Management Information Systems at UPS

The data entered into the system about packages, like location, destination, and weight.

The system's calculations and analysis of the input data to determine the package's current status and future movements.

The information displayed to customers (and employees) about the package's location, status, and estimated arrival time.

The tools and methods UPS uses for its operations, including tracking systems, delivery routes software, and possibly big data analytics.

The goals UPS aims to achieve, such as efficient deliveries and enhanced customer satisfaction.

A collection of interconnected parts that gather, process, store, and manage information to assist with decision-making, coordination, and control in a business.

Data are raw facts; information is data that has been processed or ordered to make it meaningful.

The hardware, software, data management tools, and networks used in an information system.

The foundation upon which information systems are built, including hardware, software, and networks.

Processed data shaped into meaningful form; it's useful for making decisions

Information technology capital investment (hardware, software, and communications) increased from 32% to 52% of total invested capital between 1980 and 2009.

Modern businesses rely heavily on their information systems for capabilities. Changes in business needs often require changes in IT systems.

UPS tracking systems have organizational (procedures), management (monitoring), and technological (hardware/software) components.

Modern business functions often depend on the capabilities enabled by the organization's information systems.

Changes in business strategy or processes often require adjusting or updating the organization's IT systems.

Information systems involve inputting raw data, processing it to create meaning, and outputting the processed information for use.

Feedback in an information system is output that returns to the appropriate organization members to help them evaluate or correct the input stage.

An information system contains data about the organization and its surroundings, with three main activities producing information: input, processing, and output. Feedback is also included.

A computer and its software are tools for building an information system, analogous to building materials for a house.

External entities like customers, suppliers, and competitors are part of an organization's environment and interact with its information systems.

A manager's ability to create new products or services and adapt the organization to changing needs.

An information system is valuable because it helps create value for the business.

Investing in information technology like software and hardware should lead to positive outcomes for businesses.

The process of adding value to raw data by transforming it into useful information through various stages.

Highlighting the importance of information systems in organizational management and decision-making processes.

Accurate information enables managers to make informed choices, preventing costly mistakes, resource misallocation, and delays.

Overproduction, underproduction, inefficient resource allocation, and slow response times are common issues arising from poor data.

By enabling better performance, lower prices for quality products, and real-time customer/supplier interactions, businesses gain an edge.

Information technology has become essential for business operation, driving industry changes and meeting regulatory requirements.

This system provides managers with real-time data on customer complaints, network performance, and service disruptions.

The introduction of ATMs revolutionized banking, enabling customers to perform transactions independently.

While investments in IT are crucial, they don't guarantee good results. Return on investment varies greatly across businesses.

High-end hotels use information systems to track customer preferences and customize the environment. JCPenney links sale records to contract manufacturers.

A collection of related files that stores records about people, places, or things.

A generalized category that represents a person, place, or thing. Examples include SUPPLIER and PART.

Specific characteristics that describe an entity. For example, a SUPPLIER has attributes like name and address, while a PART has attributes like description and unit price.

Organizes data into two-dimensional tables with columns and rows. One table for each entity. Fields store data about attributes, and rows hold data for individual records.

Uniquely identifies each record in a table. Prevents duplicate records.

A visual representation used to clarify the relationships between tables in a relational database.

Rules that ensure relationships between tables remain consistent. They keep data synchronized and prevent errors.

A relationship where one record in one table can be linked to multiple records in another table. For example, one customer could have multiple orders.

A software system designed to create, store, organize, and retrieve data from a database.

A DBMS separates how users see data (logical view) from how it's stored (physical view).

Relational DBMSs use three main operations: Select, Join, and Project to manipulate data.

Creates a subset of records based on specific criteria.

Combines data from multiple tables to present a more complete picture.

Creates a new table with only the chosen columns from an existing table.

Massive amounts of unstructured and semi-structured data, characterized by volume, variety, and velocity.

Databases that handle large, unstructured datasets without relying on strict table structures.

Relational databases hosted on cloud computing services, offering pay-per-use pricing and appealing to small or medium businesses.

A cloud database service by Amazon offering popular database engines like MySQL, Microsoft SQLServer, and Oracle Database.

Databases where data is stored across multiple physical locations, improving data availability and reducing dependency on single servers.

A cloud-based distributed database service by Google, designed for high availability and scalability.

A distributed ledger of transactions that operates on a network without a central authority. It maintains an immutable record of blocks, ensuring data integrity and security.

A collection of tools that help extract useful information from internal and external systems, including big data sources.

A database that stores current and historical data valuable for decision-making, consolidating information from various sources into a central repository.

An open-source software framework designed for handling big data by distributing processing tasks across multiple inexpensive computing nodes, simplifying data analysis.

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) allows users to view the same data from multiple angles, providing insights by analyzing different dimensions like product, pricing, region, and time.

Data mining explores huge datasets to find hidden patterns, relationships, and rules. This helps predict future trends and understand customer behavior.

Associations in data mining identify events that occur together frequently. For example, a retail store might find that people buying bread often also buy milk.

Sequences in data mining connect events occurring over time. For example, a website might see that users who purchase a product often return within a week to buy another.

Text mining extracts useful information from unstructured text data, like customer reviews or emails. It helps understand sentiment and analyze patterns in textual content.

Sentiment analysis uses text mining techniques to analyze online customer feedback, emails, and other text data to understand customer opinions and emotions.

Web mining analyzes website data to discover patterns and understand user behaviour. It can uncover what customers are looking for, how they navigate the site, and their shopping habits.

Usage mining examines how users interact with a website, analyzing data like page views, click-through rates, and time spent on different pages. It helps improve website design and user experience.

