Weekly Question #2
Leave your response as a comment on this post by the beginning of class on May 24th, 2016. Your response only needs to be about three or four sentences. For these weekly questions, I’m mainly interested in your understanding of the readings. In your response, indicate from which reading you are pulling your key points and details. You may use the same reading as another class mate, but try to pull out a point or detail that hasn’t been shared yet. As a class, you can use this to build out your Study Guide on the readings for each exam.
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Here is the question:
Select one of the readings from Unit 2 and pull out 1 key point of the reading. Provide some detail as to why this is important, based on your understanding of the readings.
This may not seem to exciting or even important to most, but it’s extremely important to me. Almost every other week I’m working on a new project at work which involves the business units and technology team. I am the liaison between the two which means I have to translate the business needs to technical specs and vice versa. In the reading ” An Introduction to Swimlane Diagrams” there’s a statement “First of all, a swimlane diagram serves as a clean, easy-to-follow way to identify multiple actors or phases in a system. Stakeholders and others who may not have a lot of knowledge of a process will be able to quickly identify the actors responsible for each activity.” This statement explains perfectly the advantages of swimlanes. I often find myself creating swimlanes to graphically explain the project and it makes my job much easier. Frankly, without them I wouldn’t be able to do my job!
The article I choose is “Systems Architecture Fundamentals – Conceptual, Logical, Physical Designs”. The main point of this article is to explain the main functions of a Systems Architect which are to create, review, and update designs or blueprints. Which provides an overall direction for the system, project, department, or enterprise that they work for. Regarding the design that these Architects need to build is totally up to the target audience that they are focused on. Some can be simple and some could be very hard. The designs described in the article were Conceptual Design, Logical Design and Physical Design. Conceptual design is high-level design that includes the most important components and entities; its goal is to provide an understandable picture of a proposed solution. Logical design is a detailed design that includes the most important components and entities plus their relationships. The data flow is very detailed in this stage. Physical design has all major components and entities identified within specific physical servers and locations; this design may be included into the final implementation design.
“Ultimate Guide of ER Diagrams (Entity Relationship Diagrams)” – this article touch on just about everything pertaining to an ER Diagram, such as: the usage, history, symbols and notations, how to draw ER Diagrams, templates and the benefits of ER Diagrams. Although the entire article held my interest, the section I found most interesting was the “benefits” of ER Diagrams. ER Diagrams are basically an extremely useful graphical tool for creating and manipulating databases. ERD’s are easy to follow and understand. ERD’s do not require intense training to be able to figure out and/or work with. Well designed ERD’s are a simple and efficient tool used to communicate with developers, customers and end users. One does not need to be proficient in IT in order to understand or work through an ERD. ERD’s can also be used as a blueprint by developers to implement data into specific software applications. ERD’s may also describe the different relationships and operations within an organization. Overall, ERD’s are an essential part of an organizations database.
According to “Nishadha. Ultimate Guide to ER Diagrams” ERD is “a visual representation of different data using conventions that describes how the data is related to each other.” There are three basic elements in ER Diagrams: entity, attribute, relationship. An entity is represented by a rectangle and named using singular nouns. An attribute is a “property, trait, or characteristic of an entity relationship or another attribute”; oval shape. A relationship describes how entities interact, labeled using verbs and is represented by diamond shapes. These three elements are important because they are the base to have a better understanding on how ER Diagrams work. Also, ERD are very useful for creating databases and they are easy to understand.
The reading I thought was the most helpful was the “A guide to process mapping”. It did a good job of breaking down each part of the process and was very helpful in preparing for the first exam. Because I feel like I am a visual leaner the part of putting the diagram of different color post it notes made a lot of sense, because I think some of the problems can become long and require you to sketch out sections at a time.
“A Guide to Process Mapping”
Processes: sequences of actions designed to transform inputs into outputs.
Process mapping: an exercise to identify all the steps and decisions in a process in diagrammatic form, with a view to continually improving that process.
Two most common techniques:
1) flowchart or outline process map : simply sets out the sequence of activities and decision points.
2) deployment charts: shows who does what along with the interactions between people and departments.
Why process map?
– Making system changes without truly understanding how the process if working, and why, can lead to costly mistakes.
– Create conditions that make it difficult for staff to work effectively, and often creates further problems.
– Enables organizations to define the current processes in chart form, identifying problem areas. Once identified, this knowledge provides a solid basis from which to develop solutions and introduce and plan new improved processes.
