-date information.
32
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Why is product development vital for organisations?
It helps companies stay competitive, maintain success, and grow by creating or improving products.
33
What role do IT systems play in product development?
They support each stage of the process, including planning, design, development, testing, and manufacturing.
34
The main stages of product development
Ideation, conceptualisation and planning
Design and prototyping
Development and testing
Production and manufacturing
35
Ideation, conceptualisation and planning
What happens during the ideation, conceptualisation, and planning stage?
Initial ideas are generated, explored, refined, and assessed through feasibility studies and stakeholder engagement.
36
How do IT systems assist in the planning stage?
By recording ideas, supporting feasibility studies, and facilitating stakeholder engagement and refinement.
37
Design and prototyping
What occurs during the design and prototyping stage?
Initial product designs are created, including flowcharts, user interface designs, and technical specifications.
38
Why are multiple design iterations important in product development?
To refine functionality and ensure stakeholder requirements are met before finalising the product design.
39
Why is early user feedback important in development?
t helps identify issues before release, saving time and money compared to post-launch fixes.
39
Development and testing
What happens during the development and testing phase?
The product is built and undergoes multiple testing phases involving stakeholders and early feedback.
40
Production and manufacturing
How do IT systems contribute to production and manufacturing?
They ensure consistency, efficiency, and reliability in producing physical products.
41
SERVICE DELIVERY
What role do IT systems play in service delivery?
They provide a platform for delivering services more efficiently and to a wider audience.
42
How do IT systems streamline service delivery?
By automating processes, managing data and knowledge effectively, and optimising workflow.
43
What are three ways IT systems enhance service delivery?
Process automation
Data and knowledge management
Workflow optimisation
44
TRANSACTION PROCESSING
What is transaction processing (TP)?
The management of short, self-contained tasks involving data changes, typically for financial or inventory-related transactions.
45
What is the main goal of transaction processing?
To maintain data integrity during transactions.
46
Give an example of transaction processing in e-commerce.
When a purchase is made, the item is removed from available stock to reflect accurate availability.
47
Electronic point of sale (EPOS)
What is an EPOS system?
An Electronic Point of Sale system that supports sales and inventory management in businesses like shops and restaurants.
48
What are the key components of an EPOS system for sales processing?
A cash drawer and a contactless reader for card or smartphone payments.
49
key functionalities of an EPOS system
Sales processing
Inventory management
Customer insights
Improved customer experience
50
How do EPOS systems support inventory management?
By updating stock levels in real time and automatically reordering items when levels drop below a threshold.
51
How can EPOS systems provide customer insights?
By collecting sales data to identify popular items and peak sales times.
52
How do EPOS systems improve the customer experience?
Through features like self-service checkouts and loyalty card integration.
53
Order processing
What is order processing?
A form of transaction processing used when making purchases, such as on e-commerce sites or at cinemas.
54
What are the four ACID principles that order processing must follow?
Atomicity
Consistency
Isolation
Durability
55
What does Atomicity mean in transaction processing?
A transaction must be treated as a single, indivisible unit that cannot be split.
56
What does Consistency ensure in order processing?
The system moves from one valid state to another, such as validating payment and updating stock levels correctly.
57
What does Isolation prevent in order processing?
It ensures that concurrent transactions (like two customers buying the same item) don’t interfere with each other.
58
What does Durability mean in the context of order processing?
Once a transaction is confirmed, its details remain permanently stored and are recoverable even after system failures.
59
Financial
Why is data integrity and security especially important in financial systems?
Because they process sensitive financial data and must ensure reliable, accurate transactions.
60
key considerations for financial transaction processing includes
ACID compliance
High availability:
Systems must be accessible 24/7 with no noticeable downtime to users.
Scalability
To handle large volumes of transactions efficiently, especially during peak periods.
Security and fraud prevention
By implementing robust protections against unauthorised access and fraudulent activity to ensure security and fraud prevention?
Compliance with regulations:
Adhere to laws and regulations aimed at transparency and reducing financial crime.
61
Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs)
What is Bacs Payment Schemes Limited (Bacs)?
A UK-based organisation responsible for operating major payment systems, focusing on direct debit and direct credit transactions.
