Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Mis
Mis
Mis
online ad revenue has increased, all payments via credit card) New federal security and accounting laws (e.g. emails to be stored for five years, chemical exposure data to be stored for 60 years)
Globalization opportunities
Internet has drastically reduced costs of operating on global scale (24x7, suppliers, imports) Presents both challenges and opportunities (e.g. DVDs)
1. Operational excellence 2. New products, services, and business models 3. Customer and supplier intimacy 4. Improved decision making
5. Competitive advantage
Time Shifting: Business Conducted continuously i.e. 24x7, rather than 9am to 5pm Space Shifting: work takes place globally in a global workshop (work from home, body shopping, Accenture)
6. Survival
Operational Excellence
Operational excellence:
Improvement of efficiency to attain higher profitability (e-mails, msn,
automobile industry has robots) Information systems, technology an important tool in achieving greater efficiency and productivity Wal-Marts RetailLink system links suppliers to stores for superior replenishment system
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Example: Verizons Web-based digital dashboard to provide managers with real-time data on customer complaints, network performance, line outages, etc.
Competitive advantage
Competitive advantage
Delivering better performance Charging less for superior products Responding to customers and suppliers in real time
Survival
Survival
Information technologies as necessity of business May be: Industry-level changes, e.g. Citibanks introduction of ATMs (BoB) Governmental regulations requiring record-keeping
Information system:
Set of interrelated components Collect, process, store Data, and distribute information
Raw data from a supermarket checkout counter can be processed and organized to produce meaningful information, such as the total unit sales of dish detergent or the total sales revenue from dish detergent for a specific store or sales territory.
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Information system
Input: Captures raw data from organization or external environment (e.g. pink lux 1 unit sold at star bazaar)
that use it (e.g. 5500 units of pink lux sold in Mumbai in 15 days)
Feedback:
Output
returned
to
appropriate
members
of
Case Study
Toyota Motors has a software that helps its top management
decide on which models are doing well and what are the latest trends in the car market. It starts with first the customer selects a car and then various options like tinted windows, navigation system, music system, seat covers, wheel caps and so on. This data is fed into a central system and it generates reports like car models that are selling well. What music system is well sold with the car. What color seat covers are more desired. How many GPS navigation systems are sold and so on. Identify the following in the above case:
Inputs Processing Outputs
Case Study
Inputs
Car models tinted windows navigation system music system seat covers wheel caps
Processing
All inputs are entered in a central software system
Outputs
Total no Total no Total no Total no Total no of of of of of cars sold per each model music system sold car seat covers sold car seat covers sold for each color available GPS navigation systems sold
Using IS effectively requires an understanding of the organization, management, and IT shaping the systems. An information system creates value for the firm as an organizational and management solution to challenges posed by the environment.
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Levels in a Firm
Business model
Operating Models
operating model
Operating Model: describes how the business model will be implemented. Where will the company operate? What kinds of products will it sell? Which customers and segments will it serve? Which processes will be outsourced, or handled in-house? Which alliances will be most critical? How will decisions be made, and performance measured? Operating model: is the abstract representation of how an organization operates across process, organization and technology domains in order to accomplish its function. Operating model design should not be confused with detailed design of tactical capabilities such as processes, systems and organization structures. For example, an operating model might specify which business processes are needed and whether those processes should be outsourced, centralized as shared services or handled by the business units but would not define the details of the processes to be executed. That said, its important for all three elements (business model, operating model and tactical capabilities) to be closely aligned.
operating model
Lenovo offers a great example of the right way to restructure when push comes to shove. When the company acquired IBMs PC division in 2005, many people were skeptical. They didnt see how a regional Chinese computer manufacturer could hope to integrate and leverage one of the worlds most iconic brands. To silence the critics, Lenovo needed to create a new operating model that would fully capitalize on the merged entities combined capabilities. And it needed to do it fast. In just a few months, the company established global centers of excellence based around locations with leading talent and resources: manufacturing hubs in China, India, Mexico and Europe; R&D hubs in China, Japan and the US; hardware and software testing centers in China; and a marketing hub in India. It also established a fluid corporate structure with senior management teams culturally and physically dispersed across the globe. This new operating model directly addressed the markets fears, and provided a strong foundation for growth that has helped Lenovo become the worlds fourth largest PC manufacturer.
