INF220:
IS Principles ashford university week 1
Discussions
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Discussion Forums, go to this week’sDiscussionlink in the left navigation:
1.
Information Systems and Globalization
How are information systems transforming
business and what is their relationship to globalization? Give examples to
illustrate your answer. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
2.
Organizational Performance
How do enterprise applications, collaboration
and communication systems, and intranets improve organizational performance?
Give examples to illustrate your answer. Respond to at least two of your
classmates’ postings.
Assignments
To complete this
assignment, go to this week’sAssignmentlink in the left
navigation:
UPS
and the Utility of Information Systems
After reading chapter
one, watch thevideo: (Real Media Player can be downloaded for free atwww.real.com)
and read the additional write-up on page 16 of your text. Answer the questions
listed below using APA format. Be sure to integrate vocabulary from the text to
demonstrate your understanding of concepts. The paper should not exceed 2
double-spaced pages (excluding title page).
United Parcel Service’s
operations are driven by its information systems technology. Beginning as a
local delivery service in 1907, UPS expanded on the West coast initially,
reached New York in the 1930s, and went international in the 1970s. Today, UPS
delivers over 14 million packages daily to 200 countries and territories. A
$1.5 billion technology investment in the 1980s buoyed the growth of UPS. The
investment enabled the development of the International Shipments Processing
System (ISPS), which is the key to the company’s overseas operations. The
technology infrastructure enables UPS to offer its customers services in
addition to the basic shipment of packages. UPS drivers play an important role
in the company’s services by capturing information at the endpoints of each
delivery segment. Volume, cultural differences, and hardware readiness all
impact the development and continued growth of UPS.
1.
What external factors
affect international operations at UPS?
2.
How do these factors
cause UPS to adjust its operations?
3.
What are the inputs,
processing, and outputs of UPS’ tracking system.
4.
What technologies are
used by UPS? How are these technologies related to UPS’ business model and
business objectives?
5.
What problems do UPS’s
information systems solve?
Week 2
NF220:
IS Principles Ashford university week 2
Ashford
3: – Week 2
<pstyle=”color:
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16px”=””>Discussions
To participate in the
following Discussion Forums, go to this week’s Discussionlink in the left navigation:
1.
Role of BPR
What is the role of business process
reengineering (BPR) in enhancing competitiveness? Give examples to illustrate
your answer. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
2.
Hardware and Software Selection
Why is selecting computer hardware and
software for the organization an important business decision? What factors
should be considered? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
Assignments
To complete this
assignment, go to this week’s Assignmentlink in the left navigation:
<pstyle=”color:
rgb(112,48,160);=”” font-size:=””
16px”=””> Identifying OpportunitiesSelect a company described in the Wall Street
Journal, Fortune, Forbes, or another reputable business application. Visit the
company’s Web site to find additional information about that company and see
how the firm is using the Web. On the basis of this information, briefly
identify important business processes and the firm’s business strategy. Suggest
information systems that might give that particular business a competitive
advantage, including those based on Internet technology. Your paper should be
two double-spaced pages in length (excluding title page) and in APA format. Be
sure to integrate vocabulary from the text to demonstrate your understanding of
concepts.
Discussions
To participate in the following
Discussion Forums, go to this week’s Discussion
link in the left navigation:
- Database Development
To what
extent should end users be involved in the selection of a database management
system and database design? Respond to at least two of your classmates’
postings.
- RFID
Should all
major retailing and manufacturing companies switch to RFID? Why or why not?
Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
Assignments
To complete this assignment, go to
this week’s Assignment link in the
left navigation:
Network Design
In a two-page APA formatted paper,
provide analysis answering the following:
Network design is a key business
decision as well as a technological decision. Why? Provide an example of a
company you believe has a good network design, providing supporting rationale
on why that network is effective and what types of business decisions or
reports can be made from its utility.
Week 4
Discussions
To participate in the following
Discussion Forums, go to this week’s Discussion
link in the left navigation:
- Security in Business
Respond to
the following: “Security isn’t simply atechnology issue, it’s a
business issue.” Be sure to include business examples in your post. Respond to
at least two of your classmates’ postings.
- Supply Chain Management
Supply
chain management is less about managing the physical movement of goods and more
about managing information. Discuss the implications of this statement. Respond
to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
Assignments
To complete this assignment, go to
this week’s Assignment link in the
left navigation:
Evaluating Security Software
In a two-page APA formatted paper,
provide analysis answering the following:
Use the Web to research and evaluate
security products from two competing vendors, such as antivirus software,
firewalls, or antispyware software. For each product, describe its capabilities,
for what types of businesses it is best suited, and its cost to purchase and
install. Which is the best product? Why?
Discussions
To participate in the following
Discussion Forums, go to this week’s Discussion
link in the left navigation:
- Impact of the Internet
The
Internet may not make corporations obsolete, but corporations will have to
change their business models. Do you agree? Why or why not? Respond to at least
two of your classmates’ postings.
- Moral Dimensions of Information Systems
Refer to
page 413 Figure 12-1 in your text – The Relationship Between Ethical, Social,
and Political Issues in an Information Society. “The introduction of new
information technology has a ripple effect, raising new ethical, social, and
political issues that must be dealt with on individual, social, and political
levels. These issues have five moral dimensions: information rights and
obligations, property rights and obligations, system quality, quality of life,
and accountability and control.” Give a business example of each. Respond to at
least two of your classmates’ postings.
Assignment
To complete this assignment, go to
this week’s Final Paper link in the
left navigation:
Final Paper
The final paper will demonstrate the
students’ ability to assimilate, synthesize, and apply the concepts of
management information systems; specifically how information systems transform
business; how information systems help to solve business problems; how
information systems support major business functions, and how information
systems affect business careers.
Focus of the Final Paper
Your final paper should demonstrate
understanding of information systems and how they contribute to forming
competitive advantage in business. Prepare a 4-6 page paper that addresses the
following questions in narrative form (APA form and style). Be sure to provide
examples and supporting rationale throughout the paper.
1.
How are information systems
transforming business and what is their relationship to globalization?
2.
Why are information systems so
essential for running and managing a business today?
3.
What exactly is an information
system? How does it work? What are its people, organization, and technology
components?
4.
How will a four-step method for
business problem solving help you solve information system-relations problems?
5.
Identify and describe the major
features of a business that are important for understanding the role of
information systems.
6.
Describe the information systems
supporting the major business functions: sales and marketing, manufacturing and
production, finance and accounting, and human resources.
7.
How will information systems affect
business careers and what information systems skills and knowledge are
essential?
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
·
Must be four to six double-spaced
pages in length and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the
approved APA style guide.
·
Must include a cover page that
includes:
·
Student’s name
·
Course name and number
·
Title of paper
·
Instructor’s name
·
Date submitted
·
Must include an introductory
paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
·
Must address the topic of the paper
with critical thought.
·
Must conclude with a restatement of
the thesis and a conclusion paragraph.
·
Must use APA style as outlined in
the approved APA style guide to document all sources.
·
Must include, on the final page, a
Reference Page that is completed according to APA style as outlined in the
approved APA style guide.
