This study guide is intended to underscore key points for your readings, lecture, and from your homework. This study guide will assist you with studying for the upcoming exam. You may create a common 100 page cheat sheet with your group for the exam. I'll be adding more questions tonight.
The Future of IT (Topher White)
1. What is technology? What therefore is Information Technology?
2. What does Topher mean by LBGUPS? What is its purpose?
3. What drives technology development? What does it give us?
4. Can you describe "ubuiquity" in IT? How is it achieved? How did the Scots "invent" the modern world? How is it a good example of these concepts?
5. Can you describe these two concepts: "scale" vs. "skill"?
6. What are Topher's two types of scale? How do these types relate?
7. In IT, what creates innovation? Can you describe it with reference to portability vs. quality? How does Topher see this creating innovation?
8. How do disruptive technologies succeed? Are disruptive innovations just as good as the incumbent products? In what ways?
Computer Systems
1. Distinguish between Mainframes, Supercomputers, Workstations, and mobile devices. How do they differ in: speed; relative costs; and usage? Why is the mainframe still important? (Hint: see The Mainframe Renaisassance It’s an old article but still applies)
2. Define Middleware
3. What is an enterprise app?
4. What is Data Warehousing?
5. What is a CRM (also from an assignment)
6. Define the following terms: MRP, ERP, SCM, CRM
Computer Software
1. Briefly describe the software trends. What are scripting languages? (e.g. php) What is Ajax? What distinguishes a so-called Web 2.0 site or app from other sites?
2. What is a relational databases? What makes it “relational”.
3. Know the following acronyms: OOP, Ajax, Scripting language (e.g.PhP)
Telecommunications & Networking
1. Explain how packet switching works. Why is packet switching important? What is an X.25 packet switched network? What is an IP network (hint: what is the internet?). How is this different from traditional “circuit switching”?
2. Which of these media has the fastest transmission speed? The slowest speed? Twisted Pair (and its flavors), infrared, Coaxial cable (and its flavors), Radio Frequency Wireless, Fiber Optic Cables, and Microwave.
3. Know the following Acronyms: LAN, POTS, CLEC, PBX, WAN, LAN, VSAT, 2.5G, 3G, GPRS, CDMA, GSM, TDMA
4. Definitions: Fat/Thin Server/Clients, Distributed processing, bandwidth, VPN, Multiplexing
5. Define hub, bridge, router, and switch.
6. What are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g & 802.11n? What is fixed wireless?
Text Concepts (Workflow Modeling Text)
1. What is Alan's complaint about IT documentation? How does it dovetail with voluntary simplicity?
2. In chapter 2, Alec & Patrick discuss the Pros and Cons of each work era. While I don’t expect you to have a comprehensive list for this quiz, I want you to know the pros and cons of BPR.
3. What is the difference between a process and a function?
4. What is a framework? What three elements are comprised in creating clear objectives?
5. Describe the five-tier architecture described by the authors. What tools are used at each layer?
6. According to Alec, what’s a process? In other words, provide Alec’s definition and then decompose the definition and provide a description of the components. What’s the critical endpoint of reengineering?
7. What’s the difference between a core process versus an internal process? For what reason(s) does the authors state that it’s good to know the difference between core versus internal processes (or even Technical supporting vs. Internal supporting)?
8. Why is bigger usually better? What are Goldilocks errors?. How should I initially scope a process? (given in class)
9. How does Alec provide visibility for the consumers of process documents? What are some guidelines for documenting or reengineering processes? (*Hint: Voluntary simplicity*)
10. How can simple top-level diagrams (e.g. sticky notes) be effective for analyzing processes? (in class)
11. What is a Use Case?
12. What are mushy verbs? What does it mean to label processes by verb-noun?
13. On page 129 forward, Alec describes how to link activities and determine business processes. What is the purpose of this step? Avoid using Alec's description; use simpler terms. What is the significance of 1:M and M:1 connections? How do you use these to delineate business processes among activities? What did Alan (in class) not like about M:M connections?
14. In Alan's tripartite description of a process ("the dance"), which parts should be the targets of process reengineering (Alan described it)? Which part is often the focus in practice?
15. Be able to describe the three different strategic disciplines (p. 166-169). Why is this a trilemma for those who want to be good at all three at the same time? Is a differentiator always relevant?
16. Describe the difference between a swimlane diagram vs. a use case. Contrast the purpose and overall construction.
Grandma Studor Case
1. What is a critical success factor?
2. What item is most often seriously underestimated in IT projects? (*answer: training*)
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of user-developed versus IS-developed apps?
4. Should an MIS dept audit every process and supporting application? How do you decides which ones to target?
5. What is user-application development? What are the pros and cons of User Application Development? What drives the creation of applications by users?
6. How do you assess processes? (*hint: Can I do it by using a survey? What else can I do to help me understand it?*)
Alan's Lectures
1. What are Alan's two definitions for Information Technology? Why does he define IT in these ways?
2. What is a critical success factor? What is MBWA? What is a definition of Vision?
3. Why is learning about IT so important for business managers?
4. Can you outline and apply the model for IT dept success factors?
5. The Origin of IT: from what department did IT emerge? What was the origin of the major IT consulting companies? Why is it often problematic for IT to be controlled by the Finance department?
6. What is a business process? What is Business Process Reengineering?
7. What is the relationship between advances (or technology disruptions) and process reengineering? How does the American Airlines Sabre Case illustrate this?
8. What is a broken process? Can you describe how I might find broken processes?; What is a legacy process?
9. Why is it so important to have an Executive to champion important IT projects? Is executive sponsorship enough? Or is there something else required?