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3.Keep your customers in the tent. Significant and rapid changes to your operating model can make customers very nervous, especially when your competitors start spreading rumors and fanning the flames of doubt. To keep your customers from panicking, take the initiative to contact them and explain whats happening, even if they arent directly affected by the changes.
Example P&G
Operating Models
Procter & Gamble has long been recognized as a market leader in consumer products, but is constantly striving to do even better. To that end, the company recently invested $5.6 billion over five years to make its global operating model more product-centric and agile. It restructured itself around a core of six product-based business units, simplified its management structure by eliminating layers, and established centers of excellence for
Process standardization Low Data Integration Coordination High Diversification Low Replication High Unification
Operating Models
Diversification model
Coordination Model
Organizations that require high levels of data integration across business units, but low levels of business process standardization, are in the upper left quadrant. They share data because their business units share customers, products, suppliers, or partners, or some combination thereof. Data integration improves efficiencies, as well as the overall customer experience at each organizational touch point. No matter where customers tap into the organization, local representatives know who they are, what they buy, and many other defining characteristics because theyve got the data! Process standardization is low because it would wash out the uniqueness of each service operation and commoditize the customer experience not to mention that standardization may be impossible because different products may require different processes! Low cost, which is one of the benefits of standardized processes, is usually not a primary driver of strategy for these organizations. As highlighted in Enterprise Architecture as Strategy, large financial services institutions such as Merrill Lynch (Global Private Client) and MetLife benefit from Coordination because they can integrate multitudes of products and processes without forcing standardization. They have an integrated view of customers and can interact with them via processes that fit for each product, service and business unit.
If your business units have few common customers, suppliers or ways of doing business, you have a diversified organization. Hence, you have minimal need for either data integration or standardization of processes across business units. But, fear not! You can still create major efficiencies with technology. Even in these situations, there are processes that tend to be similar across business units, such as Human Resources and Finance, and shared services are a powerful way to achieve economies of scale. The many-to-one vs. one-to-many principle comes into play here. Many-to-one means that every business unit is staffed up and technologied up to execute the same processes. Thats redundant. Major cost savings can be gained when the processes are consolidated into a one-to-many shared services unit. Thats smart business. Carlson Companies is exemplified in the book. They own Radisson Hotels, T.G.I. Fridays restaurant, Carlson Marketing Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, and the Gold Points Reward Network. Though the companies are run autonomously, Carlson has captured cost savings and synergies with a world-class, award winning shared services capability.
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Replication model
Unification Model
The Replication model on the lower right is for organizations whose success depends on efficient and repeatable processes, but not on shared customer relationships. McDonalds and other franchise operations are clear examples of this type of organization. Repeat the process meticulously and make sure that the experience is consistent at each company outlet and youve got a winning formula for success!
Unified organizations bring it all together. Their needs for integration of data across business units and standardization of processes are both high. Dow Chemical is an example used by the Enterprise Architecture as Strategy authors. Dow cross-sells products within regions, so it needs excellent data integration, and it sells the same products, via standardized processes, in more than 175 countries around the world. Sixty percent of Dows work
Operating Models
Of course there are hybrid situations as well. Some companies employ one model for certain functions and another for others. Once youve established where you fit in, or where you should fit in from the standpoint of your operating model, defining process and IT strategies becomes much easier.
Process Mapping
Shivani Parikh
What is a Process?
A process is a group of activities which, together, achieve a specific goal. Any activity in which inputs are transformed into outputs is a Process. Examples:
Leave Application Process Cheque Deposit Process Loan Sanction Process Annual Appraisal Process
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Process Map
Helps in understanding a process by depicting it in a pictorial fashion. Simplifies the process based on that understanding Contains Diagrams which show each step of the process
Input
Similar to flowcharts Visual representation allows us to view the process as a whole and
Transformation Process
Output
Feedback
Goods or Service
A group of activities which , together, achieve a specific goal. Any activity in which inputs are transformed into outputs is a Process
Primary Process:
Alternative Path: One or more options are presented that create a path off the primary path. Decision Criteria: When incorporating alternative paths into a map, there must be a choice to be made between 2 or more options; the question being asked should be specific. (e.g. which restaurant to eat is a decision) Inspection Point: A pass/fail decision to test an output in process.
