Decision support system (DSS) is an information designed to provide managers with alternative solutions to a problem they face.   (2 marks)

Executive Information System (EIS). This is an interactive system that provides managers or executives with a flexible access to information for monitoring the performance of the organization as well as general business conditions.     (2 marks)

Difference:

Whilst decision support systems are specifically used for unstructured decisions, executive information system may provide information (mostly in graphical format) that can inform top management on trends in the organization.    (1 mark)

• Function of the organization. The function of the organization will determine the adoption and implementation of management information system.
• The company must also take into account the total cost involved in buying the necessary infrastructure for the management information system to be implemented.
• Management must also consider how the system can be expanded to take care of additional operations in the future.
• Management must also consider the necessary measures to secure the system
• Training of staff. Management must also allocate resources for the training of employees to equip with them with the skills to be able to work with the system.
• Management support. The top hierarchy of the company must be able to offer the necessary financial and non-financial support to facilitate the successful implementation of the system.
• Control structures. Management must also consider measures to control the successful implementation of the management information system.                                                                                                                                                       (Any 5)

i) Time saving: TPS can process large volumes of data within a short period of time.

ii) Operational efficiency: TPS will facilitate the smooth operations of the supermarket and will provide the base for other internal information systems.

iii) Database stability: TPS facilitates database stability in the sense that in the event of network failure, the information will be stored in the database and the transaction will continue when service is restored.

iv) Activity tracking: TPS assists information system managers and staff to keep track of all activities and transactions of the company such as sales and receipts.

v) Access to a wider market: TPS will enable the supermarket to access potential customers to buy the goods when linked to the internet.

vi) Time sharing: TPS facilitates the sharing of the system and its properties among multiple users working on the same transaction at the same time.

vii) Back-up: TPS provides the basic building blocks for other systems in that it has a backup in case of system failure.

                                                                                                                                                                                              (Any 5)

Prevention Mechanisms:

i) User authentication: This is the process that enables the system to ensure and confirm that the person trying to access the system has the right to do so by requesting certain information before the system opens up. It may request a user name and a password.

ii) Encryption: With this any information that is saved or being transmitted is converted from plain code into cipher text or a secret code that can be decrypted using a special code by the recipient of such information.

iii) Restrictions: The company can also restrict physical access to its servers and mainframe computers by some people in order to prevent crimes.

iv) Regular audits: The company must regularly conduct information systems audit on its database management systems to check whether there is an attempted intrusion.

v) Biometric Systems: The company can also install computer systems that use a person’s traits to detect differences by comparing it to stored data.

vi) The public key infrastructure (PKI) is a means which enables the firm’s users of unsecured public network such as an internet to securely and privately exchange data through the use of a private and public crypto- graphic key pair that is obtained and shared through a trusted partner.

vii) Intrusion Detection System: This is a software that monitors systems and network resources and notifies the company’s network security personnel when it senses a possible intrusion in order to put in preventive measures

                                                                                                                                                                                                (Any 5)

Software acquisition:

• SoEasy ought to have ascertained its exact software needs before taking the steps to acquire the package.
• Having identified the package, SoEasy should have carried out a thorough user acceptance test to ensure the software needs were met.
• SoEasy staff ought to have been sufficiently trained in the use of the software. This would have been done by the agent, a normal component of software acquisition.                                                                                                                   (5 Marks)

Clearing software bugs:

• An elaborate software maintenance contract should have been entered into between SoEasy and the agents.
• SoEasy staff should have been fully involved in the software amendment process.
• Thorough tests (regression tests) should have been carried out by the agents with the participation of user staff to ensure the amendments were properly carried out and that the resulting programs would work flawlessly.                                 (5 Marks)

• Any software maintenance contract in existence should be reviewed to ensure it doesn’t favour only one party.
• In future all software issues should be properly documented and forwarded to the information systems (IS) manager if there is one, or to a manager nominated for the purpose.
• The documented issues should then be discussed with an IS steering committee.
• The approved documentation should then be passed on to the Chief Systems Analyst for discussion with his/her team of Analysts
• Competent Programmers and other user staff should then be trained to work on the issues in conjunction with the agents.
• Regression tests should be carried out on any amended programs to ensure that the amendment exercises have not created new problems.
• The amended programs should be fully documented. This documentation should replace any existing ones.

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is the fundamental re-thinking and radical design of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical contemporary measures of performance such as cost, quality, service and speed.

BPR asks “why do we do what we do? “Without making any assumptions or looking back to what has always been done in the past.

It should also achieve very high performance and not just marginal incremental improvement.

• Several jobs are often combined into one.
• Workers are able to make decisions.
• The steps in the process are performed in a logical order.
• Work is performed where it makes most sense.
• Checks and controls may be reduced, and quality ‘built – in ‘.
• The advantages of centralised and decentralised operations are combined.

Technology has changed the way business activities are conducted in a number of ways , including:

• Shared databases make it possible for information to appear simultaneously in as many places as required. In the case of CLife, orders entered into a database will facilitate the matching with goods received notes, quantity and type of goods received, and invoices.
• The use of expert systems means that a generalist can do the work of an expert.
• Telecommunication networks enable businesses to simultaneously reap the rewards of centralisation and decentralisation. CLife could easily engage in electronic data interchange (EDI) with its business partners.

• Decision support tools mean that decision making is part of everyone’s job. These tools will help CLife management in the area of inventory decisions.
• Wireless data communication and portable computers mean that field staff can send and receive information wherever they are thus taking advantage of telecommuting.
• Automatic identification and tracking technology will make it possible to locate certain assets wherever they are and CLife can use this to track orders.
• Through the use of the internet, CLife can apply electronic commerce to help in the more efficient handling of ordering and payment for goods.                                                                                                                                                          (Any 6)