The article I choose to discuss is “A Guide to Process Mapping”. Process mapping identifies all the steps and decisions in a process in a diagrammatic form, with a view to continually improve that process. Process maps can be in the form of a flowchart, outline process map, or deployment chart. No matter the structure, process mapping enables an organization to: establish what is currently happening – how predictably – and why, measure how efficiently the process is working, gather information to understand where waste and inefficiencies exist and their impact on take stakeholders, and develop new improved processes to reduce or eliminate the inefficiencies.
After reading through the article “What is a Concept Map”, I was able to get a deeper understanding as to the process behind creating one. By using concepts, propositions, and their relationships one can be constructed very simply. The most interesting aspect of the reading, however, is the emphasis on having your concept map centered around a defined focus question that is to be resolved. By doing this, a simple, yet effective concept map will be constructed.
After reading through the article, “A Guide to Process Mapping,” I was able to get a deeper understanding of why process maps are so fundamental to organizations. Process maps are utilized as a way to identify each step of the process, while they are displayed in diagrammatic form. Not only is every work process identified, but the process maps are also beneficial because they provide the organization the opportunity to improve each individual step. It is also important to identify which process map is being utilized whether it is the flowchart, which provides a basic overview or the deployment chart which displays more detail of each action. Each map is created to give the business a simply sequence of steps that tie together to form a uniformed process.
The article I chose to summarize was the Wikipedia page, “Systems Architecture.” I was able to get a formal definition on the word, read the overview, look over the history, and finally look at different types. The main point that was mentioned in this article comes from the definition itself. “Systems Architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure, behavior, and more views of a system.” I chose this quote as the main point in the article because it explains that the model contains various amounts of information. The definition shows that system architecture is unique in the way that it displays so much vital information about a system. It is made up of structure, behavior, and more views. Also in the definition it says that it is a conceptual model, which is a model made of concepts that people know. By one simple definition we are able to pull away key points and that is why I believe that it is the most important part of the article.
The article “What is a Concept Map?” explains how concept maps can be used to express “person’s knowledge about a domain of knowledge”, i.e. person’s understanding of a particular notion. Every concept map includes concepts that are placed in some type of boxes or circles linked together by a line. These linkages should represent a complete sentence, a claim regarding the focus question. Usually, concepts are structured hierarchically from the most general idea to more detailed ones. Concept maps are great tools in expressing opinions graphically.
While reading through “9 Tips to Pick an ERP” something I found interesting and important that when a company is deciding which system to pick it is important to get references for that system. Many of the other tips made plenty of sense, but this one stuck out to me. Usually we think of references are important for people, but is important to get references for systems you are looking to purchase/use. This way they are learning from people who experienced that system first hand, which is a good preventative measure.
According to the article, “what is a concept map”, there are five key characteristics to a concept map. The first its propositional structure, in which the relationship is shown by linking phrases forming propositions. Next, there is the hierarchical structure. This structure is just stating that the most general topics are at the top of the map and become more specific the lower you go. The focus question clearly specifies the problem or issue the concept map resolves. Then comes cross –links, or the links between concepts in different concepts. Theoretical foundation is simply the grounds to link knowledge we already know to new knowledge. Lastly, we have the representation between humans, meaning that the maps are a form of communication between humans and are not meant to be interpreted by computers.
The article “A Guide to Process Mapping” is the introduction to what process mapping is and how it works. The article seems really long and hard to catch up the main idea of its. However, right at the first sentence of the article it has been stated: “Process mapping helps represent work processes visually and identify problem areas and opportunities for process improvement. It provides a common understanding of the entire process and specific roles and contributions of process participants.” I spontaneously understand what process mapping basically is and how the article will present it. This sentence, I suppose is really important and necessary.
In the article “A guide to process mapping” the author mention the importance of process mapping as a visual representation of a system. This visual representation can lead to a better understanding of the processes involved and allow for organizations to identify bottlenecks, capacity issues, delays, and waste. I believe that this in particular illustrates the importance of process mapping. It is a tool that can help increase efficiency of a business and embodies one of the main goals of Information systems.
I chose to write about “an introduction to swim lane diagrams” from reading 2.1. This reading introduces swim lane diagrams and their importance and advantages in the workplace. Swim lane diagrams are important because they establish a clear guideline for who does what and how the process flows from actor to actor. Swim lanes are important because they show a visual of who does what and so stakeholders can easily see who did what part and therefore the swim lane diagram can be used for problem solving. Because swim lane diagrams are so easy to follow, they can be used to find redundancies in the system and find ways to improve efficiencies of the process. Swim lane diagrams are useful for the individual actors performing the tasks and for managers to overlook in order to solve problems in the system.
