MS-54 Management of Information Systems Sample Paper

MBA - Master of Business Administration

Note: Attempt ant three questions from Section-A each carries 20 marks. Section-B is compulsory and carries 40 marks.

1. Discuss the six stage Nolan's Growth Model of MIS. What is its relevance to an existing MIS in an organisation?

2. What are the main characteristics of a computer virus? What possible preventive steps can you suggest?

3. Discuss the process of DBMS selection and acquision.

4. Explain various types of computer network topologies and list merits and demerits of each.

SECTION B

5. Read the case given below and answer the given questions:

Tim Johnson is a dynamic, young businessman. In 1975, he started a machine shop that makes special parts of any type that anyone is willing to pay for. When he first started, he had a steady flow of work, but he wanted to expand; hence he developed a policy of taking all jobs on a first-come, first0served basis. By 1980m Johnson's machine shop work was backlogged four weeks consistently, and he had reached capacity within his space constraints. By 1982, the backlog was four months, and some customer's were going elsewhere rather than wait for delivery.

Johnson has 11 machinists working full time and some overtime. All work is done on a cash basis. Bills are paid by cheque when they come due. Inventory control consists of buying raw material and tools when the stock "looks low" or the supplies run out. Payroll consists of collecting everyone's time cards on Thursday afternoon. Thursday night, Jack Johnson, Tim's father, does the payroll and writes the paycheques by hand.

In 1980, Tim bought the hardware store next door. Sales to the general public are for cash. Credit is given to some builders on a 2, 10 net 30 basis. Bills are paid by cheque as they come due. Payroll is handled the same way as at the machine shop (17 employees). Inventory control is the usual manual system" a card is kept on each part stocked. Purchases are added by hand, and sales are deducted by hand. A recorder has been identified for most items. It takes a clerk full time plus overtime to handle this.

Last month, the key plumbing service firm in town came up for sale. There are 24 employees. Two of them sell replacement parts to the general public. This is done from a window in the stock room that same two employees manage (inventory system comparable to the hardware store). There is one salesman who specializes in schools, hospitals, and so on in the area. Another calls on the large businesses. Yet another deals with individual contractors who are building houses and apartments. There is a fleet of 10 trucks, each regularly used by a journeyman plumber. Although the goal is to have an apprentice plumber assigned to each of the experienced plumbers there are currently only 8 in training. One badly overworked secretary serves as receptionist, dispatcher, and bookkeeper (payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, etc.) Payroll is calculated differently for each job classification. The owner has, in the past, worked at whatever was most critical that day (sales, plumbing, ordering parts, helping the secretary).

Tim wants to buy the plumbing firm. But his dad is getting tired of spending Thursday nights doing payrolls by hand and weekends paying bills and figuring taxes. He is strongly in favour of helping Tim expand, but he sees that management control cannot be maintained without some change in the way the firm does business. Computers are common in accounting firms such as Jack Johnson's and lately, more and more of his co-workers have small computers at home. Jack believes Johnson Enterprises could make good use of a small computer, both as an accounting device and as an aid to management decision making as Johnson Enterprises expands (rather than relying entirely on Tim's intuition). Tim is not particularly interested in the details. In fact, he suspects his father really wants the computer to play with. He recognizes the evolving strains on management decision-making capacity, he wants to expand, and he needs his father's backing.

Tim Johnson and his father have debated for some time the question of automating a portion of their work. They have concluded that they want a small computer or a set of small computers. Large computers take special facilities and a specialized staff to function properly. Renting time on someone else computer introduces a degree of vulnerability that neither Tim nor Jack finds acceptable (payroll could be late, computing costs are out of their control, and so on). Small computers have their share of problems, but the headaches are at least outweighed by the benefits.

Jack has agreed to do all the analysis and planning involved with introducing management information systems into Johnson Enterprises.

Questions:

1. Highlight the similarities and differences in these systems (machine shop, hardware store plumbing service)
2. With respect to each one of these systems, discuss whether computerization is useful or not - justify?