62
Name two international equivalents of Bacs.
ACH (Automated Clearing House) in the USA
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) in the EU
63
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
What is the main purpose of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system?
To help businesses manage interactions with customers and stakeholders, aiming to improve engagement and increase profits.
64
What technologies do CRM systems typically use to manage customer data?
Database tools integrated with functions for marketing, customer support, and communication across platforms.
65
Synchronise marketing events
Q: How do CRM systems support marketing campaigns?
A: They allow companies to plan, schedule, and synchronise campaigns across multiple platforms (e.g., social media, email, SMS).
66
Q: What advantage does CRM integration with social media provide?
A: It enables automatic posting and ensures consistent messaging across all marketing channels.
67
Loyalty schemes
Q: What is a loyalty scheme in CRM?
A: A marketing tool that incentivises repeat purchases by offering points or rewards based on customer transactions.
68
Buying trends
Q: How do CRM systems help businesses understand buying trends?
A: By analysing sales data to make strategic decisions on stock levels, advertising timing, and target demographics.
69
Customer service
Q: How do CRM systems improve customer service?
A: They allow for personalisation like birthday messages or follow-ups and help track and resolve customer issues effectively.
70
Customer retention
Q: Why is customer retention important to businesses?
A: It indicates long-term satisfaction, increases the chance of word-of-mouth promotion, and boosts profitability.
71
Q: How do CRM systems support customer retention?
A: By centralising data to personalise experiences, resolve issues promptly, and offer incentives to encourage repeat business.
72
Upselling
Q: What is upselling, and how do CRM systems assist with it?
A: Up selling is suggesting additional or upgraded products to increase sales.
CRM systems analyse customer data to offer relevant add-ons or recommendations.
73
Q: Give an example of up selling using a CRM-integrated e-commerce platform.
A: A CRM system may recommend a laptop case, mouse, or headset after a customer adds a laptop to their shopping cart.
74
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Q: What is the main purpose of a Management Information System (MIS)?
A: To support operations by providing managers with accurate information for data-driven decision-making.
75
Record keeping
Q: What types of sources do MIS gather data from?
A: Internal sources like EPOS, CRM, employee and financial databases; and external sources like market research and government reports.
76
Decision-making
Q: What tools do MIS offer to support decision-making?
A: Query tools, search engines, dashboards, and reporting interfaces.
77
Project management
Q: How do MIS support project management?
A: By identifying insights, risks, and opportunities, enabling better planning and data-driven decisions.
78
Q: Give an example of how MIS can help in a project.
A: It might detect inefficiencies in production and support development of a more efficient manufacturing process.
79
INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Q: What is the primary goal of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)?
A: To improve the planning and operation of public and private transportation using real-time data.
80
Q: What technologies are commonly used in ITS to gather real-time traffic data?
Sensors
cameras
traffic monitoring systems.
81
Q: What types of conditions does ITS monitor?
A: Traffic congestion, accidents, road closures, and weather conditions.
82
Uses of ITS
Scheduling and route planning
Timetabling
Locations
Fleet management
83
Scheduling and route planning
Q: How do ITS use routing algorithms to improve travel efficiency?
A: By calculating optimal routes based on real-time traffic data, road conditions, and vehicle restrictions.
83
Uses of ITS in public transport are
Dynamic scheduling:
It adjusts bus/train schedules based on passenger numbers and traffic to reduce wait times and improve efficiency.
Demand-responsive scheduling:
A system that creates flexible routes based on real-time passenger demand to avoid underused areas.
Incident management:
It allows for quick schedule adjustments to minimise disruptions from accidents or unexpected events.
84
Timetabling
Q: What role do algorithms play in ITS timetabling?
A: They predict future traffic patterns and passenger demand to improve scheduling.
85
Q: How does machine learning enhance ITS timetabling?
A: It detects trends and can anticipate future increases in demand on specific routes.
86
Q: What is a benefit of using predictive algorithms in ITS timetabling?
A: More efficient allocation of resources like buses during peak demand times.
87
Locations
Q: What is a key source of location data for ITS?
A: User-generated data from smart devices with location services enabled.
