Management Information Systems and Decision Support Systems are integral parts to the ever changing business world. Now that technology has gripped companies and won’t let go, they need to keep pace with the ways that these new innovations and systems can aid their business. Management Information Systems encompass three main groups: decision support systems, expert systems, and executive information systems. [1] The primary function is to analyze the activities within an organization. They produce reports based on the data to identify any problems within the business. This allows companies to know their potential weaknesses and attempt to fix them. It can also show any data trends in customers which can also help the company improve their revenue. One example of this can be a store asking for your zip code at check-out, this way, they can gather data, and using this data, can identify what people in the area are buying and how much they are spending. This can in turn improve the inventory to fit what that areas customers may need, as opposed to a store in a different area.
Decision Support Systems are interactive computer systems that help decision makers in companies communicate, use data, analyze documents, and use other knowledge to solve problems. [2] Simply put, as the name implies, they are any system that helps the user solve and analyze a problem. They can use databases, models, and charts to display important information and assist in making decisions. Often times they are very user friendly, further improving the usefulness within a business. In days when money is tight and anything can be of assistance to businesses, Decision Support Systems are key components of the modern day workplace.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_information_system
2.Dssresources.com
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Decision Making Systems
Decision support systems are organized collections of information, people, software, procedures, and other devices that are used to make decisions to solve problems. They allow businesses to have a known structure to solve issues and problems, which would save money and time for the company. Our text used the example of TurboRouter, which is a support system for shipping developed in Norway that reduces shipping costs and cuts emissions on merchant ships. It uses effective scheduling and management to save as much money as possible for shipping, which can get very expensive. There are many types of decision support systems, including Group Support Systems, which use collaboration to solve problems and make decisions.
Group Support Systems are used so that people in the workplace can use networks and computers to work together to solve problems, usually so that they do not have to be in the same place at the same time. They provide for a more hands on approach to problem solving and work cooperation than Computer Supported Cooperative Work, which focus more on general communication support. [1]
Group support systems have the same benefits as Decision Support Systems in general, however, they also provide much more. It allows for communication between parties who may not have been able to communicate without the software and systems. Since people would not have to travel around the country or world to go to meetings to work together, employees at different branches of a business or in different businesses can collaborate, travel costs are greatly cut down. This saves the business money and time lost, both very important things these days, since money needs to be saved anywhere it can.[2] If I could conduct a meeting or solve a problem with someone in Los Angeles over the internet instead of spending the time and money to fly there, I know I certainly would choose the Group Support System.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_decision_support_systems
[2] www.terry.uga.edu/~hwatson/Group%20Support%20Systems1.ppt
Group Support Systems are used so that people in the workplace can use networks and computers to work together to solve problems, usually so that they do not have to be in the same place at the same time. They provide for a more hands on approach to problem solving and work cooperation than Computer Supported Cooperative Work, which focus more on general communication support. [1]
Group support systems have the same benefits as Decision Support Systems in general, however, they also provide much more. It allows for communication between parties who may not have been able to communicate without the software and systems. Since people would not have to travel around the country or world to go to meetings to work together, employees at different branches of a business or in different businesses can collaborate, travel costs are greatly cut down. This saves the business money and time lost, both very important things these days, since money needs to be saved anywhere it can.[2] If I could conduct a meeting or solve a problem with someone in Los Angeles over the internet instead of spending the time and money to fly there, I know I certainly would choose the Group Support System.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_decision_support_systems
[2] www.terry.uga.edu/~hwatson/Group%20Support%20Systems1.ppt
Monday, November 7, 2011
Online Advertising, AdSense, and AdSense Fraud
Online advertising has been huge in the past few years because of the growth in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Much of the revenue that comes from websites is because of advertising. Realizing that people who browse the web is a huge, largely untapped market, many companies have started to pour lots of money into online advertising. While many companies will advertise on larger websites directly, such as WalMart advertising on Yahoo, they also want to be able to advertise on smaller websites, such as individual blogs. Google Adsense makes advertising on smaller websites possible, without the larger companies having to sort through which ones to advertise on.
