Master of Business Administrations (MBA)

Management Information Systems (MBA742)

Assignment 01

Title: Basic characteristics of an Information

System in the case of Ethiopian Airlines

Submitted to: Wandimeneh Mammo (Asst. Pro.)

Name: Amogne Assaye (Mr.) MBAO/4948/14B

Section Number: MBA 2014
Date: Jul 07, 2022

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Question number 1. Against the narrations that follows identify the respective characteristics of
information and briefly explain the characteristics (10) points.
A. In an Information System (IS)produced by a company X , the information produced
for external customers has been found to have significant number of errors.
b. In the same IS in question a, information has been found to be accessed by
unauthorized users.
c. In the same IS in question a, information has been found inadequate to make
strategic decisions.
d. In the same IS in question a, information has been found to be difficult to be utilized
by customers.
Answers for question # 1
A: The information system that company X produced to their customer has accuracy issue.
Accurate information is error free. The accuracy of information is their quality of being true or
correct, even in small details. But sometimes inaccurate information is generated due to
inaccurate data is fed in to the transformation process. Accuracy, or a lack of it, will greatly
influence the customer experience. When top-notch, the result is a happy customer that will be
a long-time advocate of the brand–that's our customers! We take order accuracy very seriously
at Service Uniform. Information should be fair and free from bias. It should not have any
arithmetical and grammatical errors. Information comes directly or in written form likely to be
more reliable than it comes from indirectly (from hands to hands) or verbally which can be later
retracted. Good quality information is:
 Relevant. Information obtained and used should be needed for decision-making - it
doesn't matter how interesting it is.
 Up-to-date. Information needs to be timely if it is to be actioned.
 Accurate.
 Meeting user needs.
 Easy to use and understand.
 Worth the cost.
  Reliable.

B: The information system that company X use has security issue. Information should be secured
from access by unauthorized users. The basic tenets of information security are confidentiality,
integrity, availability, authenticity, and non-repudiation. Every element of the information
security program must be designed to implement one or more of these principles. Together they
are called the CIA Triad. Good information security policy has the following seven characteristics:
Endorsed – The policy has the support of management.
Relevant - The policy is applicable to the organization.
Realistic – The policy makes sense.
Attainable – The policy can be successfully implemented.
Adaptable – The policy can accommodate change
An effective information security system comprises of four elements: Protection, Detection,
Verification & Reaction. These are the essential principles for effective information security on
any site, whether it's a small independent business with a single site, or a large multinational
corporation with hundreds of locations. The five information security goals are confidentiality,
availability, integrity, accountability, and assurance.
C: The information system that company X use is over complex or not simple. It is very difficult
to use it for decision making easily. information system should be integrated set of components
for collecting, storing, and processing data and for providing information, knowledge, and
digital products. Information should be too simple, not complex. More detailed information
might not have needed. Since too much information can cause information overload weather a
decision maker has too much information and is unable to determine what is really important or
not.
D: The information system that company X produced to their customer has accessibility issue.
Information need to me easily accessible by authorized customers only. Information should be
access by the User or its Employee to the System using an Employee account, where the User is
aware of and authorizes that Level of access to the System. Unauthorized access is when a person
gains entry to a computer network, system, application software, data, or other resources
without permission. Any access to an information system or network that violates the owner or
operator's stated security policy is considered unauthorized access. Hacking Is known as
unauthorized access into others system. Unauthorized Access & Hacking. Unauthorized Access
or Hacking is nothing but unauthorized attempts to bypass the security mechanisms of an
information system or network. It is the most popularize form and commonly known cyber-crime.

Here below are sample of Unauthorized Access

Tailgating.
Collusion.
Pushing, Crawling Under or Climbing Over.
Pass backs.
Fraudulent Use of Cards.
Door Propping.
Therefore, they can obtain it in the right format and at the right time to meet their customer
needs.
Question number 2. Consider organization of your interest and explain the organization in terms
of such system characteristics as:
a. Objective/goal
b. Components (at least three)
c. Relationship between components
d. Constraints
Answers for question # 2:
The Ethiopian Airlines Group organization system Characteristics.
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy-Five plus years
of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in
efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian Airlines is successfully implementing its fifteen
years’ strategic growth plan, Vision 2025, being fastest growing and profitable airline availing the
required infrastructure, fleet, System and Human capital that could complement its long-term
strategic plan. The ultimate aim is to upgrade the customer experience at the airport to meet
global standard and thereby making ADD airport the best connecting hub in Africa. To contribute
positively to socio economic development of Ethiopia in particular and the countries to which it
operates in general by undertaking its corporate social responsibilities and providing vital global
air connectivity.
A: The objective or the goal of Ethiopian Airlines is to become the most competitive and leading
aviation group in Africa by providing safe, market driven and customer focused passenger and
cargo transport, aviation training, flight catering, MRO and ground services by 2025.
B: Components of IS within the context of Ethiopian Airlines
As part of Ethiopian five-year repositioning strategy, the IS division was reorganized to enable it
to develop and deliver effective IT services that fully support the business strategy. The major
milestone of this reorganization is the establishment of IS Project & Operation services separately
and the introduction of IT Security function (Chief IT Security Officer) that reports directly to the
Chief Information Officer (CIO). Flight operation, Cargo and logistics. MRO division. These IS being
well organized in different components of computer information system. These are: -
 Hardware: Include Desktops, Laptops and PDA's.
 Software: Include: - Operating systems (Clock in out system) and application programs
(SAP, Share point, Maintenix).
 Data: - Facts and figure entered into computers
 Procedures: How the other four components are used
  People: Users (different skilled employees i.e Engineering, finance officer, pilot, logistics
officer, marketer, HR officer, accountant…), Technologists and Application programs and
IS support specialist.
C: These information system components are highly interdependent. For example, when we see
the financial system of Ethiopian Airlines. The finance office is the last person to process
payment. However, there are other systems that the company use. These are first the cost
approval should be processed by the concerned buyer expected to have a purchased order detail
on Maintenix system and process approval on share point approval system. Then approval is
finalized till higher Mgt per its limit of authority. Again the concerned buyer use Maintenix system
and do change notice and resend approval. Approval also finalized per its limit of authority.
Finally, the finance officer use SAP and cross check with Maintenix System before approval. If SAP
system and Maintenix system are well interfaced, they can do payment easily to their customer
or vendor. That means SAM, Maintenix and SharePoint IS are highly interrelated each other in
the case of Ethiopian Airlines.
D: Constraints: The constraints are here below.
- Time consuming. As it has many employee involvement, it may consume more time.
- Has some accuracy or interface issue between one system with other information
systems.
- Some system like Maintenix has less restriction issue and may cause to create or
introduce wrong data in to the system.