88
The data can be collected in many different ways. For example:
User-generated data:
A: It provides anonymised speed and location data to monitor traffic flow in real time.
Community-based reporting:
A: Real-time updates from the public and radio stations on incidents like accidents or road closures.
Road sensors and traffic cameras:
A: They supply real-time traffic data through government or private partnerships.
89
Q: What technology allows real-time vehicle tracking in ITS?
A: GPS and telematics.
90
Fleet management
Q: How can ITS help logistics companies with fleet management?
A: By tracking vehicle speed, location, and driving behaviour to optimise routes and improve safety.
91
Q: What driving behaviours can ITS monitor for fleet management?
A: Sudden braking, erratic driving, or harsh turns—important for fragile cargo.
92
Q: How does ITS support proactive scheduling and dispatching in fleet management?
A: By providing real-time updates that allow dynamic response to changing demand or conditions.
93
EXPERT SYSTEMS
Q: What is an expert system?
A: An IT system that supports decision-making in a specific knowledge area using pre-programmed rules and facts.
94
Q: In what fields are expert systems commonly used?
A: Medicine, technical troubleshooting, and other domains requiring expert-level decisions.
94
Q: How does an expert system differ from machine learning systems?
A: It relies on fixed, human-coded rules and doesn't learn or adapt automatically from new data.
95
An expert system is made up of two main elements, What are they
knowledge base
the inference engine.
96
Define knowledge base
a large
repository of information
related to a specific area of
expertise
97
Define the inference engine.
the
decision-making part of an
expert system
98
Q: Why is an expert system considered static?
A: Because its knowledge base doesn’t automatically adapt or improve through new data.
99
Q: What is a typical limitation of an expert system’s scope?
A: It usually functions within very strict, narrow parameters.
100
**OPERATIONAL ISSUES
IT GOVERNANCE AND POLICY
Q: What is IT governance?
A: The processes, structures, and mechanisms that ensure IT resources are used effectively and align with business goals.
101
Q: What is the purpose of IT governance in an organisation?
A: To manage and mitigate risks, ensure compliance, and help achieve key business objectives through proper use of IT.
102
Q: What should IT governance and policy documents define?
A: Rules and procedures for IT use, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making hierarchies.
103
The key goals for IT governance include
Strategic alignment:
A: Ensuring IT activities and investments support the organisation’s overall goals and strategies.
Risk management:
A: Identifying and mitigating potential risks to IT systems to avoid disruption and damage.
Resource management:
A: It ensures efficient allocation and use of resources to maximise value and minimise waste.
Performance measurement:
A: Setting and monitoring KPIs to assess and improve IT governance effectiveness.
Compliance and legal requirements:
A. if a company fails to comply with IT governance regulations it may face legal action, financial loss, and damage to customer trust.
103
In order to achieve IT governance goals, IT policy will often focus on the following key areas.
Which are
Business continuity
Disaster recovery
Risk management
User policу
104
Business continuity
Q: What is business continuity?
A: The ability of an organisation to continue core operations during or after a major disruption.
105
Q: Why is business continuity important?
A: To maintain customer confidence, minimise disruption, and reduce financial impact.
106
Q: What is a business continuity plan (BCP)?
A: A document outlining procedures, fallback systems, and roles to manage and recover from disruptions.
107
Q: What key actions are included in a business continuity plan?
A: Notifying customers/regulators, investigating causes, mitigating impacts, and updating procedures.
108
Q: How is a business continuity plan related to disaster recovery?
A: It is often linked or integrated with the disaster recovery plan to ensure a coordinated response.
109
Disaster recovery
Q: What is disaster recovery?
A: A policy detailing how an organisation will restore IT systems and data after a serious incident.
110
Q: What types of incidents are covered by disaster recovery?
A: System failures, natural disasters, and cyberattacks.
111
Q: What does a disaster recovery policy include?
A: Recovery objectives, roles/responsibilities, backup strategies, and contingency plans.
112
Q: Can all risks in IT be prevented?
A: No, but their impact can be reduced with strong systems, protection, and recovery plans.
113
Risk management
Q: What is the purpose of risk management in IT governance?
