The High School System Has Such High Expectations For Test...

The days of spending hours on the playground interacting with students are long gone, now the stress of common core is taking over the lives of teachers. Aimee Jones mentions how seventy percent of teachers evaluations focus on how students perform. (Jones) Teachers barely have time to think because the common core material is being shoved down their throats. Teachers have accepted that every student may not to excel on tests ,but now their jobs are at risk. Common core effects so much more than just the teachers. The expectations put pressure on the students, especially in high school expecting teenagers to adapt well to change is like trying to get a lion in a bird cage.Teachers have no idea what exactly will be on the test yet the school system has such high expectations for test scores. This new testing can be compared to a blind date with drastic repercussions for the teachers. As educators, there is a realization that this transition will impact the students just as much as th e teachers by taking the fun out of learning. Some students may never know what it is like to do fun activities because everything is now based on the high stakes testing. For teachers and students, it feels like they are testing the students to death. Common core supporters claim the rigor of the testing will better prepare the students for the future, but the tests may end up destroying them in the process. In some states, Common Core has created an increased level of competition andShow MoreRelatedThe Education System Of The United States1174 Words   |  5 Pages and is extremely essential in a child’s development. Children are introduced to the education system for the purpose to learn and thrive in todays society. The education system is used to set a model for children to become successful adults for American society to prosper. Rarely, do we think about school conditions and the stress pushed upon educators to make what it takes to have a thriving school year. In the United States, the budget for education primarily comes from state and local taxesRead MoreExploring American Culture ´s Dark Spot Essay582 Words   |  3 PagesExploring American cultures dark spot Educational expectations may create academic dishonesty incentive Jay Z, Jay Gatsby, and Al Capone all reside in the same weak place in the hearts of Americans. These three men represent our nation’s twisted admiration for masterful cheaters. Americans are intrigued by these men, seduced by their risk-taking and their subsequent success and fame. The majority of society is not made up of criminals, gamblers, or drug-dealers. But cheating is prominentRead MoreAre We Considered Educated?1487 Words   |  6 PagesAre we considered â€Å"Educated† in America? The United States of America-the greatest country in the world. Or is it? This idea that America is the highest leading power in the world has brainwashed upcoming adults and shown them the wrong mentality which they have developed overtime. A main controversy in America is Education. If America says they are great, why is it that the country is not even ranked in the top ten countries for education? An adversary of this claim would say that, â€Å"Education doesn’tRead MoreUsing Standardized Testing Within Our Education System1455 Words   |  6 Pageswhat classes a student should take, how the school is scoring as a whole, and even provides information on how well a teacher is teaching the material. However, there seems to be a huge argument on whether this type of testing is actually beneficial. One controversial argument is that it only proves how well a student is able to memorize the material that they are given. These standardized tests are also interfering with other exams, like the AP tests, that students find more important for theirRead MoreEthical Issues of Standarized Testing 1322 Words   |  6 Pageseducation system, high risk standardized testing has resulted in a monumental shift in the classroom to a focus on extensive test preparation, as well as a large influx of instructors cheating and alternating their students tests; both can be seen as a direct consequence of the he ightened incentives and punishments placed upon teachers. Many teachers have taken acceptable measures in improving their students’ scores, such as simply â€Å"teaching to the test†, and taking class time to teach test takingRead More Standardized Testing and Teacher Cheating1640 Words   |  7 Pageseducation system high-stakes standardized testing has resulted in a focus on extensive test preparation, as well as a large increase in the numbers of teachers cheating by alternating their students test scores. Both these phenomena are a direct consequence of the incentives and punishments directly linked to standardized test results. Many teachers have taken acceptable measures in improving their students’ scores, such as simply â€Å"teaching to the test†, and taking class time to teach test takingRead MoreIs The American Education System Working?936 Words   |  4 PagesIs The American Education system working? Student loan debt is responsible for $1.2 Trillion of the US s national debt. Over the past several years, the youth of this country’s futures have been based off of social status and test scores. A student from the suburbs of a wealthy community is more likely to go on to a prosperous four year college than a colored male or female from the inner city. These are facts that should not be overlooked; by any means. This subject is not black and white or richRead MoreA Brief Note On Abolish Grading And The American Education System Values Grades And Test Scores More Than Students Value Learning847 Words   |  4 Pagessuggests grading students is only setting them up for failure. He states, â€Å"a student will retain nothing of what he has â€Å"passed† in.† Goodman believes that students shouldn’t be tested for a grade, â€Å"but for his own advantage† so the student isn t just â€Å"trying to get by† he will actually be encouraged to learn t he material. Grades and testing have been around for over a century. Every American has had some kind of schooling in their life. As a student, I’ve always entered a new class with the mindset thatRead MoreStandardized Testing The Best Tool For Evaluating Student Development And Teacher Competency?1625 Words   |  7 Pagesand ceremonies. The archery test would consist of shooting three arrows into a target and would be graded based on how many landed. Three arrows would equate to an excellent grade, two was good and one was passable. Standardized tests have evolved since the 2200s. Today, standardized testing is used as the main form of assessment for students in the American school system. Children as young as four years old are required to take standardized tests when entering school. Is standardized testing theRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1085 Words   |  5 PagesA standardized test is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the sa me questions in the same way, and scored in a consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of students. A critical addition to education, standardized testing was a major step towards regulating a student’s achievements, ensuring the accountability of teachers, and guiding a school’s curriculum. Despite this noble aspiration, since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act and

