You have been hired by Inspiration Inc. to help improve their profit margin. Inspiration Inc. is a business communications consultancy that services many clients in different industries throughout the United States. The end products of the company are customized recommendations for the best use of a client's existing resources for improving internal communications, typically delivered via documentation in different media. The company has approximately 100 consultants, all of whom are located in their central headquarters in Chicago. What system do you recommend to improve the company's business processes and increase their profit margin?

You have been hired by Inspiration Inc. to help improve their profit margin. Inspiration Inc. is a business communications consultancy that services many clients in different industries throughout the United States. The end products of the company are customized recommendations for the best use of a client's existing resources for improving internal communications, typically delivered via documentation in different media. The company has approximately 100 consultants, all of whom are located in their central headquarters in Chicago. What system do you recommend to improve the company's business processes and increase their profit margin?




A) extranet, to enable quick collaboration over the Internet , minimize the time spent communicating with the client, and minimize the amount of paperwork needed
B) CRM, to maintain easily accessible customer records to minimize the time spent looking for client data
C) KMS, for minimizing redundant work on similar clients
D) marketing system, for improving sales levels



Answer: A

You have been hired by a worldwide non-profit agency to implement a system to handle their donations. The system must be able to handle and record telephone, sms, and Internet donations, provide up-to-the-minute reports, and create highly customizable mailing lists. In addition, event fundraisers need to be able to quickly access a donor's information and history. Which of the following systems will best meet these needs?

You have been hired by a worldwide non-profit agency to implement a system to handle their donations. The system must be able to handle and record telephone, sms, and Internet donations, provide up-to-the-minute reports, and create highly customizable mailing lists. In addition, event fundraisers need to be able to quickly access a donor's information and history. Which of the following systems will best meet these needs?



A) TPS
B) TPS with DSS capabilities
C) TPS with MIS capabilities
D) TPS with ESS capabilities





Answer: C

You work for a highly successful advertiser that is just about to expand nationally. Of utmost importance will be finding a way to store and disseminate their clients' continually updated branding guides, which include multiple image files and text documents, to all of the firm's branches. What system will best serve these needs?

You work for a highly successful advertiser that is just about to expand nationally. Of utmost importance will be finding a way to store and disseminate their clients' continually updated branding guides, which include multiple image files and text documents, to all of the firm's branches. What system will best serve these needs?




A) an intranet with KMS capabilities
B) an extranet with KMS capabilities
C) a TPS with KMS capabilities
D) a CRM





Answer: B

Which of the following statements about collaboration is not true?

Which of the following statements about collaboration is not true?




A) In business, a collaboration can last as little as a few minutes.
B) Business collaboration relies on the formation of teams that are assigned a specific task or goal.
C) Successful collaboration can be achieved through technology regardless of the organization's culture or structure.
D) One business benefit of collaboration is improved innovation.





Answer: C

The CPO is responsible for

The CPO is responsible for




A) ensuring that the company complies with existing data privacy laws.
B) making better use of existing knowledge in organizational and management processes.
C) enforcing the firm's information security policy.
D) overseeing the use of information technology in the firm.




Answer: A

Which of the following decisions requires knowledge based on collaboration and interaction?

Which of the following decisions requires knowledge based on collaboration and interaction?




A) How long will it take to manufacture this product?
B) Should we work with with outside vendors on new products and services?
C) In which geographical locations are our products garnering the most sales?
D) Which product design is the most efficient for the user in terms of energy use?





Answer: B

E-government refers to the application of ________ to digitally enable government and public sector agencies' relationships with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

E-government refers to the application of ________ to digitally enable government and public sector agencies' relationships with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.




A) the Internet and networking technologies
B) e-commerce
C) e-business
D) any computerized technology





Answer: A

You are planning the launch of your new company, an application service provider that provides an online timesheet and project tracking application. To best communicate with and manage your relationship with your users, you would want to implement a(n)

You are planning the launch of your new company, an application service provider that provides an online timesheet and project tracking application. To best communicate with and manage your relationship with your users, you would want to implement a(n)



A) extranet.
B) intranet.
C) KMS.
D) CMS.