To show the potential revenue that online advertising creates, I will use Yahoo as an example. Yahoo took in $1.23 billion in revenue in the second quarter of 2011. This may sound like a lot, but this was a 23% drop from a year earlier. Since online advertising is getting so big, it is amazing how the revenue for a major search engine can drop so much. Many advertisers are switching to Facebook and Google since they offer larger markets to reach. They anticipate that Facebook will overtake Yahoo this year for online advertisement revenue, with Facebook making $2.2 billion and Yahoo bringing in $1.6 billion.[1]
Google offers AdSense to its users, which allows customers to place ads on their websites for various companies. Once your website is approved for AdSense, you can start earning money instantly. The money you earn depends on page views and click through to the sites of the advertisers. If you have 100 page views, and 50 people click through to the advertiser’s sites, you have a 50% CTR, which helps determine how much revenue you can earn. Users can also determine what websites appear on the site, in order to weed out any sites that you may find objectionable. For example, my blog has advertisements for Blockbuster and NetFlix, because I mention them in my blogs. However, if I did not want to show these ads, I would be able to filter what can be shown.[2]
With all of the potential for revenue to individual users, the potential for fraud is also great using AdSense. The most common is Click-Fraud. This is when click-throughs are earned through fraudulent means, such as clicking on your own links or having others do so for you. Google is able to track information of the clickers, which makes it very easy to catch fraudulent activities. If a user is caught with fraudulent activity on their AdSense account, they can be banned. While there is much contention to whether it is fraud, since if you are on a college network the same IP shows for all users, Google may still ban you do to unusual activity. AdSense must be used with caution and fraud must be avoided if you want to consider using this great revenue earner. [3]
1. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-07-20-yahoo-bartz_n.htm
2. https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/tour/index.html
3. http://www.usakpedia.org/prevent-adsense-fraud-to-avoid-getting-banned-by-google.php
To show the potential revenue that online advertising creates, I will use Yahoo as an example. Yahoo took in $1.23 billion in revenue in the second quarter of 2011. This may sound like a lot, but this was a 23% drop from a year earlier. Since online advertising is getting so big, it is amazing how the revenue for a major search engine can drop so much. Many advertisers are switching to Facebook and Google since they offer larger markets to reach. They anticipate that Facebook will overtake Yahoo this year for online advertisement revenue, with Facebook making $2.2 billion and Yahoo bringing in $1.6 billion.[1]
Google offers AdSense to its users, which allows customers to place ads on their websites for various companies. Once your website is approved for AdSense, you can start earning money instantly. The money you earn depends on page views and click through to the sites of the advertisers. If you have 100 page views, and 50 people click through to the advertiser’s sites, you have a 50% CTR, which helps determine how much revenue you can earn. Users can also determine what websites appear on the site, in order to weed out any sites that you may find objectionable. For example, my blog has advertisements for Blockbuster and NetFlix, because I mention them in my blogs. However, if I did not want to show these ads, I would be able to filter what can be shown.[2]
With all of the potential for revenue to individual users, the potential for fraud is also great using AdSense. The most common is Click-Fraud. This is when click-throughs are earned through fraudulent means, such as clicking on your own links or having others do so for you. Google is able to track information of the clickers, which makes it very easy to catch fraudulent activities. If a user is caught with fraudulent activity on their AdSense account, they can be banned. While there is much contention to whether it is fraud, since if you are on a college network the same IP shows for all users, Google may still ban you do to unusual activity. AdSense must be used with caution and fraud must be avoided if you want to consider using this great revenue earner. [3]
1. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-07-20-yahoo-bartz_n.htm
2. https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/tour/index.html
3. http://www.usakpedia.org/prevent-adsense-fraud-to-avoid-getting-banned-by-google.php
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Netflix and Streaming Videos
The popularity of streaming videos, movies, and television shows to computers, gaming systems, or even smart phones has grown immensely in the past few years. Instead of going to the video store, such as Blockbuster or Hollywood Video, customers no longer have to leave their home in order to rent their favorite movies. Companies such as Hulu and Netflix provide the services that allow for customers to download these movies instantly over a broadband connection to any of these devices. DVDs may very well become a thing of the past in the coming years. Twenty-three percent of consumers have televisions connected to the internet, while another twenty-six percent say they would like to be. Of these, fifty percent stream or would stream movies instantly to their television.[1] This could be a huge hit for movie studios, and this struggle has been clearly seen by Netflix.
