Finals Question #5

TOPIC: THE VIRTUAL OFFICE

1. Describe or define Virtual Office.

Ans.

Virtual Office is typically a managed telephone answering or email response service that receives and routes telephone or email messages on behalf of a small business and may provide some initial scripted response to a query. The business that uses this service typically does not have fixed office premises or employ regular reception or customer contact staff - and so the V.O. provides a means of receiving and passing on calls and messages when not available to deal with a customer inquiry. The prime objective of the V.O. is to assure that customer contact is captured and able to be followed up by whomever the call is relevant or important to.

2. Distinguish Virtual Office from MIS.

Ans.

Virtual Office is for shared office services, which normally includes business address, mail & courier services, phone services, fax services, answering services, web-hosting services, and meeting & conference facilities,you are just running a business efficiently by using online communication technologies. Management Information Systems are distinct from regular information systems in that they are used to analyze other information systems applied in operational activities in the organization.

3. Illustrate (give examples) how Virtual Office can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance.

Ans.

A virtual office service for virtual office service providing company recommends unique, innovative solutions which are designed to custom-fit your individual business needs. We provide virtual staffing and virtual office Services for small as well as for large organizations. We offer a wide range of services that will help you manage your business. Our virtual offices service is fully equipped and managed. A virtual Office service makes running a business easier with you with the help of virtual staffing.

Mark Ian Menorias

Finals Question #4

Finals Question #4

TOPIC: THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS (DSS)


1. Describe or define DSS.

Ans.

A decision support system (DSS) is a computer program application that analyzes business data and presents it so that users can make business decisions more easily. It is an "informational application" (to distinguish it from an "operational application" that collects the data in the course of normal business operation).


2. Distinguish DSS from MIS.

Ans.

DSS a problem solving tool used to address ad hoc and unexpected problems end user tool while the MIS viewed as an IS infrastructure generates standard and exceptional reports and summaries organized along functional areas developed by IS department.

3. Illustrate (give examples) how DSS can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance.

Ans.

DSS can improve company's competitive advantage and organizational performance through increasing profitability. and greater chance to gain more potential customers. Because of DSS the company can attract more custumers that will be the advatages of the company.

Mark Ian Menorias

Finals Question #3

Finals Question #3

Identify and describe one company that adopts an MIS. Include in your discussion, how MIS helps and supports the company, its managers and other employees, in their problem solving and decision-making.

Ans.

In Direct Selling they adopt MIS which help them knows the products that had been out and in of the company. They just simply shows the bar code that appears the price of the product and how many left in their stocks so that they can order again to their main branch.

In the managers and employees they can notice the following dealers who have dues and didn't pay on time, they can see the financial status of their company if its declining or not. The performance of the employees that has a recruiting strategy will also appear how many persons in a day they can recruit.Through the presence of MIS there work makes fast and they can make a move on how to improve their strategy.

Mark Ian Menorias

Finals Question #2

Finals Question #2

A company may adopt specific computerized database system according to their unique needs after thorough MIS planning. However, it has to be noted that MIS if properly planned, and implemented, benefits can be immeasurable on the other hand, if this is misused, then it may mean information or financial losses and opportunity and resources wasted.

From this, answer the following.

1.0.a Research one international company from the Internet and describe their MIS strategic plan in 1-2 paragraphs.

Ans.Charles Waterfield

Possesses a thorough and practical understanding of all aspects of microenterprise finance and institutional capacity building, gained through over seventeen years of experience in microfinance. Six years as Director of two different start-up microfinance institutions provided close, day-to-day involvement with all issues faced by microfinance institutions; both institutions continue to function as fully sustainable financial institutions. This work formed the foundation for more broadened experience gained over the past twelve years through consulting assignments and management of the global project portfolios of two different international development agencies.

1.0.b Discuss too the impact of this strategic plan on the company's management,
competitors, customers and the company as a whole.

Ans.

Successful small high tech companies do use strategic planning to direct their long term growth and development and their planning processes become more sophisticated as they grow. Companies without strategic planning were led by entrepreneurs who had solely technical skills, the growth of the business was held back and its survival was put at risk by the entrepreneur's lack of strategic awareness.