A supply chain where production is driven by forecasts and planned production schedules. Goods are pushed through the chain before customer orders are placed.

A supply chain where production is driven by actual customer demand. Goods are pulled through the chain as orders are received.

Systems designed to optimize the flow of goods, information, and funds throughout the supply chain. They aim to match supply with demand, reduce inventory, improve delivery, speed product time to market, and increase sales.

A system that helps businesses manage interactions with customers, including capturing data, analyzing customer behavior, and providing personalized service.

A CRM module that focuses on managing sales processes, including tracking leads, generating quotes, and managing customer interactions.

A CRM module that manages relationships with business partners, including lead generation, pricing, and performance monitoring.

A CRM module that helps manage employee relations, including setting objectives, performance management, and training.

A CRM module that helps businesses provide excellent customer service, including managing requests, assigning tasks, and offering self-service options.

Analyzes data from operational CRM systems and customer touch points to understand customer behaviour and predict future needs.

A metric that estimates the total revenue a company can generate from a customer over their entire relationship.

The percentage of customers who stop using or purchasing products or services from a company.

Customer-facing applications that manage sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.

High costs, long implementation times, and the need for organizational change are common challenges when implementing enterprise systems.

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) makes applications more flexible and easier to integrate by breaking them into smaller, reusable components.

Enterprise applications hosted on cloud computing services, offering pay-per-use pricing and scalable resources.

Enterprise applications are increasingly designed for mobile devices, allowing users to access information and perform tasks remotely.

A suite of integrated software modules that use a common central database to collect and share information across different departments in a business.

Systems designed to optimize the flow of goods, information, and finances throughout a company's supply network, from suppliers to customers.

Achieving high performance in a business by improving efficiency, effectiveness, and agility in its operations.

Developing a deep understanding of individual customer needs and preferences to build strong and lasting relationships.

Supply chain management can improve efficiency, reduce inventory costs, speed up deliveries, and increase customer satisfaction by optimizing the flow of goods and information.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can enhance customer retention, boost sales, and increase customer satisfaction by providing personalized service and insights into customer behavior.

When one party in a transaction has more information than the other, creating an imbalance of power.

Costs associated with changing prices, like updating catalogs or websites.

Effort and resources spent finding the best price or product.

Costs incurred when buying or selling a product, like fees or shipping charges.

Costs associated with changing from one product or service to another.

The ability to postpone immediate rewards for a greater future benefit.

Eliminating intermediaries or middlemen in a supply chain.

Products delivered and consumed electronically, with low production and distribution costs.

The use of the internet and web to conduct business transactions.

The ability of e-commerce to be accessible everywhere, anytime, regardless of location.

E-commerce allows businesses to reach customers across national borders, expanding their market.

E-commerce enables the use of various media, like video, audio, and text, for enhanced communication.

E-commerce allows for real-time interaction between businesses and customers.

E-commerce facilitates greater price transparency and provides opportunities for price discrimination.

E-commerce allows for tailoring messages and products to individual customer preferences.

E-commerce platforms encourage user-generated content and social interaction.

A secure website used by large firms to connect with their suppliers and partners. It streamlines communication and collaboration within a specific industry.

A digital platform bringing together multiple buyers and sellers from different industries. It facilitates transactions of both direct and indirect goods.

Independently owned online marketplaces for spot purchases. They focus on short-term transactions between businesses.

Mobile commerce is the fastest-growing segment of e-commerce, expanding at over 30% per year.

Smartphone applications that leverage GPS technology to provide location-specific information, including friend locations, nearby shops, and property prices.

A significant market for advertising, with Google and Facebook dominating. Ads are embedded in games, videos, and mobile apps.

Decision-making that requires judgment and intuition, typically for novel or complex problems. There's no established procedure to follow.

Decisions that involve a well-defined process or set of rules for addressing repetitive or routine problems.

Decisions that involve both a clear-cut procedure for parts of the problem and judgment for other aspects.

The initial step in decision-making, where you identify and understand the problem or opportunity.

The phase where you brainstorm and explore potential solutions to the problem.

The stage where you weigh different options and make a decision based on criteria.

The final stage of decision-making, where you put your chosen solution into action and monitor its effectiveness.

A set of tools and processes that gather, analyze, and present data from various sources to improve decision-making.

The advancements that have driven the rise of AI, including the availability of large datasets, cheaper and more powerful processors, and sophisticated algorithms.

AI systems designed to capture and simulate human expertise in a specific area, using a set of rules to provide solutions.

AI technique where computers learn by identifying patterns and relationships in data, improving their performance over time.

AI systems modeled after the human brain, using interconnected nodes to process data and identify complex patterns.

AI software that enables computers to understand and process human language, allowing for voice commands and text-based interactions.

AI systems that mimic human vision, allowing computers to 'see' and interpret images and videos.

AI systems that design and control robots, enabling them to perform tasks autonomously or with human guidance.

AI programs that act autonomously, using limited knowledge to perform tasks or make decisions on behalf of users.

Decisions can be categorized into structured (routine, well-defined), semi-structured (some elements uncertain), and unstructured (unique, complex).

AI refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence capabilities, like learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

AI techniques include machine learning (learning from data), deep learning (complex neural networks), natural language processing (understanding human language), computer vision (image analysis), and robotics.

Even small improvements in many daily decisions can significantly impact a business's bottom line.

Business Analytics uses statistical methods and data visualization to discover patterns, trends, and insights from business data, supporting better informed decisions.

Deep Learning uses artificial neural networks with many layers, enabling computers to learn complex patterns and make highly accurate predictions.