Eric Fletcher Business 219

ASSIGNMENT: Using your knowledge #3 CHAPTER 2

Professor Jager Monday, September 05, 2011

1. Considering these points and the discussion of information in unstructured processes in Q5, answer the following questions; a. What is information made of? i. Information is made up of so many different things. According to the text, information is knowledge derived from data (recorded facts or figures). It is also data that is presented in a meaningful context. Information is data processed by summing, ordering, averaging, grouping, comparing, or other similar operations. Lastly the text states information is a difference that makes a difference. In my opinion, information is all around us. We are surrounded by information all day and night; the only escape is during sleep. In my opinion, information relies on how the person or being interprets the information. Information is the raw material in the thought making process. The target has to assemble the information to come to a conclusion or final product. What one user or individual might consider useful data might be rejected by another. Someones interpretation of information might be completely different from the next individuals. What one person finds offensive, another might find to be hilarious. It is so hard to put a set of rules or a defined answer to what information is, but I do know information is all around us; it is in us and will never leave. b. If you have more information, do you weigh more? Why or why not. i. Personally, I believe one can never have too much information at hand. The key word is; at hand. If you have a huge amount of information, and do not take the proper steps to filter out the jive, you will become overwhelmed and in this case overweighed. One must keep in mind; Information has no feelings or emotions toward the user or being; you must be on your toes. There is a lot of important and helpful information, but, with the good there is always bad. You must be able to filter the jive and keep it moving in a positive direction. If you become overloaded, or if you weigh more than you can handle you will have bad consequences. c. If you give a copy of your transcript to a prospective employer, is that information? If you show that same transcript to your dog, is it still information? Where is the information? i. In my opinion, if I gave a future employer my transcript, it would be a great example of an exchange of information. He now has a piece of information to help him make an informed, informational derived decision about my future employment at this job. It all comes down to how he interprets this information,

for the better and higher me or for the worse and trash it. If I decide to show the same document to my dog, the same situation occurs. The information processing sector in a dogs brain may be inferior to that of humans, but it is still occurring on a micro level. The dog might look at this information and interpret it as a piece of food, or an object to go to the bathroom on. Whichever option my dog decides on, he has still identified this information and will decide how to act upon the information at hand. It might be a positive or negative reaction, just like with humans. d. Give your own best definition of information. i. Information is life. Life is a continuous series of decisions and interpretations. Life is full of information, challenges and events you must go through. The decisions you make in life, and your higher power, determine your path and direction. e. Explain how you think it is possible that we have an industry called the information technology industry, but we have great difficulty defining the word information. i. In my opinion, humans appear to be mastering the art of delivering information. According to World Information and Technology and Services Alliance, A major new study of the worlds information and communication
technology spending reveals that the global high tech industry surged to over $2.1 trillion in 1999, and is expected to surpass $3 trillion in 2003. According to WITSA, by 2013 the total spending will surpass $5 trillion. We are mastering an industry that we dont have a firm and complete grasp on. You could chock it up to human nature, but I would like to understand what really happens when we process all this information. Maybe as humans we have no right to even try to figure out. Some things in life should just be left alone and respected, rather than trying to further the confusion. 2. The text states that information should be worth its cost. Both cost and value can be broken into tangible and intangible factors. Tangible factors can be measured directly. Intangible ones arise indirectly and are difficult to measure. For example, an intangible cost is the lost productivity of a poorly trained employee. Give five important tangible and five important intangible measures of the value of an information system. When determining whether an information system is worth its cost, how do you think the tangible and intangible factors should be considered? i. TANGIBLE FACTORS (something which can be measured/assessed (real) 1. Equipment 2. Supply storage costs 3. Supplier/buyer prices 4. Wages 5. Software and computer costs ii. INTANGIBLE FACTORS (intangible is something which cannot be measured (imaginary) 1.The total loss accrued if the hardware/ automation systems fail. 2. Customers, employees, and all peoples current emotions and feelings. 3. Future business updates, causing a system update or retraining. 4. Faultiness in automation 5. Future costs of imports

iii. If a company were to buy an information system, they must be willing to accept the unavoidable baggage and benefits that come along with it. Tangible aspects of an information system, with a little money, can be monitored and fixed relatively easily. Intangible aspects of IS systems are more pains in butt. You must be willing to accept the fact that life and business is about change. Sometimes change cannot be measured or assessed a monetary value until it actually happens or after the fact. This can keep things fresh in a business, it encourages change, but it also costs money.

3. If I were given the opportunity to open my own coffee shop it would be a hybrid. It would have the intimacy and friendliness associated with indie shops, but, I would try to keep the prices/speed of service/and supply chain streamlined like the big names. I would keep the front of the house, comfortable, relaxing, and homely, with desks, chairs, and other relaxing comfy options. The back of the house processes would be cutting edge. I would try and network with different vendors and partners locally and worldwide. I would try to maintain a solid base of coffee blends and beans that dont change much, but, also offer a selection of rotating locally produced beans and coffees. Simplification would be the number one priority in the back of the house/logistics side of the operation. I would try my hardest to make the inventory side as streamlined as possible. Resupplying would go through the least amount of providers, to help make contact to suppliers easy and readily available. Resupplying would follow a monthly consumer rate. Before opening, I would stock pile enough non perishable materials for 3 months of service. I would make clear the chain of command in the business. Clear communication is vital to my business running smooth. When there is a problem my employees would know exactly what to do. When a product is low, they will know how to initiate the process of resupply. I would also give some autonomy to the trust worthy employees. I would connect the most trust worthiest employees with supplier contact information just in case I could not work or was busy. I would strongly encourage employees to always give input in regards to improving the business and themselves. I would make sure to help out the community. Customers are spending their hard earned money at my establishment; I would have to develop a program to help them out in return. I would also be prepared the changes and alterations that would come around once the plan took shape. I would have to be willing to adapt and change any part of my plan to reality.