Reference no: EM13722183

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1- IS/IT Supporting Decision Making. Be sure to answer each part (20 pts.)
a. Provide a detailed, clear explanation of the differences between decision support systems and management information systems.Reflect on ALL you learned about decision support systems in Chapter 10, as well as references to DSS and MIS in other chapters.
b. Explain and discuss why MIS reports alone are often insufficient for middle- and top-level managers. (Give a concrete, specific example to illustrate your explanation.) Also explain what types of information DSS can provide that MIS does not. Explain why DSS results are often more beneficial than MIS reports.
c. What type of decision making does MIS best support? What type of decision making does DSS best support? Explain/support your answers, again including a concrete, specific example.
d. Provide a complete, specific application example of taking the data from an MIS report and then applying decision support tools to support decision making - be sure to include what enhancements or additional information the DSS will provide the end user and what type of tools are used to do this.

 
2- E-commerce and E-business: Be sure to address all parts: (20 pts.)
a. Consider the 9 essential categories of e-commerce processes studied in relation to e-commerce in your textbook. Assume you are employed by a retail company such as Banana Republic. Select 4 of the 9 processes. For each process you select, explain what the process would encompass for the company's website and why the process is critical for both the company and the customer. (9 pts.)
b. Consider a retail business organization's supply chain management in relation to its manufacturers/vendors, the retailing company itself, and consumers. Identify and then briefly discuss twocritical factors that the retail company must control correctly within their supply chain to have a successful summer retail season. Explain which of these factors are or could be under the control of the retailers and why. Also explain which factors are outside the control of the retailers and why.
c. The use of gift cards seems to be increasing each year at times such as Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and even for birthday gifts. What effect does the increasing purchase of gift cards instead of actual purchased products wrapped up as gifts have on demand planning and supply chain management for a retail store such as J.C. Penney, and how does IS/IT fit into that company's ability to manage this reality and still achieve profitability? Explain/defend your answer with an example.
d. "Wal-Mart substitutes information for inventory." Consider this statement and explain how Wal-Mart has taken advantage of more extensive and accurate information to improve their inventory and logistics practices in their brick and mortar stores. Provide a concrete, specific IS/IT example.