Bid Taxi And Their Business Operations Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Bid Taxi Business Operations. Answer: Introduction It is imperative today that all kind of businesses faces their share of complexity especially in establishing an impeccable business operation. The operations of an organization can be never being considered simple or smooth from one point to another. It is important that the companies treat the operations as an important web of procedures (Xiong, Cheng Gui, 2017). Such procedures can be termed as the business operation and every company treats it in a different manner. The report will discuss in detail about Bid Taxi and their unique business operations. Business operations of Bid Taxi The taxi industry is in existence for so many years now and since the government has been always very concerned about the transportation of the city, the industry has been always on rising. Also, with the rise of urbanization, so many areas are developing and getting bigger along with the density of population which increases the traffic issues in cities. The problem has gotten bigger and prominent as well as the disadvantages of taxi management are constantly impacting the overall quality of life and also impact the overall legitimacy of execution. The concept followed by the company comes in two main formats (Putri Kwon, 2017). The first concept is specifically for the customer and there is another exclusive for the driver. The first format is implemented when the consumers get the opportunity to register on the company's app or website. This is done mainly because they can experience the services of the company. In the second format, the entire attention on those consumers who are willing to partner with the company and the important is played by the driver. The format gets drivers and the consumer from a group of people in the public. The company is very unique from the concept point of view since the services are given because of what consumer or buyer hires in terms of the driver for the services. The application of the organization list down the three or four most efficient drivers along with data about the journey as well as information about the journey. The consumer can then accept a specific bid which he or she finds suitable as per their needs. The driver too is provided with all the options to choose or reject the invitation from the customers (Kim, 2015). They also get the option to suggest the overall cost of the trip according to their demand. The company functions on a flexible type of business operation. This makes the organization effective and more efficient in getting more loyal customers. Business operations also help the organization through apps to bid for the trip and for this usage of smartphone become crucial. This can also be done with the help of the website. The app also uses many types of information systems and technologies. Technology like MIS which is called as Management Information system, Expert system and many more. Moreover, many other business operations can also be part of the overall success of the organization. Following is the detailed discussion of all the business operations of the company: - Booking: the first important step of the operations is when the customer will book the cab by using the application or website. This helps the company to allow drivers to the customers. The customer will also select the right bid of the consumers and it consists of the overall cost of the journey along with facility (Ma, 2015). The feature also helps the company to introduce new methods which are in demand in the industry along with boosting the overall growth of the business. Dispatch: this step helps the company to effectively deploy the manual setup of the current allowance. The step makes sure that the customer of the company is able to book the cab and then expect the cab to arrive at the right time. In addition, the allotting the allowance time in the business is crucial since this step is the differentiation point from any other services. Also, the time of allowance is the significant component in the development of demand of the business. Maintenance: the company is extremely flexible and advance as far as technology is concerned. The company also ensure the confidentiality of the customer information as they share some personal details while registration (Pollman Barry, 2016). So, it becomes for the company to manage the information effectively with the help of command software services. The company is also involved in the mentioned software for making the overall structure more trusted and robust. This helps the company to maintain and secure data of the drivers as well as customers. Accounting: this step helps in bring the accounting services in a hands-on manner because of the implementation of accounting structure which automatic by nature. This further assists the company in keeping the right record of accounting of the trip so differentiation is proper charges. This is also part of accountability for handling the invoice of consumer and driver. This also helps in handling scanned documents of a driver. In addition, the customer can know the vehicle and also rank the driver as per the service quality (Shaw Skywalker, 2017). The approach helps in attracting more people to bid on apps which helps in improving the structure. Recommendations It is very crucial to have constant improvement in the systems like accuracy in pick up location which is GPS based services and this requires constant upgradation. This further can be done in an effective manner by placing a name of the place. Wrong interpretation of the address is a common problem in GPS system and it ends up wasting a lot of time with the customers and the driver. The consumer can also anytime contact the driver and help him with location but in many cases, the customer is not permitted to call the driver so that ratings can be maintained by the driver. With the help of Bluetooth or broadband connection, services can be enhanced and the possible detection of location for the driver. It is important to have detailed knowledge so that drive will find out the right location in right manner. right information helps in detecting the right location and reduction in wastage of time. This will further help the driver to recognize the location over the map in a much easy m anner (Zhang, 