Method for depicting a process, material or information flow in a diagrammatic form. Defines key process input and outputs
A
Predefined Process
On Page Connector
Problem
Causes PROCESS
Best Practices vs. existing workflow 1 Best Practice 1 GAP: 1. 2. 3. 4. Best Practice 2 GAP: 6. Importance 5. Prioritised suggestions for improvement x x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
Problem
TECHNOLOGY
Decision
PEOPLE
1. Automate.......... 2. Simplify........
----------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------- ---- ---- ---- ----
x x
x x x x
3. Eliminate.......
Performance
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Procedure
3. Map the Primary Process
Define the tasks that will be required to reach the desired output Incorporate appropriate symbols in your Map Make sure to show parallel processes
Procedure
4. Map Alternative Processes
Map points along the primary process where decision are made
Retake Test
Example
Recruit
Hire
Orient
Train
Deploy
Pass
Procedure
5. Use Your Map to Improve the Process
Making breakfast
2. Cross Functional Maps Example: Order Fulfillment Process as given below depicts the 3. Flow Charts or Detailed Process Maps Relationship mapping between various departments in an organization e.g. 1000 Nano cars order received
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Sales
Manufac turing
The act of mapping a process out in flow chart format helps you clarify your
understanding of the process, and helps you think about where the process can be improved.
Engineering
Distribution
The example given in the next slide shows the process that is followed to
evaluate exams
Work
through
your
whole
process,
showing
actions
and
decisions
appropriately in the order they occur, and linking these together using arrows to show the flow of the process. Where a decision needs to be made, draw arrows leaving the decision diamond for each possible outcome, and Arrows, show the flow of the process label them with the outcome. And remember to show the end of the process
Attend Exam
Evaluate Score
No
Score > or = 50
Yes
Pass
End
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Use cross-functional flowcharts to show the relationship between a business process and the functional units (such as departments) responsible for that process.
Distribution
Manufactur ing
Engineer ing
Sales
Cust omer
Horizontal
Vertical
Execute
What happens next? What sequence are the activities performed in?
Who reviews it and when? How long does it take? What is the nature, frequency and cause of errors/problems? How are errors/problems/exceptions handled? What is the output? How many? Where does the output go?
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MS Visio Highlights
Helps in pictorial representation of information / activities & processes. Ease of Use Standard shapes/templates available Drag and Drop feature Helps in creating business-related diagrams such as flowcharts,
The user checks for the availability of tickets The system displays the results In case the tickets are available to User continues to book the tickets Else he/she modifies the details and resubmits. Make appropriate assumptions wherever necessary Use appropriate symbols wherever needed
System displays the Homepage This is a predefined Process. The User would need to enter details like age, gender, date of travel, destination etc.
work order is sent to repair team (responsible for repairing the car) which creates a list of parts required for the repair. The repair team asks parts
department to create an order for parts. Parts team shall ask purchasing to
create a purchase order for parts. Parts team is also responsible for checking that all the parts have arrived from supplier. Purchasing is responsible for placing an order with the approved parts supplier for the parts, updating the
Yes
Tickets Available
No
database on parts received (once it is confirmed that all parts are received) and preparing an invoice on completion of repairs and closing the order once
The User would need to enter details of his/ Credit card, type of card etc.
the customer makes the payment. Note: Steps may or may not be in the right sequence
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SDLC
Information
technology
has
both
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Business Ethics
Ethics confront
questions as part
that of
Stockholder Theory
Managers are agents of the stockholders Their only ethical responsibility is to increase the profits of the business without violating the law or engaging in fraudulent practices
Stakeholder Theory
Managers have an ethical responsibility to manage a firm for the benefit of all its stakeholders (e.g. Enron) Stakeholders are all individuals and groups that have a stake in, or claim on, a company
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Microsoft
He argued that non-vegetarian fastfood restaurants like KFC would encourage Indian farmers to shift from
Netscape Navigator was a proprietary web browser that was popular in the 1990s and had to be bought as a pack.
