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Chapter 5 Applications Software for Businesses Introduction to Information Systems Judith C. Simon Slide 5-1 "Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted in Section 117 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the express written permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Request for further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The purchaser may make back-up copies for his/her own use only and not for distribution or resale. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages, caused by the use of these programs or from the use of the information contained herein." Slide 5-2 Chapter 5 Major Topics The concept of office automation Office applications software Management decision support software Evaluation of applications software Slide 5-3 Office Automation Use of information technology to perform typical office activities automatically Slide 5-4 Office Applications Software Programs used to assist in performing a wide variety of office activities Examples include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, graphics, and many others Slide 5-5 Word Processing Software Used primarily for text documents, such as memos letters reports Slide 5-6 Spreadsheet Software Contains columns (vertical) and rows (horizontal) Used primarily for numeric data and calculations Contains some predesigned formulas, such as financial formulas statistical formulas logical formulas date and time formulas Slide 5-7 Database Software Used to record items of interest about an object or person and to be able to manipulate and link the data in a variety of ways Typical features include sorting/indexing querying report generation programming Slide 5-8 Graphics Software Used for creating attractive charts and diagrams Presentation graphics: software used to prepare materials for meetings and other presentations, often in the form of overhead transparencies or onscreen slides Slide 5-9 Forms Processing Software Used for on-screen forms that can be linked to databases, which allows some of the routine data to be inserted automatically into the form Can be sent to its destination electronically, with contents of the form added to a database automatically Slide 5-10 Work Flow Software Used to automate the flow of some work processes May include forms processing as well as a variety of other office activities in which data and/or forms may be processed and automatically sent to the next destination Slide 5-11 Calendaring and Scheduling Software Used to check calendars and to schedule meetings or other events without the need to contact participants individually Slide 5-12 Project Management Software Used to assist in managing groups of tasks (projects) Used for project planning as well as for monitoring progress during the project Typical features: front-end modeling, time reporting, work requests, project accounting, resource leveling, and integration Some well-known charts: Gantt: displays tasks on a time scale (expected vs. actual times) PERT: emphasizes relationships and critical path (longest completion time, therefore no slack time) Slide 5-13 Decision Support System (DSS) Software Used for assistance in making unstructured or semistructured decisions Can be used by different people for different purposes because it is designed to be linked in a variety of ways Typical sources of data include internal data from multiple databases as well as external data from various data banks Allows for “what-if” analysis so that different alternatives can be tested and their results evaluated May allow “goal-seeking analysis” in which the desired goal is identified and the system works to determine the data needed to reach that goal Slide 5-14 Group Decision Support System (GDSS) Software Additional capability compared with DSS of allowing multiple persons to participate in the decision-making process Uses software sometimes called “groupware” Allows multiple participants to access the same documents simultaneously Often uses the “Delphi technique,” in which decision-makers provide recommendations for a solution, then several rounds of communication may occur to reach a consensus Some forms of GDSS software involve decision-making with all participants in the same room, and others are designed for participants who do not need to be in the same physical location Slide 5-15 Executive Information System (EIS) Software Specialized form of DSS that is intended to provide easy access to information about particular topics of interest Usually begins with summary reports (often in a graphical form) Uses a “drill-down” technique for the user to see additional details as desired Typically uses both internal and external databases, although this depends on the needs of the users Slide 5-16 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Software Refers to software that attempts to mimic human intelligence Two types of AI that are used for business applications: Expert systems Neural networks Slide 5-17 Expert System Software Uses a reasoning capability to solve problems or to make recommendations, usually for specific situations that can be defined clearly Somewhat expensive to develop and to maintain Slide 5-18 Components of an Expert System Knowledge base: Inference engine: contains data about some topic as well as reasoning procedures obtained from one or more experts processes the rules and facts in the knowledge base so that a possible solution can be identified User interface: allows the computer user to communicate with the software, often to indicate answers to system questions as parts of the procedure are processed, thus helping to make the path to the solution appropriate for the situation Slide 5-19 Expert System Components, continued Knowledge acquisition facility: provides methods of entering new facts and rules into the knowledge base Explanation facility: provides information about how the decision was reached, such as the facts and rules used, as well as a level of confidence in the conclusion reached Slide 5-20 Neural Network Attempts to imitate human brain functions, especially the ability to learn Mimics the brain’s ability to recognize and understand patterns Can learn by example Considered more precise than expert systems Slide 5-21 Comparison of DSS and AI Artificial Intelligence DSS GDSS EIS Expert Systems Neural Networks DSS models help decision makers manipulate existing data. Artificial intelligence models attempt to evaluate data by mimicking human thinking and reasoning skills. Slide 5-22 Software Purchase Options Options include: Licensed copy for each computer Licensed copy for each user Licensed copies for the maximum number of users at any one time Site license for multiple copies of the software, either a specified number or unlimited Site license for a server, with multiple user access Slide 5-23 Slide 5-24