2014). Overall improvement of the quality must also be organized from time to time for the driver. The training program, all data for having right rating experience must be provided which also consist of rules that must be followed by the drivers. It is also important to have a completely separate service for aged people, women and infants. In addition, some services of the vehicle must be conserved just for children, aged and women. Safety of the data is very crucial for the company for which it is extremely important that all information is saved in recorded in an encrypted format. This further will ensure that data is safe on the network and also ensure that intruders can be caught at the right time. The system must help the driver by providing them needed advice which in long run will help the company to get more profitable (Zhang, 2014). Following is the detailed discussion of suggestions: The company will have to train the driver to effectively deal with any kind of distraction. It is also important for the company to train the drivers with all possible skills for a safety. The common notion among the drivers is that they are efficient drivers but with all the instructions from a system and attending calls from the customers can easily distract them. It is crucial for the drivers to ensure that they serious about attending all the duties carefully with any unwanted distraction. The best answer to this challenge is to train them with the help of secure course of driving along with all needed instructions to the driver that is important for them to follow. Usually, driver learns about the foundation of it on the job by driving and following all the rules. To ensure that, it is important for the company to provide right kind of training to drivers especially about the rules of the road, maintenance of the taxi and secure course of driving can be part of the process (Hill , 2015). To provide training to the drivers, the company will have to ensure that they are given all the important guidelines along with different cases like to how one can perform general repair tasks, following traffic rules and many more. The right kind of training must be provided to the driver that will ensure the overall safety of consumers along with drivers because there will be some reduction in the overall rate of accidents. Despite age, experience and qualification of the driver, the company must follow strict training practices and all the employees must be part of such operations. Another important advice for the company is to have a structured feedback system from the consumers. This will help them to maintain the services and take the corrective measures wherever required (Green Maximin, 2015). The customers can provide their feedback related to overall experience which can help the organization in analysing the consumers need so that services can be provided to them as per the requirement and will help in recognizing the areas that need more improvement. The feedback from the consumer is not just advantageous for the consumers but also for the drivers since it will help in judging the skills of the drivers and recognizing areas which need some improvement. Learning is a continuous process of driving and in many families, it is one skill which is passed from one generation to other. It is very important for the drivers as a professional to take advice from more experienced drivers. This will assist them to provide best services for the consumers. In addition, the experienced drivers are more comfortable with all the rules and expected behaviour regarding behaviour on the road and this helps new one to gain more understanding of the rules and regulations. To learn skills from the experienced one can be advantageous in different ways since it will help the present set of drivers in increasing the skills. It is also important to note that one crucial feature is to be considered from experienced drivers since they know more about rules and regulation. Also, the driver must take an extra effort to know about different new rules and technological advancement (Yazici, Kamga Singhal, 2013). Conclusion The report discussed in detail about the operations of the company called as Bid Taxi. It is important to understand here that operations are part of the changes as and when business will grow. The common practice in an organization for few people to have more accountabilities and this is why the same is hardly considered as ideal in another which slightly bigger in size. Bid Taxi have to keep in mind that in long run, it is important for business operations to evolve along with the company and this way, glitched in the structure can be identified and corrective measure can be taken. The success of the company or any kind of failure depends heavily on the effectiveness of the operations (Yazici et al, 2013). The important question here is that what is the motive for such processes. It also covers stakeholder's expectation from an ideal plan and right steps. This can help in increasing the value of the company and this can be done by making the profit. The overall value enhances is im pacted by how well an organization can perform as far as finances are concerned. Bid Taxi will also have to understand that an organization can manage profit into continuous over a period of time because of which value increases in an exponential manner. Reference Green, D. E., Maximin, S. (2015). Uber and Us: Radiology and On Demand Platforms, with Commentary from Dr Heilman: Practice Corner.RadioGraphics,35(7), 2151-2155. Hill, S. (2015).Raw Deal: How the" Uber Economy" and Runaway Capitalism Are Screwing American Workers. St. Martin's Press. Kim, T. O. (2015). ICT Based Innovation and Existing Regulation. ?,8(1), 109-127. Ma, C. (2015).Implementing Graph-Based Parallel Computation of Big Taxi Trajectory Data(Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University). Pollman, E., Barry, J. M. (2016). Regulatory Entrepreneurship.S. Cal. L. Rev.,90, 383. Putri, F. K., Kwon, J. (2017, June). A Distributed System for Finding High-Profit Areas over Big Taxi Trip Data with MognoDB and Spark. InBig Data (BigData Congress), 2017 IEEE International Congress on(pp. 533-536). IEEE. Shaw, M., Skywalker, L. L. (2017). Gangs, violence and the role of women and girls. Xiong, H., Chen, L., Gui, Z. (2017). A Web-based Platform for Visualizing Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Big Taxi Data.International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing Spatial Information Sciences,42. Yazici, M. A., Kamga, C., Singhal, A. (2013, October). A big data driven model for taxi drivers' airport pick-up decisions in new york city. InBig Data, 2013 IEEE International Conference on(pp. 37-44). IEEE. Zhang, D. (2014). Shanghais Unlicensed Taxis (Hei Che) as Informal Urban Street Market.Informal Urban Street Markets: International Perspectives,40, 158.

