December 1998
IM218: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

QUESTION 4

Total Marks: 20 Marks

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for Question 4
4.

The company that you work for – GHI Accountancy Training – has no integrated computing strategy. It employs a large number of well-educated administrative and managerial staff, who use computers for paperwork and communication.

It employs also a large number of professionally-qualified developers, who use computers for producing reports and course material. It has a small data processing department with a large development backlog.

You have been asked to plan and implement a strategy that promotes end-user computing, empowering individual staff to fulfil their own data processing needs.
(a)  List and explain the likely benefits of end-user computing.
 [4]
(b)  List and explain the problems associated with end-user computing.

 

 [4]

Your strategy will involve establishing an Information Centre within the data processing department.
(c)  What services will this centre provide?
[4]
(d) List and explain the steps or stages that might be involved in implementing an information centre.

 

 [4]

The company does not – at present – intend to change its line of business: it will continue to develop and teach courses in accountancy practice. However, the technology of education is always advancing, and there is a constant flow of new products, applications, and techniques to promote learning.

  

 

 

(e) Suggest and explain two ways in which the effectiveness of the information centre can be maintained.

[2]

 

(f)  Once end-user computing has reached an acceptable level of maturity within your company, will the information centre become unnecessary? Explain your answer.

[2]