Netflix began as a DVD by Mail Company and has since branched out into the streaming video business. Since the convenience of streaming has created so many more customers, movie studios now want a giant chunk of lost profits due to lack of DVD sales. Netflix is still a rather small company finance wise. Netflix charged users 7 dollars a month for streaming service, 7 dollars a month for DVD by mail, or 10 dollars for both. Movie studios decided to ask for millions more for the rights to stream their movies. Netflix does not have the capital to pay these increased fees. This is allowing other, larger companies in on the streaming movie business. “Amazon has 6.4 billion in the bank at the end of last quarter. Google had 39.2 billion, Microsoft had 52.8 billion and Apple a whopping 76.2 billion…Netflix had just 376 million.”[2]
As a result Netflix decided to split into two companies, one that conducted DVD by mail and the other streaming. They also decided to increase their low prices. Thousands of customers cancelled their Netflix service and stocks plummeted. I personally cancelled my service, not because of the price increase, which brought prices to ten dollars, but because the movie selection was poor. The split was recently cancelled and Netflix will continue with its hybrid DVD by mail/streaming business model. The uproar made them realize that many people still want DVDs sent to them and that they still support the company’s model. [3] Instead of paying per movie, people still enjoy the lower monthly costs that Netflix provides. We will see in a short amount of time whether or not Netflix can survive this drop in customers and what will happen in the field of streaming movies and videos if the company that started it all, goes under.
http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2010/07/will-streaming-movies-kill-blu-ray-discs
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/19/technology/netflix_cash/
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/588136/201110141708/Netflix-When-A-New-Service-Idea-Goes-Bust.htm
Netflix began as a DVD by Mail Company and has since branched out into the streaming video business. Since the convenience of streaming has created so many more customers, movie studios now want a giant chunk of lost profits due to lack of DVD sales. Netflix is still a rather small company finance wise. Netflix charged users 7 dollars a month for streaming service, 7 dollars a month for DVD by mail, or 10 dollars for both. Movie studios decided to ask for millions more for the rights to stream their movies. Netflix does not have the capital to pay these increased fees. This is allowing other, larger companies in on the streaming movie business. “Amazon has 6.4 billion in the bank at the end of last quarter. Google had 39.2 billion, Microsoft had 52.8 billion and Apple a whopping 76.2 billion…Netflix had just 376 million.”[2]
As a result Netflix decided to split into two companies, one that conducted DVD by mail and the other streaming. They also decided to increase their low prices. Thousands of customers cancelled their Netflix service and stocks plummeted. I personally cancelled my service, not because of the price increase, which brought prices to ten dollars, but because the movie selection was poor. The split was recently cancelled and Netflix will continue with its hybrid DVD by mail/streaming business model. The uproar made them realize that many people still want DVDs sent to them and that they still support the company’s model. [3] Instead of paying per movie, people still enjoy the lower monthly costs that Netflix provides. We will see in a short amount of time whether or not Netflix can survive this drop in customers and what will happen in the field of streaming movies and videos if the company that started it all, goes under.
http://www.retrevo.com/content/blog/2010/07/will-streaming-movies-kill-blu-ray-discs
http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/19/technology/netflix_cash/
http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/588136/201110141708/Netflix-When-A-New-Service-Idea-Goes-Bust.htm
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Week 5 Database Research
“A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality (for example, the availability of rooms in hotels), in a way that supports processes requiring this information”. [1] Aside of the use of the databases on Zoho, I have limited experience with database composition software, however, during my years in college I have come across several kinds of databases I have used to collect information. The one I have spent the most time using has been JSTOR.