10 New Years Resolutions for Career Success in 2017

10 New Years Resolutions for Career Success in 2017 It’s hard to believe, but 2017 is right around the corner. This can be a great time to take stock and press the reset button, making positive resolutions for the future. These are often focused on personal improvement goals or hobbies, but could just as easily be a chance to buckle down, focus, and advance your career. This year, consider tailoring your resolutions to maximize career success, making sure to choose realistic goals that you can meet in any given year, rather than having the same goals end up on your resolutions list year in and year out without anything coming of it.Here are 10 of the best New Year’s resolutions for career advancement and success.1. Get PromotedSit down and take yourself through an evaluation of your career. What’s working well? What areas need attention? Then come up with a game plan for what your next step should be- be that a raise or a promotion. Figure out what you’d have to do to make either of those things happen, the n set about doing just that. You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control putting yourself in the best possible position.2. Acquire a SkillIt’s never too late to learn something new- and it’s always a great way to beef up your resume. Pick something that will fill a gap in your hiring profile, or that will really help you move to the next stage. Above all, pick something that interests you so you’ll be sure to follow through.3.  Become an Industry ExpertMake a resolution to keep a better eye on industry news and trends. Read blogs or newsletters or news sites that are relevant to your career and do it daily. With your morning coffee, perhaps. Being informed is an asset, and you’ll be surprised at how knowledgeable you become- and how valuable you’ll make yourself.4. Organize Your LifeBeing more organized is always an ongoing project. But this year pick one or a few things that you can be more proactive about. Separate your per sonal and professional social media spheres. Clean out your email inbox and come up with a system to keep it clean, starting fresh every day at 0 unread messages. Tidy your desk. Make a to-do list. Figure out a way to keep yourself efficient and productive all year long.5. SchmoozeWe could all always be doing more networking. Take your connection-making goals off the back burner and start building your network. Get active online, on LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter, attend more industry events, ask a contact out for an informational coffee. Try doing at least one networking thing a month, then build to two or even one a week.6. Get HealthyYou’ll be surprised at how much difference a little extra sleep and some healthy eating can make. Cut back on alcohol or sugar. Exercise more. Quit smoking. You’ll live longer, have more energy, and find yourself much more motivated overall to reach your other goals.7. Learn How to Take CriticismHow we handle criticism is important. Train yourself to seek out constructive criticism and to be less defensive when hearing what you could be doing better. Feedback like this can be a great way to locate places where you ought to focus more. Free career advice!8. Quit If You Have ToIf your job is a dead-end, or you know you should have left long ago, consider making this the year you take the leap. Make sure you have a safety net and plan in place, but make turning your career around a priority.  9. Say Yes to What Scares YouIf someone offers you an opportunity or a challenge, take it. Don’t just demure because it would require more work or energy or is a bit risky. Leap at the big chances and see how far you can run.10. Find BalanceWork-life balance is a term so often thrown around these days. Take a minute to see where your particular balance falls out of whack, and figure out a solid plan on how to correct that imbalance. Remember, when you’re healthy and happy, you’ll work harder and achieve more.

