Managing Information Technology

(Frankie) #1

114 Part I • Information Technology


Review Questions

1.Explain what the data resource is and why it is so important
in today’s organizations.
2.What is a data model? What does it contain? What are the
objectives of data modeling? What are some different
approaches to data modeling? What are the benefits of using
packaged data models?
3.What are metadata? Why is it important to manage metadata?
4.What are some examples of database programming lan-
guages? How do these languages interact with other pro-
gramming languages?
5.Why do organizations often have several databases?
6.What are the different types of databases? How do they
differ?

7.Describe some schemes for identifying data at different lev-
els. Why is it important to have such schemes?
8.Define application independence.
9.What are the differences between data capture, data transfer,
and data analysis and presentation applications?
10.Define disposable applications.
11.Describe the issues central to insuring the quality of the data
resource.
12.What is master data management? What are the benefits of
MDM?
13.What is data administration, and what are the key functions
of this role?
14.What are the basic functions of managing the data resource?

Discussion Questions

1.This chapter differentiates among data capture, data transfer,
and data analysis and presentation systems. What are the
major implications for the system developer of this division
into three types of systems?
2.What are the different kinds of data standards, and why are
these an essential part of data management?
3.Do you think it is difficult to manage metadata? Why or
why not?
4.What are the major differences between the two approaches to
data planning and modeling outlined in this chapter—enterprise
modeling and view integration? Why do these two methodolo-
gies usually yield different results? In what ways does the exis-
tence of prepackaged data models affect these approaches?
5.Discuss the problems or pitfalls of doing data planning and
modeling. How can these be alleviated? Discuss the advan-
tages and uses of data modeling.

6.Explain why, given the benefits of a coordinated, integrated
data architecture, some organizations still maintain multiple
databases. How does master data management assist in the
management of multiple databases?
7.Identify the data that are captured about you—as a student, a
professional, a customer, and so on. Discuss how this data
can be an asset for the organizations that collect it.
8.Search the Web for examples of how organizations have
treated their data as an asset and the benefits they have
achieved through this approach.
9.Consider an organization with which you are familiar. Give
examples of local, shared, and core data. Why do you catego-
rize the examples you chose into these categories? Does the
organization manage data in these three categories as sug-
gested in this chapter? Why or why not?

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