production
of
basic
crops
to
more
lucrative varieties like animal feed and meat leaving poorer sections of society with no affordable food PETA further intensified its campaign against the cruel treatment meted out
Microsoft
Microsoftcontd 1
Netscape Corporation filed a suit against Microsoft and its main contention was that Microsoft was a monopoly, which had used its monopoly power to suppress competition and gain an unfair advantage Microsoft's aggressive pricing of
Microsoft's 'Enterprise licensing' enabled clients to get unlimited use of Windows NT, Office and BackOffice, as well as its upgrades for a single price. This tied down the customer to other Microsoft products. In June 2000, the US District Court gave its ruling that Microsoft had
violated
the
US
antitrust
laws
by
Baazee.com
Coke
Avnish Bajaj Passout IIT Kanpur did MS in US joined Apple Computer as a Software Engineer then did MBA from Harvard Business School In late 1999 he was living in the U.S. and noticed the success of then nascent eBay. He returned to India that year to start a
Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta-based pharmacist, developed the original formula of Coke in 1886 The ingredients were refined to create a refreshing carbonated soda. Coke went on sale for the first time in the Joe Jacobs Drug Store The product slowly gained acceptance after a heavy outpouring of free sample
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Coke
Coke also faced problems in the 1970s when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) harmful cancer. The controversy Springs, intensified Colorado, further sent a ruled and a that saccharin, in Coke, source an was of important ingredient
Critics
said
that
the
these
growing
contracts
trend of
represented
commercialization on school campuses. When students saw products advertised in their schools, they frequently thought that it was something that the schools were endorsing. By displaying its logos prominently in public schools, Coke hoped to re-
potential
Coke
Coke
Is
Coke
ethical
in
their
marketing
A responsible professional
Acts with integrity Increases personal competence Sets high standards of personal performance Accepts responsibility for his/her work Advances the health, privacy, and general welfare of the public
Informed Consent
Those affected by the technology should understand and accept the risks
Justice
The benefits and burdens of the technology should be distributed fairly. Those who benefit should bear their fair share of the risks, and those who do not benefit should not suffer a significant increase in risk
Minimized Risk
Even if judged acceptable by the other three guidelines, the technology must be implemented so as to avoid all unnecessary risk
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Computer Crime
Hacking
Hacking is
The obsessive use of computers The unauthorized access and use of networked computer systems
Cracker
A malicious or criminal hacker who maintains knowledge of the vulnerabilities found for private advantage
Unauthorized
resource theft
Doing private consulting Doing personal finances
use
of
computer
Software Piracy
Software Piracy
Unauthorized copying of computer programs
Licensing
Purchasing software is really a payment for a license for fair use
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Privacy Issues
The power of information technology to store and retrieve information can have a negative effect on every individuals right to privacy
Personal information is collected with every visit to a Web site Confidential information stored by credit bureaus, credit card
Cyberlaw
Laws intended to regulate activities over the Internet or via electronic communication devices
Encompasses a wide variety of legal and political issues Includes intellectual property, privacy, freedom of expression, and jurisdiction
Opt-In
You explicitly consent to allow data to be compiled about you This is the default in Europe
Opt-Out
Data can be compiled about you unless you specifically request it not
be This is the default in the U.S.
controversial
Some feel the Internet should not be regulated Encryption and cryptography make traditional form of regulation difficult The Internet treats censorship as damage and simply routes around it
Other Challenges
Employment
IT creates new jobs and increases productivity It can also cause significant reductions in job opportunities, as well as requiring new job skills (e.g. SBI when implemented internet banking)
Other Challenges
Individuality (online personality and offline one are different) Dehumanizes activities and because depersonalizes computers
Computer Monitoring
Using computers to monitor the productivity and behavior of employees as they work Criticized as unethical because it monitors individuals, not just work, and is done constantly Criticized as invasion of privacy because many employees do not know they are being monitored
Working Conditions
IT has eliminated monotonous or obnoxious tasks However, some skilled craftsperson jobs have been replaced by jobs requiring routine, repetitive tasks or standby roles
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Health Issues
Ergonomics
Designing environments
healthy
work
Increases employee morale and productivity Also called human factors engineering
Business the
continuity
planning to
Y2k (9th Sep 1999, Leap years) 9/11 Little tolerance for any downtime or business disruption Loss of revenue (e.g. e-commerce, POS goes down, online travel
(BCP) is planning which identifies organization's assets exposure to internal and external threats and synthesizes provide
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BCP Concepts
Disaster Recovery: primarily involves protecting IT infrastructure and data from disabling data loss after an equipment or site failure. It is a part of BCP Separation distance Since the BC events against which we are planning frequently result in loss of access to or destruction of a location it is necessary to ensure that electronic and other records are duplicated at another geographically separated location in a form that allows them to be accessible and recovered for use within business-defined timescales. Greater geographical separation decreases the likelihood of two sites being affected by the same incident There is no minimum or correct distance for separation as the ability of worldwide infections and computer viruses to cause concurrent incidents demonstrates. Also dependent on how much distance employees would travel (e.g. 9/11) E.g.: Call centers at 2 locations Mumbai and Bangalore with SLAs set for them,
Threat analysis
Hurricane
Utility outage (power, telephone lines etc) Terrorism
Agenda
Testing Definition
Objectives and Goals of Testing Why do we test? Testing Principles Levels of testing Testing Phases Two Approaches to Testing Test Cases Testing Principles
Software Testing
Shivani Parikh
Software Testing
Software Testing is an activity that helps in finding out bugs/defects/errors in a software system under development, in order to provide a bug free and reliable system/solution to the customer.