April Morning Book Review (A) essays

April Morning Book Review (A) essays In April Morning, written by Howard Fast, the theme of maturation prevails throughout the book as the main character, Adam Cooper, changes from being perceived as a young boy to a man. Also, as Adam matures from boy to man, the colonial revolutionaries acknowledge the seriousness of their battles against Britain. The story is narrated by Adam as he tells the tale of many events that occur in one life altering day. The narrative begins as Adam is being criticized by his father, Moses Cooper, for being lazy and disrespectful. Moses is very judgmental with Adam and does not show him much affection; they dont have what you would call a good father-son relationship. Adam then goes inside the house to talk to his mother and his grandmother, who has always spoiled him and protected him from his fathers stern criticism. Again, at the dinner table that night, Moses passes judgment on Adam until a relative of the boy, Joseph Simmons, stops in and enters the scene. Joseph tells the Moses that he has been chosen to write a statement on the rights of man by the committee, the men of the village acting to define their positions on their hopes for liberty from Britain. Adam, being only fifteen years old, is a year too young to participate in the committee meetings therefore when his father and Cousin Sim mons attended the meeting that night, he went to visit his girlfriend, Ruth Simmons. However, Adam recounts his fathers version of events that took place at the meeting and it is made clear that his village, Lexington, Massachusetts, is in emotional and intellectual turmoil due to the developing revolution. In the middle of that same night, Lexington is awakened by a lone rider with news that the British army has left Boston and is marching towards the village. Adam slips out to join his father and the reverend, who are discussing with the committeemen what their response should be if a thousand or more Br ...

Preventing School Bullying Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Preventing School Bullying - Research Proposal Example The methodology of this study is based on 2 surveys conducted in 50 different high schools in the region. The study is applied to pupils between 6 and 10 grade and it is voluntary. The first survey is organized as a self-reported questions and answers, it is anonymous and tries to estimate the degree of bullying in the given school. The other survey concentrates on the desire of participants to name the reasons why they were bullied and the ways in which this was done. The collected data was statistically processed. The data collection process represented interviews with the pupils and classifications of their answers in the different categories. The study have found that bullies are predisposed to have positive attitude towards aggression, have negative attitudes towards school and education and have behaviour problems. On the bases of the collected data it was estimated that bullying takes two distinct phases - verbal and physical.

Research on Sure Thing by David Ives Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On Sure Thing by David Ives - Research Paper Example The actions, reactions, beliefs, attitude and character psychology become the most important part of the play and create the definite response that is expected in the play. The concept of Sure Thing is then dependent on the psychological associations and expectations that change throughout the play and are defined by the layers to the character. The main concept that Ives uses to characterize the changes in the psychology is through Betty and Bill and their relationship that grows as they get to know each other. The psychology of the characters and the way that they relate to each other changes when the bell rings. By this occurring, the correct scenario is created in the end, which the author creates as being significant by the statement of â€Å"sure thing.† The bell changing the scene becomes the signifier that is attributed to the play and leads to the main concepts of psychological relationships and how this creates both the play and the relationships which are held betwe en two individuals. The changes in relationship become the stabilizer in the play because of the continuous changes in the character. This is done to define the main attributes of the characters while changing these with acceptance or rejection based on personality (Hauptmann 1). The dimensions of the characters and displays which are created by building continuous changes in identity as a psychological, as opposed to a physical, attribute (Rusko Hamar 509). The concept of character identity expression is one which is traditionally used in places to identify the specific attributes which each individual has. Voice fluctuations, differences in costumes and divisions are used to create the identity. Within each of these are symbols to show that the individual represents a specific set of characteristics, specifically which they never go out of. The personality features are then able to create an understanding that specific psychological attributes are associated with the main classifi cations of the day while building changes that relate only to the main characteristic and identity. This specific concept is used with a variety of plays and is expected as a main component in traditional theater (Rusko Hamar 509). The difference with Ives work is that the same characters are used. The only difference is in how the character chooses to respond and what is associated with this alteration. For instance, when Bill is talking to Betty, both make several statements that are not considered as psychologically acceptable by Betty. At these times, the bell rings and a different persona is taken. An example of this is when Bill starts to ask Betty more personal questions. â€Å"Bill: Do you come in here a lot? Betty: Every once in a while. Do you? Bill: Not so much anymore. Not as much as I used to. Before my nervous breakdown. (bell)† (Act 1, scene 1). This is one of several examples that show the transparent psychology which is stated becomes unacceptable. The bell a llows this to be avoided and a different characteristic or psychological response to be replaced with the information that is given. By changing the response and characteristic, there is the ability to create the right layers to the character until one fits with the other in terms of psychological responses. The ability to break the psychological attributes and characteristics of both of the characters is one which doesn’t take place as a voice only of the several sides of Betty and Bill. There are also

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay

