Semester Report: Reflective Analysis of Information Systems Modules

Desklib provides past papers and solved assignments for students. This report reflects on learning in information systems.

FOUNDATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEM
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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Reflective Analysis......................................................................................................................................4
Module 1.1: March 1, 2019.....................................................................................................................4
Learning activity 1.2: March 1, 2019......................................................................................................4
Learning Activity 1.2: March 8, 2019.....................................................................................................5
Module 2.1: March 15, 2019...................................................................................................................5
Module 2.2: March 22, 2019...................................................................................................................6
Module 3.1: March 29, 2019...................................................................................................................6
Module 3.1: March 29, 2019...................................................................................................................7
Module 3.2: April 5, 2019........................................................................................................................7
Module 4.1: April 12, 2019......................................................................................................................8
Module 4.2: April 19, 2019......................................................................................................................8
Module 4.2: April 19, 2019......................................................................................................................8
Module 5.1: April 26, 2019......................................................................................................................9
Module 5.2: May 6, 2019.........................................................................................................................9
Module 6.1: May 10, 2019.......................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................11
References.................................................................................................................................................12
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Introduction
Information systems refer to the set of integrated components used for the collection, storage,
and data processing to offer knowledge, digital products, and information. All the organizations
irrespective of the size or nature rely on these information systems for multi-purpose including
conducting business operations, competing effectively in the business environment or
maintaining interaction with the customers. The giant companies are utilizing these information
systems for dealing with the financial and human resources, reaching the customers through
online platforms, or managing the supply chain. This report will provide a reflective analysis of
what I have learned through the learning activities time-wise. The reflective analysis aims at
enhancing the skills of critical examination of what I have learned in my lectures through the
modules. With reflective analysis, I would be able to interpret the personal experience while
learning and this practice help in boosting critical thinking skills.
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Reflective Analysis
This reflective analysis aims at providing what I experienced through the learning activities
during my new semester. I attended all the lectures and my learning experience highlights from
the modules that I read for the learning. Six modules helped in gaining the knowledge about the
key theme “Foundations of Information system.” My learning activities initiated from March 1,
2019, from the interpretation of the information system in real life.
Module 1.1: March 1, 2019
The initiation of my semester helped me in understanding what significance information systems
provide to an individual in real life. I consider this topic as one of my topics of interest since in
this technological era; information systems have increased their scope and application in the
personal as well as organizational context. I came to know through this module that information
systems and information technology are entirely different terms wherein there may or may not be
information technology in the information system for data collection, and processing. On the
other hand, information technology encompasses all the technological tools for gaining support
for information processing (Von Solms, & Van Niekerk, 2013). The critical evidence for proving
the validity of this statement involves purchasing groceries as well as enrolment procedure in
university. I believe that information system lies everywhere in the personal context whether in
grocery stores, astrological charts or whiteboard utilization during teaching and so on.
Learning activity 1.2: March 1, 2019
Under this module, I came across to the concept of Porter value chain model along with its
application in the business. A business constitutes the systems and sub-systems with
collaboration and coordination for the attainment of a determined outcome. I came to know that
Porter value chain model is one of the most impactful business models involving the primary and
supportive activities of the business. This model is particularly applicable to the open system
where the primary activities are marketing, sales, production, outbound logistics, inbound
logistics, and other operations. Porter explained further that these primary activities undertake
with supportive activities such as human resource management, procurement, firm infrastructure,
finance, and technology (Soosay, Fearne, & Dent, 2012). I can see the evidence of the Porter
value chain in the hair salons, grocery stores, or retail stores and so on. I can say that the
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common sub-systems of information systems constitute the input, output, process, and people.
This learning activity helped me in gaining a basic understanding of how the value chain model
of Porter can use by an organization.
Learning Activity 1.2: March 8, 2019
This learning activity impacted me by making me clear as to how giant companies such as
Woolworths and other stores use the information system for dealing with the complex business
environment. I came to know about Woolworths that it captures a large volume of data across
more than 1000 physical and online stores through the information system. It is difficult for the
company to maintain more than ten registers every day across all these stores. Such grocery
stores and supermarkets use the IS technique of market basket analysis for enhancing the sales
level. This module made me learnt that Woolworths provide reward cards and flybuys and other
promotional technique that evidence how effectively the company uses an information system
(Arli et al., 2013). I became aware of the information system used in Woolworths that IS helps in
the decision-making of all the organizational levels. Apart from this, Wal-Mart considers as the
first company that undertook the testing of transactional data that resulted in the data mining
technique.
Module 2.1: March 15, 2019
This module deals with the critical relationship shares among the data, information and
knowledge. It made me learn how the data converts into information and how this information
transforms into knowledge. It is the data hierarchy model proposed by Russell Ackoff that moves
from knowledge to understanding and understanding to the wisdom. I came to know that data are
the meaningless values including texts, numbers, images, colours, or barcodes and so on.