Answer: D

In Domino's upgraded Pulse Evolution system, it incorporated a Pizza Tracker functionality that shows the progression of individual pizza orders. This is an example of using information systems to achieve which business objective?

In Domino's upgraded Pulse Evolution system, it incorporated a Pizza Tracker functionality that shows the progression of individual pizza orders. This is an example of using information systems to achieve which business objective?



A) customer and supplier intimacy
B) survival
C) improved decision making
D) operational excellence






Answer: A

You manage the IT department at a small startup Internet advertiser. You need to set up an inexpensive system that allows customers to see real-time statistics such as views and click-throughs about their current banner ads. What type of system will most efficiently provide a solution?

You manage the IT department at a small startup Internet advertiser. You need to set up an inexpensive system that allows customers to see real-time statistics such as views and click-throughs about their current banner ads. What type of system will most efficiently provide a solution?




A) CRM
B) enterprise system
C) extranet
D) intranet





Answer: C

Which systems often deliver information to senior executives through a portal, which uses a Web interface to present integrated personalized business content?

Which systems often deliver information to senior executives through a portal, which uses a Web interface to present integrated personalized business content?




A) transaction processing systems
B) executive support systems
C) management information systems
D) decision-support systems




Answer: B

All of the following statements regarding Lotus Notes are true except for

All of the following statements regarding Lotus Notes are true except for



A) It began as an e-mail and messaging client.
B) It is the most widely used collaboration tool at Fortune 1000 companies.
C) Firmwide installations at a large company require specialized servers and may cost millions of dollars per year.
D) It provides tools for e-mail, calendars, help desk, CRM, blogs, and wikis.




Answer: A

A relocation control system that reports summaries on the total moving, house-hunting, and home financing costs for employees in all company divisions would fall into the category of

A relocation control system that reports summaries on the total moving, house-hunting, and home financing costs for employees in all company divisions would fall into the category of



A) knowledge management systems.
B) transaction processing systems.
C) executive support systems.
D) management information systems.





Answer: D

Which of the following constitutes an organizational element in the UPS tracking system described in the chapter?

Which of the following constitutes an organizational element in the UPS tracking system described in the chapter?



A) the specification of procedures for identifying packages with sender and recipient information
B) monitoring service levels
C) promoting the company strategy of low-cost, superior service
D) the use of handheld computers and networks for managing package delivery






Answer: A

The three principal levels within a business organization hierarchy are

The three principal levels within a business organization hierarchy are



A) senior management, operational management, and service workers.
B) senior management, middle management, and operational management.
C) senior management, operational management, and information systems.
D) senior management, middle management, and service workers.






Answer: B

A firm that must invest in new information systems capabilities in order to comply with federal legislation can be said to be investing to achieve which business objective?

A firm that must invest in new information systems capabilities in order to comply with federal legislation can be said to be investing to achieve which business objective?




A) customer intimacy
B) operational excellence
C) survival
D) improved reporting





Answer: C

Overproduction or underproduction of goods and services, misallocation of resources, and poor response times are the results of a firm's having

Overproduction or underproduction of goods and services, misallocation of resources, and poor response times are the results of a firm's having



A) poor relationships with suppliers.
B) poor relationships with customers.
C) inadequate information.
D) a surplus of information.






Answer: C

Which of the following are key corporate assets?

Which of the following are key corporate assets?



A) intellectual property, core competencies, and financial and human assets
B) production technologies and business processes for sales, marketing, and finance
C) knowledge and the firm's tangible assets, such as goods or services
D) time and knowledge





Answer: A

A corporation that funds a political action committee, which in turn promotes and funds a political candidate who agrees with the values of that corporation, could be seen as investing in which main category of complementary assets?

A corporation that funds a political action committee, which in turn promotes and funds a political candidate who agrees with the values of that corporation, could be seen as investing in which main category of complementary assets?





