FINAL EXAMINATION

ITS-510 : INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Final examination
ITS-510 : Information management
Faculty Name: Md. Lutfor Rahman
Date: 28 September 2020
Exam Start at 7:00 PM on 28 September 2020
Submission Time: 5 AM on 29 September 2020

Type your ID: 20164092

Type your Name: Maliha Farzana

Instruction:

1. Download the file attached file “Finalexam_ITS510_Summer2020.DOCX” from email;

2. Rename the file to Your Full Name and ID in bracket;
3. Please answer FOUR questions out of FIVE. Each question carries 10 marks;
4. After completion of your writing, please send the answer file to me back.

Find Questions in next Page:

Questions:

1. Describe with example limitations of traditional file management system. Describe how are you
going to overcome each of these limitations.

2. Describe THREE different techniques to access data from multiple system and analyzing large
quantities of data to improve business performance and decision making in an organization.

3. How are enterprise applications used in platforms for cross-functional services? What are the
challenges posed by enterprise applications?

4. Describe how do supply chain management systems coordinate planning, production, and
logistics with suppliers?

5. Describe the alternative method which enables rapid development and cost-effective approach.
Describe its merits and demerits compare to traditional Software Development Life Cycle.

Your Answer Starts from Here:

Question No:1- Describe with example limitations of traditional file management system.
Describe how are you going to overcome each of these limitations.

Answer:

File Management System:

The file management system is a program that is used to store, arrange, and access files located on a disk
or other storage place. The key function of a file manager is to allow users to build and save new files on
a device (laptop or desktop), view all files saved on a device, and organize files in a number of
hierarchical configurations, such as directories, for easy sorting. Basic activities for a file management
system include:

 Create new files

 Displaying all files stored
 Transfer files between locations
 Adding and editing of basic metadata
 Order files based on parameters such as changed date, generated date, file size, file type, etc.
The file management system provides users with a basic interface that can be used to move through
folders and view various files using dedicated applications such as Excel for.xls, Acrobat for.pdf, and
Word for.doc. Windows Explorer is the default file management system for users of Microsoft Windows
computers.
Traditional File management System: Before the computer was used, a manual filing system was
used to store documents and data. Data has been stored and analyzed using a conventional file system,
making it easy to find any detail. In this traditional file system, each file is independent of another file
and the data in the different file can only be integrated by writing an specific program for each
application. The data and application software that uses the data shall ensure that any improvement to
the data involves the modification of all programs that use the data. Often it is not feasible to classify all
services using data found on the basis of trial and error. Both functional areas within the company build,
manage their own files. Files such as inventory and payroll create different files and do not communicate
with one another. The organization was easy to produce and had greater local power, but the
organization's data were distributed around the practical subsystem.

FIGURE 1: TRADITIONAL FILE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Limitation of Traditional Data Management System:

