ICT2621 EXAM PACK 2021
,Please take note of the following:
1. This document is only to be used for comparison purposes.
2. This document is intended only for comparison, research, guidance, and reference purposes.
Directly submitting this is not permitted. Failing to do so will lead to plagiarism.
3. Reselling and distributing of any part of this document is not permitted, this is the authors work
and therefore it is illegal to resell and distribute any part of this document.
4. Please use this document for guidelines only – do not copy or directly submit as this will be
marked as plagiarism as it is not your own work, you still need to answer in your own words the
assignment and this document is only for reference and guideline purposes.
,Chapter 1 – Intro to sys anal + design
1.2 What is Information Technology
= combo of hardware, software and services that people use to manage, communicate + share information.
Companies must keep up with IT technologies or else lag and lose money.
1.2.1 The Changing nature of information technology
For own interest IBM = International business machines.
1.2.2 Systems Analysis and Design
= step-by-step process for developing high quality information system.
Information system = combines tech, people and data to provide support for business functions (e.g. order processing,
inventory control, human resources, acc).
1.2.3 What does a systems analysist do?
= valued member of IT department who helps plan, develop and maintain information systems.
- Transform business reqs into IT projects
- Must be business savvy + technically competent
- Equally comfortable with managers and programmers.
1.3 Information System Components
System = set of related components that produce specific results.
Mission critical system= vital to companies’ operations (e.g. order processing system).
Every system requires input data = (consists of basic facts that are systems raw material).
Information = transformed data into output that is valuable to user.
Information system has 5 key components
- Hardware (everything physical)
- Software (programs that control hardware) two types: system and application software.
o System software manages hardware components.
o Application software supports day-to-day business functions
▪ Horizontal system = inventory or payroll application that can be adapted in different companies
▪ Vertical system = meet unique reqs of a specific business or industry.
Legacy system = name of older system.
- Data (raw material that information system transforms into useful info.)
- Processes (describes tasks and business functions that users, managers and IT staff perform. They are building
blocks of an information system and represent day-to-day business operations.
- People (stakeholders are people who have interest in information system.
Moores Law = each 24 months, cpu transistors will double
1.4 Business today
Each situation is different. Business today is being shaped by three major trends
- Rapidly increasing globalisation
- Technology integration for seamless information access across a wide variety of devices
- Rapid growth of cloud based computing and software services.
These trends are driven by immense power of the internet.
, 1.4.1 The Internet Model
Ecommerce= internet based commerce. Typical model is series of webpages providing user with interface, which coms
with database management software and web-based data server.
Ecommerce includes two main sectors: B2C(business-to-consumer) and B2B(business-to-business). Competition is
dynamic, extreme and global. Every day brings new ideas, players and ways to involve people.
1.4.2 B2C (Business-to-consumer)
Examples are Takealot + airlines. B2X is changing traditional business models and creating new ones. There is different
advertising and probability issues.
1.4.3 B2B (Business-to-business)
Volume of B2B is far greater than B2C. initially electronic commerce between two companies used a data sharing
arrangement called electronic data interchange(EDI). EDI enabled PC-to-PC data transfer. As B2B soared, company-to-
company transactions migrated to internet. Main advantage = web offers seamless communication between different
hardware and software environments anywhere and anytime. It is esp. important to smaller suppliers and customers
who need instant information about prices and availability.
Supply chain = all the companies who provide materials, services and functions needed to provide a product to a
customer.
1.5 Modelling Business Operations
Systems analysts use modeling to represent company operations and information needs. Business process modeling
involves a business profile and a set of models that document business operations.
1.5.1 Business Profiles
Business profile = overview of a company’s mission, functions, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers,
competitors, constraints, and future direction.
1.5.2 Business Processes
Business process = specific set of transactions,
events and results that can be described and
documented.
Business process model (BPM) = graphically
displays one or more business processes
Business process modeling notation (BPMN) =
standard shapes and symbols to represent events,
processes, workflows and more. With Visio for e.g.
