Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
14. You have been hired to develop group support software.
Describe the features you would include in your new GSS
software.
15. Imagine that you are the vice president of manufacturing
for a
Fortune
1000 manufacturing company. Describe the
features and capabilities of your ideal ESS.
PROBLEM-SOLVING EXERCISES
1.
Use the Internet to research the use of Web 2.0 technologies
in collaborative group decision making. Use a word pro-
cessor to describe what you discovered. Develop a set of
slides using a graphics program to deliver a presentation on
the use of Web 2.0 in GSS.
If you were a financial analyst tracking this company, what
detailed data might you need to perform a more complete
analysis? Write a brief memo summarizing your data needs.
3.
As the head buyer for a major supermarket chain, you are
constantly being asked by manufacturers and distributors
to stock their new products. Over 50 new items are intro-
duced each week. Many times, these products are launched
with national advertising campaigns and special promo-
tional allowances to retailers. To add new products, the
amount of shelf space allocated to existing products must
be reduced or items must be eliminated altogether. Develop
a marketing MIS that you can use to estimate the change
in profits from adding or deleting an item from inventory.
Your analysis should include input such as estimated weekly
sales in units, shelf space allocated to stock an item (mea-
sured in units), total cost per unit, and sales price per unit.
Your analysis should calculate total annual profit by item
and then sort the rows in descending order based on total
annual profit.
2.
Review the summarized consolidated statement of income
for the manufacturing company whose data is shown here.
Use graphics software to prepare a set of bar charts that
shows the data for this year compared with the data for
last year.
a.
This year, operating revenues increased by
3.5 percent, while operating expenses increased
2.5 percent.
b.
Other income and expenses decreased to $13,000.
c.
Interest and other charges increased to $265,000.
Operating Results (in millions)
Operating Revenues
$2,924,177
Operating Expenses (including taxes)
2,483,687
Operating Income
440,490
Other Income and Expenses
13,497
Income Before Interest and Other Charges
453,987
Interest and Other Charges
262,845
Net Income
191,142
Average Common Shares Outstanding
147,426
Earnings per Share
1
.30
TEAM ACTIVITIES
1.
Use a social-networking site to help your team collaborate
on a decision of your choice. Each team member should
write a brief report on his or her experiences in using the
social-networking site. In addition to the individual reports,
your team should collaborate on a group report that
describes the different perceptions of each team member
and makes recommendations about the use of social-
networking sites in group decision making.
meeting with negative group behavior. After the meeting,
have your team describe how to prevent this negative group
behavior. What GSS software features would you suggest
to prevent the negative group behavior your team observed?
3.
Imagine that you and your team have decided to develop
an ESS software product to support senior executives in the
music recording industry. What are some of the key deci-
sions these executives must make? Make a list of the capa-
bilities that such a system must provide to be useful.
Identify at least six sources of external information that will
be useful to its users.
2.
Have your team make a group decision about how to solve
the most frustrating aspect of college or university life.
Appoint one or two members of the team to disrupt the