Like the very popular EBSCO Host, JSTOR is an online database that houses journals, documents, and other primary sources that can be used in doing research and writing papers. “JSTOR connects libraries, researchers, teachers, and students around the world with vital scholarly content in more than 50 disciplines.” [2] This database makes research very simple, because you can search by topic, discipline, or keywords and find thousands of journals, articles, and other information that can help you complete your task. I have used this program dozens of times when I first earned my Bachelor's in History, since it provides many journal articles that would be almost impossible to find in a library on campus. The database saves many hours of rummaging around a library looking for dusty old documents that haven't been touched in years, and puts them on your computer within seconds.
JSTOR decided to store the work to servers that provide an online database, rather than using installed software like other research programs. “JSTOR's choices of technology have flowed directly from its mission. Because it is our goal to save money in the long-run for libraries, it is essential that the storage of the database be centralized, with distribution taking place via the Internet. Delivering the database via CD-ROM would simply add material to thousands of libraries that librarians would have to store and preserve for future patrons.” [3] Also, by having it centralized on servers, it makes it easier to add new features and information, rather than having to constantly put out new software and updates for everyone using the database.
Questions:
One of the biggest challenges that JSTOR faces is cost. There is a subscription fee to use the database, which many universities subscribe to. However, I would have never used the program if it weren't for school, so getting the database to individuals would be a bigger challenge.
It provides a competitive advantage to those using it because it now saves libraries valuable space and money, it saves users time and effort searching for these documents and journals, and it makes everything in one centralized location which can effortlessly be used to find information.
I would improve JSTOR by improving the search feature. I remember when I used it, it would be very difficult to narrow what you wanted down. You would get thousands of hits for topics, unless you specifically knew what you wanted. Possibly letting users review the information and giving a rating, then sorting by rating, could greatly improve the database.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database
[2] http://www.jstor.org/
[3] http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july97/07guthrie.html
Like the very popular EBSCO Host, JSTOR is an online database that houses journals, documents, and other primary sources that can be used in doing research and writing papers. “JSTOR connects libraries, researchers, teachers, and students around the world with vital scholarly content in more than 50 disciplines.” [2] This database makes research very simple, because you can search by topic, discipline, or keywords and find thousands of journals, articles, and other information that can help you complete your task. I have used this program dozens of times when I first earned my Bachelor's in History, since it provides many journal articles that would be almost impossible to find in a library on campus. The database saves many hours of rummaging around a library looking for dusty old documents that haven't been touched in years, and puts them on your computer within seconds.
JSTOR decided to store the work to servers that provide an online database, rather than using installed software like other research programs. “JSTOR's choices of technology have flowed directly from its mission. Because it is our goal to save money in the long-run for libraries, it is essential that the storage of the database be centralized, with distribution taking place via the Internet. Delivering the database via CD-ROM would simply add material to thousands of libraries that librarians would have to store and preserve for future patrons.” [3] Also, by having it centralized on servers, it makes it easier to add new features and information, rather than having to constantly put out new software and updates for everyone using the database.
Questions:
One of the biggest challenges that JSTOR faces is cost. There is a subscription fee to use the database, which many universities subscribe to. However, I would have never used the program if it weren't for school, so getting the database to individuals would be a bigger challenge.
It provides a competitive advantage to those using it because it now saves libraries valuable space and money, it saves users time and effort searching for these documents and journals, and it makes everything in one centralized location which can effortlessly be used to find information.
