Communication systems basics -- Manager's view -- Communications systems elements -- Communications modes and codes ; Analog and digital transmission ; Data codes ; Asynchronous transmission ; Synchronous transmission ; Simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex transmission ; Circuit switching ; Message switching -- Communications media ; Speed and capacity ; Twisted pair ; Coaxial cable ; Fibre optics ; Wireless -- Sources and products ; Dial-up telephone lines ; Leased telephone lines ; Wireless networks -- Common network components ; Hosts and servers ; Terminals or workstations ; Protocol converters ; Modems ; Terminal connection equipment ; Network connection equipment -- Network topologies ; Point-to-point or star and hierarchical topologies ; Multidrop or bus and ring topologies ; Wireless topology -- Network types ; Local area networks ; Wide area networks ; Enterprise networks ; International networks -- Remote access; Transferring data files between microcomputers ; Connecting your remote PC to your office desktop ; Connecting to the internet and on-line databases ; Connecting to a remote local area network ; Connecting to a minicomputer or mainframe -- Reasons managers implement networks ; Sharing peripherals ; Sharing data files ; Sharing applications ; Reducing the costs of acquiring, installing, and maintaining software ; Connecting to other networks ; Capturing data at its source ; Increasing productivity ; Permitting expansion ; Increasing timely communications ; Increasing management control -- Network concerns for the manager ; Network reliability ; Network response time ; Network costs ; Compatibility ; Network access and security -- Voice systems ; PBXs ; Centrex ; Reasons for implementing a PBX ; PBX hardware and software ; Voice systems concerns for the manager -- Communication standards and the manager -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Distributed systems, the internet, and office communications -- Manager's view -- Distributed processing ; Reasons for implementing distributed processing ; Distributed processing concerns for managers ; An effective distributed processing system -- Distributed databases ; Replicated databases ; Partitioned databases ; Advantages and disadvantages of distributed databases -- Client/server computing ; SQL servers ; Downsizing -- Interorganizational information systems ; Electronic data interchange ; Electronic market systems -- Internet communications ; Internet features ; Browsing documents ; Searching for information ; Push versus pull internet ; Internet connection problems ; Sending e-mail ; Electronic discussion groups ; Transferring files ; Running programs on remote computers ; Network PCs and the internet ; Internet telephoney and desktop conferencing -- Internet commerce -- Intranet communications ; Extranet communications -- Office communications ; Electronic mail systems ; Voice processing systems ; Electronic conferencing systems ; Fax systems ; The virtual office ; Groupware systems ; Workflow automation ; The paperless office -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Upgrading computer information systems for the U.S. Army Reserve Personnel Center -- APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO FUNCTIONAL BUSINESS AREAS -- Applications of operational information systems to business -- Manager's view ; The nature of operational information systems ; Management advantages -- Operational accounting and financial information systems ; Financial accounting systems ; Importance to decision making ; General ledger system ; Fixed assets system ; Sales order processing system ; Accounts receivable system ; Accounts payable system ; Inventory control system ; Purchase order processing system ; Payroll system ; Financial accounting software -- Operational marketing information systems ; Sales force automations systems ; Micromarketing and data warehouse systems ; Telemarketing systems ; Direct mail advertising systems ; Point-of-sale systems ; Delivery tracking and routing systems ; Electronic shopping and advertising -- Operational production information systems ; Purchasing systems ; Receiving systems ; Quality control systems ; Shipping systems ; Cost accounting systems ; Inventory control systems ; Automated material handling systems ; Computer-aided design and manufacturing systems ; Image management systems ; Material selection systems ; Shop-floor scheduling systems ; Mass customization and agile manufacturing systems -- Operational human resource information systems ; Position control systems ; Employee information systems ; Performance management systems ; Applicant selection and placement systems ; Training systems -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Applications of tactical and strategic information -- Manager's view -- The nature of tactical and strategic information systems -- Tactical accounting and financial information systems ; Budgeting systems ; Cash management systems ; Capital budgeting systems ; Investment managing systems -- Strategic accounting and financial information systems ; Financial condition analysis systems ; Long-range forecasting systems -- Tactical marketing information systems ; Sales management systems ; Advertising and promotion systems ; Pricing systems ; Distribution channel systems ; Competitive tracking systems -- Strategic marketing information systems ; Sales forecasting systems ; marketing research systems ; Product planning and development systems -- Tactical production information systems ; Materials requirements planning systems ; Just-in-time systems ; Capacity planning systems ; Production scheduling systems ; Product design and development systems ; Manufacturing resource planning systems ; Computer-integrated manufacturing systems -- Strategic production information systems ; Site planning and selection systems ; Technology planning and assessment systems ; Process positioning systems ; Plant design systems -- Tactical human resource information systems ; Job analysis and design systems ; Recruiting systems ; Compensation and benefits systems ; Succession planning systems -- Strategic human resource information systems ; Workforce planning systems ; Information systems supporting labor negotiations ; Other strategic uses of human resource information systems -- HRIS software -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Decision support systems and export systems -- Manager's view -- Manager's systems needs -- Characteristics of the decision-making process ; Phases of decision making ; Types of decision problems ; Attributes of the decision maker ; Strategies for decision making ; Implications of decision making for decision support systems -- Important features of decision support systems ; Support of semi-structured decisions ; Support for database access and modelling ; Support for all phases of the decision-making process ; Support for communications among decision makers ; Availability of memory aids ; Availability of control aids for decision making -- Components of a decision support system ; Data components of a decision support system ; Building a data warehouse ; Data mining and intelligent agents ; Model components -- The tools of decision support -- Cases in managerial decision support systems ; A production planning system ; A financial control system ; An international loan system -- The development of decision support systems ; The decision support systems development life cycle -- The benefits of decision support systems -- The risks of decision support systems ; Lack of quality assurance ; Lack of data security ; Failure to specify correct requirements ; Failure to understand design alternatives -- Group decision support systems -- Artificial intelligence and expert systems -- Expert systems and decision support systems -- The characteristics of expert systems ; The knowledge base ; The inference engine ; The knowledge acquisition and explanation subsystems -- How an expert system works ; Rule-based systems ; frame-based systems ; How an expert system differs from a conventional information system ; The kinds of problems and expert system can solve -- Expert systems applications in business ; The kinds of opportunities expert systems address ; How expert systems are developed ; The stages of building and expert system ; The roles of the knowledge engineer and the expert ; The prototyping approach in expert systems development ; How knowledge is acquired from experts -- The advantages of expert systems ; The limits of expert systems ; Expert system tools -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Analyzing the computer personnel allocation problem at Software Reengineering Company (SRC) Inc.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS -- Information systems planning -- Manager's view -- Information systems planning strategies -- Problems with determining information requirements -- Managing by wire in a complex business environment -- Critical success factors ; Defining critical success factors ; Defining measures ; Advantages and limitation -- Business systems planning ; BSP study activities ; The study team ; Method of analysis ; Assessment of business problems ; Determining priorities ; Information systems management ; The action plan ; Implications of the BSP method -- Ends/means (E/M) analysis ; Comparison of the three methods ; Information systems planning at the organizational level ; How information technology supports business strategy ; The information planning grid ; Management strategies -- Technology planning in an age of uncertainty ; Schein's theory of technology assimilation ; Planning in a dynamic environment -- Organizing the information systems plan ; Application development ; New technology ; Organization and management of information processing ; The changing role of the chief information officer -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Systems analysis and design -- Manager's view -- The systems development process ; The systems development life cycle -- Systems analysis ; Case study : a law school admissions office ; The systems interview ; Using questionnaires in systems analysis ; Developing business and system objectives ; Preparing the proposed system data-flow diagram ; Specifying process logic using decision tress and tables -- Evaluating alternative design options ; Alternative processing modes ; computer design alternatives ; Software development alternatives -- Analysis of alternative design options -- The organizationwide [sic] data dictionary -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Alternative application development approaches -- Manager's view -- Strategies to overcome the systems development bottleneck -- Software packages ; Prototyping ; User development of information systems ; Factors to consider in selecting a development approach -- Project management and control -- A portfolio approach to project management ; Risk factors ; Strategies for minimizing project risk ; Using appropriate strategies to manage projects -- Cost-benefits analysis ; The benefits of information systems ; The costs of information systems -- Detailed design : transforming logical specifications into physical specifications ; Structured design ; Physical design specifications ; Program specifications ; Documentation -- Implementation ; Programming and testing ; Training ; Conversion ; Human factors in systems implementation -- User involvement in system selection ; Developing and RFP ; Evaluating a database program ; Hardware evaluation -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- systems development by Software Reengineering Company (SRC) Inc -- THE MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS -- Organization of information and end-user computing -- Manager's view -- The organization of data processing ; The evolution of computing ; Centralized data processing ; Decentralized data processing ; Distributed data processing ; Allocation of responsibilities in distributed data processing ; Effective organization of information processing activities ; Roles and responsibilities of information systems professionals ; Career paths and management of data processing ; The organization and management of end-user computing ; Users and user-developed applications ; Management and control issues -- Departmental computing -- The future of the information systems organization -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Security and ethical issues of information systems -- Manager' view -- Viewing information systems security risks ; Risks, threats, and vulnerabilities ; Assessing risks -- Common controls ; Physical controls ; Electronic controls ; Software controls ; Management controls -- Common threats ; Natural disasters ; Employee errors ; Computer crime, fraud, and abuse ; Program bugs -- Protecting information systems ; Securing information systems facilities ; Securing communication systems ; Securing database information systems ; Securing information systems applications -- Ethical issues and information systems ; Ethical and contractual behavior ; Privacy, access, and accuracy issues ; Property issues ; The widespread impact of information systems ; Management responsibility -- Management summary -- Key terms for managers -- Review questions -- Questions for discussion -- Problems -- Cases -- Client computer systems supported by Software Reengineering Company (SRC) Inc.