UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2017/2018
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF BUSINESS
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BUSS307 ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING
FULL TIME/PART TIME
DATE: APRIL, 2018 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE (Compulsory)
a) Discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of outsourcing ERP systems (6 Marks)
b) Identify the differences between a transactional and reporting database? (4Marks)
c) Organisations store vast amounts of data in data warehouses, and need to consider the
ethical and the legal implications of storing data. Explain ONE ethical and ONE legal
implication that an organisation needs to consider (4 Marks)
d) When an organisation tries to manage their supply chain there are TWO major types of
software available, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Supply Chain Management
(SCM). Describe both of them. (4 Marks)
e) Human Resource Management (HRM), in addition to recruiting staff, needs to perform
additional tasks on behalf of the organisation and the staff employed. Described TWO
tasks that HRM software will perform to enable the department to carry out its functions.
(4 Marks)
f) What are the factors that are critical for the success of the ERP implementation
(4 Marks)
g) How do conventional application packages and ERP packages differ (4 Marks)
QUESTION TWO
a) In addressing ERP implementations the infrastructure needs to be addressed also.
Describe the infrastructure components and what is involved in choosing and installing
the components (8 Marks)
b) “The growth in Cloud Computing has allowed web based management information
systems (MIS) to grow”. Explain why this statement is true. (6 Marks)
c) Why is BPR important in an ERP implementation? (6 Marks)
QUESTION THREE
a) Imagine that your uncle owns and operates a construction company. The company owns a
number of very expensive pieces of machinery, such as backhoes, for building houses and
apartment buildings. Up until now, your aunt has “taken care of the books” by keeping financial
records by hand. However, business is picking up, and she has gotten far behind in filing taxes,
paying bills, and so on. He needs an ERP system and how it would help with not only the burden
of billing, payroll, and filing taxes, but also with keeping track of the company’s expensive
machinery. Describe the steps in purchasing an ERP application (10 Marks)
b) What is the role of the project management office in an ERP implementation (6 Marks)
c) In relation to ERP discuss what are third-party products (4 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR
a) Many ERP vendors offer virtualization options for implementation.
i) Describe two common models used for ERP virtualisation implementation (8 Marks)
ii) Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using ERP virtualisation implementation (8 Marks)
iii) Describe the virtualisation solutions offered by Microsoft and Oracle for their ERP systems
(4Marks)
QUESTION FIVE
a) Using a relevant example describe the business value benefits of service oriented
architecture (SOA) (5 Marks)
b) Describe is the role of management in designing enterprise systems integration
(5 Marks)
c) Explain the five areas addressed in postproduction support (10 Marks)