Australia: Man jailed because of computer glitch. He was jailed for traffic fine
although he had actually paid it for 5 years ago. Dallas Prisoner released due to program design flaw: He was temporary transferred from one prison to another (witness). Computer gave him temporary assignment.
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Verification: Have we built the software right? (i.e., does it match the specification). Validation: Have we built the right software? (i.e., is this what the customer wants).
Reliability
Performance (Eg: Page Loading, EOD in a bank e.g. Citibank EOD failure) Memory Usage (E.g.: LOC) Security (e.g. authorization) Usability (e.g.: Navigation should be simple, Banking users do not want mouse related functionality)
Why do we test?
Provide confidence in the system (e.g. autopilot)
Testing Principles
All tests should be traceable to customer requirements.
(after
requirements
model
is
complete)
Establish the extent that the requirements have been met, i.e. what the users asked for is what they got not what someone else though they wanted
the large.
Levels of Testing
Prgm 1 Prgm 2 Prgm n Prgm 1 Prgm 2 Prgm n
Testing Phases
Unit Test
A unit is a piece of software implemented by a single programmer - typically
single functions or small groups of functions that work together to accomplish some simple task.
Programmers are usually responsible for testing units alone during their
Module 1
Module 2
Prgm 1 Module Test C ases 1 Unit Test C ases Module Test C ases n
Prgm 2
implementation before they are integrated with other parts of the system.
Integration Test When several units are brought together to form a module, or system, they are tested as a group.
Application System System Test C ases System Test C ases System Test C ases
Examples: Marriage, Login-Inbox-Compose, Core Banking software has various modules like loans, nostro, Cheque management etc..)
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Alpha testing
Alpha testing is simulated or actual operational testing by potential users/customers or an independent test team at the developers' site. Alpha testing is often employed for off-the-shelf software as a form of internal acceptance testing, before the software goes to beta testing.
requirements that may not reflect the use of the system by its intended users.
Acceptance Test (UAT: User Acceptance Testing) Whole system is exercised with data reflecting use of the system by its intended Beta testing Beta testing comes after alpha testing and can be considered a form of external user acceptance testing. Versions of the software, known as beta versions, are released to a limited audience outside of the programming team. The software is released to groups of people so that further testing can ensure the product has few faults or bugs. Sometimes, beta versions are made available to the open public to increase the feedback field to a maximal number of future users
users.
Often small groups of users participate in acceptance testing in an effort to provide a more realistic trial of the software.
cases.
The test designer selects valid and invalid input and determines the correct
output
In this type of testing, the software is tested for the functional requirements. The tests are written in order to check if the application behaves as expected.
Load Testing
This testing is also called as Testing for User -Friendliness. This testing is done if User Interface of the application stands an important consideration and needs to be specific for the specific type of user. Companies offering this service online. (e.g. Dubai Bank spelling mistake)
Recovery Testing
The application is tested against heavy loads or inputs such as testing of web
sites in order to find out at what point the web-site/application fails or at what
point its performance degrades. It is conducted in a test environment identical to the production environment
Recovery testing is basically done in order to check how fast and better the application can recover against any type of crash or hardware failure etc. Type or extent of recovery is specified in the requirement specifications. Examples: Power failure (transactions goes back or completes)
User Acceptance Testing
Examples: Exam results posted on net, ATM software testing, a word processor or graphics editor can be forced to read an extremely large document; or a financial package can be forced to generate a report based on several years' worth of data UAT is a process to obtain confirmation by a Subject Matter Expert (SME), preferably the owner or client of the object under test, through trial or review, that the modification or addition meets mutually agreed-upon requirements. In software development, UAT is one of the final stages of a project and often occurs before a client or customer accepts the new system.
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the knowledge of internal coding structure is prerequisite, it becomes very easy to find out which type of input/data can help in testing the application effectively. in optimizing the code
The other advantage of white box testing is that it helps It helps in removing the extra lines of code, which can
Disadvantages
As knowledge of code and internal structure is a
our goal is to ensure that all statements and conditions have been executed at least once
prerequisite, a skilled tester is needed to carry out this type of testing, which increases the cost.
