UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2014/2015
ORDINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT 2203 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
DATE: APRIL, 2015 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question ONE and any other TWO
QUESTION ONE
(a) Information provides historical evidences, reduces uncertainty in decision making
and provides mechanism for communication. The quality of information used by
organizations in decision making cannot be over-emphasized. State any five
qualities of good information. [5 Marks]
(b) Management Information Systems (MIS) are constructed to serve various levels
and aspects of management activities.
(i) Using an illustration, identify three levels of organizational planning
[3 Marks]
(ii) Explain how each of the levels impact on the information availed for
planning. [6 Marks]
(c) The acquisition of new software is a strategic decision. Highlight the benefits of
buying an integrated package (or a suite of packages) rather than making package
by package decisions. [6 Marks]
(d) Explain examples of potential risks associated with the loss of the following
information system elements
(i) Hardware
(ii) Data and Information
iii) Software
(iii) Staff
[10 Marks]
QUESTION TWO
The decision to use information technology as a tool for competitive advantage can either
build or destroy an organization.
(a) Explain the concept Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). [5 Marks]
(b) Discuss the opportunities enabled by BPR to an organization [10 Marks]
(c) Statistics have shown that 70% of BPR projects fail. Explain the reasons that lead
to the high failure rate. [5 Marks]
QUESTION THREE
a) A manager under competitive pressure is considering a new application of IS that will
displace 5 employees. The employees will not be able to find similar jobs elsewhere
with their current skills.
(i) Advise the organization on whether to proceed or withdraw the plan
[6 Marks]
(ii) Where the organization opts to proceed with the project, give two
ethical measures the organization can undertake to mitigate on the
negative impact on the employees lives. [4 Marks]
(b) An IT project manager is expected to define time, cost and staff elements for a
given project before it commences. Outline the significance of these elements.
[10 Marks]
QUESTION FOUR
a) Define the term ‘An Information Systems strategy’ [4 Marks]
b) A major problem in evaluating Information Technology is that many of its
benefits are intangible, therefore not easy to accurately estimate their value.
Discuss the tangible and intangible benefits of information systems.
[8 Marks]
c) Discuss the unique features that qualify organizations as systems. [8 Marks]
QUESTION FIVE
(a) State two (2) reasons why Information system maintenance is carried out. [4 Marks]
(b) Briefly explain the role played by the following stakeholders of a system
i) System Owners
ii) Vendors [6 Marks]
(c) Describe the two types of information systems listed below:
i) Expert System [3 Marks]
ii) Office Automation System [2 Marks]
(d) List any two types of feasibility study and briefly explain them. [5 Marks]
