CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION

1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and

business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND COLLABORATION
1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and
business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a
specific business result. They also represent unique ways in which organizations
coordinate work, information, and knowledge
and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work. Managers need to
pay attention to business processes
because they determine how well the organization can execute, and thus are a
potential source for strategic success or failures.
CHAPTER 2: GLOBAL E-BUSINESS AND
COLLABORATION

1. What is the connection between organizations, information systems, and

business processes?
Answer: Business processes refer to the manner in which work activities are
organized, coordinated, and focused to produce a specific business result. They
also represent unique ways in which organizations coordinate work, information,
and knowledge and the ways in which management chooses to coordinate work.
Managers need to pay attention to business processes because they determine how
well the organization can execute, and thus are a potential source for strategic
success or failures. Although each of the major business functions has its own set
of business processes, many other business processes are cross functional.
Information systems can help organizations achieve great efficiencies by
automating parts of these processes or by helping organizations rethink and
streamline them. Firms can become more flexible and efficient by coordinating and
integrating their business processes to improve management of resources and
customer service

2. What are cross-functional business processes? Give an example.

Answer: Cross-functional processes are those that require input, cooperation, or
coordination between the major business functions in an organization. For
instance, when a salesman takes an order, the major business functions of planning,
production, inventory control, shipping, accounting, and customer relations will all
be involved before the order is completed.

3. Your aunt has asked you for your suggestions to make her business, a local
sandwich shop, more efficient. Describe at least
three types of business processes that a sandwich shop has. Can any be better
coordinated through the use of information
systems?
3. Your aunt has asked you for your suggestions to make her business, a local
sandwich shop, more efficient. Describe at least three types of business processes
that a sandwich shop has. Can any be better coordinated through the use of
information systems?
Answer: The business processes of a sandwich shop include: Taking orders,
making sandwiches, selling to the customer,
ordering supplies, opening the store, closing the store, cleaning the store, paying
employees, hiring employees, paying creditors
and vendors, creating financial statements, paying taxes, managing cash.
Many of these processes could be helped by better information systems,
specifically those that require recorded data, such as
any financial processes (payments, cash management, taxes, and salaries) and
information gathered from and distributed to
employees
Answer: The business processes of a sandwich shop include: Taking orders,
making sandwiches, selling to the customer, ordering supplies, opening the store,
closing the store, cleaning the store, paying employees, hiring employees, paying
creditors and vendors, creating financial statements, paying taxes, managing cash.
Many of these processes could be helped by better information systems,
specifically those that require recorded data, such as any financial processes
(payments, cash management, taxes, and salaries) and information gathered from
and distributed to employees.

4. The pet products chain you work for, Pets Galore, has noticed that one of its
brands of dog food is not selling nearly as well
as anticipated. What information systems of the business will you use to determine
the reason for the poor sales? Discuss
what information you will retrieve from which system. Which of the information
systems will be most important for your
analysis? Which of the systems will be least important
4. The pet products chain you work for, Pets Galore, has noticed that one of its
brands of dog food is not selling nearly as well as anticipated. What information
systems of the business will you use to determine the reason for the poor sales?
Discuss what information you will retrieve from which system. Which of the
information systems will be most important for your analysis? Which of the
systems will be least important?
 You might query operational level TPS to make sure that the product is
actually getting to the stores and being restocked.
 You could query MIS to see average sales levels according to geography,
location, and other factors to see if there are any specific factors affecting
the sales.
 You might query ESS to see if the same faucets are being sold by
competitors and what these prices are.
 You might use DSS to see what factors could increase sales.
Assuming that the faucets are being properly stocked at the stores, the most
important systems to query are the managerial-
level systems: MIS for summaries of sales records to help pinpoint any other
factors; ESS to check competition, and DSS for
higher-level analysis to forecast possible solutions.
Assuming that the faucets are being properly stocked at the stores, the most
important systems to query are the managerial-level systems: MIS for summaries
of sales records to help pinpoint any other factors; ESS to check competition, and
DSS for higher-level analysis to forecast possible solutions.

5. Identify and discuss the major types of information systems that serve the main
management groups within a business. What are the relationships among these
systems?
Answer: The four major categories of information systems are:
 Transaction processing systems (TPS), such as payroll or order processing,
track the flow of the daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct
business.
 Management information systems (MIS) provide the management control
level with reports and access to the organization's current performance and
historical records. Most MIS reports condense information from TPS and are
not highly analytical.
 Decision-support systems (DSS) support management decisions when these
decisions are unique, rapidly changing, and not specified easily in advance.
They have more advanced analytical models and data analysis capabilities
than MIS and often draw on information from external as well as internal
sources.
 Executive support systems (ESS) support senior management by providing
data of greatest importance to senior management decision makers, often in
the form of graphs and charts delivered via portals. They have limited
analytical capabilities but can draw on sophisticated graphics software and
many sources of internal and external information.
 The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one
another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS
and DSS. ESSs primarily receive data from lower-level systems.