Question number 3. Based on the brief descriptions provided below identify specific IS
characteristics and briefly explain them:
a. An information system developed by a Four Star Hotel was found to be difficult to
interact with based on the feedback obtained from guests of the Hotel.
b. YIC has been using an HRMS developed in Windows 7, recently a latest computer
with Windows 10 was procured by YIC and it was found difficult to transfer the
system from Windows 7 to Windows 10.
c. Employees who are working at the Registrar Office have been found to complain
about a new implemented system that the system failed to interact with the existing
printers, finance system and procedures in place.
d. YIC has a student community geographically dispersed across different locations.
Review of YIC technical teams of LMS identified that students complained the fact
that they failed to get the service from their respective location and time zone.
Answers for question # 3
A: The developed information system that a Four Star Hotel user for their customer has a
reliability issue. Relevant information is data that can be applied to solve a problem. This is a
particular issue when determining the format and content of an entity's financial statements,
since the proper layout and level of detail of information can adjust the opinions of users
regarding the future direction of a business. Relevant information is any information that would
have an impact on the decision. Relevant information can come in the form of costs or revenues,
or be nonfinancial in form. For information regarding costs, this means determining which costs
are avoidable and which are unavoidable. We can identify relevant information by below some
methods. These are: census data, institutional records, private correspondence, oral testimony,
research diary, original datasets, reports and dissertations.

B: YIC HRMS Windows was developed from Window 7 to Windows 10 and it was found difficulty
to transfer the system from Windows 7 to Windows 10. This is window information system
upgrading related issue. As of January 2020, Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows 7. It is
highly recommended upgrading to Windows 10, per the instructions to continue receiving
security updates and technical support. YIC Information system professionals shall follow the
steps and upgrade the windows to new computer system which uses windows 10. Then,
transferring old system back up all important documents, apps, and data from Windows 7 and
installing new printer on computer for networking and configuration on new system.
Finally, an IT professional should consider minimum system requirements to run Windows 10 and
arrange the role-based access control (RBAC) based on their roles and level of responsibility.
This role-based access control is a method of restricting network access based on the roles of
individual users within an organization.
Employees are only allowed to access the information necessary to effectively perform their job
duties. Access can be based on several factors, such as authority, responsibility, and job
competency. In addition, access to computer resources can be limited to specific tasks such as
the ability to view, create, or modify a file.
Generally, an IT professional should follow the basic characteristics of Information system;
1. Availability/accessibility: Information should be easy to obtain or access for all YIC
Financial Management members based on their level of responsibility privileges.
2. Accuracy: An information should be accurate and clear when transfer from old system to
new
3. Level of detail/conciseness: An information system details and access should be granted
to the staffs based on their level of responsibility privileges.
C: An employee's role who are currently working in an YIC should be well trained for the newly
developed Windows 10 and be part of the new era or solution. They may have a permission that
individuals are granted. Since lower-level employees can't access sensitive information or
perform high-level tasks. As a result, lower-level employees usually do not have access to
sensitive data if they do not need it to fulfill their responsibilities. This is especially helpful if you
have many employees and use third-parties and contractors that make it difficult to closely
monitor network access. YIC Financial Management System need to have a backup data for all of
YIC important documents and transaction.
Windows 7 has served as many PC users’ operating system, but as Microsoft is no longer
supporting this version of the operating system.
D: YIC has a student community geographically dispersed across different locations.
Review of YIC technical teams of LMS identified that students complained the fact
that they failed to get the service from their respective location and time zone.
Please note that there are many benefits for YIC online classes for students. This include: -
 Flexibility. Many people turn to online learning for its flexibility.
 Ability to Advance a Career.
 Wider Range of Courses and Programs.
 A Broader Range of Perspectives.
 Immediately Applicable Coursework.
 Affordability.
 Time Management Skill Development.
 Virtual Collaboration Opportunities.
However, even YIC online classes have aforementioned benefits it may have difficulty to attend
LMS class due to geographical time zone issue to some students that failed to get service. This is
because online courses require more time than on-campus classes and require good time-
management skills. YIC teachers used to teaching in a classroom provide an effective online
learning environment for all their students, regardless of access and need. It takes a lot of
patience, flexibility, and creativity. Here are some tips to help YIC students learn in these very
unique systems.

 Help YIC students get online on time.

 Learn YIC online platform.

 Recognize that YIC students have different levels of technological proficiency.

 Provide different learning options.

 Create shorter content.

 Assign group and pair work.

 Create individual learning plans.

 Provide office hours.

YIC student should also try to follow and comply below some improvement mechanism to resolve
geographical time zone related issue.
1. Ensure that your room is conducive to learning.
2. Learn good time management skills.
3. Complete the course requirements as outlined by your instructor in the course Syllabus.
4. Be able to communicate through writing.

The End!

Thank you!!