Sarala Birla University

BBA Sem III

Course Title: Management Information System
Course Code: BBA 303

Module III: Problem Solving

System Approach, Object – oriented design, Questioning, Solving Business problems,

Business Integration: Networks and Telecommunications, Components of Network,
Client – Server & amp; Peer – Peer LANs

System Approach

The system approach is based on the generalization that all things are inter-related and inter-
dependent with one another. A system is made up of related and dependent elements that form
a unique system. A system is simply an assemblage of things to forming a single unit.

One of the most significant characteristics is that it consists of a subsystem hierarchy. These
are the components that form the main device, and so on. For instance, it is possible to view
the world as a system in which different national economies are sub-systems.

Systems Approach features

1. A system consists of elements that interact. It is a set of interrelated and inter-dependent

components organized in a way that generates a cohesive whole.

2. In their inter-relationships, rather than in isolation from each other, the different
subsystems should be examined.

3. There is a boundary in an organizational structure that defines which parts are internal
and which are external.

4. In a vacuum, there is no device. It receives data, materials and energy as inputs from
other systems. Inside a system, these inputs undergo a phase of transformation and exit
the system as an output to other systems.

5. As it is sensitive to its environment, an organization is a dynamic structure. In his

climate, he is vulnerable to change.

Solving Business Problems

System approach in planning:

Planning is an essential feature of management. Planning involves deciding what needs to be

done, who needs to do it, when to do it, and how to do it in advance. Two phases are part of
the preparation process:

 Developing the strategic.

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  Formulating the steps which are necessary to accomplish the plan, timing and expense.

System Approach in Organizing:

Organizing is important for managers because it leads to successful group action. It also helps
to keep people working together. The following points are shows about the System Approach
in Organizing -
 The good structure of the organization as outlined in the policies and procedure.
 Informal organizing.
 The individual as a device
 The method of organizational contact.
 The power chain.
 The functional method.
 The system for management process.

System Approach in Controlling

 Controlling is necessary because the outcome of the desire needs to be achieved. The
most popular approach consists of a three-step procedure—
 Setting a performance standard requires the quality of performance we need.
Quantitative or qualitative maybe these parameters.
 Performance assessment against this standard is important to assess performance
against standards once a standard has been developed.
 Deviation Control-we understand that the first comparison of the norm with real results
is made to calculate the deviation.

Object – oriented design

In the object-oriented approach, the focus is on capturing the structure and behavior of
information systems into small modules that combines both data and process. The main aim of
Object-Oriented Design (OOD) is to improve the quality and productivity of system analysis
and design by making it more usable.

In analysis phase, OO models are used to fill the gap between problem and solution. It performs
well in situation where systems are undergoing continuous design, adaption, and maintenance.
It identifies the objects in problem domain, classifying them in terms of data and behavior.

The OO model is beneficial in the following ways –

1. It facilitates changes in the system at low cost.

2. It promotes the reuse of components.
3. It simplifies the problem of integrating components to configure large system.
4. It simplifies the design of distributed systems.

Elements of Object-Oriented System

1. Objects − An object is something that is exists within problem domain and can be
identified by data (attribute) or behavior. All tangible entities (student, patient) and
some intangible entities (bank account) are modeled as object.

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 2. Attributes − They describe information about the object.

3. Behavior − It specifies what the object can do. It defines the operation performed on
objects.

4. Class − A class encapsulates the data and its behavior. Objects with similar meaning
and purpose grouped together as class.

5. Methods − Methods determine the behavior of a class. They are nothing more than an
action that an object can perform.

6. Message − A message is a function or procedure call from one object to another. They
are information sent to objects to trigger methods. Essentially, a message is a function
or procedure call from one object to another.

Features of Object-Oriented System

An object-oriented system comes with several great features which are discussed below.

1. Encapsulation
Encapsulation is a process of information hiding. It is simply the combination of
process and data into a single entity. Data of an object is hidden from the rest of the
system and available only through the services of the class. It allows improvement or
modification of methods used by objects without affecting other parts of a system.

2. Abstraction
It is a process of taking or selecting necessary method and attributes to specify the
object. It focuses on essential characteristics of an object relative to perspective of user.