 Data redundancy: Redundancy is the idea of data replication, i.e. each data may have more than
one copy. The file system cannot control data replication since each user defines and maintains
the files needed for a specific application to run. It could be necessary for two users to manage
the same data files for different applications. Therefore, modifications created by one user are
not mirrored in files used by second users, which contributes to system inconsistencies. Let 's
assume we're handling college data if a student is registered for two classes, the same student
information will be processed twice in that situation, which will take more storage than is
required. Data redundancy also leads to higher storage costs and poor access times.
 Datta Inconsistency: Data redundancy leads to data inconsistency, let us take the same example
as we have taken before, a student is registered for two courses and we have a student address
registered twice, let us now assume that the student asks to update his / her address, if the address
is updated at one location and not on all documents, then this will lead to data inconsistency.
 Program – Data Dependency: Program-data dependency refers to the combination of data
stored in files and specific programs required to update and maintain such files, so that program
 changes require data changes. Any traditional computer program must describe the location and
existence of the data for which it operates. In a Traditional file system, any improvement to a
software program can require a shift in the data accessed by the software. One module may be
changed   Five-digit ZIP code to nine-digit ZIP code. If the original data file has been changed
from five-digit to nine-digit ZIP codes, followed by other programs that involved the   Five-digit
ZIP code is no longer operating properly. Such reforms may have cost millions of dollars to
introduce properly.
 Lack Of Flexibility: The standard file system can provide regular scheduled reports after
intensive programming efforts, but cannot provide ad hoc reports or respond to unanticipated
information requirements in a timely manner. The information needed by ad hoc requests is in
the framework but could be too costly to access. Several programmers can have to work for
weeks to place the necessary data items in a new package.
 Lack of Security: As there is little opportunity of oversight or regulation over records, access to
and dissemination of information can be out of control. Management may have no means of
knowing who is accessing or otherwise making adjustments to the data of the enterprise.
 Lack of data sharing and availability: Since pieces of information in various archives and
sections of the enterprise cannot be connected to each other, it is almost impossible for
information to be exchanged or retrieved in a timely manner. Information cannot flow easily
through different functional areas or different regions of the enterprise. If consumers find
differing values for the same piece of information in two different systems, they may not choose
to use these systems because they can not trust the quality of their results.
The Database Management System (DBMS): The Database Management System (DBMS) is a
software suite that enables access, retrieval and use of data while considering necessary security steps.
The Database Management System (DBMS) is very useful for improved data integration and stability.

We can overcome the limitations of Traditional file management via The Database Management System
(DBMS) explained below:

FIGURE:2 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DBMS)

Better Data Transferring: Database management offers a position where users benefit from more and
better managed outcomes. This helps end-users to take a fast look and respond easily to any changes
made to their environment.

Minimized Data Inconsistency: Data inconsistency occurs between files when different copies of the
same data appear in different locations. For example, data confusion arises when the student name is
stored as "John Wayne" on the main school machine, but "William J" is the same student name on the
registered teacher list. Wayne "or where the price of a commodity is $86.95 in the local system of the
organization and a Global Sales Office scheme shows the same price of the product as $84.95. So if a
database is properly designed then Data inconsistency can be greatly reduced hence minimizing data
inconsistency.

Enables organization to centrally manage data: The Data Base Management System (DBMS) aims to
provide easy responses to database requests, allowing access to data quicker and more reliable. For
example, to read or update your data. For example, when working with vast volumes of sales data, end
consumers would have improved access to the data, allowing shorter sales times. The questions may be
like: What’s the rise in revenue over the past three months? What kind of benefit has been offered to any
salesman in the last five months? How many of the consumers have credit score of 850 or more?

Improved Data Security: If the number of users increases the rate of data transmission or data
exchange often raises the possibility of data protection. It is widely used in the corporate world, where
businesses spend large amounts of money, time and effort to ensure their data is safe and used properly.
The Information Management System (DBMS) thus offers a clearer platform for data privacy and
security policies, allowing organizations to enhance data security.

The distinction between the file system and the DBMS is that the file system helps to store raw data files
on the hard disk while DBMS helps to quickly store, retrieve and access data in the database. In short,
DBMS has more flexibility in accessing and handling data than the file system does.

Question no 3: How are enterprise applications used in platforms for cross-functional services?
What are the challenges posed by enterprise applications?

Answer:

Companies are becoming increasingly interconnected around the globe, both internally and with other
companies. They choose to be able to react instantaneously when a customer has placed a large order or
when a distributor's shipment is delayed. Managers need to determine the impact of these changes on
every part of the business and how the business operates at any point in time. Enterprise systems provide
integration to make this possible. Let us take a look at how they work and what they can do for the firm.
Enterprise systems that focus on the integration of the company's key internal business processes. Such
systems, known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, are based on a range of integrated
software modules and a common central database. The database collects data and feeds data to several
applications that can support almost all of the internal business activities of the organization. When new
information is entered into a single process, the information shall be made immediately available to
other business processes.