And it is nearly impossible to look into every bit of code
to find out hidden errors, which may create problems, resulting in failure of the application
Test Cases
A test case in software engineering is a set of conditions or variables under
which a tester will determine if a requirement or use case upon an application is SELECTED INPUTS RESULTANT OUTPUTS DESIRED OUTPUT partially or fully satisfied. It may take many test cases to determine that a requirement is fully satisfied.
Test cases are often incorrectly referred to as test scripts. Need to decided which bugs to be given priority (UI / functional etc.)
SELECTED INPUTS
Exercise 2
Login Test Cases
Exercise 2
Login Test Cases 1.Enter right user ID and right password 2.Enter wrong ID and wrong password 3.Enter right ID and wrong password
You have an account on Gmail and you need to login to the same. Conditions given are your user ID should be Alphanumeric and less than Length of 30 characters and password should be Alphanumeric and special characters and its
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Business processes
Business processes
Sets of activities, steps
May be tied to functional area or be cross-functional (e.g. leave application, Ordering a hamburger at McDonalds, eating Italian food at a high end bistro)
Types of IS
Shivani Parikh
Businesses: Can be seen as collection of business processes Business processes are at the heart of every business
Business processes
Examples of functional business processes
Manufacturing and production
Assembling the product (raw materials, production, quality)
Exercise 1
Identify which of the following are processes and which are not:
1. Scanning documents 2. Printing of letters 3. Leave application by employee 4. Filing of document in a filing cabinet 5. Checking for Quality 6. Ordering for stationary in an organization
Human resources
Hiring employees
Exercise 1
Processes
Leave application by employee Checking for Quality Ordering for stationary in an
organization
Fulfilling a customer order involves a complex set of steps that requires the close coordination of the sales, accounting, and manufacturing functions.
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2. Enabling entirely new processes that are capable of transforming the businesses
Change flow of information making it more possible for more people to access and share information (Amazon.com: book ordering) Replace sequential steps with parallel steps (pay before drink, pay and
park)
Eliminate delays in decision making
Manufacturing and production systems deal with the following: Planning, development and maintenance of production facilities, (robotics) Acquisition, storage and availability of production materials (RFID) Scheduling of equipment, facilities, materials and labor required to finish
Sales is concerned with contacting the customers, selling the products and
services, taking orders and following up on sales Sales and marketing systems
Help monitor trends, analyzing advertising and promotional campaigns (Italian restaurant in LA did analysis of trends) Helps locating prospective customers (e.g. sms on cell phones) Tracking sales (e.g. Onida gave cell phones to sales agents) Processing orders
products
workforce
HR information systems help in identifying potential employees,
maintaining records on existing employees and creating programs to develop employees talents and skills. Example: Online Training
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1. Transaction Processing Systems 2. Management Information Systems 3. Decision Support Systems 4. Executive Support Systems
Allow managers to monitor status of operations and relations with external environment Serve operational levels Serve predefined, structured goals and decision making TPS are so central to a business that TPS failure for a few hours can lead to a firms demise and perhaps other firms linked to it
TPS Example
A Payroll TPS
The basic data from TPS are compressed and usually presented in reports Provide answers to routine questions with predefined procedure for answering them
A TPS for payroll processing captures employee payment transaction data (such as a time card). System outputs include online and hard-copy reports for management and employee paychecks.
Typically have little analytic capability Example: Tickets sold on each route
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Management information systems and decision-support systems: supporting managers (middle management)
Executive
support
systems:
supporting
executives
(senior
management)
Often headed by chief information officer (CIO), also includes chief security officer (CSO) and chief knowledge officer (CKO) Separate department under central control Each division has separate group but all under central control
End-users:
Representatives of other departments, for whom applications are developed
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Usability
Shivani Parikh
User interface
A user interface is a collection of techniques and mechanisms to interact with machines (e.g. Washing Machine, AC, Computer explain how are
User interface
User interfaces should be designed to match the skills, experience and expectations of its anticipated users
these used)
The user interface includes hardware (physical) and software (logical) components User interfaces provide a means of: Input, allowing the users to manipulate a system, and/or (e.g. ATM) Output, allowing the system to indicate the effects of the users' manipulation Goal is to produce a user interface which makes it easy, efficient, and
e.g. designing a website for heart attack or diabetes - old people prefer
fewer clicks and tend to focus more on bullets, tables E.g. designing a website for a citys public transportation system
System users often judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality (discuss about NMIMS placement cell example)
(e.g. plane)
Poor user interface design is the reason why so many software systems are never used
Windows
Icons
Menu
history
Pointing
Graphics
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Usability
Usability refers to how well users can learn and use a product to achieve
Why is it so hard?
