Information Systems: A

Managers Guide to Harnessing

Technology, version 2.0
John Gallaugher

2013, published by Flat World Knowledge 10-1

Published by:
Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

2013 by Flat World Knowledge, Inc. All rights reserved. Your use of this work is subject to the
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work may be used, modified, or reproduced in any form or by any means except as expressly
permitted under the License Agreement.

2013, published by Flat World Knowledge 10-2

 Chapter 10
Understanding Software: A Primer
for Managers

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 Learning Objectives
Recognize the importance of software and its
implications for the firm and strategic decision
making
Understand that software is everywhere; not just in
computers, but also cell phones, cars, cameras, and
many other technologies
Know what software is and be able to differentiate it
from hardware
List the major classifications of software and give
examples of each
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 Introduction
Computing hardware: Physical components of
information technology which includes the computer
and its peripherals
Storage devices
Input devices
Output devices (screens, printers)
Software: Computer program or collection of
programs. Programs that a technology uses
Precise set of instructions that tells hardware what to
do
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 Software
Operating system: Software that controls the
computer hardware
Establishes standards for developing and executing
applications
Applications: Desktop applications, enterprise
software, utilities, and other programs that perform
specific tasks for users and organizations.

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Figure 10.1 - The Hardware/Software
Layer Cake

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 Learning Objectives
Understand what an operating system is and why
computing devices require operating systems
Appreciate how embedded systems extend Moores
Law, allowing firms to create smarter products and
services
Embedded systems are for example RFID??
Embedded systems in people: pacemaker. They can
be on people, things

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 Operating Systems
Provides a common set of controls for managing
computer hardware
Makes it easier for users to interact with computers
and for programmers to write application software
User interface: Mechanism through which users
interact with a computing device. Its referred to as
UI. Mechanism by which we connect with the device.

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Firmware and Embedded Systems

Firmware

Software store on nonvolatile

memory chips

Embedded systems

Special-purpose software designed

and included inside physical
products

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 Learning Objectives
Appreciate the difference between desktop and
enterprise software. Business-orientated software.
So it satisfies the need of an organization instead of
an individuals.
List the categories of enterprise software
Understand what an ERP (enterprise resource
planning) software package is
Recognize the relationship of the DBMS (database
system) to the other enterprise software systems.
Recognize both the risks and rewards of installing
packaged enterprise systems
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 Application Software
Performs the work that users and firms are directly
interested in accomplishing
Platform: Products and services that allow for the
development and integration of software products
and other complementary goods
Desktop software: Applications installed on a
personal computer, typically supporting tasks
performed by a single user

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 Enterprise Software
Applications that address the needs of multiple users
throughout an organization or work group
Software package: Software product offered
commercially by a third party
Enterprise resource planning (ERP): Software package
that integrates the many functions of a business.
planning the resources at the enterprise level. Brings
together all the resources/functions of a company.
Example ASP
Sales and inventory
Manufacturing and purchasing
Human resources
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 Enterprise Software
Customer relationship management (CRM)

Systems used to support customer-related sales and

marketing activities

Supply chain management

Systems that can help a firm manage aspects of its value chain
Through delivery of finished products and services at the
point-of-consumption

Business intelligence (BI) systems

Systems that use data created by other systems to provide

reporting and analysis for organizational decision making

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 Database Management System
Software for creating, maintaining, and manipulating
data
Referred to as database software
Stores and retrieves the data used by the other
enterprise applications
Firms with common database systems and standards
benefit from increased organizational insight and
decision-making capabilities

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Figure 10.5 - Database Management
System

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 Learning Objectives
Understand the concept of distributed computing
and its benefits
Understand the client-server model of distributed
computing
Know what Web services are and the benefits that
Web services bring to firms
Appreciate the importance of messaging standards
and understand how sending messages between
machines can speed processes, cut costs, reduce
errors, and enable new ways of doing business
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 Distributed Computing
Form of computing where systems in different
locations communicate and collaborate to complete
a task
Server: Program that fulfills the requests of a client
Hardware context - Computer that has been
configured to support requests from other computers
Software context - Program that fulfills requests
Client: Software program that makes requests of a
server program

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 Distributed Computing
Application server
Software that houses and serves business logic for use and reuse by
multiple applications
Used by more advanced distributed environments

Web services
Small pieces of code that are accessed via the application server which
permit interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network

Application programming interfaces (APIs)

Programming hooks, or guidelines, published by firms that tell other
programs how to get a service to perform a task such as send or receive
data

Service-oriented architecture (SOA)

Set of Web services built around an organizations processes and
procedures
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Figure 10.6 - Multitiered Distributed
System

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Formats to Facilitate Sharing Data

EDI (electronic data interchange)

Set of standards for exchanging messages

containing formatted data between computer
applications

Extensible markup language (XML)

Tagging language that can be used to identify

data fields made available for use by other
applications
New generation of more-flexible technologies

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 Learning Objectives
Understand, at a managerial level, what
programming languages are and how software is
developed
Recognize that an operating system and
microprocessor constrain the platform upon which
most compiled application software will run
Understand what Java is and why it is significant
Know what scripting languages are

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 Writing Software
Programming language

Provides the standards, syntax, statements, and

instructions for writing computer software

Integrated development environment (IDE)

Application that includes an editor, debugger, and

compiler, among other tools
IDE will also compile a programmers code
Compile: Program code written in a language that
humans understand is converted into a form that
can be understood and executed by a
microprocessor

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 Writing Software
Java

Programming language designed to provide true

platform independence for application developers
Java programmers use special Java commands to
control their user interface

Scripting languages

Programming tool that executes within an application

Are interpreted within their applications, rather than
compiled to run directly by a microprocessor
Interpreted: Languages where each line of written
code is converted for execution at run-time

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 Learning Objectives
List the different cost categories that comprise total
cost of ownership
Understand that once a system is implemented, the
costs of maintaining and supporting the system
continue
List the reasons that technology development
projects fail and the measures that can be taken to
increase the probability of success

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 Total Cost of Ownership
All of the costs associated with a software system
Design
Development
Testing
Implementation
Documentation
Training
Maintenance

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 Why Do Technology Projects Fail?
Unrealistic or unclear project goals
Poor project leadership and weak executive
commitment
Inaccurate estimates of needed resources and badly
defined system requirements
Allowing feature creep during development
Poor reporting of the projects status
Poor communication among customers, developers,
and users

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 Why Do Technology Projects Fail?
Use of immature technology
Unmanaged risks
Inability to handle the projects complexity
Sloppy development and testing practices
Poor project management
Stakeholder politics
Commercial pressures

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 Capability Maturity Model Integration
(CMMI)
Process-improvement approach that can assist in:
Assessing the maturity, quality, and development of
certain organizational business processes
Suggesting steps for their improvement

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