FIGURE 3 Enterprise system architecture

Enterprise systems feature a set of integrated software modules and a central database that enable data to
be shared by many different business processes and functional areas throughout the enterprise

For instance, if a sales representative places an order for tire rims, the system would verify the
customer's credit limit, schedule the shipment, identify the best route and reserve the necessary items
from inventory. If the inventory stock was not sufficient to fill the order, the system would schedule the
manufacture of more rims and order the materials and components needed from suppliers. Sales and
production forecasts would be updated immediately. General Ledger and cash flow levels would be
updated automatically with the order's revenue and cost information. Users could tap into the system and
find out where that particular order was at any time. Management has been able to obtain information at
any time on how the business operates. The system could also generate enterprise-wide data for
production costs and revenue growth management analysis.

Enterprise Applications used in Platforms for cross-functional services: Businesses are now seeking
much higher levels of cross-functional process convergence than those offered by conventional
enterprise applications. They want customer relationship management, supply chain management and
enterprise systems to work closely with each other, and they want to connect these systems closely with
those of consumers, suppliers and business partners. Businesses also continue to get more value from
business apps , web services, and other   integration technologies by using them as platforms for new
enterprise-wide services.

Enterprise software has become more scalable and is able to integrate with other applications. Major
enterprise software vendors have developed web-enabled software for customer relationship
management , supply chain management, decision support, enterprise portals and other business
functions that combine with their enterprise software to build what they call "business solutions,"
"business suites," "business suites" or "e-business suites." Enterprise software providers are redesigning
their platforms to be more web-centric such that core applications can operate with Internet, distributed
supply chains, CRM systems, and emerging business-to - business (B2B) and business-to - consumer
(B2C ) e-commerce models. This modern wave of expanded business applications is often referred to as
XRP or ERP II.

Business Process Management and Operation Channels

Firms pursuing greater returns on their infrastructure investments are focused on how to build complete
offerings based on new or updated business processes that incorporate knowledge from various
functional fields. These services are based on enterprise-wide service architectures and have a higher
degree of cross-functional incorporation than conventional business apps. A service platform integrates
various applications from multiple business divisions, business units, or business partners to provide
consistent experience to customers, staff , managers, or business partners.

For example, the order-to - cash method involves accepting an order and seeing it all the way to securing
payment for an order. This process starts with lead production, marketing strategies and order
submission, normally assisted by CRM systems. If the order has been issued, the development is
planned and the supply of parts verified — processes that are typically assisted by enterprise software.
 Figure 4: Order-to-cash service
Order-to-cash is a composite process that integrates data from individual enterprise systems and legacy financial applications.
The process must be modeled and translated into a software system using application integration tools.

The order is then managed by distribution planning, warehousing, order fulfillment and shipping
procedures, which are typically assisted by supply chain management systems. Finally, an order is billed
to the client, and is managed by either corporate financial software or accounts receivable. If the
transaction involved customer support at some point, the customer relationship management systems
will be invoked again.

A service such as order-to-cash requires data from business applications and financial systems to be
further incorporated in an enterprise-wide composite process. To do this, companies need a business
process management strategy and application integration software that connects the different
components together. Business Process Management is a technique to resolve the need for a company to
constantly improve its business processes in order to stay competitive. It includes tools to build models
of improved processes that can be converted into software systems. Since most businesses are unlikely
to abandon their existing customer relationship management, supply chain management, organizational
systems, and home-grown legacy systems, technological solutions that could use existing applications as
building blocks for new cross-enterprise processes will also be needed.
Challenges that enterprise applications pose:

Time: A 2015 study revealed that new enterprise applications are expected to be created in shorter
periods of time with fewer or the same amount of resources. The same study discovered that 43 percent
of respondents expected a 50 percent or greater increase in “technical complexity of web and mobile
apps.”

For CIOs who attempt an enterprise application development project, whether they use an internal or
outsourced development team, it can be frustrating to solidify the specs and business demands of the
app. However, a solid planning foundation does not always guarantee that an application will be built
quickly and meet all the expectations from the start. Even if the specs are determined and agreed to at
the start, they can often change. Supposedly quick projects can easily spin out of control.

Many organizations underestimate just how much these changes can drive up the cost and development
time. What appears to be a small functionality change might actually add months to the project.