Changing Environment And Its Impact On Business Information Technology Essay With the emergence of internet, business organization of 20th century has undergone structural, cultural and qualitative change, the way business is done and a new organization structure has emerged known as E business enterprise. E business enterprise enables employees, professionals, terms, groups, vendors, customers to perform business operations through electronic exchange of data and information anywhere at any time. The business operations are performed through E communication and collaboration initiatives. Therefore, E business enterprise has a global market, reach, source and global competition. Due to extensive use of technology, the enterprise is now called a digital firm. The business process are conducted through enterprise software like ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply Chain Management) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) supported by data warehouse, decision support system, knowledge management and content management system. Information Technology (IT) consists of computer hardware, software, data and storage technology, and networks along with the human resources required to operate the technology. The managers and employees directly interact with these systems, it is important for the company now and in the future that the information architecture and IT infrastructure meet the business requirements of the company and that the systems can work together where needed. An Information System (IS) as interrelated components that work together to collect, process, store, and disseminate information to support decision making, coordination, control, analysis, and visualization in an organization. An Inofrmation System (IS) can be any organised combination of people, hardware, software, communication networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transforms and disseminates information in an organization The Field of Information Systems encompasses many complex technologies abstract behavioral concepts, and specialized application in countless business and nonbusiness areas. The figure beside Illustrates a useful conceptual framework that organizes the knowledge presented in the text and outlines what you need to know about information system. For Detailed Information Students are requested to refer MIS by James A OBrien Page 6 7 This framework Outlines the Major areas of Information Systems Knowledge needed by business professionals The Three Major roles of the business applications of information systems. Information system provides an organization with support for business processes and operations, decision making, and competitive advantage Support Business Process and Operations: As a consumer, you regularly encounter information system that supports the business process and operations at the many retail stores where you shop. For example most retail stores now use computer based information system to help them record customer purchases, keep track of inventory, pay employees, buy new merchandise, and evaluate sales trends. Store operations would grind to a halt without the support of such information system Support Decision Making: Information System also help store managers and other business professionals make better decision. For Example, decisions on what lines of merchandise need to be added or discontinued, or on what kind of investment they require, are typically made after an analysis provide by computer based information systems. This not only supports the decision making of stores managers, buyers and other, but also helps them look for ways to gain an advantage over other retailers in the competition for customers. Support Competitive Advantage: Gaining a strategic advantage over competitors requires innovative application of information technologies. For example, store management might make a decision to install touch screen kiosks in all of their stores, with link to their e-commerce web site for online shopping. This might attract new customers and build customer loyalty because of the case of shopping and buying merchandise provide by such information system. Thus, strategic information systems can help provide products and services that give a business a comparative advantage over its competitors. DATA INFORMATION AND ITS ATTRIBUTES D:Projectsken pptslides imageslaudonf01-02.gif Data: Streams of raw facts representing events such as business transactions Information: Clusters of facts those are meaningful and useful to human beings in the processes such as making decisions The Features / Attributes / Characteristics of Information Improves representation of an entity Updates the level of Knowledge Has a surprise value Reduces uncertainty Aids in decision making Three activities in an information system produce the information that organizations need to make decision, control operations, analyze problem and create new products or services. These activities are input, processing and output. Input Captures or collects raw data from within the organization of from its external environment. Processing converts this raw input into a meaningful form. Output transfers the processed information to the people who will use it or to the activities for activities for which it will be used. Information system also require feedback, which is output that is returned to appropriate members of the organization to help them evaluate or correct the input stageD:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf01-03.gif CLASSIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION The information can be classified in a number of ways provide to a better understanding. John Dearden of Harvard University classifies information in the following manner. Action Versus No-action Information Recurring Versus Non-recurring information Internal Versus External Information Planning Information Control Information Knowledge Information Organizational Information Database information Functional or Operational information Action Versus No-action Information: The information which induces action is called as action information. The information which communicates only the status of a situation is a no-action information. No stock report calling a purchase action is an action information but the stock ledger showing the store transactions and the stock balance is a No-action information. Recurring versus non recurring information: The information generated at regular intervals is recurring information. The monthly sales reports, the stock statements, the trial balance, etc are recurring information. The financial analysis or the report on the market research study is non recurring information. Internal versus External information: the information generated through the internal sources of the organization is termed as an internal information, while the information generated through the government reports, the industry surveys, etc is termed as an external information, as the sources of the data are outside the organization. Planning information: certain standards, norms and specification are used in the planning of any activity. Hence, such information is called the planning information. The