3. Relationships
All the classes in the system are related with each other. The objects do not exist in
isolation, they exist in relationship with other objects.

4. Inheritance
Inheritance is a great feature that allows to create sub-classes from an existing class by
inheriting the attributes and/or operations of existing classes.

5. Polymorphism and Dynamic Binding

Polymorphism is the ability to take on many different forms. It applies to both objects
and operations. A polymorphic object is one who true type hides within a super or
parent class.

In polymorphic operation, the operation may be carried out differently by different

classes of objects. It allows us to manipulate objects of different classes by knowing
only their common properties.

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Solving Business problems – Methods of Data Collection

There are various techniques to gather data and facts of system. some of them are as follows :

1. Record view and Background reading : Information related to system and

organization is already available in some type documents and records(like system user
manual , system review/audit, brochures etc. ) or is published in the sources like
newspapers, magazines, journals etc. Study of already available document is the fastest
and independent way of gathering fact and information based on which analyst can
prepare questions for further gathering exercise.

2. Interviews : This method is used to collect the information from groups or individuals.
Analyst selects the people who are related with the system for the interview. In this
method the analyst sits face to face with the people and records their responses by which
analyst learn about the existing system, its problem and expectation with the system.
The interviewer must plan in advance the type of questions he/ she is going to ask and
should be ready to answer any type of question. The information collected is quite
accurate and reliable as the interviewer can clear and cross check the doubts there itself.
This method also helps gap the areas of misunderstandings and help to discuss about
the future problems.

3. Questionnaires : This method seeks information from the person in written and
prescribed format. This is a quickest way for gathering information if respondents are
scattered geographically or there is no time for the interviews. Questions can be :
structured or unstructured. structured question where the answers are in the form of
YES/NO , multiple choice option selection , ratings, fill int the blanks. unstructured
questions where person is asked for his opinion and he/she can answer it freely.

4. Group Communication : This method is often used when there no time for personal
interview and information is required from face-to-face sessions. As there are many
people present many types of ideas can be heard. Scheduling such sessions is a skillful
matter because it has many problems such as : discussion may be dominated by one
person others may shy to respond, presence of seniors in the group may not allow others
to present their views freely, discussion may lead to verbal fight etc.

5. Presentation : Sometime presentation can also be conducted by analyst for presenting

his understanding for the system and problems with it. Such presentation may include
showing slide , interacting with people and talking to them regarding system, asking
questions, answering questions etc. Presentations are useful when users are passive or
too busy to actively explain things.

6. Site Visiting : it is the process of examining the problems which had previously solved
by other sources that can be either human or documents. To solve the requirements of
problem, the analyst visits to other organization that had previously experienced for
similar problems. In addition, the analyst can also find the information from database,
reference books, case studies and Internet

7. Observation : Another fact-finding technique is observation. In this technique, system

analyst participates in the organization, studies the flow of documents, applies the
existing system, and interacts with the users. Observation can be a useful technique

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 when the system analyst has user point of view. Sampling technique called work
sampling is useful for observation. By using this technique, system analyst can know
how employees spend their days.

Even though we called interviews, questionnaires, observation, and document analysis

traditional methods for determining a system’s requirements, all of these methods are still used
by analysts to collect important information. Today, however, additional techniques are
available to collect information about the current system, the organizational area requesting the
new system, and what the new system should be like. In this section, you learn about two
modern information-gathering techniques for analysis: joint application design (JAD) and
prototyping. These techniques can support effective information collection and structuring
while reducing the amount of time required for analysis.

Business Integration: Networks and Telecommunications, Components of Network,

Client – Server & amp; Peer – Peer LANs

A telecommunications network is a group of terminal nodes, any intermediate nodes, and links
that are connected to enable telecommunication between the terminals.

These transmission links between them connect the nodes. The nodes use different types of
switching such as circuit switching, message switching, or packet switching to pass the signal
through the right links and nodes to reach the right destination terminal.

Each terminal in the telecommunication network usually has a unique kind of address so that
the messages or connections will be routed to the right recipients. The collection of addresses
within the network is named as the address space.