SOLUTION: Partner with an experienced outside team that will help plan your enterprise application
from the beginning. This may head off unforeseen changes or problems along the way. Whether using
a blended development approach or relying on a completely outside full-service development team.

2. Costs

From employee and management costs, to consultation and directional planning, to tool and platform
license, to testing, enterprise applications are not always cheap.

Most CIOs have costs firmly in their mind. They must be able to prove that the new enterprise
application will provide the organization with great ROI. The new application must seek to improve
efficiency, revenue, or other business-critical metrics.

CIOs know that this is a delicate balancing act. They need a legacy system modernization to reduce
costs. But their long-term ROI must far outweigh the development costs to even have a chance of getting
off the ground.

One big problem is that there’s not a hard and fast rule for how much an enterprise application will cost
to create. Some important aspects of the application that determine final costs can be:

 Purpose of the app

 Chosen application platform
 Development approach
  Complexity, customizations, and functionality
 UI/UX, features and design
 Third party tools and integration
 QA and testing
 Hardware necessities and capabilities

SOLUTION

Unless your project team has successfully created an enterprise application before, your best bet is to
rely on consultants or case studies for a realistic cost assessment. Internal estimates are often optimistic.

3. Expertise

Many organizations will attempt to create a whole new application or attempt a legacy application
modernization project in-house.

The problem? Enterprise application development project is that it takes incredible expertise, skill and
knowledge to ensure that the development process goes smoothly.

Because enterprise apps must integrate very closely with existing systems and processes, the entire
development team must be accustomed to constantly refining their knowledge of the business processes
and software infrastructure for their project. Keeping up with such a moving target requires a high level
of baseline expertise.

Creating apps that consistently meet business needs takes the right combination of teamwork and a
variety of different skills and expertise that many in-house teams simply do not possess. These skills can
include frontend and backend development, user experience, development, and security, and
optimization.

37% of IT professionals surveyed face a mobile app developer shortage.

Almost half of respondents reported dissatisfaction with application development time. And it’s easy to
see why developers are frustrated: more than 80% of mobile apps take over three months, and 40% of
apps take longer than 6 months to develop.

SOLUTION

CIOs have to take a long, hard look at their internal teams. It’s okay to admit that their team can do
some of the work but perhaps not all of it. Are you missing knowledgeable architects, for instance? Are
your developers fresh out of college? A critical component to successful enterprise application
development is using a team that has successfully finished these types of projects in the past.

4. Integration

Today’s end users and customers expect to be engaged through a variety of digital channels.

However, when CIOs attempt to develop applications for the first time, they can be shocked to learn that
one app may not work with all platforms right out of the box. This cost can be sneaky, mostly because it
can be underestimated. CIOs don’t often realize how much testing and development are required in
order to ensure the application functions across a multitude of platforms.

SOLUTION

Plan from the beginning to achieve a flexible cloud-enabled application or web app that works in
multiple browsers. Work with knowledgeable specialists and choose the right platforms and migration
options.

Enterprise software provides analytical methods for the use of data captured by the system for the
evaluation of overall organizational results. SAP 's business software provides profitability management
analysis, product and service cost management, overhead cost management , risk management, balanced
scorecard, value-based investment management planning, and other tools to provide managers with a
holistic view of organizational performance.

Question No: 4- Describe how do supply chain management systems coordinate planning,
production, and logistics with suppliers?