A) managerial
B) governmental
C) social
D) organizational





Answer: C

The temp agency that you own is having serious difficulties placing temps because few of them are familiar with Internet research. Investing in training software to enhance your workers' skills is an example of using technology to achieve which business objective?

The temp agency that you own is having serious difficulties placing temps because few of them are familiar with Internet research. Investing in training software to enhance your workers' skills is an example of using technology to achieve which business objective?




A) customer and supplier intimacy
B) survival
C) competitive advantage
D) improved decision-making






Answer: B

Based on the examples in the chapter, if you were asked to formulate a plan for a regional drive-in restaurant chain's efforts to use information technology to develop a loyal customer base, what would be the best use of information technology from the list below?

Based on the examples in the chapter, if you were asked to formulate a plan for a regional drive-in restaurant chain's efforts to use information technology to develop a loyal customer base, what would be the best use of information technology from the list below?



A) Use IT to increase supplier loyalty.
B) Use IT to increase operational efficiency.
C) Use IT to create new products and business models.
D) Use IT to help survive government reporting requirements.
E) Use IT to achieve customer intimacy.






Answer: E

Networking and telecommunications technologies, along with computer hardware, software, data management technology, and the people required to run and manage them, constitute an organization's

Networking and telecommunications technologies, along with computer hardware, software, data management technology, and the people required to run and manage them, constitute an organization's



A) data management environment.
B) networked environment.
C) IT infrastructure.
D) information system.






Answer: C

Data management technology consists of the

Data management technology consists of the



A) physical hardware and media used by an organization for storing data.
B) detailed, preprogrammed instructions that control and coordinate the computer hardware components in an information system.
C) software governing the organization of data on physical storage media.
D) hardware and software used to transfer data.




Answer: C

Thomas Friedman's declaration that the world was now "flat" meant that

Thomas Friedman's declaration that the world was now "flat" meant that



A) the Internet has reduced the economic advantages of developed countries.
B) globalization is starting to offer less advantage to large corporations.
C) the global economy is increasingly commanded by fewer and larger corporations.
D) global capitalism is homogenizing culture and business practices throughout the world.






Answer: A

The field that deals with behavioral issues as well as technical issues surrounding the development, use, and impact of information systems used by managers and employees in the firm is called

The field that deals with behavioral issues as well as technical issues surrounding the development, use, and impact of information systems used by managers and employees in the firm is called



A) information systems literacy.
B) information systems architecture.
C) management information systems.
D) information technology infrastructure.





Answer: C

Output

Output



A) is feedback that has been processed to create meaningful information.
B) is information that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate the input stage.
C) transfers data to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.
D) transfers processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for which it will be used.






Answer: D

Which of the following objectives best describes the business strategy behind the development of smart grid initiatives by power companies, as discussed in the chapter case?

Which of the following objectives best describes the business strategy behind the development of smart grid initiatives by power companies, as discussed in the chapter case?




A) operational excellence
B) new products and services
C) competitive advantage
D) customer support







Answer: A

Which of the following choices may lead to competitive advantage: (1) new products, services, and business models; (2) charging less for superior products; (3) responding to customers in real time?

Which of the following choices may lead to competitive advantage: (1) new products, services, and business models; (2) charging less for superior products; (3) responding to customers in real time?



A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2
C) 2 and 3
D) 1, 2, and 3







Answer: D

Dell Computer's use of information systems to improve efficiency and implement "mass customization" techniques to maintain consistent profitability and an industry lead illustrates which business objective?

Dell Computer's use of information systems to improve efficiency and implement "mass customization" techniques to maintain consistent profitability and an industry lead illustrates which business objective?



A) improved flexibility
B) improved business practices
C) competitive advantage
D) survival





Answer: C

The six important business objectives of information technology are new products, services and business models; customer and supplier intimacy; survival; competitive advantage; operational excellence; and

The six important business objectives of information technology are new products, services and business models; customer and supplier intimacy; survival; competitive advantage; operational excellence; and



A) improved flexibility
B) improved decision making
C) improved business practices
D) improved efficiency




Answer: B