In today’s telecommunications networks, users are connected to one of the nodes, and each
link of each user is called a communications channel (it can be wire, fibre-optic cable, or radio
waves).

Components of a Telecommunications Networks

Nowadays telecommunication networks can transmit voice, video, graphic images, and text
information. The components of telecommunication networks required to transmit information
include computers to process information, terminals to receive and send data, processors, and
software. Here are some of the components of telecommunication networks are:

1. Signals: Analog and digital electromagnetic signals are used by telecommunications

for data traveling. The analog electromagnetic signal is used for voice communication
that goes through a communication medium. Whereas, digital electromagnetic signals
transmit data coded as 1 bit and 0 bits or on-off electric pulses.

Computers can communicate by using digital signals. Whenever a computer has to

communicate over an analog line it needs a modem to translate the signals. A modem
then translates analog signals into digital and vice versa.

2. Communication Channels: The transmission of data over telecommunication also

requires communication channels. It uses different mediums to transmit information

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 from one device to another. The speed of information flows depends on the
transmission media.

High-speed transmission is costlier because the infrastructure to support the high-speed

transmission costs more than the infrastructure used to support low-speed transmission.
Examples used for transmission include fibre optics, wireless, coaxial cable, and
twisted wire.

3. Communication Networks: Telecommunication networks has various functions and

classification based on their geographic capacity and the kind of service they provide.
The topology of a network indicates how a network performs its tasks. The various
topologies are the star, bus, and ring networks.

a. Star Network: In which the star network uses a central computer connected to
different small computers.

b. Bus Network: The bus network uses one circuit to link other computers.

c. Ring Network: And the ring network is the most independent kind of network
and doesn’t rely on a central host computer.

Types of Telecommunication Networks

There are various types of telecommunication networks are given below:

1. LAN: LAN is a local area network and designed for small areas like an office, group
of buildings, or a factory. LANs are used widely because it is easy to design and to
troubleshoot. The PCs and the workstations are connected through the LAN.

LAN has different topologies, these are Star, Ring, Bus, Tree, etc. LAN is simple and
used in connecting two computers, to share files and network among one another while
it can also be as complex as interconnecting a whole building.
Features:
 Resource Sharing
 Software Applications Sharing
 Easy and Cheap Communication
 Centralized Data
 Data Security
 Internet Sharing

2. WAN: WAN is a wide area network that can be private or it can be public leased. It’s
used for the network that covers large distances like cover states of a country. Networks
that cover a large city or metropolitan area also can be included in this category.

For example, WANs are used by many multinational companies to transmit their data
and receive information among their employees, suppliers, customers, and other
organizations across various cities, regions, countries, and the whole world.
Features:
 Covers a large area.
 Messages can be sent quickly. Messages include pictures, sounds, or data.

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  Shares software and resources with connecting workstations.
 Everyone can use the same data from WANs.

3. MAN: MAN is quite a bigger version of LAN. It’s also called Metropolitan Area
Network and uses similar technology as LAN. It’s designed to extend over the whole
city. It often means connecting several LANs into a bigger network or is often one
cable. It’s mainly held and operated by a single private company or a public company.
Features

 Extremely efficient.
 Fast communication via high-speed carriers.
 It provides a single backbone for a large network and provides greater access to
WAN. It encompasses several blocks of an entire city. Used dual bus
transmission of data.

4. Internetworks: Internetworks are the links to two or more networks. It means it

connects two or more individual networks using various devices such as routers,
bridges, and gateways. For example, the Internet.

5. Intranets and Extranets: Intranets is a telecommunication network that is designed to

be open, but is secured with internal networks whose web browsing software provides
easy point-and-click access by their users to multimedia information on the internal
internet sites. Whereas Extranets are also a telecommunication network that links
intranet resources of a company with other organizations and individuals.

6. Wireless networks: Wireless is a much better option than any other

telecommunication network. It is not a new idea earlier morse code was used to
implement the wireless connections. Now digital wireless network systems have much
better systems, but this system’s idea is the same as before.

