Solution Manual For
Fundamentals of Information
Systems, 9 Edition
th
Solutions – Chapter 1
Critical Thinking Exercise
Kroger’s QueVision System Improves Customer Service
Review Questions
1. The QueVision system is an enterprise system.
2. The two components that are missing are well-trained workers and better
teamwork.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. To address the concerns of the cashiers and baggers, the store manager should
observe the checkout process and performance of cashiers and baggers for a few
days before taking action.
2. The manager should identify and put into place the full set of organizational
complements. This cannot be done without observing where the system is failing.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Reducing New Product Stockouts at Coles
Review Questions
1. One benefit of virtual teams is that they enable organizations to enlist the best
people in different geographical regions to solve important organizational
problems. Another benefit is that they provide the ability to staff a team with
people who have a range of experience and knowledge that stems from a
variety of professional experiences and cultural backgrounds.
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
,Solution Manual For Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition
2. Virtual organization members must be sensitive to the different cultures and
practices of the various team members to avoid misunderstandings that can
destroy team chemistry.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Student responses will vary. Student should provide a paragraph briefly outlining
background and experience.
2. Student responses may vary. Communications are greatly improved when
participants can see one another and pick up facial expressions and body
language. I would recommend initial face-to-face meetings while the team is
forming and defining goals, roles, and expectations on how its members will work
together. It helps if virtual team members take the time to get to know one another
by sharing experiences and personal background information.
Review Questions
1. Data is the raw material from which information is composed. Information
includes a context for the data. Knowledge is an awareness of how to apply the
information.
2. The student can list any six of the following attributes that describe the quality of
data:
Characteristics Definitions
Accessible Information should be easily accessible by authorized
users so they can obtain it in the right format and at
the right time to meet their needs.
Accurate Accurate information is error free. In some cases,
inaccurate information is generated because
inaccurate data is fed into the transformation process.
This is commonly called garbage in, garbage out
(GIGO).
Complete Complete information contains all the important
facts. For example, an investment report that does not
include all important costs is not complete.
Economical Information should also be relatively economical to
produce. Decision makers must always balance the
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
,Solution Manual For
Fundamentals of Information
Systems, 9 Edition
th
value of information with the cost of producing it.
Flexible Flexible information can be used for a variety of
purposes. For example, information on how much
inventory is on hand for a particular part can be used
by a sales representative in closing a sale, by a
production manager to determine whether more
inventory is needed, and by a financial executive to
determine the total value the company has invested
in inventory.
Relevant Relevant information is important to the decision
maker. Information showing that lumber prices might
drop is probably not relevant to a computer chip
manufacturer.
Reliable Reliable information can be trusted by users. In many
cases, the reliability of the information depends on
the reliability of the data-collection method. In other
instances, reliability depends on the source of the
information. A rumor from an unknown source that
oil prices might go up may not be reliable.
Secure Information should be secure from access by
unauthorized users.
Simple Information should be simple, not complex.
Sophisticated and detailed information might not be
needed. In fact, too much information can cause
information overload, whereby a decision maker has
too much information and is unable to determine
what is really important.
Timely Timely information is delivered when it is needed.
Knowing last week’s weather conditions will not help
when trying to decide what coat to wear today.
Verifiable Information should be verifiable. This means that
you can check it to make sure it is correct, perhaps by
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
, Solution Manual For Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition
checking many sources for the same information.
3. An information system is a set of interrelated elements or components that collect
(input), manipulate and store (process), and disseminate (output) data and
information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet an objective. In
information systems, feedback is information from the system that is used to
make changes to input or processing activities.
4. The components of computer-based information system (CBIS) include hardware,
software, databases, networks, people, and procedures.
5. A business’s technology infrastructure includes all the hardware, software,
databases, telecommunications, people, and procedures that are configured to
collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information. The technology
infrastructure is a set of shared IS resources that form the foundation of each
computer-based information system.
6. The three types of information systems are as follows:
Type Description
Personal IS An information system that improves the productivity
of individual users in performing stand-alone tasks.
Group IS An information system that improves
communications and support collaboration among
members of a workgroup.
Enterprise IS An information system that an organization uses to
define structured interactions among its own
employees and/or with external customers,
suppliers, government agencies, and other business
partners.
7. The organizational complements include:
• Well-trained workers. Employees must be well trained and understand
the need for the new system, what their role is in using or operating the
system, and how to get the results they need from the system.
• System support. Trained and experienced users who can show others
how to gain value from the system and overcome start-up problems.
• Better teamwork. Employees must understand and be motivated to work
together to achieve the anticipated benefits of the system.
