Mr.Ghanshyam Dhomse (घनश्याम ढोमसे)



SNJB’s Late Sau. K.B. Jain College of Engineering, Chandwad

(BE Computer Engineering)

INFORMATION SYSTEM & ENGINEERING ECONOMICS

(2015 Course) (Semester-I) Insem Paper Solution August 2019

Q1) a) What is an Information System? List and describe the organizational management issues involved in an information System? [4]

Ans- Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.

Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings.

Information systems are interrelated components working together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization.

Organizational management issues :-

Lack of Strategy

Meeting Organizational Needs

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

Keeping Up with Change

Integrating New Technologies

b) Differentiate an Information System from an Transaction Processing System (TPS). [6]

Ans- A transaction process system (TPS) is an information processing system for business transactions involving the collection, modification and retrieval of all transaction data. Characteristics of a TPS include performance, reliability and consistency.

TPS is also known as transaction processing or real-time processing.

Transaction processing systems are used to record day to day business transactions of the organization. They are used by users at the operational management level. The main objective of a transaction processing system is to answer routine questions such as;

• How printers were sold today?

• How much inventory do we have at hand?

• What is the outstanding due for John Doe?

By recording the day to day business transactions, TPS system provides answers to the above questions in a timely manner.

• The decisions made by operational managers are routine and highly structured.

• The information produced from the transaction processing system is very detailed.

For example, banks that give out loans require that the company that a person works for should have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the bank. If a person whose employer has a MoU with the bank applies for a loan, all that the operational staff has to do is verify the submitted documents. If they meet the requirements, then the loan application documents are processed. If they do not meet the requirements, then the client is advised to see tactical management staff to see the possibility of signing a MoU.

Examples of transaction processing systems include;

• Point of Sale Systems – records daily sales

• Payroll systems – processing employees salary, loans management, etc.

• Stock Control systems – keeping track of inventory levels

• Airline booking systems – flights booking management

Q2) a) Large Enterprises are usually quick to integrate Information Technology into their day-to-day operations than small sized companies. State reasons for the same. [4]

Ans-

1. Information technology can speed up the time it takes new products to reach the market. Companies can write product requirement documents by gathering market intelligence from proprietary databases, customers and sales representatives. Computer-assisted design and manufacturing software speed up decision making, while collaborative technologies allow global teams to work on different components of a product simultaneously.

2. Stakeholder integration is another important objective of information technology. Using global 24/7 interconnectivity, 

3. Process improvement is another key IT business objective. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems allow managers to review sales, costs and other operating metrics on one integrated software platform, usually in real time. An ERP system may replace dozens of legacy systems for finance, human resources and other functional areas, thus making internal processes more efficient and cost-effective.

4. Cost savings, rapid product development and process improvements help companies gain and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. If a smartphone competitor announces a new device with innovative touch-screen features, the competitors must quickly follow suit with similar products or risk losing market share.

5. Companies that survive in a competitive environment usually have the operational and financial flexibility to grow locally and then internationally. IT is at the core of operating models essential for globalization, such as telecommuting and outsourcing. 

b) List and describe the information Systems serving each of the major functional areas of a Business. [6]

Ans-

Manufacturing and production information systems are systems that provide information for planning, product development, production or service scheduling, and controlling the flow of products and services.

• Finance and accounting information systems keep track of an organization’s financial assets and fund flows.

• Human resources information systems maintain employee records, track employee skills, job performance, training, employee compensation including pensions and benefits, legal and regulatory requirements, and career development.

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Q3) a) what are Enterprise Systems? How do they benefit Businesses? [4]

Ans- Enterprise software, also known as enterprise application software (EAS), is computer software used to satisfy the needs of anorganization rather than individual users. Such organizations include businesses, schools, interest-based user groups, clubs, charities, and governments. Enterprise software is an integral part of a (computer-based) information system; a collection of such software is called an Enterprise system.

Services provided by enterprise software are typically business-oriented tools, such as online shopping, and online payment processing, interactive product catalogue, automated billing systems, security, Business Process Management, enterprise content management, IT Service Management, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, business intelligence,project management, collaboration, human resource management, manufacturing, occupational health and safety, enterprise application integration, and enterprise forms automation.

