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CCT 355: E-Business Technologies. Class 2 : Foundations of business information systems technology. Administration. Assignment of presentation topics/dates will be next week
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CCT 355: E-Business Technologies Class 2: Foundations of business information systems technology
Administration • Assignment of presentation topics/dates will be next week • Dates/topics can be switched by mutual agreement – but *not* moved all to the end (e.g., if you have an early October date, you can trade with a mid-November, but not move to mid-November unilaterally) • Looks at specific technologies beginning next week – first, a foundation
Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom • Data - raw bits (e.g., 0’s and 1’s, many computer controls) • Information - data organized into chunks that have semantic value • Knowledge - Application of information to tasks and goals of value and importance • Wisdom - Ethical and political judgements regarding tasks of importance
Input Process Output (IPO) Model • Data is provided, computer transforms it, transformed data is returned • Outputted data usually then become inputs for other processes = feedback loops • Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) - badly formatted inputs break processes, wrong inputs generate incorrect results • What’s garbage? Depends on the problem.
What is IT, then? • IT transmits data - but data alone is rather pointless • IT helps structure data into information, which has more semantic value • While knowledge is mostly human domain, IT increasingly supports knowledge communities and decision support • Limitations of IT to knowledge – level of trust in automated decision support? • Relation to wisdom?
IT and Automation • IT does best at scheduled, simple repetitive tasks (examples?) • Increases efficiency, reduces human error • Implemented for years in manufacturing and logistics management - but increasingly common in knowledge work • Examples?
Competitive Advantage of IT? • IT can increase speed and lower cost of distribution and production of information • IT and the productivity paradox - for years, the above was true, but return on investment (ROI) was stagnant or even negative - why? • Paradox solved - IT now trends positive ROI - why?
A Balance… • IT alone doesn’t do much - it must be implemented intelligently by intelligent people • People, business process, technology, end objectives, market dynamics, partners and competitors, ethical concerns, legal concerns - all interact to determine success or failure of implementation • IS systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, TPS, SCM, etc.) blend – create information ecology usually as robust as weakest link • Right balance? Well, that’s where knowledge and wisdom come in.
Cui bono? • Literal translation: who benefits? • Figurative: to what good purpose? • Both excellent questions in any technology implementation • Technology has potential to shape/be shaped by existing social structures in an organization
Enterprise Software and Social Media • Traditional enterprise software not particularly social or open • “Enterprise 2.0” – learning lessons from social media/Web 2.0 and applying to business contexts
SLATES • http://andrewmcafee.org/ • McAfee sees promise in social media/web 2.0 technologies to break impasse and barriers of early IT systems
SLATES • Search • Links • Authoring • Tags • Extensions • Signals
Requirements • Receptive culture • Common platform • Informal rollout • Managerial support (and tactics)
Enterprise Information systems and FSOSS • Traditional enterprise systems – proprietary, closed, difficult and expensive to administer • A move to free software/open source solutions? • Why FSOSS? • Why *not* use FSOSS? • http://fsoss.senecac.on.ca/2011/
Recurring case studies • GPO and Cornell FSAE • Cases help contextualize information problems • Questions of transferability – what works in one context may or may not work in similar • Sometimes, may or may not work the year later!
On networking • Mehria’s presentation • In-class assignment: • 1) What will you do (and *not* do) to gain access to your interviewee? • 2) Go to meetup.com– what group/event would you join to learn more about business information systems?
Next week • A look at ERP solutions and their implementation issues • And a look at FSOSS solutions