Supporting Decisions and Processes
Answer the following questions in a Microsoft® Word document and save the file on your computer with your last name in the file. (Example: module_12_review_Jones.doc)
What are examples of structured, semistructured, and unstructured decisions in a business organization? Provide one example for each.
Structured decisions are programmable tasks that can be automated because a well-defined standard operating procedure exists for these types of decisions, such as auto-scaling cloud resources.
Semistructured decisions are not quite as well defined by standard operating procedures, but they include a structured aspect that benefits from information retrieval, analytical models, and information systems technology. For example, referring to existing state and local guidelines or analyzing data from area maps, enrollment statistics, or historical sales data to guide decision making has a structured aspect that also relies on human intuition.
Unstructured decisions are typically onetime decisions with no standard operating procedure to guide those decisions. The decision maker’s intuition plays the most important role, and information technology offers little support for these decisions, such as when assigning employees to project teams.
What are three main components of a decision support system?
- a database
- a model base,
- a user interface
What are two unique features of an executive information system?
- They give executives easy access to internal and external data
- They include “drill-down” features
- They include a digital dashboard for examining and analyzing information.
What are three applications of a geographic information system?
Education planning—To analyze demographic data.
Urban planning—To track changes in ridership on mass-transit systems.
Government—To make the best use of personnel and equipment.
What is a collaboration system or software?
It is a collection of applications that supports decision makers by providing access to a shared environment and information.
What are three types of collaboration software?
Microsoft’s Skype
Apple’s FaceTime
Tango Video Calls
Google’s Hangouts
ooVoo from ooVoo LLC
What are four examples of graphs and charts being used by an EIS?
- Pie charts
- Bar charts
- XY (scatter) charts
- Column charts
Provide three business examples of what-if analysis.
- If the number of employees is increased by 6, how is the overall productivity of the company affected?
- If the efficiency of the machines increases by 5%, how will their net productivity be affected?
- If the cost of labor increases by 10%, how is the final cost of a product affected?
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