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Benefits:-

1. Better productivity and flexibility,- automate repetitive business processes so that your staff is more productive. For example, these systems might send sales emails, process employee pay or even place automated inventory orders.

2. it's often as easy as taking a look at an online dashboard that groups this information into easy-to-read charts and tables.

These systems also have alert capabilities that can inform you when potential problems occur, such as a spike in product defects or a low inventory.

3. Improved Record Keeping and Compliance

4. The data you collect in enterprise systems is less at a risk for loss or theft, although the risk is not zero.

b) Explain the Push v/s Pull Supply Chain models? [6]

Ans-

For companies that supply physical products, inventory management throughout the supply chain is one of the most important tasks that will largely determine the business’ success or failure. The trick is to always have stock on hand to meet demand, but not have too much capital or storage space taken up with excess inventory.

One solution for inventory management is known as the “push.” It is so named because the retailer essentially plans for customer demand in advance, so therefore it produces and then actively “pushes” this inventory in order to meet the forecasted demand. The other solution is the diametric opposite – the “pull” approach which essentially bases inventory on actual real-time orders.

The Push Approach

Benefits:

• If the forecasting is done correctly, then the company can be relatively certain it will have enough product to meet customer demand. This should prevent “out of stock” scenarios which can severely hurt a brand.

• It can be a part of Material Requirements Planning (MRP), a system that combines operational, financial, and logistical plans that are intended to have materials and funding ready at all times.

Drawbacks:

• Forecasting is still largely guesswork, even if analytics and past buying behaviors are used. Consumer demand can change quickly (think of the trendy kid’s products from the past few years) and it’s difficult to predict these changes.

• Overestimation of product demand can cause problems from too much stock such as carrying costs, while underestimation can result in the need for rush orders and the accompanying costs.

The Pull Approach- where the system starts when a customer places an order, so the company only produces inventory to demand.

Disadvantages of the pull:

• Problems in the supply chain can cause the needed shipment of inventory to not arrive on time. Perhaps there is an issue with the supplier who is not able to assemble or ship the order.

• Unexpected spikes in demand can overcome the supply chain’s ability to keep stock on hand.

Advantages of the pull:

• The entire premise of the pull system is that it eliminates the chance for excess of inventory and the carrying costs that go along with it.

• A popular example of pull inventory management is the just-in-time solution, where companies have just enough inventory to match up with demand. It creates a lean environment where stock sizes are more manageable, and opens up space to carry a larger number of SKU’s if desired.

• It’s a more granular approach that is based upon product-level demand, providing a more realistic picture of needs.

OR

Q4 a)Why did E-commerce become so popular all over in such a small time? [4]

Ans- The rising popularity of e-commerce as a way to trade goods is not only a result of the growth of the internet. Advancements in telecommunications technology have aided in the success of e-commerce, as well as the increased levels of competition between merchants to sell the best quality goods at the lowest price. Furthermore, the development of enhanced trading rules has resulted in more liberal trading between countries that can also be achieved within a short period of time.

E-commerce therefore benefits both the supplier and the customer. Business can be conducted from a number of locations and traditional retail companies can now expand to online stores with updated content. Customers can access the latest products and information instantly, and can purchase the goods from the comfort of their homes. Some businesses are developed exclusively in an online setting, eliminating the traditional costs of a physical company, such as overhead costs and employee costs.

Examples of E-Commerce

• Amazon

• Flipkart

• eBay

• Fiverr

• Upwork

• Olx

• Quikr

Advantages of E-Commerce

• E-commerce provides the sellers with a global reach. They remove the barrier of place (geography). Now sellers and buyers can meet in the virtual world, without the hindrance of location.

• Electronic commerce will substantially lower the transaction cost. It eliminates many fixed costs of maintaining brick and mortar shops. This allows the companies to enjoy a much higher margin of profit.

• It provides quick delivery of goods with very little effort on part of the customer. Customer complaints are also addressed quickly. It also saves time, energy and effort for both the consumers and the company.

• One other great advantage is the convenience it offers. A customer can shop 24×7. The website is functional at all times, it does not have working hours like a shop.