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
Fundamentals of Information
Systems, 9 Edition
th
Solutions – Chapter 1
Critical Thinking Exercise
Kroger’s QueVision System Improves Customer Service
Review Questions
1. The QueVision system is an enterprise system.
2. The two components that are missing are well-trained workers and better
teamwork.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. To address the concerns of the cashiers and baggers, the store manager should
observe the checkout process and performance of cashiers and baggers for a few
days before taking action.
2. The manager should identify and put into place the full set of organizational
complements. This cannot be done without observing where the system is failing.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Reducing New Product Stockouts at Coles
Review Questions
1. One benefit of virtual teams is that they enable organizations to enlist the best
people in different geographical regions to solve important organizational
problems. Another benefit is that they provide the ability to staff a team with
people who have a range of experience and knowledge that stems from a
variety of professional experiences and cultural backgrounds.
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
,Solution Manual For Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition
2. Virtual organization members must be sensitive to the different cultures and
practices of the various team members to avoid misunderstandings that can
destroy team chemistry.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Student responses will vary. Student should provide a paragraph briefly outlining
background and experience.
2. Student responses may vary. Communications are greatly improved when
participants can see one another and pick up facial expressions and body
language. I would recommend initial face-to-face meetings while the team is
forming and defining goals, roles, and expectations on how its members will work
together. It helps if virtual team members take the time to get to know one another
by sharing experiences and personal background information.
Review Questions
1. Data is the raw material from which information is composed. Information
includes a context for the data. Knowledge is an awareness of how to apply the
information.
2. The student can list any six of the following attributes that describe the quality of
data:
Characteristics Definitions
Accessible Information should be easily accessible by authorized
users so they can obtain it in the right format and at
the right time to meet their needs.
Accurate Accurate information is error free. In some cases,
inaccurate information is generated because
inaccurate data is fed into the transformation process.
This is commonly called garbage in, garbage out
(GIGO).
Complete Complete information contains all the important
facts. For example, an investment report that does not
include all important costs is not complete.
Economical Information should also be relatively economical to
produce. Decision makers must always balance the
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
,Solution Manual For
Fundamentals of Information
Systems, 9 Edition
th
value of information with the cost of producing it.
Flexible Flexible information can be used for a variety of
purposes. For example, information on how much
inventory is on hand for a particular part can be used
by a sales representative in closing a sale, by a
production manager to determine whether more
inventory is needed, and by a financial executive to
determine the total value the company has invested
in inventory.
Relevant Relevant information is important to the decision
maker. Information showing that lumber prices might
drop is probably not relevant to a computer chip
manufacturer.
Reliable Reliable information can be trusted by users. In many
cases, the reliability of the information depends on
the reliability of the data-collection method. In other
instances, reliability depends on the source of the
information. A rumor from an unknown source that
oil prices might go up may not be reliable.
Secure Information should be secure from access by
unauthorized users.
Simple Information should be simple, not complex.
Sophisticated and detailed information might not be
needed. In fact, too much information can cause
information overload, whereby a decision maker has
too much information and is unable to determine
what is really important.
Timely Timely information is delivered when it is needed.
Knowing last week’s weather conditions will not help
when trying to decide what coat to wear today.
Verifiable Information should be verifiable. This means that
you can check it to make sure it is correct, perhaps by
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
, Solution Manual For Fundamentals of Information Systems, 9th Edition
checking many sources for the same information.
3. An information system is a set of interrelated elements or components that collect
(input), manipulate and store (process), and disseminate (output) data and
information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet an objective. In
information systems, feedback is information from the system that is used to
make changes to input or processing activities.
4. The components of computer-based information system (CBIS) include hardware,
software, databases, networks, people, and procedures.
5. A business’s technology infrastructure includes all the hardware, software,
databases, telecommunications, people, and procedures that are configured to
collect, manipulate, store, and process data into information. The technology
infrastructure is a set of shared IS resources that form the foundation of each
computer-based information system.
6. The three types of information systems are as follows:
Type Description
Personal IS An information system that improves the productivity
of individual users in performing stand-alone tasks.
Group IS An information system that improves
communications and support collaboration among
members of a workgroup.
Enterprise IS An information system that an organization uses to
define structured interactions among its own
employees and/or with external customers,
suppliers, government agencies, and other business
partners.
7. The organizational complements include:
• Well-trained workers. Employees must be well trained and understand
the need for the new system, what their role is in using or operating the
system, and how to get the results they need from the system.
• System support. Trained and experienced users who can show others
how to gain value from the system and overcome start-up problems.
• Better teamwork. Employees must understand and be motivated to work
together to achieve the anticipated benefits of the system.
© 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.