1.6 Business Information Systems
1.6.1 Enterprise computing
Enterprise computing = refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data management
requirements. Main objective = integrate company’s primary functions to improve efficiency, reduce costs and help
,Please take note of the following:
1. This document is only to be used for comparison purposes.
2. This document is intended only for comparison, research, guidance, and reference purposes.
Directly submitting this is not permitted. Failing to do so will lead to plagiarism.
3. Reselling and distributing of any part of this document is not permitted, this is the authors work
and therefore it is illegal to resell and distribute any part of this document.
4. Please use this document for guidelines only – do not copy or directly submit as this will be
marked as plagiarism as it is not your own work, you still need to answer in your own words the
assignment and this document is only for reference and guideline purposes.
,Chapter 1 – Intro to sys anal + design
1.2 What is Information Technology
= combo of hardware, software and services that people use to manage, communicate + share information.
Companies must keep up with IT technologies or else lag and lose money.
1.2.1 The Changing nature of information technology
For own interest IBM = International business machines.
1.2.2 Systems Analysis and Design
= step-by-step process for developing high quality information system.
Information system = combines tech, people and data to provide support for business functions (e.g. order processing,
inventory control, human resources, acc).
1.2.3 What does a systems analysist do?
= valued member of IT department who helps plan, develop and maintain information systems.
- Transform business reqs into IT projects
- Must be business savvy + technically competent
- Equally comfortable with managers and programmers.
1.3 Information System Components
System = set of related components that produce specific results.
Mission critical system= vital to companies’ operations (e.g. order processing system).
Every system requires input data = (consists of basic facts that are systems raw material).
Information = transformed data into output that is valuable to user.
Information system has 5 key components
- Hardware (everything physical)
- Software (programs that control hardware) two types: system and application software.
o System software manages hardware components.
o Application software supports day-to-day business functions
▪ Horizontal system = inventory or payroll application that can be adapted in different companies
▪ Vertical system = meet unique reqs of a specific business or industry.
Legacy system = name of older system.
- Data (raw material that information system transforms into useful info.)
- Processes (describes tasks and business functions that users, managers and IT staff perform. They are building
blocks of an information system and represent day-to-day business operations.
- People (stakeholders are people who have interest in information system.
Moores Law = each 24 months, cpu transistors will double
1.4 Business today
Each situation is different. Business today is being shaped by three major trends
- Rapidly increasing globalisation
- Technology integration for seamless information access across a wide variety of devices
- Rapid growth of cloud based computing and software services.
These trends are driven by immense power of the internet.
, 1.4.1 The Internet Model
Ecommerce= internet based commerce. Typical model is series of webpages providing user with interface, which coms
with database management software and web-based data server.
Ecommerce includes two main sectors: B2C(business-to-consumer) and B2B(business-to-business). Competition is
dynamic, extreme and global. Every day brings new ideas, players and ways to involve people.
1.4.2 B2C (Business-to-consumer)
Examples are Takealot + airlines. B2X is changing traditional business models and creating new ones. There is different
advertising and probability issues.
1.4.3 B2B (Business-to-business)
Volume of B2B is far greater than B2C. initially electronic commerce between two companies used a data sharing
arrangement called electronic data interchange(EDI). EDI enabled PC-to-PC data transfer. As B2B soared, company-to-
company transactions migrated to internet. Main advantage = web offers seamless communication between different
hardware and software environments anywhere and anytime. It is esp. important to smaller suppliers and customers
who need instant information about prices and availability.
Supply chain = all the companies who provide materials, services and functions needed to provide a product to a
customer.
1.5 Modelling Business Operations
Systems analysts use modeling to represent company operations and information needs. Business process modeling
involves a business profile and a set of models that document business operations.
1.5.1 Business Profiles
Business profile = overview of a company’s mission, functions, organization, products, services, customers, suppliers,
competitors, constraints, and future direction.
1.5.2 Business Processes
Business process = specific set of transactions,
events and results that can be described and
documented.
Business process model (BPM) = graphically
displays one or more business processes
Business process modeling notation (BPMN) =
standard shapes and symbols to represent events,
processes, workflows and more. With Visio for e.g.
1.6 Business Information Systems
1.6.1 Enterprise computing
Enterprise computing = refers to information systems that support company-wide operations and data management
requirements. Main objective = integrate company’s primary functions to improve efficiency, reduce costs and help