6. Zoom Vacuum, a family-owned manufacturer of high-end vacuums, has grown

exponentially over the last few years. However, the company is having difficulty
preparing for future growth. The only information system used at Zoom is an
antiquated accounting system. The company has one manufacturing plant located
in Iowa; and three warehouses, in Iowa, New Jersey, and Nevada. The Zoom sales
force is national, and Zoom purchases about 25 percent of its vacuum parts and
materials from a single overseas supplier. You have been hired to recommend the
information systems Apex should implement in order to maintain their competitive
edge. However, there is not enough money for a full-blown, cross-functional
enterprise application, and you will need to limit the first step to a single functional
area or constituency. What will you choose, and why?

6. Zoom Vacuum, a family-owned manufacturer of high-end vacuums, has grown

eifficul
Answer: Student answers will vary. E.g. A TPS focusing on production and
manufacturing to keep production costs low while maintaining quality, and for
communicating with other possible vendors. The TPS would later be used to feed
MIS and other higher level systems (because TPS is a major source of data for
other systems).

7. You have been hired to work with 8 employees from different branches of a
national business to help create a web application to be used to train new sales
employees. Identify six collaboration tools that are available to help the team work
together. Which single tool would be the most helpful for the project, in your
opinion, and why?
Answer: Collaboration tools include e-mail and instant messaging; social
networking; wikis; virtual worlds, collaboration platforms such as virtual meeting
systems, Google Apps/Google Sites. The most helpful of these might be a
collaboration platform because it would enable people to have discussions,
calendars, conferences, and share documents.

8. Describe at least two benefits of using enterprise systems.

Answer:
  Enterprise systems integrate the firm's key business processes in sales,
production, finance, logistics, and human resources into a single software
system so that information can flow throughout the organization, improving
coordination, efficiency, and decision making.
 These systems help create a more uniform organization in which everyone
uses similar processes and information, and measures their work in terms of
organization-wide performance standards. The coordination of the firm's key
business processes allows the firm to respond more rapidly to customer
demands.

9. You have been hired by an international architectural firm, with offices in

Singapore, Paris, and Mumbai. The firm would like architects and drafts people
from different teams to be able to collaborate efficiently. How will you determine
what the best collaboration tools are for their needs?
Answer:
 The first step in evaluation is to determine what the collaboration challenges
are and to locate the firm in the time/space matrix.
 Secondly, for each block of the matrix that the firm is in, determine what
solutions are available from which vendors.
 Third, analyze the products in terms of their costs and benefits to the firm.
Next, identify any risks involved with using the product.
 Then, seek the help of potential users to identify implementation and
training issues.
 Finally, make a shortlist of tools and invite vendors to make presentations.

10. Describe the role of IT governance within the firm.

Answer:
 IT governance is the management of how the IS function is organized and
handled within the firm.
 IT governance includes the strategy and policies for using information
technology within an organization. It specifies the decision rights and
framework for accountability to ensure that the use of information
technology supports the organization's strategies and objectives.
  For example, IT governance decides how decisions implementing and
evaluating new systems are made, whether the IT function should be
decentralized or centralized, who has power to create and manage systems,
and what kind of ROI is expected from systems.

11. How do collaborative business culture and business processes differ from
“command-and-control” firms?
Answer:
 In command-and-control organizations, the top leaders determine all the
really important matters and then order lower-level employees to execute
senior management plans. The job of middle management is to pass
messages back and forth up and down the hierarchy. Command-and-control
firms require lower-level employees to carry out orders without asking too
many questions, with no responsibility to improve processes, and with no
rewards for teamwork or team performance. If workgroups need help from
another work group, that is something for the bosses to figure out.
Employees never communicate horizontally, always vertically, so
management can control the process
 A collaborative business culture and business processes are very different.
Senior managers are responsible for achieving results but rely on teams of
employees to achieve and implement the results. Policies, products, designs,
processes, and systems are much more dependent on teams at all levels of
the organization to devise, to create, and to build. Teams are rewarded for
their performance, and individuals are rewarded for their performance in a
team. The function of middle managers is to build the teams, coordinate
their work, and monitor their performance. The business culture and
business processes are more social. In a collaborative culture, senior
management establishes collaboration and teamwork as vital to the
organization, and it actually implements collaboration for the senior ranks of
the business as well.
 (The job of senior managers, employees – individuals/teams, middle
management, reward, communication)

12. Why are “conversations” relevant to social business?

Answer: Customers, suppliers, employees, managers, and even oversight agencies
continually have conversations about firms, often without the knowledge of the
firm or its key actors (employees and managers). Supporters of social business
assert that if firms could tune into these conversations, they will strengthen their
bonds with consumers, suppliers, and employees, increasing their emotional
involvement in the firm.