Answer:
Supply chain management: Today's dynamic market climate calls for businesses to pay even more
attention to how they handle their supply chains. Customers rely on higher prices, quicker order
delivery, and more attentive service when they make purchases. Shorter product life cycles, global
procurement and expanded product diversity have expanded supply chain costs and complexity. The
value chains of so many companies are linked together that the competitive advantage could be based on
whole supply chains rather than individual firms. Supply Chain Management ( SCM) today is not
limited to order fulfillment, but is related to competitive concerns such as the ability to produce and
produce new products or to develop and introduce new business models (Kopczak and Johnson , 2003).
Supply Chain Management refers to the tight linkage and coordination of the activities involved in the
procurement, manufacture and movement of the commodity. It combines business processes to speed up
information, product and fund flows up and down the supply chain to minimize time, unnecessary effort
and inventory costs. The supply chain is a network of organizations and business processes for the
procurement of raw materials, the transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished goods
and the delivery of finished goods. It connects manufacturers, manufacturing plants, distribution
centers , retail outlets and consumers to distribute products and services from source via consumption.
Materials, information and payments flow in all directions across the supply chain. Goods begin as raw
materials and pass through logistics and manufacturing processes before they meet consumers. Returned
products are flowing in the opposite direction from the buyer back to the seller.

Key Components of Supply Chain:

 Plan: Consists of processes that balance aggregate demand and supply to develop a course of
action to meet sourcing, production, and delivery requirements.
 Source: Consists of processes that procure goods and services needed to create a specific
product or service.
 Make: Consists of processes that transform a product into a finished state to meet planned or
actual demand
 Deliver: Consists of processes that provide finished goods and services to meet actual or planned
demand, including order management, transportation management, and distribution management.
 Return: Consists of processes associated with returning products or receiving returned products,
including postdelivery customer support.
In order to control the supply chain, the organization aims to remove redundant steps, delays and the
amount of resources connected along the way as it manages connections with other members of the
supply chain. Information systems allow the management of the supply chain more effective by
providing information to help businesses organize, schedule, and monitor the procurement, production,
inventory management and distribution of goods and services.

Supply Chain Management coordinate planning, production, and logistics with suppliers:
Inefficiencies in the supply chain, such as lack of products, underutilized plant capability, over inventory
of finished products or runaway transport costs, are triggered by incorrect or untimely details. For
example, manufacturers might hold too many parts in stock because they do not know exactly when they
will receive their next shipment from their suppliers. Suppliers through order too few raw materials
because they do not have accurate information on demand. These supply chain inefficiencies can waste
as much as 25 percent of a company’s operating costs.

If the manufacturer had perfect knowledge about precisely how many units of goods consumers needed,
when they needed them, and when they could be made, a highly effective just-in-time plan could be put
in place. Components would arrive exactly as they were required, and the finished goods would be
delivered as they left the assembly line.

In the supply chain, however, difficulties exist because certain incidents cannot be foreseen — uncertain
product demand, late shipments from manufacturers, faulty parts or raw materials, or breakdowns in the
manufacturing process. To please buyers, producers often contend with such risks and unexpected
occurrences by having more supplies or goods in storage than they believe they would require. The
protective storage serves as a shield for lack of versatility in the supply chain. Although excess
inventory is expensive, low fill rates are also costly because business may be lost from canceled orders.

FIGURE:5 NIKE’S SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

This figure illustrates the major entities in Nike’s supply chain and the flow of information upstream and downstream to
coordinate the activities involved in buying, making, and moving a product. Shown here is a simplified supply chain, with the
upstream portion focusing only on the suppliers for sneakers and sneaker soles.

Information visibility — open and quick contact and information exchange between members of the
supply chain — is the core goal of supply chain management systems. Right movement of accurate
information allows orders, shipments, and production to be accurately timed to reduce stocking levels
and expedite deliveries to customers. Supply Chain Management Systems simplify the exchange of
knowledge between a business and its Supply Chain Partners so that they can make informed choices.
Supply Chain Software may, in turn, be categorized as either software to help companies manage their
supply chains (supply Chain Planning) or software to help them complete the supply chain steps (supply
Chain Execution). Supply chain planning systems allow the organization to produce demand forecasts
for the product and to create supply and production plans for the product. Such systems enable
businesses to make better tactical choices, such as how much of a given product is made.