Information categorizes the aggregate data into different groups, and then the knowledge
involves the know-how of the information. I understood through this module that knowledge
converts into understanding when the changes implemented, mistakes detected or causes
identified (Jørn Nielsen, & Hjørland, 2014). Ackoff defined the wisdom, the most upper level of
the data hierarchy model, as the variation between the increasing effectiveness and efficiency.
This module assisted me in providing an insight into this data hierarchy model, and this is
evident when I analyse the hair saloon customers and students of the university.
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Module 2.2: March 22, 2019
On March 22, 2019, I went through the module 2.2 that aimed at effective knowledge
management. This module made me understand that there are two different types of knowledge
named explicit and tacit knowledge. This activity helped in making me aware of the fact that
tacit knowledge refers to know-how of an organization developed after consuming huge time.
Contrary to this, I can say that explicit knowledge states as the knowledge acquired through the
training manuals. This module provided me with the key strategies used by an organization while
managing knowledge (Alegre, Sengupta, & Lapiedra, 2013). Pull strategy offers opportunity for
the knowledge sharing organically while push strategy involves the sharing and management of
knowledge using a rigorous procedure. The fundamental techniques for the knowledge sharing
and management comprise the project teams, practice communities, storytelling, collaborative
software and the art of knowledge mapping. I became able to know that the primary knowledge
sharing and management must be the convenience to team members in accomplishing the job
and objectives. Based on the learning, I can confidently say that riding a bicycle can be taken as
evidence for the tacit knowledge since it is difficult to transfer or record the knowledge. One of
the critical examples of explicit knowledge can use as the making of a dish since it enables the
knowledge recording and sharing.
Module 3.1: March 29, 2019
This module helped me in gaining an insight into the transaction processing systems used in the
shopping centres. TPS considers as one of the most popular information systems used by
different grocery stores and shopping centres such as Woolworths and Coles. I came to know
that TPS refers to the system that provides facilities regarding the transactional data collection,
storage and processing along with the inputs to the organizational databases. In real terms, I can
say that TPS provides a fundamental basis for the accounting systems of the business. There are
two types of TPS named real-time systems or batch systems. As evidence, I can say that Coles
adopted this system when we experience the checkout processing at its stores (Demirkan, &
Delen, 2013). However, Coles must consider the protection of TPS from the errors occurred
from any of the checkouts or overlapping of the updates among the different checkouts.
Moreover, the organizations that use TPS are highly recommended for the preservation of an
audit trial periodically for error detection on time.
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Module 3.1: March 29, 2019
This module also mentioned the critical details about the application of information system for
human resource management. I am very well aware that the fundamental function of human
resource in an organization deals with the possession of skilled personnel within the organization
who are not only satisfied but also motivated. For human resource management, payroll is
mostly utilized by organizations as a useful information system for supporting human resource.
Payroll defines as the system for the payment of salaries and wages to the organizational
employees as well as monitoring the holidays, reimbursements, sick pay, and half leaves and so
on. I came to know that organizations can adopt other HR information systems such as
recruitment system and human resource development system. Information system of recruitment
supports the organizations in facilitating the skilled and deserved staff recruitment. Regarding
HR development system, I became aware that this system enables the organizations to recognise
the employee development needs and opportunities for fulfilling their objectives within the
organization. Moreover, this module helped in understanding that information systems assist in
other organizational functions as well including resource planning, finance, accounting and
operations management.
Module 3.2: April 5, 2019
I used this module for gaining an understanding of the business enterprise system. By business
enterprise system, I think that it is a consolidated and integrated system of all the sub-systems of
business for supporting the business data gathering and processing into information to utilize by
the complex businesses. I believe that there are different enterprise systems but most commonly
used systems are customer relationship management, Product lifecycle management systems, and
supply chain systems. Customer relationship system (CRM) deals with the identification of the
customer needs and wants and enabling the organization to keep responsive to the targeted and
potential customers. I think that the organizations use CRM channels such as email, in-store, and
website and call centre and so on (Khodakarami, & Chan, 2014). This module taught me that
supply chain systems support the organization in the convenient and adequate information flow
between the different nodes of the supply chain such as farmers, manufacturers, suppliers,
marketers and human resource and so on. Product lifecycle management system (PLM) has
become a necessity for the organization due to the overgrowth of the products in the business
environment. I came to know that the working of PLM systems involves the integration of other
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enterprise systems such as CRM and SCM and others to attain efficiency as well as the
improvements across the supply chain and the organization.
Module 4.1: April 12, 2019
This module helped me in enhancing the knowledge base regarding the concepts of e-commerce
and e-business. E-Business and E-commerce are somewhat inter-related terms defining the new
ways of doing business through the interconnected information systems of an organization. E-
business possesses a broader scope than e-commerce where e-commerce involves the trading of
products and services through electronic means (Schubert, Williams, & Woelfle, 2013). I came
to know about the different types of e-business named business-to-government (B2G), business-
to-customer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce. I think that Expedia, E-Bay,
OLX and Gumtree are the perfect examples in the context of e-commerce.