• Electronic commerce also allows the customer and the business to be in touch directly, without any intermediaries. This allows for quick communication and transactions. It also gives a valuable personal touch.

b) List and explain the various advantages of an Information System based Railway Ticket booking systems as implemented in Indian Railways [6]

Ans-

All the information technology related activities for Indian railways are handled by one umbrella organization CRIS (Centre for Railway information services ) set up in 1986.

 It handles the task of designing, developing and implementing the Indian ticket reservation system.

CRIS has developed PRS – PASSENGER RESERVATION SYSTEM providing reservation services to nearly 1.5 to 2.2 million passengers a day on over 2500 trains running throughout the country. 

he PRS is available at over 8000 counters in more than 2380 locations throughout the country. Passengers can reserve a berth for any train 90 days in advance. In addition to the railway counters, multiple delivery channels have been provided to Rail passengers to access the PRS services.

 The PRS Application CONCERT (Country-wide Network of Computerized Enhanced Reservation and Ticketing) is the world’s largest online reservation application, developed and maintained by CRIS. The system currently operates from 5 Data centers.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Secunderabad

CONCERT architecture is based on the state of the art technology using 3-tier client-server distributed transaction processing paradigm. 

 The server clusters are connected together by a core network based on a mesh of 02×02 Mbps leased lines. It is an on-line client server application developed in ‘C’ .

Server for hosting -Blade servers having 64-Bit   Itanium 9340 Processor

Operating System- Open VMS 8.4

Database- In-house CRIS proprietary

Middleware-HP Reliable Transaction Router   (RTR)

Frontend-DEC Forms, C and FORTRAN as   development tools

Communication Systems- CISCO routers using 2Mbps DOT   lines

Network Topology- Mesh Topology

Network protocol- TCPIP, DECNET

 

I-Ticketing and E-ticketing and through Internet was launched in year 2002 and 2005 respectively.

Irctc website whose frontend has been developed by CRIS and software for running the application is provided by broadvision.  

BroadVision integrates the legacy system with the existing reservation system, and verifying credit card information in real-time as bookings had to be confirmed on the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) of the railways immediately.

It follows three-tier architecture.

Presentation Layer—IIS 6.0 on Windows 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition at Web Servers Layer (6 servers) with 128 bit SSL GSID Certificate for secure transmission.

• Application Layer—Broad Vision Enterprise on Windows 2000 Advanced Server ( 40 Servers)

• Database Layer—Oracle 10g Enterprise Edition on Windows 2000 Advanced Server 

Server side programming -Asp .NET,Java

Client Side-Javascript ,Jquery

Design - HTML,CSS

 Few more projects which CRIS is handling are below:

1. Control Office Application & Unreserved Ticketing System.

2. Freight Operations Information System.

3. Software Aided Train Scheduling

4. Web National Train Enquiry System

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Q5) a) List and explain the various IT infrastructures used in E- Commerce organizations? [4]

Ans-

1. THE HARDWARE INFRASTRUCTURE-

• Computers in the backbone connected by a data connection (45 megabits/second)

• ISP hosts and other powerful computers connect using (Broadband) lines

• Leased lines (some businesses)

• Modem dial-up connections

• Cable modems

• ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line

2. WEB STORE REQUIREMENTS-

• An organization's first venture into EC is the development of a Web site and the creation of a presence on the Internet.

• E-commerce transactions must be executable worldwide, without any delay or mistake.

• On a very basic website, an organization provides information about itself, its products and its services. • A more developed Web site will allow some interactions, such as sending an e-mail to request for the information or schedule an appointment, or ordering.

3. Good designs can be very rewarding.

• Outsourcing Web page designs should be carefully evaluated because of the high cost.

• The company can register its Web site within a domain name as well as registering it with the major Web search engines.

• A good web site must have a fast catalog search engine, special discounts, credit card and other payments, and shipping alternatives so that it can attract new customers.

• It must offer customer support via help menus, tutorials, and list of FAQs.

4. ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS

• Payments are an integral part of doing business, whether in the traditional way or online.

• In most cases, traditional payment systems are not effective for EC (using cash, writing a check, sending a money order have several limitations in EC) .