For example , if a large customer places a larger order than average or changes the order on short notice,
it can have a widespread effect across the supply chain. Suppliers may need to order additional raw
materials or a particular combination of raw materials. Manufacturing will have to adjust the schedule of
work. A transport carrier may be required to reschedule deliveries. Supply Chain Planning Software
shall make the requisite changes to production and delivery plans. Input on changes is communicated
among the related members of the supply chain so that their work can be organized. One of the most
significant – yet complex – roles of supply chain planning is demand planning, which defines how much
inventory a company has to create to fulfill all the demands of its customers.

Supply chain execution systems control the movement of goods across distribution centers and
warehouses to ensure that products are shipped to the correct locations in the most effective manner.
They monitor the physical position of goods, the management of supplies, the warehouse and transport
activities, and the financial details of all parties.

Companies need to be able to assess the success of their supply chain management initiatives by using
reliable performance information. A variety of metrics can be used to measure the efficiency of supply
chain operations, and supply chain management systems may provide data for them. A metric is a
normal output measurement. Important metrics for measuring the performance of the supply chain
include the filling rate (the ability to fill orders by due date), the average time from order to delivery, the
number of days of supply in inventory, the accuracy of the forecast and the time of purchase and
manufacture of the product. (Cycle time is the total time taken to complete the business process.)

Companies do not necessarily succeed in all these fields, but management should select the operations
that are most important to the success of the company and concentrate on the measures that evaluate its
efficiency. Although large software vendors have solutions to automate many of the most critical supply
chain processes, no software package or tool set does all. The basic goals of the Supply Chain
Management for each organization should be decided by which Supply Chain Management Package or
Soft Chain Set Software tool to process.

DEMAND-DRIVEN SUPPLY CHAINS: FROM PUSH TO PULL MANUFACTURING AND

EFFICIENT CUSTOMER RESPONSE:

Internet-based supply chain management technologies are clearly transforming the way organizations
function internally and with each other. In addition to minimizing costs, these supply chain management
systems promote efficient customer response, allowing company operations to be driven more by In a
push-based model, production master schedules are based on projections or best estimates of demand for
goods, and goods are "pushed" to customers. With new knowledge flows made possible by web-based
software, a pull-based model can be more easily adopted by supply chain management. In a pull-based
model, also known as a demand-driven or build-to - order model, real customer orders or transactions
trigger supply chain events. customer demand. Earlier supply chain management systems were powered
by a push-to-stock model. Transactions to produce and distribute exactly what consumers have
requested to shift the supply chain from retailers to distributors to producers and finally to suppliers.
Only items that comply with these directives pass back to the manufacturer in the supply chain.
Manufacturers can use only the real order demand details to guide their production plans and to buy
parts or raw materials, such as Wal-Mart 's continuous replenishment system and Dell Computer's build-
to - order system.
  FIGURE:6 Push- versus pull-based supply chain models
The difference between push and pull-based models is summarized by the slogan “Make what we sell, not sell what we
make.”

Supply chain systems enable companies to streamline both their internal and external supply chain
processes and provide more detailed information about what to manufacture, store and transport. By
introducing a networked and automated supply chain management system, businesses can align supply
to demand, minimize inventory levels, enhance distribution service, speed up product time on the market
and allow more efficient use of assets.

Question No: 2 Describe THREE different techniques to access data from multiple system and
analyzing large quantities of data to improve business performance and decision making in an
organization

Answer:

The Database Approach to Data Management:

Database technology solves many of the problems of conventional file organization by managing data:
centralizing data and managing redundant data and supporting several applications and groups at the
same time. The Database Management System ( DBMS) is a software program that Acts as an interface
between application programs and data files Separates the logical view of the database (how the data is
interpreted by the end users) from the physical view.
 FIGURE : 7 HUMAN RESOURCES DATABASE WITH MULTIPLE VIEWS
A single human resources database provides many different views of data, depending on the information requirements of the
user. Illustrated here are two possible views, one of interest to a benefits specialist and one of interest to a member of the
company’s payroll department.