2.0.a Evaluate how can this strategic plan be applied to any local company in the Philippines.

Ans.

By using this kind of strategy in the philippines they giving a oppurtunity to the customers and also the employees to have a good service.

2.0.b Discuss too the possible effect on the company.

Ans.

The possible effect on the company it will attract more potenial customer's, and they have a great chance to gain more income. and also less failure of the operation on your business.

3.0.a What is an Accounting Information System?

Ans.

An accounting information system (AIS) is the system of records a business keeps to maintain its accounting system. This includes the purchase, sales, and other financial processes of the business. The purpose of an AIS is to accumulate data and provide decision makers (investors, creditors, and managers) with information.

3.0.b Identify or list down different accounting information systems used.

Ans.

AIS are useful for companies and businesses wanting to make the accounting process easier by utilizing a computer program or other system that will perform payroll and other functions. These systems, commonly including accounting software, make it easier to compile financial data for use in taxes, payroll, and other bookkeeping requirements. Recording is the first step in these systems that are used by companies including pertinent data such as expenses and profits that are very important to keep on file. After the recording phase, the information will be processed for use. When processed, it is filed in the areas where it is most important. These systems have various groupings or categories to maintain files until they need to be used in the future for whatever reasons. The final step that is part of most software programs is the communication phase. This is the process of actually utilizing the records that have been recorded and processed. Common communications of this data will be used for payroll and tax purposes.

3.0.c What are the benefits by the management, users and customers derived from these AIS?

Ans.

The benefits of AIS is to gathered data and information that will help the company's very competitive and very successful.

3.0.d Cite any threat or misuse of these AIS by a specific company. How were the threats addressed? What were the damages?

Ans.

The threats of accounting information system if ignored it will destroy the important documents and relevance information about the financial of the company, and affect the operation of the company.

Mark Ian Menorias

Finals Question#1

Finals Question#1

For those who are working, interview your IT in-charge and ask him/her to describe the computer database systems used in the company. Write your answer in 1-2 paragraphs. Further, ask also the benefits and/or disadvantages derived from these database systems.

For those who are not working, research one company in the net who is using computerized database systems. Describe the use and/or nature of these systems and describe too the benefits/disadvantages from these systems. Include your reference.

Ans.

Database Management Systems (DBMS) are important. They underpin all the activities of a library management system by providing the basic storage and retrieval technology. The library application software sends data to and receives data from the DBMS which, if it is working properly, is hardly noticed at all. Yet great claims are made for different types of database and their particular offerings. You should at least be able to understand the basics to understand what you might be getting - or missing when you choose a Library Management System (LMS).

Network

							Network DBMS allowed complex data structures to be built but were inflexible and required careful design. Very efficient in storage and fast however - best examples are airline booking systems. Generally conform to the CODASYL standards. Example: IDMS from Cullinet. Note: Network DBMS describes the connections between data elements - not the ability to operate over a network. A pre-cursor to and largely superseded by Relational DBMS

Advantages:

• Fast
• Efficient
  

Disadvantages

• Inflexible
• Technically obsolete ( although many in commercial use)

Relational

								Arose from theoretical considerations of data structures in IBM by Dr Codd. True Relational DBMS use the Structured Query Language (SQL) to extract and update data and conform as closely as possible to the theoretical relational rules of normalisation. Oracle, Sybase, Informix etc are examples. Work best when the data structures have been "normalised" to eliminate data and field duplication. Data is organised within "Tables" (files) and relationships expressed between tables and data elements. Note that just because a system uses a Relational DBMS, it does not mean that the data structures have been properly defined in the first place. You can build rotten data structures with a good tool. See Data Structures. SQL is now the industry standard for data querying and updating of databases. Relational DBMS lend themselves very well to the library concepts of authority files. Advantages Overwhelmingly, the most popular type of DBMS in use and as a result technical development effort ensures that advances e.g. object orientation, web serving etc appear quickly and reliably. There are many, many third party tools such as report writers that are tuned to work with the popular Relational DBMS via standards such as Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). Offer distributed database and distributed processing options which might be advantageous for some large consortium libraries. Extremely well developed management tools and security with automatic data logging and recovery. Have Referential integrity controls ensure data consistency. Have Transactional integrity features to ensure that incomplete transactions do not occur. Disadvantages In the early days they were slow - Relational DBMS have to employ many tables to conform absolutely to the various normalisation rules. This can make them slow and resource hungry compared to more flexible (less rigorous?) systems. Most Relational DBMS do not now have performance problems. Some restrictions in field lengths. Field lengths are usually defined with a maximum. This can lead to occasional practical problems e.g. a publisher with a 300 character name - they are rare but it can happen! SQL does not provide an efficient way to browse alphabetically through an index. Thus some systems cannot provide a simple title A-Z browse.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7729347561952437041
Mark Ian Menorias