Uses of Telecommunication Network

1. Uses of telecommunication networks in daily life:

a. Distant Communication: The days of sending letters are gone. Today,

contacting people from any part of the world is much easier than before with
the use of computers, handsets and the internet. People can communicate
through phones, calls, text messages, e-mails, or social media platforms.
Telecommunication has simply made keeping in touch with loved ones more
convenient, efficient, and also cost-effective.

b. Entertainment: The growth of telecommunications has completely changed

the entertainment landscape. Nowadays, people can access many TV channels
to watch news, movies, and music. Social media is popularly used for
entertainment to share videos, photos, and also reels.

c. Socialization: As more people get busy in their work and careers, it’s hard to
find time for their social life. But the growth of social media platforms has now
done much in filling that gap of today’s generation. Today, anyone can connect
and meet new people and friends through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter while

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 at work. People are also using Skype, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and various
other apps to interact live by making video calls.

2. Uses of telecommunication networks in banking sectors:

a. Customer Service: Today the banks connected with each of their customers
through telecommunication. Customers may have to check on their account
balances, inquire about bank products and services, or present about their bank
accounts or transactions. Using customer care service banks can engage with
and resolve customer issues quite seamlessly. Now the apps are also available
of the banks in which the customers can check their balance history,
transactions, etc.

b. Mobile Bank Transactions: The growth of technology increasing every day.

Today, people can access their bank accounts, withdraw cash, make deposits,
and check balances from anywhere through their phones. The integration of
mobile banking apps has brought convenience in managing personal bank
accounts and making transactions.

c. Integrated Voice Response and Call-back Manager: Integrated Voice

Response (IVR) and call-back manager are the two key technologies used by
banking institutions. The Implementation of Integrated Voice Response can
particularly help a bank to provide high-quality and consistent customer
support. the use of call-back management also can provide an excellent boost in
streamlining bank operations.

3. Uses of telecommunication networks in business:

a) Communication Logistics: In the past, companies spend a lot of their traveling

to meet up the clients, employees, or business partners. Nowadays, with the help
of telecommunication, they don’t need to go anywhere. They can do
videoconferencing, calls, face to face communication, and can also do online
meetings on the PCs, phones, etc.

b) Business Meetings: With the development of technology, companies can

interact with their people via phone calls, video calls through the internet. The
use of video conferencing meetings has made the work very easier for the
companies such as cloud meetings, google meet, zoom meeting, etc.

c) International Clientele: The use of the internet has a great impact on the
growth of e-commerce. Businesses are now been able to reach many audiences
through online websites, social media platforms, and also through television
commercials. The geographical boundaries between businesses and consumers
now have been broken and the companies enjoying more profit.

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Client – Server & amp; Peer – Peer LANs

The primary difference between these two terms is that, in a peer-to-peer network, every node
can ask for assistance and deliver services. While in a client-server network, the client nodes
demand services and the server node answer with assistance. Let’s find out some major
differences between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer networks.

What is a Client-Server Network?

A client-server network acts as a medium via which consumers access services and resources
from a central computer, with the help of WAN (wide-area network) or LAN (local area
network). The Client-server network is mainly used for game hosting, web services, and
personal networks operated in organisations.

What is Peer to Peer Network?

A peer-to-peer network authorises you to link two or more computers to a single system. It is
basically a circulated application architecture that splits tasks between peers. In the networking
world, a peer is a node that delivers the exact functionality as another. For example, two PCs
in a network are peers.

Difference between Client-Server and Peer-to-Peer Network

S.NO Client-Server Network Peer-to-Peer Network

1. When it comes to a Client-Server When it comes to the Peer-to-Peer

Network, clients and servers are Network, both clients and servers are not
distinguished because of the distinctive distinguished.
servers and clients present.

2. It majorly concentrates on sharing the It majorly concentrates on the

information. connectivity part.

3. Here, we mainly prefer the centralized Here, every peer stores its own data.
server to keep the data.

4. In the case of the Client-Server In the case of a Peer-to-Peer network,

network, the server replies to the every node can accomplish both request
services which are asked by the client. and response.

5. The Client-Server network is expensive The Peer-to-Peer network is affordable as

as compared to the Peer-to-Peer compared to the Client-Server network.
network.

6. They are a more stable network form. They are comparatively less stable.

7. These can be used both in small and It is mostly preferred for short networks.
large networks.