10. Why might we outsource our IT for a crucial project?
11. What is a critical success factor? Describe them to me? What types of questions are associated with Critical Success Factors? What is MBWA?
12. What is a definition of Vision?
13. What item is most often seriously underestimated in IT projects? (repeated from the Granny's case)
14. What's the relation between rapid technological change and process reengineering?
15. What is Moore's first law? What is Metcalfe's law?
16. How might you handle IT consultants added to your project? How might you select them? What questions might you ask? With respect to using IT consultants, what could you see as a critical success factor for most IT projects? How do you ensure knowledge transfer?
17. What does it mean to "Go vanilla"?
18. What is good enough reengineering? How does it relate to customer design requirements gathering? What's the difference between the BlueSky approach to gathering design priorities from your customer versus a Realistic approach to your customer?
19. What are some software process reengineering tips? (hint: look at the slides surrounding "imagine a world without software" - it relates to Alan's six tips; you can also take them from the lecture on the intro to Project Management).
Project Management
1. Distinguish the differences between Software projects vs. non-software projects?
2. How do I hold conversations with the finance department about projects, especially when the finance dept pits IT projects against funding “new carpets”?
3. Why is it so important to have an Executive to champion important IT projects? Is executive sponsorship enough? Or is there something else required?
4. Why might we outsource our IT for a crucial project?
5. What considerations were mentioned for project due diligence?
6. What considerations were mentioned for evaluating consultants?
Role of IT
1. Define and describe Alignment
2. List the basic responsibilities for IT departments and IT managers
3. What were IT organizations initially created to solve? Why is this problematic for today's work?
4. What is the business model inherent in leveraging information technology? What does IT provide? (hint: it isn't necessarily speed, but ...?)
5. Describe and contrast the following: CIO versus CTO.
6. The Origin of IT: from what department did IT emerge? What was the origin of the major IT consulting companies? Why is it often problematic for IT to be controlled by the Finance department?
7. Why is learning about IT so important for business managers?
8. Can you outline and apply the model for IT dept success factors?
9. What is sneakernet?
10. What does it mean to have a smoothly integrated IT?
Creative Destruction / Disruptive Innovations
1. What is Moore's first law? What is Metcalfe's law?
Process Management
1. What is a business process? What is Business Process Reengineering?
2. What is the relationship between advances (or technology disruptions) and process reengineering? How does the American Airlines Sabre Case illustrate this?
3. What is a broken process? Can you describe how I might find broken processes? What is a legacy process?
4. What are the differences between business modeling vs. process reengineering vs. process improvement?
Laughlin Case
1. Coupled with lectures and readings, what does it mean to have a smoothly integrated IT system? In pursuit an an integrated IT system, why do we sometimes need an outside consultant(s) to assist us with planning and implementation?
Gabe Frost and the Future Economy
1. Describe 3 factors that Gabe says will give the USA a stronger GDP. Provide some color on each of these factors.
2. Why does Gabe think productivity is related to patents?
James Cooper and Predictable Software Delivery
1. What success measures did James say were the most difficult to achieve?
2. Why is IT project estimation difficult?
3. What is "Target Cost" or planning poker? What advantages does it provide?
Owens Corning & Associated Lecture
1. What is the relationship of advances in IT to Business Process Reengineering?
2. What are the differences between organizational CSFs versus IT CSFs?
3. Will IT architecture changes alone create organizational change? Is it all about organizational silos? What's the relation between data silos and organizational silos?
4. State the reasons why a memo (such as you're creating for your project) is such an important document for companies? How might it have been useful to Grandma Studor's Bakery or Laughlin Logistics?
5. What are the primary categories found in an ERP system? What are the primary reasons for implementing an ERP system?
6. What are Problems Associated with Global IT?
7. Can you get the ERP benefits without integrating your processes across functions? Why?
8. What is Enterprise Software? How is Enterprise Software is different from Desktop Software?
9. What are systems integrators? What is the origin of the big IT consulting houses like Deloitte?
10. What are the relative pros and cons of the four different systems implementation strategies (i.e. phased, pilot, parallel, big-bang)?
***11. Argue why an Enterprise App vendor is really a process company rather than just a software company. Discuss how this affects your choice of an Enterprise App vendor.
***12. How does delaying customization ala "good enough reengineering" help or hurt the development of good business process?
***13. How does having standardized, sometimes vanilla software & processes help? You can use Owens-Corning as an example. What are some heuristics for implementing process standardization? (From both the actual lecture (only if you were listening) plus the posted slides)
14. With respect to SAP implementations, what differentiates "Winners" vs. "Losers"?
Due Diligence & Implementation Success Factors (Alan's Lecture)
1. Understand the first three tips on enterprise app implementation (The 10 "commandments") from Alan. we're focusing on the ones dealing with strategy.
2. How does Alan suggest you handle IT consultants added to your project? How might you select them? What questions might you ask? What does Alan see as a critical success factor for most IT projects? How do you ensure knowledge transfer?
3. What is good enough reengineering? How does it relate to customer design requirements gathering? What's the difference between the BlueSky approach to gathering design priorities from your customer versus a Realistic approach to your customer?
4. What are some software process reengineering tips? How does Alan take a cynical look at software process management (hint: look at the slides surrounding "imagine a world without software"...it also relates to good enough reengineering).
5. With respect to software project size and scope, why does Alan says that "The bigger they are, the harder they fall"?
6. What is the Ripple Effect?
7. Why does Alan advocate an IT planning approach is a messy, untidy event? (hint: "write your plans in pencil") In other words, does the reality of the organization exist in an org chart? Or does it exist in the written policies? (Ask Alan in Class)
8. What's the most important of the three: Leadership, Planning, or Execution?