A: To identify potential risks and plan ways to reduce and mitigate their impact.
114
Q: Why should the risk management policy not be used in isolation?
A: It should be cross-referenced with other policies like disaster recovery and security.
115
User policу
Q: What is a user policy or acceptable use policy (AUP)?
A: A policy that defines acceptable behaviours for using an organisation’s IT resources.
116
Q: What does a user policy typically cover?
A: Guidelines for computer, network, and software use; internet and email usage; and data handling.
117
MANAGING IT CHANGEOVER
Q: Why is it important to manage the transition from an old system to a new one carefully?
A: Because it affects the success of both the new system and the business overall.
118
Q: What should be considered when choosing a system changeover method?
A: The specific system, organisation, and context.
119
Q: different types of system changeover methods
Phased changeover
Direct changeover
Parallel changeover
Pilot changeover
120
Phased changeover
Q: What is a phased changeover?
A: It involves gradually implementing a new system in stages while maintaining the old system until the transition is complete.
121
Q: When is a phased changeover most suitable?
A: When the new system can be divided into distinct components or modules.
122
Q: Give an example of a phased changeover in an ERP system.
Phase 1: Finance and accounting
Phase 2: Inventory and procurement
Phase 3: Sales and order management
Phase 4: Reporting and analytics
123
Q: What is one key benefit of a phased changeover?
A: It reduces risks by allowing issues to be isolated and fixed in each phase before moving to the next.
124
Q: How does phased changeover help with staff training?
A: It allows staff to be trained in smaller groups as the system is introduced gradually.
125
Direct changeover
Q: What is a direct changeover?
A: It involves completely replacing the old system with the new one in a single step, usually during a specific cut-off period.
125
Q: What is a drawback of phased changeover regarding system benefits?
A: The organisation takes longer to see the full benefits of the new system.
compatibility concerns
A: Ensuring the new and old systems can exchange and interpret data correctly during the transition.
126
Q: Give an example of a direct changeover scenario.
A: Shutting down the old system on Friday evening and starting the new one on Monday morning.
127
Q: What are the benefit of direct changeover?
The organisation immediately sees the full benefits of the new system.
reduce complexity
A: There’s no need to manage both systems running simultaneously.
128
Q: What is a major risk of direct changeover?
A: There is no fallback system if the new system fails.
129
Q: When is direct changeover most appropriate?
A: For small-scale or non-business-critical applications, like upgrading office productivity software.
130
Parallel changeover
Q: What is a parallel changeover?
A: It involves running both the old and new systems simultaneously for a period of time.
131
Q: How is workload managed in a parallel changeover?
A: Initially, a small part is handled by the new system, increasing over time until the new system takes over entirely.
132
advantages of parallel changeover
A: It allows comparison and testing of the new system against the old one.
A: It reduces the risk of system failure by maintaining the old system as a fallback.
133
Q: What is a downside of a parallel changeover?
A: It requires more time and resources, which can lead to increased costs.
134
Pilot changeover
Q: What is a pilot changeover?
A: It's when a full system is implemented in a limited area of a business for testing before full deployment.
135
Q: What is the purpose of a pilot changeover?
A: To test, review, and refine the new system in a real-world setting with minimal business risk.
136
Q: How does a pilot changeover limit risk?
A: By restricting use of the new system to one area, reducing the impact of any system failure.
137
Q: What is one limitation of pilot changeover?
A: It may not reveal issues that could arise when the system is used organisation-wide.
138
Q: Why might a pilot changeover be combined with another method?
A: To ensure a smoother and more reliable full-scale rollout after testing is complete.
139
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Q: What is system maintenance?
A: It is the ongoing process of checking, managing, and updating IT systems to ensure they remain effective and reliable.
140
Q: Why is system maintenance important for an organisation?
A: To ensure IT systems continue to meet business goals and perform necessary tasks effectively.
141
Types of system maintenance
Perfective maintenance
Adaptive maintenance
Corrective maintenance
142
Perfective maintenance
Q: What is perfective maintenance?
A: Maintenance focused on improving existing systems to enhance performance, efficiency, or add new features.
143
Q: What might trigger perfective maintenance?
