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	Management Information Systems 4/e - James A. O'Brien
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Information Systems in Business

Application Exercises

1. Using the Internet for Business Research

Search the Internet for additional information and business examples about some of the topics or companies in this chapter. For example use search engines like Yahoo! or InfoSeek to research topics like business process reengineering globalizing business or using intranets and extranets. Or find and visit the Web sites of the companies in the Real World Cases and Problems in this chapter. Look for examples of the business use of information technology in your search.

Prepare a one-or two-page summary of some of you findings and the sources you used.
End your paper with a few sentences describing one thing you have learned from your research that might help you in your future career in business.

2. Visiting the Smart Business Supersite

The Smart Business Supersite www.smartbiz.com is dubbed the "how to resources for business" site. It offers a little something for every business person. Nearly every colorful icon on the tool bar across the top of the home page leads to useful relevant material such as columns on electronic privacy violence in the workplace and internal marketing. You could end up spending a lot of time here reading the articles which are gathered from a variety of sources and have hypertext links. (see Figure 1.23.)

But if you don't have much time click on the browse button to call up a Window-like menu of subjects. Then choose Computing in Business to get a precise index of all relevant material at the site from "PC-Based Sales and Marketing Management Improves Results" to "E-Mail Confessions in Court." The Jobs/Careers section includes relevant articles and a message board. People Finder is a unique section that offers users a venue for locating speakers and consultants. Visit the Smart Business Supersite and browse through the Computing in Business section.

Prepare a one-or two-page summary describing the "Computing in Business" material you found most interesting and relevant as a business end user.
End your paper with a few sentences describing one thing you have learned from your research that might help you in your future career in business.

3. Auto Shack Stores: IS Knowledge Areas

The president of Auto Shack Stores asked the following questions at a recent meeting of store managers and the vice president of information systems. Match each question with one of the major areas of information systems knowledge illustrated in Figure 1.2. Explain your choices.

How can we use information systems to support sales floor operations and store manager decision making and to gain competitive advantages in our industry?
How can we involve store managers in developing innovative retail systems?
How can we apply the concepts and developments of information technology to serve our customers of information technology to serve our customers with a "high-tech high-touch" organization?
What hardware software network and database resources are required to support our goals?
How are we going to manage the people hardware software and data resources of our information systems at the store and corporate level?

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