Module 4.2: April 19, 2019
This module provided me with an insight into the contribution of business intelligence to the
decision-making in general as well as supermarket context. The concept of business intelligence
deals with the technique of decision involved the collection of applications for assisting the
decision-makers use the information as and when required. Business intelligence facilitates the
decision-makers for undertaking the effective decision-making process by providing access to
the information. Moreover, this system involves the centralization of the data stored by the
organization. I came to know that supermarket organizations get assistance from business
intelligence in decision-making such as Woolworths and Coles (Davenport, 2012). Both
organizations determine their product offers by considering the selling capacity. These
organizations apply business intelligence using dashboards, data mining, geographic information
system, and decision support systems.
Module 4.2: April 19, 2019
Also, this module helped me in understanding the concept of data mining in the information
systems. Data mining states as the analysis of large databases already existing for deriving the
new information. In other words, I can say that data mining involves the seeking of valuable
information from the massive data pool. Large organizations such as Coles and Woolworths use
the technique of data mining for undertaking the process of decision-making. As far as I came to
know, data mining provides valuable information to the decision-makers that help in taking
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useful decisions (Liao, Chu, & Hsiao, 2012). Further, data mining allows decision-makers in
saving time and efforts by eliminating irrelevant information.
Module 5.1: April 26, 2019
I became able to understand that information and data stored within an organization is of utmost
significance for the organization. This significance has increased the need for information
security by the organization. I came to know that information security possesses the critical
components of integrity, availability and confidentiality. This module helped me in clearly
understanding the difference between authentication, identification and authorization. I came to
know that identification concerns with the determination of the assets required protection and
security from unauthorized access. Authorization deals with the individuals having the authority
to access the protected assets. At last, I came to know that the identification of protection-
required assets and authorized individuals using access control. It made me clear the difference
by considering the examples of booking of a flight ticket or driving license where the
identification, authorisation and authentication required.
Module 5.2: May 6, 2019
This module deals with information security and related issues such as vulnerability, fraud,
threats, theft, and control. This module impacted me by providing that the threats refer to the
individual or thing possessing the likelihood of causing danger or damage to the information or
system. I came to know that vulnerability involves the weaknesses or shortcoming in the system
control while the control concerns with the system that facilitates the minimisation or mitigation
of the threats resulting into actual damage or danger (Sen, 2015). Fraud and theft constitute as
significant threats in which the small financial amounts steal from using information systems.
The evidence for this considers as the control system of the Commonwealth Bank.
Module 6.1: May 10, 2019
I have come across the professional aspects of information technology. This module made me
aware that professional competence and ethics are the crucial aspects of the information
technology profession. The professionalism in information systems requires compliance of the
professional ethics of The Australian Computer Society (ACS) such as honesty, professional
development, the primacy of public interest, competence, professionalism and enhancement of
life quality. I came to know through this module that there are ethical issues about the practice of
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information systems (Mittelstadt et al., 2016). I can say that these ethical issues comprise the
censorship, pornography, privacy, freedom of information, gambling, intellectual property, and
digital division.
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Conclusion
The entire learning activities I attended helped me in gaining extensive knowledge about the
information system. This module provided me with the information related to the different
information systems used by the organizations for various purposes. Specific models such as
Porter value chain model and data hierarchy model by Ackoff. Moreover, this module informed
me how the business enterprise systems are used by the organizations for different phases of the
organization to attain efficiency and effectiveness. I came to know about e-business, e-
commerce, business intelligence, data mining & decision making, and information security.
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References
Alegre, J., Sengupta, K., & Lapiedra, R. (2013). Knowledge management and innovation
perfo Case Discussion rmance in a high-tech SMEs industry. International Small
Business Journal, 31(4), 454-470.
Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R., & Soldo, E. (2013). Woolworths Australia and
Walmart US: Best practices in supply chain collaboration. Journal of Economics,
Business & Accountancy Ventura, 16(1).
Davenport, T. H. (2012). Business intelligence and organizational decisions.
In Organizational Applications of Business Intelligence Management: Emerging
Trends (pp. 1-12). IGI Global.
Demirkan, H., & Delen, D. (2013). Leveraging the capabilities of service-oriented decision
support systems: Putting analytics and big data in cloud. Decision Support
Systems, 55(1), 412-421.
Jørn Nielsen, H., & Hjørland, B. (2014). Curating research data: the potential roles of
libraries and information professionals. Journal of Documentation, 70(2), 221-240.
Khodakarami, F., & Chan, Y. E. (2014). Exploring the role of customer relationship
management (CRM) systems in customer knowledge creation. Information &
Management, 51(1), 27-42.
Liao, S. H., Chu, P. H., & Hsiao, P. Y. (2012). Data mining techniques and applications–A
decade review from 2000 to 2011. Expert systems with applications, 39(12), 11303-
11311.
Mittelstadt, B. D., Allo, P., Taddeo, M., Wachter, S., & Floridi, L. (2016). The ethics of
algorithms: Mapping the debate. Big Data & Society, 3(2), 2053951716679679.
Schubert, P., Williams, S. P., & Woelfle, R. (2013). Sustainable competitive advantage in e-
commerce and the role of the enterprise system. In Competition, Strategy, and
Modern Enterprise Information Systems (pp. 303-319). IGI Global.
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