Discussion Questions
Thus far, we have been learning about building an information system from scratch. Sometimes, it is more cost-effective to buy an existing solution and adapt it to fit your or your client’s business. Please respond to the following:
Describe a situation where a new business information system is needed. Do not repeat an example from the textbook or one that has been posted by another student.
Explain the factors that would suggest a custom-built solution, and those favoring an off-the-shelf package.
Which option would you recommend, and why?
What concerns apply for this option that you would not have to worry about if you made the other choice?
In academia, facts must be verified, and opinions supported, so offer a rationale that includes something you’ve learned this week. Include references as appropriate, but do not quote or paraphrase.
2. Guidelines for User Interface Design
Information systems increasingly emphasize the user experience. Please respond to the following:
· Identify a business information system (application or website) that you are familiar with. Do not repeat an example from the textbook or one that has been posted by another student.
· Provide examples of how it follows three specific guidelines for user interface design described in section 8.6 of the textbook ( get a summary here ).
In academia, facts must be verified, and opinions supported, so offer a rationale that includes something you’ve learned this week. Include references as appropriate, but do not quote or paraphrase .
3. Using Codes
Chapter 9 of the textbook raises the question, should you use codes in fields for manual data entry and display? Please respond to the following:
· Describe how a particular business information system uses codes in one of its manual data entry fields. Do not repeat an example from the textbook or one that has been posted by another student. Please avoid scanning codes and generic examples like state abbreviations and ZIP codes.
· Which of the textbook's coding schemes does this example represent?
· What advantages does this code offer?
· What drawbacks arise from this data entry code?
In academia, facts must be verified, and opinions supported, so offer a rationale that includes something you’ve learned this week. Include references as appropriate, but do not quote or paraphrase .