Midterm Question #2

Question #1: Research Philippine company and 1 international company that have employed e-commerce.

Ans.

Philippine Company: Malaya - The National Newspaper
International Company:The 3-D Network Company International Inc.

Question #2: Describe how e-commerce operate in these companies.

Ans.

The Malaya National Newspaper employed e-commerce to their company so that they can show to the reader the real news not only in the newspapers but also in the internet.The 3-D Network Company International Inc. employed e-commerce to their company because they operating their business through internet.

Question #3: Identify the benefits/ constraints derived by these companies from e-commerce.

Ans.

The following is the benefits of e-commerce to their business:

• free advertisement
• gain more potential customers
• less expense

Mark Ian Menorias

Midterm Question #3




Internet if properly maximized can be used as a medium to the advantage of the company. However, risks and threats are there. Thus, research the following:




1. Identify the possible risks and threats (eg. virus) that can potentially attack a company with internet connection.




Ans.


One of the most talked about effects of a virus attack is the damage it can do to a company’s data. Many viruses are capable of wiping hard disks or corrupting the records held on a machine. Worse still are those viruses known as ‘data diddlers’, which subtly alter the figures in a spreadsheet or words within a document. Because the changes they make are not immediately obvious it can be weeks or even months before anyone notices that something is amiss. By that time the damage can be impossible to undo as back-ups are corrupted as well. That said, if a company does fall foul of a virus that simply eliminates data, backups can often be used to restore the lost information.




http://www.web-articles.info/e/a/title/Virus--attacks/


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2. Case research and analysis:

2.a Identify one company that had experienced an attacked from the internet.

Ans.

Lawyer Who Sued Company CEO is Target of Claimed Cyber-Attack Campaign
Posted Jan 27, 2009, 08:55 pm CDT By Martha Neil

In nearly 20 years as a trial lawyer, Keith Fink has encountered plenty of hardball litigation tactics. But the cyber attacks he has suffered since he began representing former employees of American Apparel in litigation against the company are unique.

"I've never experienced it, I don't know any lawyer that's experienced it, and I'm sure I'm never going to experience it again in my career," he tells ABAJournal.com.

In an apparent effort to discourage and discredit Fink, company employees have launched an Internet attack on his character, as the New York Post reports it has documented in internal American Apparel e-mails.

In an article last week, the newspaper details the cyber campaign it claims the company has launched against Fink, who who has filed multiple lawsuits against American Apparel and its chief executive, Dov Charney, on behalf of various former employees: "According to internal e-mails allegedly written by American Apparel staff and obtained by the Post, company officials are buying Web ads and feeding and building sites that allege a litany of malfeasance by the Los Angeles-based lawyer."

Among the efforts, the Post says, was text inserted into a Wikipedia entry about Fink. In it, as of mid-January, he was described as an "ambulance chaser" and worse. The newspaper also says that at least one website apparently was set up anonymously for the purpose of discrediting Fink, according to the internal American Apparel e-mails.



http://abajournal.com/news/lawyer_who_sued_company_ceo_is_target_of_claimed_cyber-attack_campaign/

Mark Ian Menorias


2.b Describe the attack.

Ans.

The effects of a computer virus is loss of information or your computer will shut down or your computer might just break and you will need one depending on the type of virus you have so becareful on what you download or open.
Mark Ian Menorias

Midterm Question #1

Midterm Question #1

MNC's are complex organizations however, they dominate the worldwide market. Knowing the background and nature of MNC's, answer the following:

1. Identify the benefits and disadvantages of MNC's.

Ans.