Its common practice between developers to postpone non-technical
their goals and how satisfied they are with that process
Usability is closely related to ease of use Usability is a combination of factors including:
problems to the end. But then its too late to make changes
Ease of learning Efficiency of use (e.g. how fast can a travel agent book tickets)
Memorability
Error frequency and severity Subjective satisfaction
you present more than this, they are more liable to make mistakes
In this presentation well bring some examples of good and bad design (and some smart solutions to the bad ones)
The question is not whether they do. It is how GOOD they are!
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The emit
street of
lights the
yellow light
instead white
The problem is that sometimes it is difficult to tell whether a light is a yellow street light or a yellow traffic light.
Is this usable?
When
trying
to
open
this
file
cabinet users found themselves pulling the handle on the top (See arrow). Guess what happened?
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WHY?
Is that clear that you can turn right when the red lights are on?
UI design principles
UI design must take account of the needs, experience and capabilities of the system users
Designers should be aware of peoples physical and mental limitations and should recognise that people make mistakes
UI design principles underlie interface designs although not all principles are applicable to all designs
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21-Apr-13
UI design principles
Principle Description The interface should use terms and concepts which are drawn from the experience of the people who will make most use of the System (e.g. Shopping Cart, MS have files, folders, documents as words, TurboTax changed words from Accounts receivables and Accounts Payable to cash in and cash out) The interface should be consistent in that, wherever possible, comparable operations should be activated in the same way Users should never be surprised by the behaviour of system The interface should include mechanisms to allow users to recover from errors (UNDO, soft deletes) The interface should provide meaningful feedback when errors occur and provide context-sensitive user help facilities (user manuals, online help) The interface should provide appropriate interaction facilities for different types of system user
User familiarity
The 50-cent usability test Usually 5-6 people is enough, will start to see consensus Dont need formal usability lab, or people off the street Just sketch or prototype and ask your neighbor
When trying to report users passport lost to the relevant UK Government agency, user wrote his explanation in a box, only to be told that it could only be max 90 characters
If youre going to tell someone theyve done something wrong you have the responsibility to tell them exactly what it is theyve done wrong, and how they can remedy it most easily
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Example 2
Customer Support
Ideally, dont limit the maximum length for an important free-text input
like this to something so little as 90 characters. If you do have technical or design limitations for space, dont give them a text area to do it. When I see a <textarea>, I think I have plenty of scope to write.
Show a Javascript-powered counter, saying "43 characters left". Dont let the user make a mistake in the first place, by limiting the max length parameter of a field If you cant manage any of these, and Ive made a quantifiable error, at least give me specific feedback so that I can quantify by how far out I am, i.e. Tell me Ive written 170 characters, so I know I need to cut it down by 50%.
Theyve used a web convention (asterisk to denote required field), but in the opposite way to its conventional use. (e.g. traffic signals) If youre going to use a convention, use it conventionally.
In general print, you can use an asterisk to refer to a footnote or similar additional minor comment, so in theory it can mean anything. You just have to look at the comment.
If they want to distinguish for their users which fields are required, show
the ones that are required, not the ones that arent
But there are 2 problems here: One is that the web convention is to use asterisks to denote required fields. To make matters worse, the asterisk is also rendered in red, which is the universal color for alert/ danger / important. Whenever user sees a red asterisk on a form, he/she assumes 100% that it means required. Had it been black it would make users read again.
Placing the buttons on the tabs themselves, confuses the users as to the consequence of selecting the buttons.
If the buttons are placed outside of the set of tabs, the user can correctly consider those buttons as controlling the entire set of tabs.
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vs .
vs .
in a hurry
vs
adaptive menu
office assistant
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Terrible Designs.
A smart solution!
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21-Apr-13
After accepting Words suggestion see what you get! Users are not dolts But, the easier you make the program, the more people can use it 10% more usable 50% more users
Activity-based UI
Two ways of designing UI: 1. What features should be there? Greeting card example: send by email, print add text, add picture, get predesigned card,
Visual perception
color constancy
2. What activities will users do? Greeting card example: birthday greeting, party invitation, anniversary greeting (leads to unexpected features: remind to send next year)
Example:
Excel was designed for financial number-crunching, but many use it for lists
font spacing:
Conclusion
Usability testing should be an ongoing concern of every designer. Making things easier to use cant be prejudicial
Thank you!