I chose to review “A Guide to Process Mapping”. It’s important to use process maps for companies to truly understand the processes of the company. Process mapping is an important tool for companies to use in order to maximize results and minimizing waste. Prcoess mapping, both process flowcharts and deployment flowcharts, helps decision makers by providing a visualization of the company work flow and who is responsible for those processes.
I chose to review the article System Analysis. System analysis is known as the process of studying a procedure or business in order to identify its goals and purposes and create systems and procedures that will achieve them in an efficient way. Key point of this article is that analysis and synthesis always go hand in hand and they compliment one another. Analysis break down substantial wholes into parts and synthesis combine separate elements/components in order to perform a whole. System analysis researchers apply methodology to the systems involved, forming an overall picture. System analysis is used in very field where something is developed. System analysis can also be a series of components that perform organic function together.
I chose the reading , “Intro to Swim Lane Diagrams.” A key point in this reading is that these diagrams are useful for many tasks such as training new staff in how the processes work, identifying problems areas and finding the specific actor that that problem reverts back too. This is important because Swim Lane Diagrams make it possible for companies or people who are not familiar with the process to specifically identify who the actors are and what responsibilities lie within their lane. The reading also mentions “hand-offs” and “turn arounds” and these actions are important to have recorded because if a task is handed off to another actor, we can see how it is handed off and how long it takes for that to happen. Also, when actors need to turn around and go back to another actor for clarification it is important to know what happens if they do or do not get clarification.
I chose to discuss the article titled, “A guide to process mapping,” because it is extremely relevant to my work as a project manager. The section that I believe is most important is the section that explains why we chose to implement process mapping before making critical decisions that may alter the structure and productivity of a business. “Making system changes without truly understanding how the process is working, and why, can lead to
costly mistakes. It can also create conditions that make it difficult for staff to work effectively, and often creates further problems.” Without clearly defining the intricate steps and overall picture of a system and process we could potentially make a costly mistake that would have a negative impact on a business structure. By implementing a process map a business is taking a key step towards more effectively structuring their business processes and cutting out unnecessary steps that could be hurting their bottom line.
The article I chose was “How NBA Player Analytics Opened Up A Whole New Business for SAP.” This article was fascinating for the comparison of a 50 person front office NBA organization to a small business. Having worked for the Philadelphia 76ers, the organization was undergoing much change during my internship. I got to meet some of the Analytics team who watch every single play in the back of the stadium during the games. They rewind and pause every single play to track all of the player’s statistics.
On a professional connection, its fascinating to see how SAP got a foundation for small business from the sports marketing field. Although I have a slight problem with all the statistics of an NBA player, it could be innovating for the business world. As a terrible test taker, I am relying on my resume and other experiences to land me a job. Hopefully when employers notice me, I’ll have something to stand out. In a small business, it will be interesting and beneficial to have more employees accountable based on the analytics of a measure such as performance.
There could be someone with a “better” university on their resume then, but hopefully in the marketplace of the future, my “performance” will make the chosen applicant.
The article I am writing about is the Systems development life cycle in wikipedia. The cycle of system development includes design, implementation, maintenance, planning and analysis. The most important factor is the maintenance. Maintenance is the most important because it makes sure the system is up to date and this is also where any changes can be made. The whole system development cycle is so important because it is able to create and test any Information system.
I thought the article “What is a Concept Map?” was very informative and did a great job at explaining what exactly a concept map is and how it differentiates between tons of other similar diagrams that are out there. One of the points in the article references what Cross-links are within the diagram. It says that ” Cross-links help us see how a concept in one domain of knowledge represented on the map is related to a concept in another domain shown on the map.” It explains the relationship between concepts in different segments. I think utilizing this tool could be very useful when thinking creatively and planning.
In the Wikipedia article, “Systems Architecture,” the author explains the meaning of systems architecture, how it is made up, as well as how it benefits the whole system. I picked out this quote as a main key point, “A system architecture can comprise system components, the externally visible properties of those components, the relationships (e.g. the behavior) between them. It can provide a plan from which products can be procured, and systems developed, that will work together to implement the overall system.” This is important because the plan that systems architecture can provide is a crucial factor in the execution of the whole system. Because systems architecture is made up of many components, structure, behavior, etc., it contains various amounts essential information about the system.
