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(a)(i)What is an information centre ?[2
marks ]
An information
centre is an organisational structure (1 mark) that is set up to support-end
users (1 mark) in their use and development of information systems
(1 mark) to a maximum of 2 marks [2 marks ]
(ii)List three different types of staff that you might expect to find
in an information
centre.[3 marks ]
Types of staff that you might expect to find in an information centre
—
•consultants
•product managers
•trainers
•technicians
any three, 1 mark each [3 marks ]
(iii)For each type of
staff in Part (ii),give a specific example of a task that they might
undertake.[3 marks ]
A task that they might undertake —
•consultants :a consultant might advise a department on choosing
or setting up an email package,such as Outlook express
•product managers :a product manager may be a specialist in a
product such as Microsoft Access, and provide advice upon its adoption
or use
•trainers :a trainer might provide a department with two days
’training in
how to use Microsoft Excel
•technicians :a technician might be called to fix the TCP/IP
configuration on a particular machine.
1 mark for each—candidates must give examples—this is what
the question asks for [3 marks ]
(b)(i)What is meant by outsourcing ?[1mark
]
Outsourcing
means turning over some of the firm ’s information systems activities
to a vendor.[1 mark ]
(ii)Suggest two ways in
which outsourcing might bring significant benefits.[2 marks ]
Outsourcing ight bring significant benefits through:
•enforcing of standards
•better performance
•better equipment
•economies of scale
•flexibility
1 mark for each correct point, to a maximum of 2 marks [2 marks ]
(iii)Suggest two situations in which outsourcing would be a bad idea.[2
marks ]
Situations in which outsourcing would be a bad idea:
•where systems are strategic or confidential,they should not
be outsourced
•where the actual costs would be increased,outsourcing would
also be a bad idea. 1 mark for each correct point, to a maximum of
2 marks [2 marks]
(c)Newspaper advertisements and employment
agencies represent two different
approaches to recruiting staff.Give one advantage and one disadvantage
of each
approach.[4 marks ]
Newspaper advertisements :
•advantage:can reach a wide audience•disadvantage:could
result in a large number of unsuitable applicants
Employment agencies :
•advantage:may be able to match needs closely,or may be able
to provide
suitable candidate quickly
•disadvantage:may be more expensive (agency fee)
or any other correct answer [4 marks ]
(d)(i)What is meant by business process
re-engineering ?[2marks ]
business
process re-engineering :radical redesign of business processes (1
mark)
to improve cost,quality,or service (1 mark)[2 marks ]
(ii)Business re-engineering should begin with a clear development
of business
objectives.What other major steps would you expect to see?[3 marks
]
Other major steps:
•identification of processes
•measurement of performance of existing processes
•identify opportunies for applying new technology
•prototyping new processes or organisation
any three, 1 mark each [3 marks ]
e)You have recently joined a company
that is about to set up a DP department.It has been suggested that:
•the structure of the department should be established,and then
made
permanent,so that everyone will always know how things are supposed
to work;
only after this structure has been established will the DP staff be
recruited;
•there will be no detailed job descriptions;instead,there will
be a clear chain of
com and;everybody apart from the ost junior of programers will be
directly responsible for the activities of at most two or three others;nobody
will manage more than two or three people directly. What,in your opinion,is
wrong with these suggestions?What would you recommend instead?[8 marks
]
What is wrong ?
•the structure of the department should be established, and then
made permanent :
structure should be flexible,and reviewed periodically
•only after this structure has been established will the DP staff
be recruited :the structure should take into account the personalities
and the people involved
•there will be a clear chain of command;everybody apart from
the most junior of programmers will be directly responsible for the
activities of at most two or three others :could be too any levels
of authority —could lead to sluggishness when reacting to changes;
there should be fewer levels of authority
•there will be no detailed job descriptions :job descriptions
are important as they define the tasks and duties that must be performed
by each individual; job descriptions should be carefully formulated
and adopted.
up to two marks for each of these four points, making a total of 8
marks for this part of the question [8 marks ]
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