HISM200-1 SA1 JM MOKOPANELE STU NO: 61003684

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1: HISM200-1

NAME: JOHANNES MOKOPANELE

STUDENT NO: 61003684

ID NO: 890218 5652 087

E-MAIL: mokopanele.j@mmtmtech.net

SUPPORT CENTRE: RUSTENBURG

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HISM200-1 SA1 JM MOKOPANELE STU NO: 61003684

SECTION A – MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. C - Improve business processes

2. D - Business continuity plan (BCP)

3. D - Scalability

4. B - Cloud computing

5. B - Virtualisation

6. C - Operating System

7. D - Community cloud

8. C - Consistency

9. B - Data gap analysis

10. D - Data stewardship focuses on enterprise wide processes and practices while

data governance focuses on the strategic implementation of the policies and

procedures

11. C - Structured Query Language (SQL)

12. C - DBMS

13. C - Foreign key

14. D - Repository > data warehouse > data mart

15. D - Data quality audit

16. C - Cost and performance

17. B - WAN

18. A - IP address

19. D - WhatsApp Web

20. C - Use of a central repository

21. B - Supplier power

22. A - Bullwhip effect

23. D - Customer relationship management

24. C - Extreme programming

25. A - ii, iii, i, iv

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HISM200-1 SA1 JM MOKOPANELE STU NO: 61003684

SECTION B: ESSAY TYPE

Question 1

1.1 Supply chain consists of all parties involved directly or indirectly, in obtaining raw
materials or products. Therefore, in the context of our new IT business we can effectively
utilize the following basic supply chain activities in order to automate critical business
operations and enable swift decision making process to gain competitive advantage.
 Adapt supply chain based on service need of each customer segment;
 Customize logistics network for each segment;
 Align demand planning across the supply chain;
 Differentiate product closer to customer;
 Outsource strategically;
 Develop information technology that support multi-level decision making; and
 Adopt both after sales service and financial metrics.

1.2 The introduction of software applications like Supply Chain Management(SCM) systems
enhances the management of information flow between and among activities in a supply
chain in order to maximise supply chain effectiveness and corporate profitability.

This software’s manages and enhance relationships between customers, and suppliers
with a primary goal of creating fast, efficient and low cost network of business
relationships that takes products from concept to market. SCM systems increases
profitability across an organisation, creates integration and information linkages between
all participants in the supply chain.

1.3 Porters three generic business strategies for entering a new market are categorised
through broad and focused strategies. Broad strategies reach a large market segment,
while focused strategies targets a niche or unique market hence it is viable to choose
only one of the following strategies when address competition:
 Broad cost leadership - Target a broad market with large demand and offer
the lowest possible price by either opting to keep costs as low as possible or
ensure that you have a larger market share with average prices.
 Broad differentiation - Target a broad market with high demand, but your
product or service has unique features. making it more attractive than
comparable products offered by the competition. This strategy requires good
research & development, innovation and the ability to deliver high quality and
effective marketing.
 Focused Strategy - Target a niche market (little competition, ‘focused
market’) and offer the lowest possible price. By choosing to target a clear
niche market and through understanding the dynamics of the market and the
wishes of the consumers, you can ensure that the costs remain low. This
strategy often involves strong brand loyalty among consumers. It’s very
important to ensure that your product remains unique, in order to stay ahead
of possible competition.

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HISM200-1 SA1 JM MOKOPANELE STU NO: 61003684

Question 2

2.1 As a business I would opt for a data-driven website is an interactive website that is kept
constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers using database.

The following are advantages of data-driven websites:

 Easy to manage content;

 Easy to store large amounts of data; and
 Easy to eliminate human errors.

2.2

 Data driven capabilities are especially useful when needs to offer large amount of
information, products and services;
 Can help limit the amount of information displayed to customers based on unique
search requirements;
 Companies even use data-driven websites to make information in their internal
database available to customers and business partners;
 It costs less for a company to add a web interface in front of a DBMS than to
redesign and rebuild a system to support changes;
 Companies can gain valuable business knowledge by viewing the data accessed and
analysed from their website;
 Companies can build their data-driven website catering to a specific niche market;
 Highly flexible, scalable and secure database can help a company rank as the most
available internet retailer; and
 Users querying the database always receives information that is satisfying their
requests.

Question 3

Advantages of outsourcing:

 Increased quality and efficiency of business process;

 Reduced operating expenses;
 Reduced exposure to risk for large capital investments;
 Access to outsourcing service provider expertise, economies of scale, best practice
and advanced technologies;
 Increased flexibility for faster response to market changes; and
 Less time to market for new products or services.

Disadvantages of outsourcing:

 It can be difficult to break the contract;

 Foreseeing business needs for the next several years is challenging;
 Contract might not meet future business needs;
 Recreating an internal MIS department if an outsourced provider fails is costly and
challenging;
 Threat to competitive advantage; and
 Loss of confidentiality

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