Question 1:

‘There is an overwhelming imperative for organisations to analyse every bit of information they can extract from their huge data warehouses for competitive advantage. That has turned the data storage and management function into a key strategic role of the information age whereby managers need to practice managerial activities such as datawarehousing and datamining'.

Describe the ‘datawarehouse' and ‘data mining' concepts using appropriate examples.

Question 2:

E-Business has allowed for customer-centered retailing, that is, the removal of intermediate levels and allowing for customer self-service. Customer-centered retailing involves the following four elements: direct sales over the web, interactive marketing and personalization, mobile commerce and customer self-service. Show each element with appropriate examples.

Question 3:

a(i) Information systems are becoming increasing vulnerable to security breaches. Discuss with examples.

(ii) Identify the basic guidelines which managers can take to ensure the security of the information systems used in their organizations.

(b) The ‘Prototyping Methodology' makes it possible for organisations to obtain working versions of a system quickly. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of prototyping and identify the instances when prototyping should be used and when it should not be used.