With the realization that multinational corporations create such a mixed bag of pros and cons for developing nations, there is a clear impetus to examine what has been written about the advantages and disadvantages of these institutions. To this end, this investigation considers what benefits and problems are engendered when multinational corporations establish themselves in developing nations. Through a careful consideration of the benefits and drawbacks of these institutions, it will be possible to identify critical businesses standards that should be used by these organizations. Further, by examining the advantages and disadvantages of multinational corporations, recommendations for what role the American government should play in policing these organizations will be identified.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1062818/multinational_corporations_benefits.html?cat=55

Mark Ian Menorias

2. Identify one MNC company and describe its operation.

Ans.

Pepsi wants to terminate its business with Sichuan Pepsi-Cola Beverages Company Limited, its bottler in the populous southwestern province of China. It demands the joint venture stop using its brand name and stop producing the drink, after eight years of cooperation.

The multinational accuses its Chinese partner of financial irregularities and keeping Pepsi out of the management. Chu Wah Hui, president of PepsiCo Investment (China) Ltd, says his company has tried to solve the dispute; arbitration is the last resort. “Sichuan Pepsi has breached the terms of the contract many times. It has been a trouble maker, not only for us, but for other Pepsi bottlers,” he says.

In a rebuttal letter, Sichuan Pepsi threatens to report “all the illegal activities” of Pepsi to the State Council (cabinet) and the National People’s Congress (parliament) and says Pepsi should be punished for “damaging the national interests of China”. It also plans to sue Pepsi for stealing its “commercial secrets” and violating the privacy of its employees, according to Beijing Yuobang Law Firm, which represents the Sichuan firm.

http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/46/Pepsi_was_one_of_the_earliest_multinational_companiesChina.html

Mark Ian Menorias

3. Describe how the parent control/coordinates with its subsidiaries in other countries or region.

Ans.

Globalization is the worldwide trend of businesses expanding beyond their domestic boundaries.
Multinational management is the formulation of strategies and the design of management systems that successfully take advantage of international opportunities and respond to international threats.

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7729347561952437041&postID=7458622594326972263

Mark Ian Menorias

4. How is IT maximized or used by this MNC?

Ans.

MNC is a parent company that engages in foreign production through its affiliates located in several countries, exercises direct control over the policies of its affiliates,
implements business strategies in production, marketing, finance and staffing that transcend national boundaries. In other words, MNCs exhibit no loyalty to the country in which they are incorporated.

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ355/choi/mul.htm

Mark Ian Menorias

5. What were the weaknesses/problems encountered by this MNC from its environment and global setup?

Ans.

In more recent times, multinational corporations have grown in power and visibility, but have come to be viewed more ambivalently by both governments and consumers worldwide. Indeed, multinationals today are viewed with increased suspicion given their perceived lack of concern for the economic well-being of particular geographic regions and the public impression that multinationals are gaining power in relation to national government agencies, international trade federations and organizations, and local, national, and international labor organizations.

http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Mar-No/Multinational-Corporations.html

Mark Ian Menorias

Prelims Question 3

Prelims Question 3

A company has basically four (4) levels of organizational hierarchy and each level makes use of unique IT technology and software to address and/or support their works.

Answer then the following:

1. Identify and describe information systems (IS) used in each level.

Ans.

The term information system refers to information technology that is used by people to accomplish a specified organizational or individual objective. The technology may be used in the gathering, processing, storing, and/or dissemination of information, and the users are trained in the use of that technology, as well as in the procedures to be followed in doing so. ESS it used by the top management level for profit planning.The MIS it used by the middle management level to gather information of internal and external resources. TPS is used by the supervisory management level to make a summary report, and the last one is the KBS. The KBS is used by the non-managerial level who is the skilled employee of the different department.

Mark Ian Menorias

2. How do these IS help the employees and managers achieve their objectives.

Ans.

The IS helps the employees and managers to achieve their objectives to accomplished and face the problems. they encountered.

Mark Ian Menorias

3. Cite a local or national company that makes use of these IS and identify the benefits and drawbacks/lapses of these IS.

