Questions:  Answer any 4 from the following.

1. Provide an example of how a business function with which you are familiar (e.g., marketing, finance, operations/production, accounting, human resources) can be highly dependent on IT.

2. Explain why, given the benefits of coordinated, integrated data architecture, some organizations still maintain multiple databases.  How does master data management assist in the management of multiple databases?

3. Differentiate between a two-tier client/server system and a three-tier client/server system.  Differentiate between a fat client and a thin client. Why would a firm choose one of these approaches over the others when implementing a client/server system? ( for the first part of the question you may use a table format)

4. Decision support systems (DSSs) and expert systems are application areas that have a great deal in common. What are the primary distinctions between DSSs and expert systems?

5. Explain why many companies were unable to implement new cross-functional processes that were identified by BPR project teams in the early 1990s, before ERP packages became widely available. ( hint: think in terms of databases)

6. There have been many failures in the development of application systems using the traditional SDLC (systems development life cycle).  Discuss some characteristics of the methodology that could contribute to the high failure rate under certain situations.

7. Use the Web to identify two software products used to support project managers in general. Briefly contrast their features and costs. (you may answer this question is a table format)

8. A project monitoring technique called a traffic approach (red, yellow, and green lights) is mentioned in the chapter. Comment on what you see as the pros and cons of this approach.