• Usually in e-commerce, payments between buyers and sellers can take place electronically.

• Special electronic payments have been developed to handle ways of paying for goods electronically on the Internet.

• These include EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer), electronic checks, electronic credit cards, electronic wallets.

b) What are the various steps involved in integrating an existing business’s processes while integrating them with an Information System? [6]

Ans-

Business Process Integration (BPI) is essential for businesses looking to connect systems and information efficiently.

BPI allows for automation of business processes, integration of systems and services, and the secure sharing of data across numerous applications. Overcoming integration challenges allows organizations to connect systems internally and externally. Moreover,

BPI allows for the automation of management, operational, and supporting processes.

This gives businesses an edge over competitors as they can spend less time concerned about the challenges of integration and more time and energy on driving new business.

steps involved in integrating an existing business’s processes-

1. Process Identification.- Determine how your data should sync System to integrate (Zoho, , HubSpot, Marketo, etc...)

2. Documenting and Mapping.-- Inputting your data into an integration system (choosing the right system for you) Once you have determined essentially how you want your business data to sync, you can now set the criteria for data, choose your platform, and enable the integration.

When choosing a platform to use, there are certain features to pay attention to, including price, bi-directional syncing (does the data flow into and out of each system?), number of system you can connect and how many records you're limited to sync in a given time.

3. Planning Through Modeling.-- Refine your integration by setting up filters

4. Design, Implementation, and Management.

Q6) a) Describe various challenges in Data management. [4]

Ans-

1. Share volume of data

Every day, it’s estimated that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created. This leaves organisations continuing to face the challenge of aggregating, managing and creating value from data. The sheer amount of data being created and the numerous collection channels make good data management an important, yet elusive goal.

2. Taking a reactive approach to data management

One of the biggest problems we often see, is that firms often don’t realise they have a problem with their data. This means many organisations take a reactive approach to data management, and will often wait until there are specific issues that need fixing.

3. Lack of processes and systems

When data is extracted from disparate databases, the inevitable result is data inconsistencies, and nobody trusts the numbers. A lack of processes, data management systems and inadequate data strategies contribute towards inaccurate data.

4. Fragmented data ownership

A lack of data ownership is one of the key shortfalls for most organisations we speak to. Data ownership is still predominantly fragmented, with the management of data quality driven by multiple stakeholders and frequently measured at a department-by-department level, rather than across the business as a whole.

5. Driving a data culture

Many organisations cannot invoke enough support to improve data culture. This may be due to organisations often lacking the knowledge or skills around data management and the resources required to manage data properly.

b) What is Supply Chain Management (SCM)? Explain with an example How SCM helps an Organization in managing its Vendors. [6]

Ans-

Supply chain management is the management of the flow of goods and services and includes all processes that transform raw materials into final products. It involves the active streamlining of a business's supply-side activities to maximize customer value and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

SCM is based on the idea that nearly every product that comes to market results from the efforts of various organizations that make up a supply chain. Although supply chains have existed for ages, most companies have only recently paid attention to them as a value-add to their operations.

In SCM, the supply chain manager coordinates the logistics of all aspects of the supply chain which consists of five parts:

• The plan or strategy

• The source (of raw materials or services)

• Manufacturing (focused on productivity and efficiency)

• Delivery and logistics

• The return system (for defective or unwanted products)

The supply chain manager tries to minimize shortages and keep costs down. The job is not only about logistics and purchasing inventory. According to , supply chain managers, “make recommendations to improve productivity, quality, and efficiency of operations.”

The key benefits of supply chain management are as follows −

• Develops better customer relationship and service.

• Creates better delivery mechanisms for products and services in demand with minimum delay.

• Improvises productivity and business functions.

• Minimizes warehouse and transportation costs.

• Minimizes direct and indirect costs.

• Assists in achieving shipping of right products to the right place at the right time.

• Enhances inventory management, supporting the successful execution of just-in-time stock models.

• Assists companies in adapting to the challenges of globalization, economic upheaval, expanding consumer expectations, and related differences.

• Assists companies in minimizing waste, driving out costs, and achieving efficiencies throughout the supply chain process.

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