time standards, the operational standards, the design standards are the examples of the planning information. Control information: Reporting the status of an activity through a feedback mechanism is called the control information. When such information shows a deviation from the goal or the objective, it will induce a decision or an action leading to control. Knowledge Information: A collection of information through the library reports and the research studies to build up a knowledge base as an information source for decision making is known as knowledge information. Such a collection is not directly connected to decision making, but the need of knowledge is perceived as a power or a strength of the organization. Organization Information: When the information is used y everybody in the organization, it is called as organization information. Database Information: When the information has a multiple use and application, it is called the database information Functional or the operational information: When the information is used in the operations of a business it is called functional or the operational information. Module 2 Transaction processing systems (TPS) are basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization by recording the daily routine transactions required to conduct business, such as payroll and sales receipts. Transactional Processing system is a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Examples of TPS are order entry system, cheque processing system, accounts receivable systems, accounts payable systems and ticket reservation systems. These systems help any company to conduct operations and keep track of its activities. TPS was first developed in the year 1950s in accounting departments of major corporations. It is the oldest type of information system and can be called as the work horse of the information system industry for the last 50 years.D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-02.gif The principal purpose of systems at this level is to answer routine questions and to track the flow of transactions through the organization. How many parts are in inventory? What happened to Mr. Williams payment? To answer these kind of questions, information generally must be easily available, current, and accurate. At the operational level, tasks resources, and goals are predefined and highly structured. The decision to grant credit to a customer, for instance, is made by a lower level supervisor according to predefined criteria. All that must be determined is whether the customer meets the criteria H:mis10eimagesimg02_06.jpg The figure illustrated beside is transaction processing system. Managers need TPS to monitor the status of internal operations and the firms the external environment. TPS are also major producers of information for the other types of system TPS are often so central to a business that TPS failure for few hours can lead to a firms demise and perhaps that of other firms linked to it. Imagine what would the airlines do without their computerized reservation system? Transaction processing is the set of procedures for handling the transactions. Common Activities in transaction processing include: Calculation Classification Sorting Storage Summarization Types of Functional categories of TPS Systems D:Ken ppt -Rituch2imageslaudonf02-04.gif Management Information System The MIS has More than one Definition, some of which are given below: The MIS is defined as a system which provides information support for decision making in the organization. The MIS is defined as an integrated system of man and machine for providing the information to support the operations, the management and the decision making function in the organization. The MIS is defined as a system based on the database of the organization evolved for the purpose of providing information to the people in the organization. The MIS is defined as a computer based information system. It serve middle managers interests by providing current and historical performance information to aid in planning, controlling, and decision making at the management level. MIS typically compress TPS data to present regular reports on the companys basic operations. Middle Management needs systems to help with monitoring, controlling, decision making, and administrative activities. The principal question addressed by such systems is this: Are things working well? In any organization, small or big, a major portion of the time goes in data collection processing, documenting and communication it to the people. Hence, a major portion of the overheads goes into this kind of unproductive work in the organization. Every individual in an organization is continuously looking for some information which is needed to perform his / her task. Hence, the information is people oriented and it varies with the nature of the people in t he organization. Role of the Management Information System. The system ensures that an appropriate data is collected for the various sources, processed and sent further to all the need destinations. The system is expected to fulfill the information needs of an individual, a group of individuals, the management functionaries: the managers and the top management. The MIS satisfies the diverse needs through a variety of systems such as query systems, analysis system, modeling systems and decision support system MIS helps in strategic planning , management control, operational control and transactional processing The MIS helps the clerical personnel in the transaction processing and answers their queries on the data pertaining to the transaction, that status of a particular record and references on a variety of documents The MIS plays the role of information generation, communication, problem identification and helps in the process of decision making. The MIS, therefore, plays a vital role in the management, administration and operations of an organization. Decision Support systemH:mis10eimagesimg02_08.jpg DSS is an interactive computer based system which facilitates the solution of unstructured problem. Scott Morton Defined Decision Support system as Interactive computer based systems, which help decision makers utilize data and models to solve unstructured problem It supports non routine decision making for middle management. They focus on problems that are unique and rapidly changing, for which the procedure for arriving at a solution may not be fully predefined in advance. They try answering questions such as these: what would be the impact on production scheduled if we were to double sales in the month of December? What would happen to our return on investment if a factory schedule were delayed for six months? Although DSS are internal information from TPS and MIS they often bring in information from external sources, such as current stock prices or product prices of competitors. These systems use a variety of models to analyze data, or they condense large amounts of data into a