Ans.

For Example the Jollibee, through this used of IS for getting information of each different branches can easily monitor. The problem they encountered they can eaasily fix it.

Mark Ian Menorias

Prelims Question 2

An organization may adopt a closed-system or open-system model. Answer the following:

1. Discuss the pro's and con's of each model.

Ans.

Pros and cons are arguments for or against a particular issue. Pros are arguments which aim to promote the issue, while cons suggest points against it. The term has been in use since the 16th century and is a shortening of a Latin phrase, pro et contra, which means “for and against.” Considering the pros and cons of an issue is a very useful way to weigh the issue thoughtfully and reach an informed decision.

Many people find themselves considering pros and cons in daily life, although they may not be aware of it. For example, someone shopping at a supermarket might weigh the cost of an item and the quality to decide whether or not to purchase it. People making larger decisions, like purchasing a new car or home, often spend a great deal of time thinking about the pros and cons of the purchase so that they can be sure that the right choice will be made.

In addition to being useful in daily life, pros and cons can also strengthen academic papers and debates. By weighing the pros and cons beforehand, someone can consider potential objections to a point, as well as ways to dismiss a counter-argument. Skilled authors will often include pros and cons in a paper to indicate that they have considered all sides of an issue and are confident that their feelings are correct. They can also be used to identify weaknesses in an argument: if you notice a lack of discussion of the cons of an issue, for example, it is probably too good to be true.

Many politicians have highly refined the art of examining pros and cons, especially when it comes to major issues. Campaign and staff advisers are kept on staff to thoroughly and carefully research issues and ultimately provide a list of pros and cons. This list can be used to build solid, well thought out persuasive arguments that can be used on the campaign trail, in political debates, on the floor of a legislative body, or to counter statements made by opponents.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-pros-and-cons.htm
Mark Ian Menorias

2. Cite a company that uses any of this model. Describe briefly how this chosen model affect the entire company.

Ans.

Power Solutions Company, Proponents of DC Power argue that the use of DC Input equipment provides the opportunity for conversion into one central large AC-to-DC converter thereby cutting down on heat loss and increasing efficiency. Increased efficiency results in less power consumption and less heat output, meaning less cooling is required.

DC power also can be set up for centralized fault tolerance, using large banks of DC batteries to store electricity. This eliminates the need for UPS Systems in data wiring closets and some data centers, which cuts down on heat and saves infrastructure costs.

Telcos have been using this method for years, but some I.T. and data center pros are leery of taking on the new systems.

www.powersolutions.com
Mark Ian Menorias

3. Evaluate how an environment affects the organization and its management. Discuss the pro's and con's of not responding to the demands of the environment.

Ans.

The Environment affects he organization and it's management by gathering important data to help the company successful. If ever the demands of the enviroment did'nt respond the advantage and disadvantage the company will not be successful...

Mark Ian Menorias

Prelims Question 1

May 15, 2009



1. How do you perceive information as a resource of a company?


Ans.

A company is constantly confronted with many changes in business conditions, opportunities, threats, and risks-which require managers to rethink their business strategies and decision making assumptions. Managers and organizational members are continually challenged to interpret events in the business world, and to focus their attention on acquiring the appropriate knowledge and information to steer and manage the business in new directions. At a fundamental level, people use information in organizations to reduce uncertainty in decision making to accomplish tasks and actions.

http://books.google.com.ph/books?
Mark Ian Menorias

2. Cite a company, it's nature. Describe how the information from it's environment improve it's management in business as a whole?

Ans.

People seek out and use information constantly as part of their daily life. Information relating to work, leisure, health, money, family, and a host of other topics, is sought from a huge range of sources. Increasingly, at least some of these sources are digital in nature. The use of information in the form of digital media is becoming ubiquitous in homes, libraries, offices, and also in industries that have not traditionally been seen as primarily information-based, such as manufacturing, construction and farming. Yet digital information is not the be-all and end-all of information provisioning. Many studies in decision making, marketing and informatics have shown that people apply a rich context when seeking for information, making decisions, and forming opinions.

http://informationr.net/ir/9-4/paper191.html
Mark Ian Menorias