Massive databases and systems need special capabilities; Tools for processing vast volumes of data for
accessing data from different systems

 -Data warehouse
 -Data Mining
 -Tools for accessing internal database through web
Data warehouse: The standard method for analyzing corporate data throughout the last two decades has
been the data warehouse. A data warehouse is a database that holds current and historical data of
potential interest to decision-makers in the organization. Data originate in a variety of key operating
transaction systems, Sales, customer accounts, and manufacturing processes, for example, and can
include data from purchases on the website.

FIGURE: 8 COMPONENTS OF A DATA WAREHOUSE

The data warehouse extracts current and historical data from multiple operational systems inside the organization. These data
are combined with data from external sources and reorganized into a central database designed for management reporting and
analysis. The information directory provides users with information about the data available in the warehouse.

The Data warehouse extracts current and historical data from various operating systems within the
company. These data are combined with data from external sources and transformed by correcting
incorrect and incomplete data and restructuring data for management monitoring and analysis prior to
data loading warehouse. The data warehouse makes the data accessible to everyone for access as
required, but the data can not be updated. The data management system also offers a variety of ad hoc
and structured query methods, analytical tools and graphical reporting facilities.

Data Mart: Companies also construct enterprise-wide data centers where the central office is located.
The data center represents the whole enterprise, or it produces smaller, decentralized warehouses called
data marts. A data mart is a subset of a data warehouse in which a summary or extremely concentrated
portion of the organization's data is stored in a separate database for a particular user population. For
example, a company can develop marketing and sales data marts to deal with customer information.

Business intelligence: When data has been collected and structured using the business intelligence
technologies that we have just mentioned, they are available for further study. Using the app to

-Querying and monitoring database,

-Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

-The mining of data.

FIGURE: 9 BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

A series of analytical tools works with data stored in databases to find patterns and insights for helping managers and
employees make better decisions to improve organizational performance .

Database Querying and Reporting: Several businesses are now using the internet to make some of the
information accessible to consumers and business partners in their internal databases.

Suppose, for example, that a consumer with a web browser needs to search the online retailer 's website
for pricing information. Users navigate the retailer's website via the Internet using a web browser on his
or her client PC or mobile device. Web browser applications for the consumer requests data from the
database of the company using HTML commands to communicate with the web server. Apps allow
access to corporate databases much easier. Since several back-end databases cannot read commands
written in HTML, the web server transfers these data requests to software that converts HTML
commands into SQL so that the commands can be interpreted by DBMS working with the database. The
DBMS resides on a dedicated device called a database server in the client / server environment.

Online analytical processing (OLAP): OLAP facilitates multidimensional data analysis that allows
users to perform data analysis View the same data in a number of ways using different dimensions. Each
aspect of the I information — product, price, cost, area, or time period — represents   It's different
dimension. So, a product manager may use a multidimensional data analysis tool to find out how many
washers were sold in the East in June,  how that compares with the previous month and the previous
June, and how it compares with the revenue forecast. OLAP allows users to receive online responses to
ad hoc questions such as these within a reasonably short period of time, even though data is contained in
very large databases, such as sales figures for several years.

FIGURE 10: MULTIDIMENSIONAL DATA MODEL

The view that is showing is product versus region. If you rotate the cube 90 degrees, the face that will show is product versus
actual and projected sales. If you rotate the cube 90 degrees again, you will see region versus actual and projected sales.
Other views are possible.

Data Mining: : Data mining is more exploration focused. Data mining offers insights into
organizational data that OLAP cannot gain by discovering secret patterns and relationships in broad
databases and inferring rules to predict comportment of the future. The trends and rules are used to
direct decision-making and foresee the impact of those decisions. Forms of information that can be
accessed from Data mining includes comparisons, sequences, classifications, clusters, and forecasts.
 FIGURE 11: LINKING INTERNAL DATABASES TO THE WEB

Users access an organization’s internal database through the Web using their desktop PCs and Web browser software.

Proper database management systems help enhance organizational data usability, which in turn lets end-
users exchange data easily and efficiently around the enterprise.

The management system helps to find quick answers to database requests, making data access quicker
and more reliable. End-users, such as salespeople, would have improved access to data, allowing shorter
sales cycles and sounder decision-making.

-The End-