A: User feedback, market trends, or changes in the company’s strategic objectives.
143
Adaptive maintenance
Q: What is adaptive maintenance?
A: Maintenance that modifies a system to meet changes in the external environment, such as new hardware or legal requirements.
144
Corrective maintenance
Q: What is corrective maintenance?
A: It is the process of fixing errors, bugs, or defects in a system, usually in response to identified issues.
145
Q: What are examples of triggers for adaptive maintenance?
A: Installation of incompatible hardware/software or changes in laws and regulations.
146
Q: What typically triggers corrective maintenance?
A: User feedback or detection of abnormal system behaviour.
147
Q: What is the first step in corrective maintenance after an issue is detected?
A: Analyse the root cause of the issue to develop an appropriate fix.
148
Q: What is regression testing?
A: A set of tests performed after corrective maintenance to ensure the fix has not caused new issues in the system.
149
ARCHIVING DATA
Q: What is data archiving?
A: The process of storing historical data securely so it can be accessed when needed, while reducing the load on primary systems.
150
Q: Why is data archiving important for system performance?
A: It moves infrequently used data out of primary systems, improving system performance and efficiency.
151
reasons why an organisation needs to archive data.
Compliance and regulatory requirements:
A: It ensures data is retained for the legally required timeframes, helping companies meet regulatory and industry standards.
Business continuity and disaster recovery:
A: Archived data acts as a backup, protecting against data loss due to system failures, disasters, or cyber attacks.
.
Historical analysis and reporting:
A: It provides information for identifying trends, performing long-term planning, and generating insights.
Auditors and compliance audits:
A: It provides information for identifying trends, performing long-term planning, and generating insights.
Legacy systems and migrations:
A: It preserves old data for access and integration during system upgrades or replacements, ensuring operational continuity.
152
DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS
Q: What is the main goal of a disaster recovery plan?
A: To minimise downtime, protect data, and maintain business continuity in the event of a critical system failure.
152
Q: What should be included in the inventory section of a disaster recovery plan?
A: A detailed list of critical data and systems that must be protected and recovered.
152
Q: What must a disaster recovery plan include regarding backup procedures?
A: Detailed instructions for backing up data, storing backups securely, and protecting the backups from threats.
153
What does recovery objectives include
1. recovery time objectives (RTOs)
the maximum acceptable time it should take to restore a system or data after a failure.
2. Recovery Point Objective –
the maximum acceptable amount of data loss, measured in time, that a business can tolerate.
153
Q: What are the three key strands of risk analysis?
1. Threat identification
2. Impact assessment
3. Risk mitigation strategies
153
Risk analysis
Q: What is the purpose of a risk analysis in disaster recovery planning?
A: To identify potential threats to data and systems, assess their impact, and define strategies to mitigate those risks.
154
Q: What does threat identification involve in a risk analysis?
A: Assessing and listing specific internal and external threats to data and systems.
155
Q: What is the purpose of an impact assessment in risk analysis?
A: To evaluate the potential effect of each threat on data, systems, and business operations.
156
Q: What should a risk mitigation strategy include?
A: Specific methods to reduce the likelihood and impact of identified threats.
157
Team actions
Q: What should the disaster recovery plan define regarding personnel?
A: It should clearly define the members and roles of the disaster recovery team.
158
Q: What should be included when defining team roles in a disaster recovery plan?
A: Responsibilities of each member, task schedules, and backup personnel if someone is unavailable.
159
Q: What is the purpose of a communication plan in a disaster recovery strategy?
A: To provide clear internal and external communication procedures, including contact info for team members and stakeholders.
160
Management
Q: Why should a disaster recovery plan not be treated as a static document?
A: Because if left unused or outdated, it may be ineffective during a critical event.
161
Q: What should happen after the disaster recovery plan is developed?
A: It should receive formal approval from senior management.
162
Q: What commitment is expected from senior management after approving the plan?
A: They must ensure all necessary resources are provided for effective implementation.
163
Q: Where should disaster recovery documentation be stored?
A: In a separate system unaffected by potential critical events.
164
Q: What characteristics should disaster recovery documentation have?
A: It should be clear, concise, and easily accessible to all relevant users.