form in which decision makers can analyze them. DSS Characteristics of DSS Ability to support the solution of complex problem Fast response to unexpected situations that result in changed inputs Designed to help support decisions that are formulated as semi structured, complex problems May be constructed to support one time decisions DSS is typically designed for either a particular decision maker or a group of decision makers Allows the decision makers to interact in a natural manner due to careful design of the interface It is a way to organize information intended for use in decision making Ability to quickly and objectively try different strategies under different configurations Other Characteristics: Cost Savings Improving managerial effectiveness Extensive range of support to management Support of individual / group Graphic Display Designed and run managers; incorporated data and models Attributes of Decision Support system Flexibility: The system are flexible so that any semi structured or unstructured decision making sitation can be tackled with ease and speed Simple models: The systems use simple models of decision making. The only change is that a different set of information is sought for the use of different models. The choice of a model depends upon the complexity of decision making Database: the decision support system needs database(s). The system calls for several inputs from database(s) from decision making. The use of information being common, input to the system is from the database Types of Decision Support System Status inquiry system: The number of decisions in the operational management and some at the middle management are such that they are based on one or two aspects of a decision making situations. It does not call for any elaborate computations, analysis, choice, etc. for decision making. If the status is known, the decision is automatic, i.e., the status and solution is unique relation Data analysis system: These Decision systems are based on comparative analysis, and use of a formula or an algorithm. But these processes are not structured and, therefore vary. The cash flow analysis, the inventory analysis and the personal inventory system are examples of the analysis systems. The use of simple data processing tools and business roles are required to develop this system. Information analysis system: In this system, the data is analyzed and information reports are generated. The reports might be having exceptions as a feature. The decision makers use these reports for assessment of the situation for decision making. The sales analysis, the accounts receivable systems, the market research analysis, the MRP systems are examples of the systems. Accounting System: These systems are not necessarily required for decision making but they are desirable to keep track of the major aspects of the business or a function. The contents of these systems are more data processing leading to formal reporting, with exceptions, if necessary. These systems account items such as cash, inventory, personnel and so on and relate it to a norm or norms developed by the management, for control and decision Model based systems: These systems are simulation model or optimization models for decisions making. These decisions, generally, are one time and infrequent and provide general guidelines for operation or management, the product mix decision, the material mix, the job scheduling rules, and the resource or asset or facilities planning systems are the examples. Executive Support System These are management information systems tailored to benefit the strategic information needs of the top management / senior executive. ESS summarizes and presents data at the highest levels of aggregation. Usually, they involve presenting reports in standard formats and they often involve graphics. ESS is the newest of the five categories of MIS. They have had the least acceptance of the five types. The reason being that most executives started their careers prior to widespread use of computer. Executive Support systems provide critical information from a wide variety of internal and external sources in easy to use displays to executives and managers. For example, top executive may use touch screen terminals to instantly view text and graphics displays that highlight key areas of organizational and competitive performance What are the characteristics of MIS? How do MIS differ from TPS? From DSS? MIS supports the management level by providing routine summary reports and exception reports for various purposes, including planning, controlling, and decision making. Examples include sales and profit per customer and per region, relocation summary and analysis, inventory control, capital investment analysis, and even a report on students who were here in the autumn but did not to return in the spring. MIS differs from TPS in that MIS deals with summarized and compressed data from the TPS and sometimes analysis of that summarized data. Decision-support systems provide material for analysis for the solution of semi-structured problems, which often are unique or rapidly changing. Typically, they provide the ability to do what if analysis. While MIS have an internal orientation, DSS will often use data from external sources, as well as data from TPS and MIS. DSS supports right now analysis rather than the long-term structured analysis of MIS. MIS are generally not flexible and provide little analytical capabilities. In contrast, DSS are designed for analytical purposes and are flexible. What are the characteristics of DSS? How do they differ from those of ESS? DSS provide sophisticated analytical models and data analysis tools to support semi structured and unstructured decision-making activities. DSS use data from TPS, MIS, and external sources, provide more analytical power than other systems, combine data, and are interactive. ESS support senior managers with unstructured strategic-level decision making. They may be less analytical than DSS with less use of models such as linear programming or forecasting. However, they often rely on external data and rely heavily on graphics. Describe the relationship between TPS, office systems, KWS, MIS, DSS, and ESS. The various types of systems in the organization exchange data with one another. TPS are a major source of data for other systems, especially MIS and DSS. TPS are operational-level systems that collect transaction data. Examples of these are payroll or order processing that track the flow of the daily routine transactions that are necessary to conduct business. TPS provide data that are required by office systems, KWS, MIS and DSS, although these systems may also use other data. KWS and office systems not only use data from TPS but also from MIS. DSS not only use data from TPS but also from KWS, office systems, and MIS. MIS rely heavily on data from TPS but also use data from KWS and office systems. ESS obtains most of their internal data from MIS and DSS.