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21-Apr-13
Usability Guidelines
Form Labels Work Best Above The Field
The F-shape reading pattern refers to the viewing order: users start by reading across the top line and then look down the page a little and read across again and then continue down the left side.
Usability Guidelines
Usability Guidelines
Effect of Domain Name Extensions (i.e. .com,.org, .edu,), no numbers, no hyphens, short domain names e.g. Section508.gov is still ok since its meaningful Usability studies have shown that 8.6 seconds is the maximum time web users will wait for a page to download We read web pages in a different manner to the way we read printed matter. We generally don't read pages word-for-word - instead we scan web pages. When we scan web pages certain items stand out: Headings, Link text, Bold text, Bulleted lists Did you notice that images were left out of that list? Contrary to the way in which we read printed matter, we see text before we see images on the
Error prevention: Even better than good error messages is a careful design
which prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. The need for instructions generally indicates bad design Color Blindness Photographs of people can induce trustworthiness by adding a human touch Effect of Font Size
Usability Guidelines
Restrictions must not be placed on users Impossible to e-mail the link to someone else Problems with printing (pages should be in printable format) Users feel trapped if external links open in the same window The site automatically enters field formatting data (e.g. currency symbols, commas for 1000s, trailing or leading spaces). Users do not need to enter characters like or % Field labels on forms clearly explain what entries are desired Text boxes on forms are the right length for the expected answer There is a clear distinction between "required" and "optional" fields on forms Forms pre-warn the user if external information is needed for completion (e.g. a passport number, PAN no, SSN no) Pull-down menus, radio buttons and check boxes are used in preference to text entry fields on forms (i.e. text entry fields are not overused). With data entry screens, the cursor is placed where the input is needed.
Usability Guidelines
Data formats are clearly indicated for input (e.g. dates) and output (e.g. units of values). Forms allow users to stay with a single interaction method for as long as possible
The site makes it easy to correct errors (e.g. when a form is incomplete,
positioning the cursor at the location where correction is required). There is a visible change when the mouse points at something clickable The site makes it easy to correct errors (e.g. when a form is incomplete, positioning the cursor at the location where correction is required) Delivery costs are highlighted at the very beginning of checkout. The site is free of typographic errors and spelling mistakes. The content is up-to-date, authoritative and trustworthy. The site contains third-party support (e.g. citations, testimonials) to verify
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Usability Guidelines
Error Messages
All error messages should contain 2 parts: a description of the problem what the user needs to do to fix it Error messages should be written in the users language and should be easy to understand. Error messages should be concise. They do not need to include full sentences or the word please. Error messages should be consistent in look and behavior. They should have a specified style to enhance predictability and professionalism of the site or application. Error messages in a form can be red, but they also should have a secondary visual cue for color-blind users. One example is to use red, bold text. In long forms, field-level error messages should appear both at the top of the page in a summary and within the page, next to the fields with errors. This helps users find errors quickly. Error messages should validate all errors on a screen at once. To the extent possible, users should not have to fix a problem, re-select Save or Submit, then receive more error messages. Error messages should be displayed in context, not shown as pop-ups. Especially in the case of missing or incorrect data in forms, keeping the errors within the page provides the users with context for the errors where and when they need it. Error messages should not make the user feel stupid. Ensure that language is not accusatory or blaming.
Photo details
The left photo is from the whitehouse.gov site. It shows the U.S.
President, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director of the National Park Service walking in the Santa Monica mountains.
No Prices
No B2C ecommerce site should make this mistake
If I hadn't told you that, you wouldn't have known by looking at the thumbnail: It's just a photo of three people. You can't even really tell that they're in a park, let alone which one.
The right photo is from cnn.com, which usually does a great job with small
This photo illustrated a story about flooding; in this case, you can clearly see what's going on, even though the image is only 65 x 49 pixels.
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Exercise
The Basecamp sign-up page has a smart trick. It has no website navigation aside from a home-page link. This keeps the user focused on the sign-up process, without any distractions or means of leaving the page.
Exercise
Exercise
Exercise
Exercise
left-aligned labels
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Exercise
Exercise
Exercise
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