I would improve JSTOR by improving the search feature. I remember when I used it, it would be very difficult to narrow what you wanted down. You would get thousands of hits for topics, unless you specifically knew what you wanted. Possibly letting users review the information and giving a rating, then sorting by rating, could greatly improve the database.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database
[2] http://www.jstor.org/
[3] http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july97/07guthrie.html
National Geographic Research
1. How is the manipulation of Genographic Data similar to the manipulation of business data? What DBMS tools and techniques are shared by both?
By being able to manipulate data in the databases and creating things such as queries, the genographic data can be easily understood, narrowed down, and show whatever the user of the database may want it to. If you want to see where a person's ancestors have been or any trends in the DNA, it is easily narrowed down by fields or attributes in the databases. Businesses use the same manipulation of data to show trends in almost any sort of data. It could show demographics of customers, sales data, etc. It can narrow down information to a simpler and more concise way, making the data easier to understand by somebody on the outside.
2. How does National Geographics investment in this DBMS assist other researchers? How might this data be shared using the database concepts taught in this chapter?
By investing in the initial database system, National Geographic is furthering the whole field of genographics. The information collected could be used by other researchers who may want to try different things with the research and did not have the means to collect such vast quantities of data. Having such large stockpiles of data can lead to other researchers reaching different conclusions about the data, analyzing it differently, or using it for completely other means. They could use multiple user database networks to share the information with other researchers and could possibly allow them to add information to the databases.
By being able to manipulate data in the databases and creating things such as queries, the genographic data can be easily understood, narrowed down, and show whatever the user of the database may want it to. If you want to see where a person's ancestors have been or any trends in the DNA, it is easily narrowed down by fields or attributes in the databases. Businesses use the same manipulation of data to show trends in almost any sort of data. It could show demographics of customers, sales data, etc. It can narrow down information to a simpler and more concise way, making the data easier to understand by somebody on the outside.
2. How does National Geographics investment in this DBMS assist other researchers? How might this data be shared using the database concepts taught in this chapter?
By investing in the initial database system, National Geographic is furthering the whole field of genographics. The information collected could be used by other researchers who may want to try different things with the research and did not have the means to collect such vast quantities of data. Having such large stockpiles of data can lead to other researchers reaching different conclusions about the data, analyzing it differently, or using it for completely other means. They could use multiple user database networks to share the information with other researchers and could possibly allow them to add information to the databases.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Value Chain Task
"You have decided to open an Internet site to buy and sell used CDs to other students. Describe the value chain for your new business."
If I opened an internet site to buy and sell used CDs to other students, my value chain would consist of the following.
Product: First, I would need a source for used CDs aside of the ones I may currently own. This would be where other students selling me their own CDs would come in. Since I’m not selling new compact discs, I don’t need a distributor, or any larger business supporting my store.
Storefront: Second, I would need a web server or internet storefront to set-up my store to sell the CDs. Without the site, I would have no means to practically sell my product.
Storage: Next, I would need a place to store the CDs while they are waiting to be sold. I could store them in my house, a storage unit, or any place that I could have easy access to send them as soon as possible.
Shipping: Additionally, the store would need a mechanism to ship the item. I would most likely have to use the postal service or a private shipping company.
Marketing: Finally, my store would need a marketing system to get the word out about my business in order to increase revenues.
If I opened an internet site to buy and sell used CDs to other students, my value chain would consist of the following.
Product: First, I would need a source for used CDs aside of the ones I may currently own. This would be where other students selling me their own CDs would come in. Since I’m not selling new compact discs, I don’t need a distributor, or any larger business supporting my store.
Storefront: Second, I would need a web server or internet storefront to set-up my store to sell the CDs. Without the site, I would have no means to practically sell my product.
Storage: Next, I would need a place to store the CDs while they are waiting to be sold. I could store them in my house, a storage unit, or any place that I could have easy access to send them as soon as possible.
Shipping: Additionally, the store would need a mechanism to ship the item. I would most likely have to use the postal service or a private shipping company.
Marketing: Finally, my store would need a marketing system to get the word out about my business in order to increase revenues.
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