Download ISM 622 – Midterm Exam Questions

ISM 622 – Midterm Exam Questions
Spring 2001
THE FOLLOWING REPRESENT THE DOMAIN AND TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE
ASKED IN THE MIDTERM EXAMINATION. Actual questions may not be exactly the same.
1. Briefly describe transaction processing system (TPS), DSS, MIS, EIS, Expert System (ES), GDSS, and
knowledge management system (KMS). Compare then on five dimensions.
2. Show the various components of a Decision Support System (DSS) in the form a diagram. Describe each
component briefly. Describe each component in greater detail.
3. Describe the stages in decision-making as proposed by Herbert Simon. Select one of these stages and
describe what kind of support can be provided by a computer-based system.
4. Describe the taxonomy of DSS as proposed by Gorry and Scott Morton. Describe some key issues from
this framework.
5. Describe the DSS framework by Power. Describe some key issues from this framework.
6. Describe the terms: problem structure, management level, uncertainty, and equivocality in the decision
making context.
7. Describe various decision making approaches.
8. What is a model? Classify models based on the level of abstraction. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of models?
9. You need to know to recognize and formulate linear programming problems, i.e., given a problem
description, you should be able to come up with a formulation.
10. Describe decision problems under certainty, uncertainty and risk. You should be able to formulate and
solve such problems.
11. What is a data warehouse? Describe five different characteristics of the data stored in the data
warehouse. Describe the architecture and key issues in data warehouse development.
12. Describe the characteristics of different classes of models (e.g., optimization, simulation, heuristics, etc.)
13. Describe the following concepts: goal seeking, sensitivity analysis, what-if analysis, multiple goals.
14. Describe different database structures. What structures are suitable for DSS and why?
15. What are these technologies: OLAP, data mining, multidimensional databases? List some of their key
features.
16. What are some development methodologies in MIS? Which ones are suitable for DSS development and
why?
17. Discuss the concept of DSS technology levels. How are the levels related?
18. Describe typical user interfaces and output options in DSS. What are some advanced interfaces? What
interfaces are useful from the DSS user perspective?
19. Provide alternate definitions of “knowledge” and “knowledge management”. What are tacit and explicit
knowledge?
20. Describe the processes involved in knowledge management (KM). What are the goals, objectives and
benefits of KM?
21. What are key success factors for KM?
22. What capabilities are needed in a knowledge management system?