I really enjoyed Ultimate Guide to ER Diagrams. I found the entire article very intresting. The concept of ER diagrams seems so simple that a time with it then seems almost unimaginable. The various current uses for ER diagrams are such great guides for articulating complex and abstract ideas in a simple and easy to understand way.
I thought the reading Nishadha. Ultimate Guide to ER Diagrams was especially key in understanding the ER diagrams because it showed various examples. It clearly lets the reader understand what items in a scenario would be the entity and which the attributes, more importantly it explains the relationships between entities very well, as the relationships can be difficult to understand at times.. This is extremely key to the Unit 2 and our understanding as this diagram allows one to understand the relationships and components in areas that MIS deals with. Without these basic understandings of relationships MIS would be more complicated.
I found “A Guide to Process Mapping” to be a very helpful reading. Aside from giving a very thorough overview of mapping. It broke down the topic into further categories by describing the difference between A flowchart, which gives an summary of every step in a process, and Deployment charts, which take it a step further by showing the person and place responsible for an act. It is up to each analyst to determine which type of chart will suite their current needs. The end goal no matter what is to keep your organization as streamlined and smooth running as possible.
In the article, ” A Guide to Process Mapping”, I really found the section “Creating a Process Flowchart” to be very important and extremely helpful. I liked seeing the post it note idea on the whiteboard. I think that that really helps to fully lay everything out to make things very clear and it helps you to also easily fix particular parts if you feel certain parts should be moved around or completely taken out, and using the different colors helps to really easily see the different parts of the chart. I think this section really helped to point out a lot of good tips when it comes time to creating your flowchart.
In the article titled, “Systems Architecture Fundamentals – Conceptual, Logical, Physical Designs” the author drives home one key point, and that is that systems architecture designs can be categorized in 3 main levels: conceptual, logical, and physical. The different levels categorize designs based on how in depth and detailed they are. At the most basic level, a conceptual design is one that contains the most important and critical entities/components of a design and is purposed to display the overall main goal of the design. The next level, logical, is a design that shows the most important entities as well as their relationships to each other, giving a more detailed outlay. The third level, Physical, is the most in-depth type of design and contains entities identified within specific physical servers and locations or specific software services, objects, or solutions.
A system architect is responsible for creating, reviewing, and updating designs to provide an overall direction for the system. The fundamentals of system design go through various stages with each stage building upon the last in detail to allow the any user to understand the big picture. There are three types of design. Conceptual design is an abstract or high level design which only includes the essential components and entities to understand the overall purpose of system. Logical design is more detailed where all major components and entities are included with their relationships. Physical design has all major components and entities identified within specific physical servers and locations or specific software services, objects or solutions.
I was reading the article, “What is ERP”, and it really took me by surprise how efficient they can help businesses become. Having a system that all can use makes things more timely and easier to use/ learn. This attracts many users to want to learn and adapt new techniques as they progress into their careers. With technology as speedy it has become having a system that is synchronized makes it all the more convenient.
The wikipedia article named “Concept Maps” explains that these diagrams relate one idea, word, or picture to another. Concept maps are used by many professionals including engineers and technical writers. Concept maps are visual representations of concepts so one can easily visualize the relationship. When made correctly, concept maps can be very useful in the learning process.
I chose the article ” How the internet works” because I believe the majority of people who use the internet are not aware of how it actually functions. Using the internet is so automatic these days that it is just expected to work without a thought to how the processes function. I also chose this article because I am a visual learner, and I appreciated the simple break down through use of pictures. One lesson I learned from the article is that is it comparable to something most people know about–flying. The URL is comparable to a departure, in essence it knows its location and it takes you there. Also, each URL is can be dissected and broken down. URLs are a language in and of themselves. Applicable to a home address, they are what you type to get to your sought after destination. Overall, I am happy to now think twice before I use the internet, and know more about the behind the scenes of it than I ever did before.
The article “Everything You Need to Know About Open Innovation” defines open innovation as “the use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation, and expand the markets for external use of innovation, respectively.” Furthermore, there are two facets to open innovation, which are the “outside in” and “inside out” aspects. The “outside in” facet refers to external ideas and technologies used by a firm to assist in the innovation process. The “inside out” facet refers to under-utilized ideas and technologies in the firm are allowed to go outside to be incorporated into others’ innovation processes. I found this article interesting because I think understanding and utilizing these processes at my own work would be incredibly beneficial. Working at a doctor’s office, we are constantly trying to improve and take advantage of the best possible systems available in order to give patients the best service.